In 1929, when Col. J.B. Russell decided Maysville needed a third movie theatre, he chose the Lexington architectural firm of Frankel and Curtis to design the building. Owner and architect, either oblivious to, or completely aware of the street's varied styles [i.e. Roman Revival Court House, Masonic Temple with gargoyles and stained glass windows, Germanic brick homes, fanciful Romanesque house with seashell bedecked turret], opted for a Spanish Colonial Revival theme. This was a design one might expect in California or the Southwest but somewhat unique to Northern Kentucky.

The yellow brick facade is capped by Moorish columns, which support the tile roof.

Faces of "Comedy" and "Tragedy" and two massive lion heads serve as decorations and supports for the marquee.

These decorations, along with the tiled ticket office are reputed to be the work of Cincinnati's Rookwood Pottery Company.

The interior, in keeping with the Spanish theme, replicates a Mediterranean garden. Faux facades of building with balconies, colonnades and windows adorn the east and west interior walls. The slightly arched ceiling has a scattering of twinkling stars, rolling clouds, moving moon and, at the end of the feature showing, a rainbow over the stage. The interior was decorated by Ralph Culpepper, Columbus, Ohio, who complemented the garden illusion by placing Lombard trees, trailing ivy and busts of literary figures in the colonnades and wall niches.

The theatre seated seven hundred people on the main floor and two balconies (pictured above). The second balcony, accessible only from the outside, was reserved as the "colored" balcony–a sad reflection of the times. Remarkably, these seats offered the best view in the house.	Although Vaudeville was fading at the time, some effort was made to provide for live theatre. An orchestra pit fronts the curved stage supplied with footlights. Under the stage is a warren of dressing, make up and restrooms. Strangely, there is a stage left but no stage right. All of this cost $125,000 --a staggering amount in 1929-30.

The Russell opened on December 4, 1930, with the showing of the movie "Whoopee" starring Eddie Cantor. Mr. Russell operated the theatre only until circa 1935, when it was leased to the Schine Group, assuring a long run of first-rate films. It was during the Schine management in 1953 that Maysville native Rosemary Clooney chose The Russell for the world premiere of her first motion picture, "The Stars are Singing." The city responded with a parade and a street renamed in her honor while Schine made very effort to provide a Hollywood flavor for the premier.

In the 1970s, the Ohio or Panther Theatre Group assumed management. On their watch, an overzealous manager, seeking to "freshen the place," applied coats of garish red paint and yellow paint over as much of the original jewel tone colors as he could reach! Panther continued to operate the theatre until 1983, when competition from television and the thirst for parking forced its closing. The final showing was the James Bond film, "Octopussy."

Since its demise as a theatre, the building has served as a restaurant, used furniture store, used clothing store and newspaper "filler" operation. Each change of use corrupted the integrity of the original design and the modifications were, at best, slap dash. The final blow was nature's doing and man's inattention. A storm removed part of the roof and a deteriorated box gutter permitted water, coupled with a lack of heat, to destroy much of the west interior wall. Stucco and horsehair reinforced moldings simply collapsed into the auditorium and all main floor seats were sold to an out-of-town theatre. In 1996, Maysville businesswoman Sandra Marshall heard the building was for sale. She assembled a small group of downtown activists who formed a non-profit organization called "Rescue the Russell." The corporation set three goals: purchase, stabilize, and restore. Within forty days, the group raised the $40,000 purchase price, largely via small donations from people who remembered and enjoyed the theatre in the past. Once purchased, the next fund drive was to replace the roof. Contributions, "Rescue the Russell" events and a City of Maysville grant of $20,000 provided the necessary funds within thirty days. In addition, another $17,000 was raised to replace the roof on an adjoining building owned by the same corporation and intended for inclusion in the restoration. Rosemary Clooney began an annual benefit for The Russell, appearing in a street festival in September 1999 which raised a significant amount for the project. "Rescue the Russell, Inc." has employed both an architect and expert in re-use analysis to provide drawings and cost estimates for the restoration. Current estimates for the theatre exceed 2.5 million and for the annex, nearly $1 million. While not completely settled on the adaptive re-use, the corporation members hope that part of the theatre can be used as a museum dedicated to the Clooney family and the remainder made available to the citizens of Maysville and surrounding counties.

About the author: Donald M. Buckley is a graduate of University of Kentucky and is a charter member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He is retired executive director of the Clermont County (Ohio) Planning Commission and resides in Maysville. Don chairs the Russell Theatre restoration and was a classmate of Rosemary Clooney.