Murphy Theatre

The Murphy Theatre is a historic theatre located on 50 West Main Street in Wilmington, Ohio.

History of The Murphy

Construction of The Murphy Theatre

Charles Murphy

Chicago Cubs owner and Wilmington native Charles Murphy financed the construction of the Murphy Theatre.^[1] Charles Murphy hired Eveland Construction Company from Cincinnati, Ohio to build the theatre and construction began in 1916.^[2]

The Murphy Theatre in its early stages of construction.

Materials

The construction of the Murphy was a massive undertaking. Over 175 cars were used in the construction of the Murphy. The materials used in the construction included: 1 car of metal lathe and tile 17 cars of hollow tile 19 cars of solid brick (850,000) 2 cars of terra cotta 4 cars of lumber 2 cars of brick-layers cement 12 cars of cement 3 cars of lime 4 cars of plaster 2 cars of reinforcing steel rebar 10 cars of structural and ornamental steel 2 cars of cinders 1 car of cut stone 70 cars of sand and gravel 3 cars of mill work 4 cars of material for heating system and 1 car of material for electrical work it also included the lights,curtains,and ropes. .^[3] Charles Murphy hired The Mandel Brothers, a prestigious interior decorating firm from Chicago, to decorate the interior.^[4] The total cost of the undertaking was in excess of $250,000 ^[5][6] which today is $3,865,960.26 adjusted for inflation.^[7]

Interior

Proscenium and Lobby

The theater had a half-barrel foyer ceiling, a carved ornamental plaster with a continuous row of Cupid heads, a lobby decorated with a sunburst chandelier, marble floors, and polished oak doors; and three painted stage curtains with pictures of Betsy Ross, Nathan Hale, and Patrick Henry.^[8][9]

The proscenium arch and the left box seats at the Murphy in 1918.

The Betsy Ross curtain of the theatre.

The lobby of the Murphy Theatre in 1918.

Electrical and Ventilation System

The theatre also had a modern self-regulating air ventilation system and an electrical system that included 15 miles of electrical wiring and a massive switchboard.^[10] After inspecting the theatre the State Fire Marshal remarked "Until now the Colonial of Dayton was the finest theater in Ohio, but it now must take second place to this fine amusement palace. It is a revelation to me. Why there is not enough to burn here to start a grate".^[11]

Opening Day

Charles Murphy (on the right) at the Murphy Theatre

The theater officially opened on July 24, 1918. Famous acts such as “Say, Young Fella” starring Douglas Fairbanks and "Good Night, Nurse!" starring Fatty Arbuckle were performed on the opening day.^[12] 2,000 seats sold for 15 cents each and 1,000 seats sold for 10 cents each. Over 3,000 people filled the building. Ticket sales totaled $1,216.72. Sometime after the grand opening Charles Murphy had this to say about the opening:" That opening handed me the greatest surprise and delight of my life. Where did all the people come from? I have seen many large crowds-some of them at the world's series netting me thousands of dollars-but none gave me the real pleasure I got Wednesday. No man's vocabulary can do it justice." ^[13]

Notable Events

Fire at the Murphy

On January 15, 1934,a fire caused considerable damage to the theatre. The fire is believed to have started from a burning cigarette thrust against the motion picture screen. The fires started at the lower right corner of the picture screen and spread rapidly to the scenery. The people at the theatre were unaware that there was a fire. The asbestos curtain was dropped hurriedly and kept the flames back stage. Firemen battled the flames for more than an hour. The Betsy Ross scenery, two complete scenery sets and 56 sets of line were destroyed. Sound equipment and screens were destroyed at a cost of estimated at 5,000. Insurance covered the cost of the damages.^[14]

On January 17, 1934, the Murphy Theatre re-opened. New ‘’talkies’ equipment and a new and larger picture screen were installed.^[15]

The Murphy Theatre in 1950.

Notably, local filmmaker Kroger Babb's controversial 1945 exploitation film Mom and Dad was shown several times in the Murphy Theatre, featuring live appearances by "hygiene commentator" Elliott Forbes, played by various Wilmington residents. Mom and Dad was added to the National Film Registry in 2005, due to its distinction as "[t]he most successful sex-hygiene exploitation film of all time, a low budget but relentlessly promoted, socially significant film, which finished as the third highest grossing film during the 1940s." ^[16]

The Murphy today

Today the Murphy Theatre is a non-profit theatre and serves as a community center. The theatre has 769 seats. On September 18, 1999 the Murphy Theatre hosted the wedding of actors John Ritter and Amy Yasbeck.^[17] The Murphy has been host to such nationally acclaimed acts as the Von Trapp Children and The Glenn Beck Show. Every year around Christmas time, the theater holds a show called "The Murphy Christmas Show," showcasing such acts as dance troupes, barbershop quartets, children's choirs, and the Wilmingtones from Wilmington High School.

The Murphy in pop culture

The theater can be seen in the film Lost in Yonkers.

References

[1] “Native of Wilmington Honored by Citizens on Occasion of Dedication of Magnificent Theater.” Wilmington Daily News. 24 July 1918 [2] Jacobsen, Lenny. “Charles Murphy.” Society for American Baseball. 5 August 2013. http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/e707728f [3] “The Theaters.” Wilmington Daily News. 24 July 1918: Page 6. [4] “The Murphy Theatre.” Wilmington Daily News. 23 July 1918: Page 6. [5]"CPI Inflation Calculator." "Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web 8 Aug 2013. http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=250%2C000.00&year1=1918&year2=2013 [6]“Stage Equipment Lost in Flames.” Wilmington Daily News. 15 January 1934. Page 1. [7]“Crowd at Re-opening of Murphy Theater” Wilmingotn Daily News, 17 January 1934. [8]John Ritter, Amy Yasbeck wed at Murphy Saturday. “ Wilmington News-Journal. Sept 18 1999. [9]"Brief Descriptions and Expanded Essays of National Film Registry Titles." Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/film/descrip_test.html

• Discover Ohio - Murphy Theater
• Charles Murphy's SABR Biography