Glove Theatre

Situated between City Hall and the Kasson Block Building, the property was purchased in 1913 by Dr. Henry Cady, a veterinary surgeon, and George Dartch and designed by Linn Kinney of Utica in the Classical Revival style.[1] At that time, the property housed a barber shop and Hollenbeck’s lunch wagon. Tenants were given a month’s notice to vacate the property.[2]

The "new" 800-seat Glove Theatre opened on October 9, 1914. As part of the opening night events, The Call of the North (1914 film), the second film directed by Cecil B. DeMille was screened.[3]

From its inception, the Glove Theatre attracted a variety of well-rounded live entertainment for all including local, amateur, touring shows, professional troupes, and world-renowned entertainers in a variety of genres such as orchestral concerts, plays, and opera.

In addition to live entertainment, it served as a home for community events such as Gloversville High School graduations, dance competitions, fashion exhibits[4][5], speaking engagements[6], and at times, a venue for the Fulton County Board of Supervisors.[7]

In 1917, Carrie Chapman Catt during the ultimately successful push for New York voters to approve a women’s suffrage amendment to the state constitution at that year’s election, spoke to a "Glove Theatre Packed to Overflowing” in an appeal to Gloversville for Suffrage. The October 17, 1917, Morning Herald article states: “With every seat in the Glove theatre occupied, the gallery completely jammed and people in the rear of the house standing patiently four rows deep for almost two hours, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, national and international executive head of the Woman Suffrage movement, last night presented the arguments in substantiation of the cause of which she is executive leader in language which depended for its eloquence entirely upon its appeal to logic and reason, rather than dramatic oratory or stirring phrases.”[8]

Society reporting in local papers frequently cited the Glove Theatre. In 1927, the society section noted that "bathing beauties" of New York and "Miss Ohio" landed in Fonda enroute to the Glove Theatre to exhibit being escorted by Herman, the Chrysler garage man in a string of fancy coupes.[9]

In 1920, brothers Junius Myer Schine and Louis W. Schine purchased the Glove Theatre building as the flagship headquarters of Schine Enterprises, turning the venue into a vaudeville house. The purchase also included the Kasson Block Building, home to the Kasson Opera House, later known as the Family Theatre. They converted the neighboring building into part of their entertainment headquarters with the upper two floors used for offices.[10] The office space also consisted of a private screening room to screen movies before distribution nationwide. The building is now known as Schine Memorial Hall.[11]

Schine Enterprise continued the venue's tradition of community outreach. In 1924, they hosted an evening for Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) where the Caughnawaga Chapter was one of many DAR Chapters to a private screening of America (1924 film) directed by D. W. Griffith.[12]

Innovations in theater equipment were first tested at the Glove Theatre before widespread distribution. In 1928, for example, the Glove Theatre was among the first in the nation to be equipped with sound.[13][14]

Renovations of the Theatre in the late 1930’s modernized the building in the Art Deco architectural style, whose vestiges remain prominently around the theatre to this day. In 1939, the current Glove marquee, designed by John Eberson, was added.[14]

That same year in late October, Gloversville was the first of 5 municipalities to be selected to host the location premiere[15] of Drums Along the Mohawk starring Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert on Thursday, November 2, 1939.[16] Citing the geographic location of Fort Johnson, New York and Sacandaga[17] which several years earlier was transformed into a reservoir. In total, over 40 communities applied but the honor was given to Gloversville and other Mohawk Valley communities including:

• City of Albany at Palace Theatre (Albany, New York) with NYS Governor Herbert H. Lehman and Mayor John Boyd Thacher II in attendance.[18]
• City of Amsterdam at the Rialto Theatre, also operated by Schine Enterprise. Prior to the screening, a street parade took place which included several Native American Tribes, The Liberty Boys, and descendants of Douw Fonda.[19]
• City of Utica at the Olympic Theatre[20]

At its height, Schine Enterprises operated 174 theatres in 4 states [21]

By the early 1960s, Schine Enterprises still operated around 50 theaters, including the Glove. In 1965, the company sold off most of its property except for the home offices in Gloversville and the Glove Theatre. While still owned by Schine, operation of the theater was transferred to Panther Theaters under a leasing agreement. The September 2, 1966 edition of the Leader-Herald stated that J. Myer Schine, “said he would not sell the Glove Theater because of its sentimental value.” The leasing agreement was relatively short lived and in 1971, the Glove Theatre was closed, as it was reportedly operating at a loss[22]

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and a portion of the 1990s, the venue stood vacant, at times hosting Santa Claus in the lobby.

By 1995, The building was being strongly considered for demolition to make way for a parking lot. The same year community members raised necessary funds to resurrect the theatre. On October 25, 1997, the next era of The Glove Theatre began with a grand re-opening event: “The Phantom of The Glove.” Since then, the Glove Theatre has hosted, presented, and produced numerous movie screenings, musicals, theatrical, cultural, and community events. [14]

Since March 2021, the Glove has hosted weekly events, first time since the 1960s, including free movies, educational seminars, theatrical productions, dance parties, concerts and other regional and national groups.

In November of 2021, the venue was part of Round 5 of the New York State's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) for the City of Gloversville. The Glove was awarded $1,994,000 for pending renovation costs. [23] [24]

On June 3, 2023, an unveiling of a New York State Historic Markers through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, was placed in the front of the theatre with speeches from Fulton County Historian Samantha Hall-Salidino, Glove Theatre Vice President Alex Miller, Fulton County Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisors John Blackmon, NYS Assemblymember Robert Smullen, and NYS Senator Mark Walczyk [25]

• Adobe theatre company
• Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra
• Buddy Jewell
• Caroga Arts Collective
• Emma De Weale with the F. James Carroll Players / Carroll Stock Company
• Gloversville Philharmonic Orchestra
• Ethel Barrymore in The Second Mrs Tanqueray[26]
• John Philip Sousa
• Major Bowes Amateur Hour[27]
• NoLaNauts
• Tommy McClellan
• Quintocracy
• Wynotte Sisters
• Ziegfeld Follies[28]

• Official website