John Eberson
by Karen
Colizzi Noonan
Elegant, eye-catching decor was the hallmark
of the Schine Theater; a Schine theater was always a wonder to
behold. One of the grand masters of theater architecture was
Austrian born John Eberson. In their quest to always be the biggest
and the best, Schine Theaters tapped this "Frank Lloyd Wright of
theater design" for many projects.
Born in Romania in 1875, Eberson came to this
country in the early 1900s and settled in St. Louis, MO. While
employed by the Johnston Realty and Construction Company, Eberson
began to experiment with the design standards he would be most
remembered for. His first recorded theater project was The Jewel in
Hamilton, Ohio in 1909. By 1910 he was living in Chicago, an
important center for theater architecture at the time, and
receiving steady work as a theater architect. In 1926 Eberson moved
his base of operations to New York City, where he remained until
his death in 1965.
John Eberson, later in partnership with his
son Drew, created some of America’s most magnificent and unique
movie theaters. Many of Eberson’s greatest works are in the
atmospheric style. This genre of theater architecture sought
to transport the patron into another time and place, to give the
illusion of sitting in an exotic setting. The most delightful
atmospherics were of the outdoor variety. Peaceful garden settings
were created using by twilight skies and twinkling stars. Grottos
with waterfalls and stuffed birds perched among statuary were
favorite touches of "Papa John", as he was affectionately called.
Although not the actual creator of the atmospheric style, he was
the one to popularize and market this idea on a wide scale
basis.
His early designs were reminiscent of the
grand palatial opera houses of his homeland. Symmetry was very
important in these early designs; delicate rosette strewn urns and
elaborate cartouches were crafted out of fine plaster in exact
duplicate on each side of the house. Prosceniums of unusual beauty
and detail framed his stage presentations, again crafted in
delicate plasterwork. His later designs took the French inspired -
but uniquely Americanized - Art Deco themes to new and, at times,
outrageous heights. At the top of his game, Eberson was sought out
by the Schine brothers to work on not only their biggest but at
times their smaller theaters.
Eberson either built or redesigned the
interiors of many Schine theaters. Documentation exists to verify
his work on the Schine circuit’s theaters in Ashland Ohio, Norwalk,
Ohio, Lockport NY, Auburn NY, Norwich NY, Glens Falls, NY and the
home office Glove Theater in Gloversville, NY. The style and design
of many other Schine theaters certainly suggest his influence, if
not outright direction.
Eberson’s creations for Schine were all over
the spectrum of design. He segued effortlessly, and almost
seamlessly from the beautiful outdoor garden atmospherics and
classic palace designs to show stopping art deco delights. Eberson
whipped up some frothy, eye-catching art deco extravaganzas, making
delicious use of silver and chrome swirls, teal and plum, peach and
turquoise combinations. He loved geometric designs and in this
design period, did a turn around to favor asymmetrical
ornamentation.
At the Schine Auburn, Eberson melded the
atmospheric theater into the art deco period by creating a
thoroughly unique outerspace atmospheric. The foyer and lobby light
fixtures were shaped like shooting stars and comets. The lobby area
itself was quite futuristic, in the classic 1930s viewpoint. The
concession stand was low and sleek, accented with loads of chrome.
Eberson made abundant use of vivid colors: the requisite Schine red
mixed with canary yellow, mauve, chartreuse, turquoise in running
bands and stripes on the ceiling. In the auditorium, stars and
planets floated in the deep space sky. In fact, all the walls had a
three dimensional appearance due to the use of a mottling
technique, which layered, then rag rolled, midnight blue and deep
purple to achieve the desired effect. The ceiling was uniquely
shaped in a scalloped shell design that moved in tiers to the
balcony area. The matching chandeliers on either side of the
auditorium were an impressive sight. Opal multicolored glass formed
the huge star shape from which double comet tails arched gracefully
from each side of the star. The tails were actually deep coves in
the plaster sky, softly back lit for a dramatic effect. When this
theater opened on September 16, 1938 it caused a great deal of
excitement.
Sadly, too few of these landmark theaters
still stand. Many of those that do have been chopped up into
multiplexes or stripped of much of their ornamentation. A few are
in danger of being demolished by entities oblivious to the great
architectural and historical treasure an Eberson house
represents.
About the
author:
Karen Colizzi Noonan fell in love with vintage
movie palaces as a child, attending movies at the Schine's Geneva
NY theater. Since 1988, she has been involved in theater
restoration and preservation, and serves on the executive committee
of the Theatre
Historical Society of America. Considered an authority on the
Schine brothers and their theater circuit, Karen has researched and
writen extensively on the subject. For further information, Karen
may be reached by Email.
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