Calling all CSI sleuths

[Timbottawa]

Thanks to all for your thoughts.

I think yn9man's ideas seem good. 

Prue ... I also thought of NIGHT in the theatre sign.  I am far from convinced that the last "letter" is an E - it looks to me as though it might be a decorative motif, probably matched by a mirror image preceding the word, if we could see the whole sign.  However, to make the word night, it would require the N to be lower case, whilst all other letters are clearly upper case, which seems unlikely.

Meanwhile I'm trying to track the photo backwards along the trail by which it reached me to see if I can locate a clearer copy.

Cheers
Tim

[ambers]

Looks like Gar.... possibly  Moore.

Theatre is not my thing though...so I will go now.

Ambers

[JillJ]

I've messed around and made this into a negative image which sometimes helps. I think the first word after  'Coliseum' is CAR.  Don't know the next 2 words but then I think HOME OK

Jill

[Ninatoo]

When I typed O.K. into google, it came up with references to Oklahoma.  Well there was a famous theatre production of Oklahoma...maybe they abbreviated it for the poster? 

Also after much fiddling with the image in my photo software, I think that underneath O.K it says something like "& starring Patricia Goresey".  Or it could be Lucrecia or Bodecia or some name ending with cia.

It may be worth posting this photo over at the Photographic section.  Those people do wonders with photos.

Nina

[Timbottawa]

Thanks Jill and Nina,

I also noted the Oklahoma connection when I Googled.  But the problem is that it was first produced in 1943, and I read somewhere that it was not even originally called Oklahoma (let alone O.K.), but something else, only changing its name when the critics (what do they know?) slated it.  I can't imagine that it reached Leeds, Scarborough, or wherever our Colisseum is, until at least 1950, which we seem to agree is much after the clothing styles in the photo.

Good idea to try the Photographic section (I didn't know about it!).

Cheers
Tim

[Arranroots]

I tried various databases of theatre and film without success for the title.

If you are asking for help on the Photo board, I would simply post a link to this thread - then they can see what is goiing on & keep all the replies in one place - you could even lock the thread.

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Timbottawa]

Gosh!  That sounds awfully technical for a mere RootsChat Senior like myself!  But I'll try to work out how to do it!

Tim

[Timbottawa]

A relative who possesses a better copy of the photo (which he is now sending me) says that he thinks the words above O.K. read:

Gar Kiddie
Nor Kiddie

Now, you can Google "Nor Kiddie" and discover (among many hits for "nor kiddie porn"!) that he was a bit of a star, even made a couple of films, in the mid 20s to mid 30s, which is exactly the right time period if our interpretation of clothing fashions is correct.  My relative's theory is that Gar Kiddie was Nor's less well known brother, which would explain why he doesn't show up when Googled, and why his name is in smaller font.

Sounds plausible, but to my mind it still doesn't explain why such a large group photo - surely they didn't have such a photo for every production!

Tim

[Su]

Looks like Gar

Well done Ambers...you have better eyesight than me.

Now you have said Nor Kiddee Tim, I can see that quite clearly, its the bit below O.K that is very blurred.

The colesium frontage looks very sea-side to me, a bit like Southsea type shopwalk.  Though I'm probably way off the mark.

Su