Riviera Theatre

Fitzpatrick-McElroy Co. Circuit One of Largest in Country

Steady building, constructive planning and conservative thinking--aptly describes the history of the Fitzpatrick-McElroy Company.

The founders of this company were men of broad vision and have never deviated from their first ideal, which was to build a most complete circuit of modern amusement palaces of a size and at a cost in proportion to the population of the community in which the company desires to operate.

These were the principles which helped this firm to grow from its original start fifteen years ago as owners of an "air dome" in Chicago--an open air picture theater seating only about 300 people--to one of the largest circuits of motion picture theaters in the United States.

It was in 1911 when Kenneth S. Fitzpatrick, president of the present Fitzpatrick-McElroy Company, and Blair McElroy, treasurer of the company, discovered their ideas on the future of the motion picture coincided perfectly and decided to work them out together.

With just enough capital to build only the enclosure for an open air theater, they started. That first motion picture of theirs would bring a laugh if it were set up beside one of the modern Fitzpatrick-McElroy Company theaters of today.

The enterprise was a success and right away they started to plan and to grow. Their next step was to take in with them men on whom they could count to use the same conservative constructive methods with which they desired to build their business--E.J. Miller, Fred C. Brinken and E. George Heck. It is an interesting and most unusual fact that these five men who formed the company fifteen years ago are still the officers of the present company--Kenneth s. Fitzpatrick as president, Blair McElroy, treasurer; E.J. Miller vice-president; E. George Heck, vice-president; and Fred C. Brinken, secretary.

The first move of these five men was to buy two more theaters in Chicago and a number in other towns in Illinois. Then they decided to spread out and ventured into Michigan and purchased a theater in Benton Harbor. Gradually they bought more and more until they had a network over Michigan. Today Fitzpatrick-McElroy company is represented in the Michigan towns of Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Alpena, Cadillac, Adrian, Traverse City, Big Rapids, Ludington, Manistee, and Three Rivers.

Still reaching out, they spread into Wisconsin. Recently, they have still further, and have acquired four theaters in Indiana, and are at this time building a fifth.

The policy of the Fitzpatrick-McElroy company has always been to search far and wide until they have found just the right location for each new theater. They are always careful to select a prosperous city or town, then they thoroughly study same as to its possibilities for an amusement palace. Once they have decided upon a town they become personally interested in it. They choose from that town the well founded local banking interests, the keenest business men and the most prominent citizens as their associates in arranging the details of the new theater and the financing of the enterprise. In this way, when the theater is completed and ready to serve the public, it has the most stable local associates as well as the Fitzpatrick-McElroy company behind it, and they are all boosters for the enterprise. These methods have always sported success. The past has proven that not a single failure has ever been charged up against this firm. This assures an investment which is very sound and desirable for those financially interested in the company, and at the same time secures the good will of the general public and gives them a theater which is a community center as well as the meeting place of the town.

The Fitzpatrick-McElroy company is now operating one of the most successful chain of theaters in this country, with forty-five theaters in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. The reputation of this firm in the trade is of the best, which makes it possible for them to arrange for the showing of the latest and most up-to-date picture productions, and at the same time plan for novelties and effects to accompany them. The erection of a theater of the type of the Riviera in a city of the population of Three Rivers, puts it on a par with the metropolitan cities of the United States.

"Right now the future of Fitzpatrick-McElroy Company is the brightest since its formation," said Mr. Fitzpatrick. "The moving picture industry is still just in its infancy and is now recognized by banking and investment houses as one of the safe and sound big businesses of the country. With the record and reputation this company has behind it, the outlook for the future is very promising. At the present time there are many new transactions under contemplation and the affiliations which are being made will be of untold value to the company, and will make it, without doubt, the largest theater company in the United States. A glance at the states in which the company is now operating shows that we are represented in the most fertile and stable sections of the United States.

"We want to thank our associates in Three Rivers for their support and help. Our appreciation is especially extended to George T. Wolf, of the First State Savings Bank and the prominent citizens of the town, who have cooperated with us. The people of Three Rivers should also feel most grateful to them for it was through their efforts and promises of cooperation that we were able to build a theater like the Riviera, the finest motion picture theater in Southern Michigan. They told us their desire for a theater of which they could be proud, a place where they could be proud, a place where they could have clean amusements and the best entertainment, and asked for the very finest theater we could build.

"We wish to take this opportunity also to thank the people of Three Rivers for the wonderful support which they have always given all our efforts. We want them to know we appreciate this and hope they will accept the Riviera Theatre as a token of Fitzpatrick-McElroy Company's appreciation of their patronage."

It was about six years ago Fitzpatrick-McElroy came to Three Rivers and took over the Rex Theater and also the Vaudette. For the past two years they have felt that the town had out-grown the Rex and were looking for a suitable location to give them the kind of theater they should have. When they found it they immediately started building and the Riviera Theatre certainly fulfills all desires of the people of Three Rivers for a beautiful amusement palace.

E.J. Miller

Vice President and building superintendent of the Fitzpatrick-McElroy Co., which position and duties he has performed from the formation of the company.

His ability and artistic taste as a builder mixed with years of business and theatrical experience in all its departments gives him a combination of experience few men in the theatrical business possess. His constant efforts and labors have been no small share in the success of the Fitzpatrick-McElroy Co.