Landmark Theatre

362 S. Salina Street

Syracuse, New York 

The Landmark Theatre is an historic movie palace from the 1920s originally Loew's State Theatre (belonging to a chain of theaters begun by Marcus Loew) known for its opulent design by Thomas W. Lamb and its role as a major live entertainment venue for Broadway shows, concerts and comedy.  

Thomas Lamb was commissioned as architect for the new project.  He had already designed the Strand, Temple and Keith's, but this was to be the city's largest theatre with 3,000 seats and an eight-story office tower.  Site aquisitions costing $1.9 million began on March 29, 1926 and groundbreaking for construction began nearly a year later on March 15, 1927.  Construction of the theatre involved more than 300 workers and cost $1.4 million.  A little more than 11 months later, the theatre was ready.

The 1930s and the Great Depression provided some of the theatre's finest hours.  In the cultural style of the times, a uniformed doorman or "barker" greeted patrons outside the theatre.  Three cashiers staffed the outdoor box office kiosk and crisply uniformed ushers, overseen by captains, directed patrons into lines between rich vilvet ropes and then to seats as they became available.  Sharply dressed "candy girls" graced the concession counters.  Meanwhile, a basement carpenter shop created signs and stage props to order. 

The Curtain Goes Up for the First Time

Loew's State's opening was announced February 18, 1928.  The new theatre was advertised as "the last word in theatrical ornateness and luxuriousness." By mid-morning of that first day, hundreds had formed lines outside the new theatre.  For an admission price of 25 cents, patrons were directed by uniformed ushers through the lobbies, absorbing the wealth of colors and materials such as marble and terrazzo.  Rich tapestries, exotic furnishings and filigrial* chandeliers also adorned the patatial theatre. 

*delicate ornamental work resembling fine wire twisted into patterns. 

The Landmark Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places May 2, 1977.  The architectural style is Neoclassical.

The main auditorium houses 2800 seats was decorated in rich reds and golds and elegantly accented with wall ornaments.  The 1,400-pipe Wurlitzer organ offered its own exotic flavor, treating patrons to such sounds as a glockenspiel, marimba, bird whistles, hoof beats and surf sounds for silent films.  It showed its first "talkie", "The Broadway Melody" on March 30, 1929.

In 1954, Loew's State Theatre's organ became inoperable. Ten years later the company sold the beloved organ and its components were crated and later installed in the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, California. 

The Stanford Theatre now features the Landmark Theatre's former "Mighty Wurlitzer".  It is played live before and during intermission of classic films, providing a nostalgic experience akin to the silent film era. Maintained and performed by skilled organists, Jerry Nagano (Organist of the Year in 2017) and Dennis James (a veteran silent film accompanist), this grand instrument accompanies silent films and enhances the atmosphere for other classic features, making the theatre a significant destination for film and music lovers. It's a large, custom-built pipe organ known for its ability to mimic an entire orchestra and produced special effects.  The organ adds a unique sense of grandeur and nostalgia, transporting audiences back to the golden age of cinema.

The Opus #1836 Wurlitzer was restored by David Woodley Packard, son of the Hewlett-Packard co-founder. Packard purchased and restored the aging Stanford Theatre to its original splendor.  The visible part of the instrument where the organist sits, came from Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.  The organ's pipes, which line both walls of the theatre and date back to 1928, came from Loew's Theatre in Syracuse.