[Construction Blueprints for the Bexley Theater in Bexley, Ohio]

Original construction plans for the Bexley Theater.

This scarce assortment of blueprint plans was designed by E.W. Austin, a member of the Columbus, Ohio-based architecture firm of J.E. Myers. The latest revision dates are from February 1935, the same year that the subject matter, a cutting-edge cinema, opened in the Columbus suburb of Bexley. The Bexley Theater incorporated a novel projector that split the beam into two images, each (identical) shown in separate viewing galleries, and incorporated a state-of-the-art audio system. Though this resulted in somewhat smaller screens, according to a contemporary news article, this was a benefit.

“The more color the better, Curl [manager] says, as the Bexley screens, with their smaller proportions, bring the picture down to life size, and color is not spread out in big masses, but is given more precise treatment.” (Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 12/20/1935).

The set of construction plans offers a scarce window into the original design of the historic two-story theater, constructed during the first decades of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The heating system, dual projector/audience room setup, finishing features, and other infrastructure is outlined in extensive detail. Interesting elements from the era include the powder/smoking rooms adjacent to the restrooms, a sizeable fan room (for the heat from the projector), a striking Art Deco frontage, and a lack of a dedicated concession area. Sadly, the glory days of the Bexley Theater were not to last. According to a blog post on CinemaTreasures,

“When I knew it in the late-1960’s and early-1970’s, the Bexley Theater showed primarily foreign and art films, but some bookings tended to be on the racy side–for instance, “I Am Curious (Yellow) ‘. Occasionally they showed revivals – I recall attending several evenings of a Charlie Chaplin film festival there in the early-1970’s.

As the 1970’s wore on, the bookings devolved towards soft porn (e.g. “The Stewardesses”) and eventually hard porn. In its final few years it was little more than an appendage to an X-rated video store, and very much an anomaly in this quiet, upper-middle-class Columbus suburb.”

The Bexley Theater was ultimately demolished in 1997, after years of local controversy and ignominy. It was replaced by a short-lived McDonald’s, and the address at 2484 E. Main Street is now a Chipotle. The nearby Drexel Theater, opened just two years after the Bexley, continues to delight local moviegoers with its historic architecture.

Sources: Cinema Treasures; Ohio History Society; Columbus Business Journal