East Water Street
Elmira, NY

he Regent Theatre, The Gorton Company and Luskuris made up an important and bustling block in Elmira in the early 1900s. This photo is from an antique postcard sent in to us by Joe and Pat McDonald, both Southside High School Alumni.

In their early years, movies were called photo plays. Back in those days, Elmira had three nickelodeons. Eventually real film houses popped up when the Regent opened its doors to movie goers on the north side of East Water Street between Railroad Avenue and State Street. The Regent operated for nearly 50 years before closing in 1962.

Other early movie theaters included the Keeney on State and Gray, the Colonial on Main, and the Happy Hour (which became the Majestic in 1911) on Market Street.