The HIPPODROME THEATER was located in an 11-story office building at 720 EUCLID AVE. Designed by Cleveland architect John Elliot, the "Hipp" featured exceptionally good acoustics, a lavish interior, exceptional spaciousness, and a second entrance on Prospect Ave. Considered to be among the world's great playhouses, it hosted performers such as Enrico Caruso, Sarah Bernhardt, W. C. Fields, Will Rogers, Al Jolson, and John Phillip Sousa. The auditorium had boxes, 2 balconies with elevators, and seating for 3,548. The stage—the world's 2nd largest—was equipped to handle large-scale productions and spectacles. It measured 130' wide and 104' deep, and could be lifted to 4 different levels by hydraulic jacks. An 80’ x 40’ x 10’ pool was used for water spectacles.
The theater was built in 1907 by an operating company headed by Max Faetkenhauer at a cost of $800,000. Empresario B.F. Keith leased the theater in 1908, positioning it as a high-end showcase for operas, plays, and vaudeville performances. In 1922 Walter Reasoner took over operations and began integrating film into the mix. RKO (Radio Keith Orpheum) assumed control in 1929 and, after a 1931 renovation, the Hippodrome became the largest American theater devoted solely to motion pictures. (A large portion of the stage was removed, the main floor was lowered, and a new mezzanine added to increase seating to more than 4,000). The theater went bankrupt two years later and operations were taken over by Warner Bros. In 1951 the Hippodrome became part of the Telenews chain and in 1972 the property was purchased by Alvin Krenzler. The end came in 1977 when the office space was closed and the theater's revenues proved insufficient to support the building. The last of the major downtown movie houses to close, the Hippodrome was demolished in 1981 to make way for a parking lot. The site is now occupied by a 23-story residential tower called Skyline 776.
Updated by Christopher Roy 14 January 2025
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