On the Stage: America's Greatest Hillbilly Comedian Cousin Wilbur
Dublin Core
Title
On the Stage: America's Greatest Hillbilly Comedian Cousin Wilbur
Alternative Title
Hillbilly Comedian Cousin Wilbur
Subject
Sanford (Fla.)
Hillbilly comedies
Comedy
Comedians--United States
Tennessee Mountaineers
Description
Advertisement for Cousin Wilbur, a "hillbilly comedian", and the Tennessee Mountaineers' performance at the Ritz Theater on May 19, 1946.
Originally the Milane Theatre, the Ritz was built at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Originally the Milane Theatre, the Ritz was built at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.
Source
Digital reproduction of original black and white poster, 1946: Bishop, Katherine. Sanford Now and Then: An Official Project of the Greater Sanford Chamber of Commerce, Commemorating the Incorporating of the City of Sanford, 1877. S.l: s.n.], 1976, page 56: Item number DP0009054. Central Florida Memory. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/CFM/id/120167.
Publisher
Celery City Printing Company
Date Created
1946-05-19
Date Copyrighted
1976
Has Format
Print reproduction of original black and white poster, 1946: Bishop, Katherine. Sanford Now and Then: An Official Project of the Greater Sanford Chamber of Commerce, Commemorating the Incorporating of the City of Sanford, 1877. S.l: s.n.], 1976.
Original black and white poster, 1946.
Is Format Of
Digital reproduction of original black and white poster, 1946.
Is Part Of
Bishop, Katherine. Sanford Now and Then: An Official Project of the Greater Sanford Chamber of Commerce, Commemorating the Incorporating of the City of Sanford, 1877. S.l: s.n.], 1976.
Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.
Format
image/jpeg
Extent
33.9 KB
Medium
1 poster
Language
eng
Type
Text
Coverage
Sanford, Florida
Spatial Coverage
28.810527, -81.266859
Temporal Coverage
1946-05-19/1946-05-19
Accrual Method
Donation
Mediator
History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Provenance
Published by the Celery City Printing Company.
Rights Holder
Copyright to this resource is held by the Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce and is provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.
Contributing Project
Curator
Cepero, Laura
External Reference
Bishop, Katherine. Sanford Now and Then: An Official Project of the Greater Sanford Chamber of Commerce, Commemorating the Incorporating of the City of Sanford, 1877. S.l: s.n.], 1976
"Helen Stairs Theatre." StageClick. http://www.stageclick.com/venue/457.aspx.
Pierce, Arthur C., et al. Hillbilly Comedy Collection. [S.l.]: VCI Entertainment, 2007.
"Theater History." Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center. http://www.wdpac.com/footer-menu/theater-history/.
"Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center." Seminole County: Florida's Natural Choice. http://www.visitseminole.com/things-to-do/general/wayne-densch-performing-arts-center.
External Reference Title
Transcript
In Person
on the STAGE America's Greatest Hillbilly Comedian
COUSIN WILBUR
FORMER GRAND OLE OPRY STAR
WITH HIS TENNESSEE MOUNTAINEERS
1 FULL HOUR OF FUN, MUSIC COMEDY
ON THE SCREEN
"SO DARK THE NIGHT" WITH STEVEN GERAY MICHELINE CHEIREL
Monday Only May 19
STAGE SHOWS AT 3:20-5:09-7:16-9:23
RITZ Theatre
PRICES: ADULTS-60c, CHILDREN 25c (Inc. all Tax)
Cousin Wilbur at the Ritz Theatre
on the STAGE America's Greatest Hillbilly Comedian
COUSIN WILBUR
FORMER GRAND OLE OPRY STAR
WITH HIS TENNESSEE MOUNTAINEERS
1 FULL HOUR OF FUN, MUSIC COMEDY
ON THE SCREEN
"SO DARK THE NIGHT" WITH STEVEN GERAY MICHELINE CHEIREL
Monday Only May 19
STAGE SHOWS AT 3:20-5:09-7:16-9:23
RITZ Theatre
PRICES: ADULTS-60c, CHILDREN 25c (Inc. all Tax)
Cousin Wilbur at the Ritz Theatre
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
1 poster
Collection
Citation
“On the Stage: America's Greatest Hillbilly Comedian Cousin Wilbur,” RICHES, accessed April 24, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/1101.