Palace Theatre, Syracuse
Encyclopedia
The Palace Theatre is a 1920s-era movie palace
in the village of Eastwood
in Syracuse, New York
. It has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 80 years.
or the popcorn
counter nearly every night for more than fifty years. On her death on April 26, 2004, ownership passed to her nephew, Michael Heagerty, who embarked on an extensive renovation of the theatre including opening The Palace Café next door (which has since been closed). Until the doors shut for renovation in 2004, the theatre had reputedly never been closed for more than a week during its entire history. Renovations included the installation of a digital high-definition video
system, Dolby Surround Sound
, and laptop
presentation capability with the largest computer graphic projection in Central New York
.
Despite a temporary setback due to flooding soon after it reopened, the theatre is presently a lively venue for current and classic movies, meetings, parties, speeches, live concerts, lectures, benefits, and other community events. Syracuse Mayor Matthew Driscoll
delivered his 2005 "State of the City" address at The Palace, and it hosts an annual B-Movie Film Festival
that draws attendees from all over the world.
The Palace has been independently owned and operated throughout its history. It is one of three independent movie theatres in Syracuse; the others are the Hollywood in the hamlet of Mattydale
near the Syracuse airport; and the Manlius Art Cinema in Manlius.
43.068449°N 76.113077°W
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
in the village of Eastwood
Eastwood, Syracuse
Eastwood is a neighborhood in the east of Syracuse, New York, USA. The neighborhood was part of the last round of annexations by the City of Syracuse, in 1928...
in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. It has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 80 years.
History
The Palace was built in 1924 by local businessman Alfred DiBella. The theater featured 1300 seating, a second floor dining and dance ballroom. After Alfred died in 1959, ownership was transferred to his daughter, Frances DiBella, who was behind the cash registerCash register
A cash register or till is a mechanical or electronic device for calculating and recording sales transactions, and an attached cash drawer for storing cash...
or the popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
counter nearly every night for more than fifty years. On her death on April 26, 2004, ownership passed to her nephew, Michael Heagerty, who embarked on an extensive renovation of the theatre including opening The Palace Café next door (which has since been closed). Until the doors shut for renovation in 2004, the theatre had reputedly never been closed for more than a week during its entire history. Renovations included the installation of a digital high-definition video
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
system, Dolby Surround Sound
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
, and laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
presentation capability with the largest computer graphic projection in Central New York
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
.
Despite a temporary setback due to flooding soon after it reopened, the theatre is presently a lively venue for current and classic movies, meetings, parties, speeches, live concerts, lectures, benefits, and other community events. Syracuse Mayor Matthew Driscoll
Matthew Driscoll
For the basketball coach, see Matthew Driscoll .Matthew John "Matt" Driscoll is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 52nd Mayor of Syracuse, New York from July 10, 2001 until December 31, 2009....
delivered his 2005 "State of the City" address at The Palace, and it hosts an annual B-Movie Film Festival
B-Movie Film Festival
The B-Movie Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Syracuse, United States.The festival was founded in 1999 by local filmmaker Ron Bonk to promote the art of B-movie making. It was canceled in its third year due to the effects of September 11 attacks...
that draws attendees from all over the world.
The Palace has been independently owned and operated throughout its history. It is one of three independent movie theatres in Syracuse; the others are the Hollywood in the hamlet of Mattydale
Mattydale, New York
Mattydale is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,367 at the 2000 census.Mattydale is a community in the northeast of the Town of Salina and is a northern suburb of Syracuse....
near the Syracuse airport; and the Manlius Art Cinema in Manlius.
External links
43.068449°N 76.113077°W