The second Earl Carroll Theatre (1931), located at the southeast corner of 7th Avenue and 50th Street, with 3,000 seats was the largest legitimate theatre in the world. The sign over the stage door read “Through these portals pass the most beautiful women in the world”. And inside that door stood the most modern theatre in the world. A showcase of modernistic design opening over a year before the Radio City Music Hall and the R.-K.-O. Roxy/Center Theatre. But unlike its neighboring movie palaces, the Earl Carroll Theatre’s passing remains unmourned. The unusual fact about it is, it remained hiding in somewhat plain sight for 50 years from closing as an entertainment venue until its demolition.

 

Earl Carroll

 

Earl Carroll (1893 – 1948) was one of Broadway’s major impresarios in the 1920’s. Carroll, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania served as a fighter pilot during the First World War. His war service sparked a lifelong interest in aviation. After the war, Carroll found his way to New York and soon made it to the top of the theatrical world as a composer, songwriter, director, and producer. As a self-proclaimed expert on feminine beauty, Carroll became famous for his revues, The Vanities.

 

The Broadway revue, a product of the past, is a type of show that today people have difficulty connecting with. But in the 1920’s audiences eagerly awaited each annual installment. Growing out of vaudeville, Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. (1867 – 1932) introduced the high-class revue to Broadway with his first Follies in 1907. This set the form and style of all future revues. Joining the Follies in 1911 as a performer was George White (1891 – 1968). By the end of the 1910s, White switched from performing to producing. And beginning in 1919 began his own annual revue, The Scandals. Both Ziegfeld and White would play roles in the fate of the second Earl Carroll Theatre. 

 

 

Earl Carroll presented his first edition of The Vanities in the late summer of 1923. Where Ziegfeld had class and White had fast paced shows and lots of dancing, Carroll had flesh. The Vanities were known for having the most scantily clad showgirls of any production outside of Paris. Also in an attempt to outdo his revue rivals, Carroll had a theatre of his own built and named after himself.

 

The First Earl Carroll Theatre

 

 

Variety broke the news of the new theatre on April 29, 1921:

Youngest Owner

New Theatre Starts June 1 – Will Seat 1,200

    Ground will be broken June 1 on the site of the new Earl Carroll theatre. It will be the first theatre in the Seventh avenue section of the theatre zone above 49th street. 

    The Carroll will be located on the southeast corner of 50th street and Seventh avenue. It will have a seating capacity of 1,200, 700 for the lower floor. The stage will have a depth of 34 feet and the plot measures 140 by 100 feet. In addition to the theatre there will be a four-story office building. The total cost of building is $700,000. The site itself is leased. 

    An innovation on the stage will feature it. The back wall will be a plaster dome. This will be tinted in light blue and take the place of cycloramas, being amenable to other color treatment. 

    Carroll will be the youngest theatre owner on Broadway. He is not yet 30 years of age. A wealthy business man is backing the theatre. 

Variety, April 29, 1921, Pg. 14.

 

The Angel

The unnamed wealthy business man in the Variety article was Forth Worth, Texas banker William R. Edrington (1872 – 1932).

 

Edrington, vice president of the Farmers & Mechanics bank of Fort Worth, put up the $750,000 for the theatre and an additional $1,500,000 for the adjacent office building. Within a year of the opening of the Earl Carroll Theatre, Edrington became a New York City resident. In 1923 he was elected vice president of the Hamilton National Bank.

 

1922 – 1929

The Opening of the Theatre

Believe it or not, Carroll met Edrington through a plea that Carroll posted in the newspaper. Upon the opening of the Earl Carroll Theatre in 1922, Variety reported the story:

 

    When Carroll advertised for financial aid last season in a last desperate endeavor to keep “The Lady of the Lamp afloat at the Republic, Wm R. Edrington was among those who answered Carroll’s call. The ads, while bringing the financial assistance sought, failed to keep “The Lady of the Lamp” from flickering out. But Mr. Edrington was now interested in the show business and Carroll outlined a plan for a new theatre. Then came the unusual. Mr. Edrington not only listened, but agreed to finance the project. 

    The Earl Carroll is built of tapestry brick with an entrance on Seventh Avenue. The house is beautiful even in these days of handsome playhouses. There is one balcony, with a total seating capacity of 1,000, 633 in the orchestra and 378 on the upper floor. 

 

    Among the innovations are an extension over the proscenium, sort of canopy which carries a complete lighting system,  and an orchestra lift, which can be manipulated after the manner of an elevator, to raise the orchestra musicians into view or conceal them, if that is desired. 

    There are no boxes. Instead of where boxes would ordinarily be, alcoves are located on either side of the stage. These were utilized by the cast for the purpose of taking curtain calls. The ceiling contains a lighted dome, on the order of the style of construction of the modern picture house.

    The interior decorations run to blue and yellow, with a flowered carpeting that is tasteful without being ostentatious. All of the decorations, in fact, are marked by a quiet, restful style of coloring. 

Variety, March 3, 1922, Pgs. 14 & 35.

The Architect

Earl Carroll chose the noted architect George Keister, to plan his theatre. By the early 1920’s Keister had become famous for the many theatres he designed in New York. Some previous commissions include, The Astor Theatre (1906), The Belasco Theatre (1907), The George M. Cohan Theatre (1911) and The Apollo Theatre (1914) in Harlem.

 

Although Carroll did not know it in the winter of 1922 when his theatre opened, it would only stand for eight years. And he had assembled his team to finance and design a new and significantly larger Earl Carroll Theatre.

 

Competition from the Movies

With the arrival of talking pictures in the late-1920s, the movies posed a real threat to the legitimate theatre for the first time. Movie palaces were getting bigger and bigger and in 1927 the largest movie theatre in the world opened directly across the street from the Earl Carroll Theatre. The Roxy Theatre (on the north east corner of 50th street & Seventh avenue) with its nearly 6,000 seats offered customers a movie and an elaborate stage show with prices ranging from $0.50 to a $1.65.

 

So in the summer of 1929 Earl Carroll began thinking about ways to beat the movies at their own game, or at least at somewhat comparable prices.

 

The Second Earl Carroll Theatre

1929

The New York Daily News ran the following item on August 1, 1929. The plans of a new Earl Carroll Theatre were first leaked here.

 

 

A few days later on August 4th, the Daily News ran a follow up item on the new Earl Carroll Theatre:

NEW PLAYHOUSE FOR E. CARROLL BEING PLANNED

    That new theatre of Earl Carroll’s appears to be in the offing again – only it won’t be exactly new. Carroll has bought a building on 49th st., near his present theatre, and it is understood to own three small buildings fronting on 50th st. Plans are now being drawn for an enlargement of the present 1,000 seat house to 3,000 seat capacity, using the added real estate. The Earl Carroll theatre will be turned over to R.-K.-O. movies in the fall, the first film, ironically enough, being Florenz Ziegfeld’s “Rio Rita.”

New York Daily News, August 4, 1929, Pg. 50.

While the article above hints that the new theatre will be an enlargement of the first Earl Carroll Theatre, that was not true. The only way to make room for the new, larger Earl Carroll Theatre would be to demolish the 1922 one completely.

On September 30, 1929, “Earl Carroll’s Sketchbook” moved to the 44th Street Theatre, conversion to the movies began, with R.-K.-O.’s Rio Rita opening on October 6, 1929.

 

1930

Financial negotiations between Earl Carroll and associates regarding the demolition of his theatre concluded on June 17, 1930. According to The New York Times on the following day:

 

    The deal involved a $4,000,000 lease and the placing of a loan of $1,450,000 with the Mutual Life Insurance Company, as well as the transfer of title to three adjoining properties destined to be part of the site of the new building.

     The Earl Carroll Realty Corporation and W. R. Edrington, transferred the present theatre to the 755 Seventh Avenue Corporation the property at 154-158 West Fiftieth Street. The corporation, which owns the theatre site, then obtained the $1,450,000 loan on the entire plot, and made a new lease with the Carroll interests running to Aug. 31, 1952, the aggregate rental being about $4,000,000 plus taxes and other charges.

The New York Times, June 18, 1930, Pg. 36.

Carroll’s negotiation, transferring his property to the 755 Seventh Avenue Corporation would directly result in his loss of the theatre less than sixth months after it opened.

 

But in the summer of 1930 it was full speed ahead on demolition of the first Earl Carroll Theatre. With the July 13th closing of Unguarded Girls, which was nothing more than a burlesque show,  with a men only admission policy, the theatre shut down. Interior demolition began the next morning.

 

Even before the theatre closed, architect George Keister, working in conjunction with Thomas Lamb, had finished the plans for the new theatre. The originally announced seating capacity of 2,800 increased to 3,000 by the time the theatre opened. The enormous size would allow Carroll to stage musical shows with a top price of $3.00. The exterior, interior design and decoration fell to Joseph J. Babolnay, of Budapest, Hungary. In his native land, Babolnay designed the parliament building and several theatres in Europe. Babolnay’s work for the Earl Carroll recalled no past period, he said the theatre is in the “strictly modern” style, in the “straight and setback” lines of the new skyscrapers.

 

With the demolition of the old theatre finished by August, the laying of the new foundation began. As with most building projects during that time period, construction proceeded rapidly. In just 54 weeks from the start of construction the New Earl Carroll Theatre opened to its first audience.

 

1931

With construction finishing in the summer, Earl Carroll decided to open his new popular price theatre with the ninth edition of The Vanities.

 

Just before the public opening of the theatre on August 27th, Carroll granted the press access. The reaction to the modernistic design of the enormous theatre was enthusiastic by both the press and the public. New York City had never seen modernism on this scale in a theatre before. On Monday, August 24th, the Lambs (the actors organization), dedicated the new theatre in a ceremony held in the lobby. They had also dedicated the first Earl Carroll Theatre, nine years earlier.

 

Exterior

Geometric lines dominated the exterior design of the theatre. Relieving the wall design of the black and ivory buff colored bricks, came from the galvanized iron used for the marquees and fire escape. Executing the metal work in an exuberant modern style, prepared audiences for their experience on the inside.

 

 

The Interior

    Everything is dull black plush or glistening black stone composition. Straight line modern decorative designs are carried out in glass, stainless steel and glistening silver. 

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 26, 1931, Pg. 22

 

Lobby

Instead of the usual ticket booth behind a caged window, here one purchased tickets from formally attired gentlemen at a sleek, waist high counter.

    The walls and ceiling of the lobby, and the counter itself are of highly polished black vitrolite, streaked with brown. The floor is of terrazzo with a marble border, and all trim is of chrome-nickel steel.

The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, Pg. 563

The Architectural Forum described the lobby lighting, walls and ceiling as:

. . . illumination of the lobby is supplied from a concealed source. Against a white vitrolite dome the lights are thrown from a cove that encircles it.

     A polished black cement, known as “burkstone,” has been used for the walls, with its joints covered by strips of chrome-nickel steel. The ceiling is plaster, painted black and gray, with an aluminum-leafed decorative cornice. 

The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, Pg. 563 & 564.

 

No photographs of the stars or scenes from the current show were anywhere to be seen in the lobby as in other theatres. Instead the lobby featured a novel display.

    A unique lobby display is being prepared by John F. Lins, the sculptor, with a dozen of the Earl Carroll beauties in the current “Vanities” as models. The girls posed for these creations during the rehearsal period. The sculptural creations have been done by Mr. Lins to harmonize perfectly with the architectural decorations of Joseph J. Babolnay, in coloring and design. 

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 17, 1931, Pg. 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mezzanine Lounge

 

    Just below the balcony cross-over is located the mezzanine lounge, 100 ft. long, and 60 ft. wide, with a ceiling that follows the slope of the balcony, 9 ft. 6 in. high at one point, and 20 ft. at the rear. The rear wall is composed of  mirrors that reach from floor to ceiling, separated by plaster columns. The walls and ceiling are painted olive green, to supplement the deeper green tone of the carpet. On the stair landing of each of the two stairways at the sides is a decorative fountain with Belgian black marble base and a bronze figure above. Two murals by A. Lindenfrost (sic) complete the decorative scheme.

The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, Pg. 564.

 

 

 

 

Separating the enormous mirrors in the lounge, three plaster pillars descended from the ceiling in reverse setbacks to the floor. Terra cotta enlivened the aluminum painted columns. Like the all the lighting in the theatre, indirect light fixtures illuminated the lounge. Unseen color lights illuminated the staircases leading to and from the lounge.

 

 

 

 

Auditorium

 

Inside the cavernous space of the auditorium 3,000 seats awaited patrons. No standing room at the rear of the orchestra allowed for extra rows, bringing the number of main floor seats to 1,500. Up in the loge and balcony were 1,300 seats. Another 200 chairs were in the modernistic boxes sloping down towards the stage.

 

    There are many innovations in the auditorium proper, not the least interesting of which is the use of black velvet, relieved by vertical bands of aluminum, to cover the hard plaster walls. The metal bands frame lighting coves that run part way across the ceiling. At right angles to these coves, seven light troughs run from the proscenium arch across the ceiling as far back as the arc room, which is suspended from the ceiling above the balcony cross over. 

The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, Pg. 564.

 

 

    The walls behind the cross-over are painted in black, gray and white horizontal bands. The ceiling itself is of hard plaster, the light coves being painted in aluminum-silver in color, separated by bands of black. The soffit is painted black with aluminum-painted recessed light channels curving gracefully across it. 

The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, Pg. 564.

 

 

   The legs of the proscenium are of molded plaster, and consist of a series of overhanging sections with concealed lights at each division. They are aluminum painted, as is the molded plaster proscenium arch itself. On either side of the arch is suspended a huge fixture that is designed to repeat the motif of the fluted proscenium legs. Additional lighting is supplied by a series of light panels that are recessed in the balcony front, which is painted black and gray.

The Architectural Forum, November, 1931, Pg. 564.

 

 

Flame color terra cotta paint on ceiling and proscenium arch accents, help to relieve the stark black and aluminum color scheme of the auditorium. Also brightening the auditorium were the seats with their varying shades of coral striped fabric. For the easing reading of programs during a performance, the back of the orchestra seats came equipped with small lights. No plain doors leading into the auditorium for the Earl Carroll Theatre! Modernistic etchings decorated the metal doors.

 

 

 

Another novel feature of the new theatre, a modernistic, chromium-plated water wagon offering refrigerated water to patrons. Operating and handling the heavy wagon called for male attendants of six feet in height or more wheeling it down the aisles between acts.

 

 

 

    There is not a light fixture in the auditorium. For the first time an auditorium contains four light circuits. From unseen sources the auditorium may be flooded with red, green, blue or white, or any combination of these colors. All lights including those flooding the stage and those upon the stage, are controlled and operated from a console. This new device is the first one ever created. It is no larger than a radio receiving set. It is operated in the same manner, by dials. The console is in the orchestra, just behind the musical director. The electrician wears evening clothes. He is called a light conductor and sees every effect he creates. The light console is probably the most notable contribution to theatre and production improvement of this decade. 

The Brooklyn Citizen Sun, September 13, 1931, Pg. 15.

 

Backstage

The modernity of the new theatre did not end at the stage. Carroll made sure that the backstage would be just as modern and comfortable as the front of the house.

    Elaborate backstage improvements and decorations are among the features of the new theatre. A green room, and orchid room and a card room have been provided for the principals, chorus girls and stage hands, respectively, and musicians and house attachés also have special quarters. Each production department has a work room and laboratory, and intercommunicating telephones link all dressing rooms and studios. Safe deposit vaults, a refrigerator for flowers, shower rooms, a gymnasium, a “powder room” and mirror room for last-minute inspection of costumes have been installed for the convenience of the performers.

The New York Times, August 28, 1931, Pg. 22

 

    The luxuries and comforts backstage sound more like the dreamings of a press agent than reality. But they are actually in evidence. Each girl has a beautiful dressing table. The old dressing shelf of former years has disappeared. 

The Brooklyn Citizen Sun, September 13, 1931, Pg. 15.

 

    The green and orchid rooms have magazines, writing materials and every comfort found in good clubs.

The Brooklyn Citizen Sun, September 13, 1931, Pg. 15.

A year before the opening of the two Radio City theatres, the Music Hall and the R.-K.-O. Roxy, the Earl Carroll Theatre’s stage introduced innovations that those theatres became famous for using.

    The disappearing orchestra, an Earl Carroll invention when he built his former theatre has been improved upon. Three orchestras may replace one another, and orchestras may be displaced by scenic effects, fountains or girls, at will, without interrupting the music. All parts of the stage may be lowered or elevated. There are two sets of counterweights on different levels  for handling of the scenery. Mr. Carroll, with his innovations, sets a new standard for revue productions.

The Brooklyn Citizen Sun, September 13, 1931, Pg. 15.

 

 

No footlights along the edge of the stage at the new theatre. Here the “footlights” lined the front of the mezzanine and concealed microphones lined the foot of the stage.

 

A celebrity studded, capacity audience filled the theatre on opening night. And for the first few weeks Earl Carroll’s Ninth Vanities continued to pack the audiences into his popular price theatre. But the successful future for this most modern of all theatres was not to last. As the depression deepened attendance dropped off, and it became increasingly harder for Carroll to meet his financial obligations while running a very expensive Broadway revue.

 

This concludes the first chapter in the history of the second Earl Carroll Theatre. Part two will tell the story of its second life in the early 1930s.

 

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

CLICK HERE FOR PART TWO

Sources:

The Architectural Forum; November, 1931

The Banker’s Magazine; Volume 107

The Brooklyn Citizen Sun

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Daily News

Lost New York, Nathan Silver, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1967

Modern Mechanics and Inventions; January, 1932

New York 1930 Robert A. M. Stern, Gregory Gilmartin, Thomas Mellins, Rizzoli, 1994

The New York Sun

The New York Times

Variety