ST. JAMES THEATRE. 246 W. 44th Street. Architects: Warren & Wetmore—F. Richard Anderson. Original name: Erlanger’s Theatre. Opening: September 26, 1927; The Merry Malones.
In 1929 Abraham Erlanger, head of the monopolistic Theatrical Syndicate and among the most hated men in show business, built Erlanger’s Theatre as the flagship of his nationwide chain. Erlanger chose the telling name Caesar Theatre Corporation as the purchasing agent. He chose 44th Street as a challenge to his rivals the...