User:Apianostari/Hilbert Circle Theatre

Improvements

The Circle Theater also offered locally produced stage shows, such as the 1921 The Landing of the Pilgrims for Thanksgiving week. In 1922, a $50,000 Wurlitzer organ was installed for use during silent films and solo performances. In the summer of 1924, visiting musicians offered Circle patrons "syncopation seasons" with various jazz and popular music performances while the house concert orchestra was off.

On March 6, 1927, the Circle brought sound movies to the Indianapolis area roughly fourteen months before other theaters. Three musical film segments were shown: Ray Smeck playing the guitar, ukulele, and banjo; Giovanni Martinelli, a Metropolitan Opera tenor, singing I Pagliacci, and finally, Al Johnson, the blackface singing comedian. The Circle again brought another first to the city by offering The Jazz Singer, a film with four talking and singing scenes starring Al Johnson, in February 1928.