This time it’s 1928... A boy of 17 who is out of breath lets out a sigh of relief as the door closes behind him. He smooths his dark gabardine trousers, closes the brass buttons on his red jacket, adjusts the stiff wing collars of his shirt and bow tie, dons his “monkey hat” and puts on the white gloves. The Fort Wayne Chief’s baseball game ran late but he made it in time for work! He works from 6 to 10 pm, seven days a week as an usher for $1.00 a day. He hopes however that he is chosen to change the letters on the attraction board which will add $3.00 to his pocket tonight.
His marquee is at the base of a 6 story sign emblazoned with the name Emboyd. The Emboyd Theatre opened on May 14, 1928 at the cost of $1,500,000. The theater was attached to the 250 room Indiana Hotel. With a change in ownership the name changed to the Embassy in 1958. Today the marquee announces Broadway tours, concerts, and private events. Tonight though our boy usher will be announcing the latest silent movies and vaudeville acts which were the height of entertainment leading to the rise of palace theaters. Our usher walks proudly in his uniform as he prepares for his duties, knowing his demeanor naturally emerges from the opulence of his place of employment.
Photos above courtesy of: The Allen County Public Library
The morning after its opening, the newspaper reported that the theater is "Colossal”, a “Mass of rich ornament” and “a Pandora box of enchantment”. Moving from a foyer of Spanish design on the ceiling and French designs on the marble walls, you enter the Italian lobby. Intricate mosaic floors, marbled walls with gilded and painted plaster reliefs, lead upward to a mezzanine promenade topped with a crystal chandeliered suspended in an 80-foot high vaulted ceiling. The marble grand staircase is showcased with 20-foot high mirrors. Doors open and patrons stream through. Men wear silk lined, wool tuxedos, bow ties, pocket squares and fedoras. Women dress in silk, beaded evening or shorter “knee duster” dresses and cloche titfers (hats) hoping to look hotsy-totsy.
The box office sells tickets at 25 cents for children, 40 cents for adult afternoon matinee, 60 cents for the evening matinee, and in accordance with the theater elegance, change is always given in crisp new bills. The theater is also a social event and there is both a men and women's lounge featuring Egyptian motifs for socializing before the show. As the auditorium fills, our usher communicates with the house manager through the call box so patrons are guided to the best seats. There are 3,000 seats and the absence of pillars allow for unobstructed views of the show. The grandeur of the lobby continues to the auditorium with gilded plaster relief, draped fabric and chandeliers.
There is an elevated orchestra pit and the organ appears from beneath the floor. The Grand Page Theater organ was and still today is the centerpiece showcase of the theater as this magnificent instrument is one of only 3 produced. The organ replicates over 100 orchestra instruments and sound effects ranging from trains to birds. All to enrich performances, set the emotional tone and enhance the experience of silent films. 1,150 pipes ranging from 7 inches to 16 feet are cleverly hidden from view.
Other hidden features include extensive wings for production, 16 dressing rooms, and the single bulb “ghost light” which in theater lore continually burns to appease ghosts. Their experience is also made pleasant through a revolutionary air circulating system which through the use of fans and an ice house keeps the temperature at 70 degrees to “provide the refreshing and delightful breezes of a perfect summer evening”. As the theatergoers' eager excitement settles into the show they are reminded through the benograph projection that men should not spit on the floor and women are asked to remove their hats so as not to obstruct the view of others. The last Vauldille performance ends at 10pm and as the ushers leave and the theater is put to bed all the lights turn off except for one on the stage.
Today, 97 years later the ghost light still continually burns waiting for you to come see a show. Over the years the Embassy has given much to Fort Wayne. Performers include Bob Hope, Doris Day, Lawrence Welk, Victor Borge, and Tony Bennett. Many Broadway productions have graced the stage. The Embassy premiered many movies including Snow White in 1938, which gave free showings to 6,000 underprivileged children. In 1972 the community came together and raised $250,000 to save and restore this treasure from demolition. Further updates restored the Indiana hotel lobby and added meeting and entertainment spaces including a two story ballroom and a rooftop patio. Today the Embassy is yours to attend with their variety of shows or to a host of private events. Tours are also available, please contact Carly Myers at carly@fwembassytheatre.org or at 260.424.6287, ext. 2241 to schedule.
