Page 44 - AVN October 2017

SEXPLORATIONS
CINEMA PARADISO
Behind the doors at one of the last XXX picture shows
large theater, which still seats close to 700, though only a handful
of patrons are inside at any given time. Patrons can stay as long as
they like, but there are no real in-and-out privileges. Women are not
permitted in the screening area unless they are accompanied by a
man, for safety reasons.
“We don’t want male patrons thinking they can follow or harass
the women,” explained Laura St. Clair, who has worked at the
Foster Theater off and on since the early 1990s. “And we don’t want
ladies in here soliciting.”
The Foster has a strict no-sex policy, which sets it apart from
arcade-style theaters with private viewing rooms. Another no-no
is alcohol. It’s not sold on the premises, and not allowed in the
theater.
“If you come in smelling too much of alcohol, we won’t let you
in,” St. Clair said.
The Foster might be a “porn theater,” but it has standards and
tries hard to be a good neighbor.
Each day, the Foster screens two movies on the main screen.
“We play the movies back to back all day until we decide to
close,” explained St. Clair. “Sometimes we close in the afternoon,
sometimes it’s after midnight. It depends on how many customers
we have.”
Red velvet curtains hang on either side of the screen, and the
original stage that was constructed for live performances and movie
(Continued on page 46)
SCREEN GEM | By Sherri L. Shaulis
The Ohio community of Youngstown is home to one of the 14 U.S. adult theaters still open and in operation.
LOCATED ON GLENWOOD AVENUE in Youngstown, Ohio, a street filled with
potholes and adjacent to one of the largest metropolitan parks in the
country, the Foster Theater stands out. Though the neighborhood has
I DON’T WANT TO SEE THIS
suffered quite a bit of decay since Youngstown’s heyday in the 1970s,
the Foster is almost shabby chic—showing wear and tear, but possessing
PLACE GO AWAY. FOR SOME
a certain charm.
Abandoned parking lots and buildings sit nearby, and the
neighborhood is a mash-up of quaint two-story homes with well-kept
CUSTOMERS, THIS IS ALL THEY HAVE. IT’S A PLACE WHERE THEY
lawns, abandoned and condemned homes, and vacant lots overrun
with weeds. Youngstown is a typical Rust Belt city, one that saw its
CAN COME AND BE THEMSELVES
population decline dramatically in the decades since the city’s steel
AND NOT FEEL ASHAMED OR IN
mills closed in the late 1970s. The shells of gas stations, grocery stores,
department stores and more still stand, but are filled these days with
DANGER.
weeds and most likely more than one type of rodent.
—LAURA ST. CLAIR
Amidst the decay stands the Foster Theater, one of only a few dozen
adult movie theaters in existence. According to CinemaTreasures.org,
there are 45 adult theaters left in the United States, and only 14 are
open and operational. Like many other adult theaters, the Foster Theater
features a single screen, and originally opened as a palatial movie house.
In fact, when it opened in 1938, it was not the only—nor even the
biggest—movie theater in the city, but the official opening was a major
event. The mayor was on hand for a special ceremony, and telegrams of
congratulations were sent by Joseph M. Schenck, head of Loew’s Inc.
and 20th Century Fox, and Harry Warner of Warner Bros. fame. A John
Barrymore picture, Hold That Coed, was the first movie screened, and
neon signs above the marquee blazed red with the name Foster.
Today, the sign still lights up, though not every letter in the name is
illuminated. The marquee no longer lists the movies playing inside, but
instead informs patrons the theater opens at noon daily (actually only
six days a week; the Foster is closed on Mondays) and indicates movies
are for sale and rent inside.
The original ticket booth is still visible from the front, but visitors
today are buzzed in by a clerk, who sits in a lobby filled with wooden
stands displaying a mix of older and new XXX DVDs. A screen over
the glass display case that houses the cash register features the images
captured by several closed-circuit security cameras inside the theater
and outside the building. A few novelty items are on display in the glass
case, and an old hot dog roller machine sits near the register with a
hand-made sign saying it’s available for sale for $55.
A cash-only admission of $12 allows any man or couple into the
44 | AVN.com | 10.17