Ritz Theatre (site) (Indianapolis, Indiana)

 historical layer / disappeared object, 1920s construction

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From Historic Indianapolis: The Ritz Theatre was constructed in 1926-1927 by Oscar Markum and Son, owners of four other Indianapolis theaters. It was designed by Indianapolis architect George V. Bedell, who began his career in the 1880s as a decorative spindle and trim maker. The Ritz is brick and decorated with limestone carvings. When it first opened, it had streetfront stores on either side of the central entrance and a separate smoking room with piped-in sound for the smokers.

According to cinematreasures.org, the Ritz opened on February 22, 1927 with seating for 1,400. Just on the cusp of talking movies, the theater was equipped with a two-manual Geneva organ. After years of success as a neighborhood movie theater, it became known as the Northside Theatre in August of 1958 and had a short-lived stint as a burlesque site in the 1960s before complaints led the managers and strippers to court. In June 1970, the theater was remodeled. All of the seats were removed to make way for a rock concert venue called Middle Earth. The popular hang-out featured some big names such as Richie Havens, Frank Zappa, and Savoy Brown. The name was changed back to the Ritz Theatre in January 1972, but the concerts were unsuccessful and the Ritz closed in late-1972.

Today the marquee is gone, the windows are boarded up, and the theater has sat mainly empty since the early-1970s. People have cited the shaky neighborhood and the lack of parking as reasons the building has not been revived.

The Ritz was demolished in January 2023.