Garden Theatre

121 W. 3rd Street,
Davenport, IA 52801

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.

Architects: Rudolph J. Clausen, Walter O. Kruse

Firms: Clausen & Kruse

Nearby Theaters

Garden Theatre

The Garden Theatre was opened September 22, 1915. By 1941 it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary A.H. Blank. It was closed March 31, 1953 and was converted into retail use. I has since been demolished.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 11 comments)

jeffdonaldson
jeffdonaldson on May 3, 2013 at 2:52 am

There is a nice article about this theatre beginning on p.46 of the May 2013 edition of CLASSIC IMAGES magazine.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 1, 2014 at 7:57 pm

The Garden Theatre was advertised in the September 2, 1923, issue of the Davenport Democrat. Along with the Capitol and Family Theatres it featured Paramount productions.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 21, 2017 at 6:53 pm

1940 photo added courtesy of the Retro Quad Cities Facebook page.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 21, 2017 at 7:14 pm

1935 photo added courtesy of the Retro Quad Cities Facebook page. Appears to be the original marquee & blade sign.

rivest266
rivest266 on July 1, 2017 at 12:13 pm

This opened on September 15th, 1915. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/12057243/garden_theatre_opening/

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 27, 2017 at 5:23 pm

March 1936 foyer promotion for Boris Karloff’s “The Walking Dead” added.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on October 15, 2017 at 9:15 am

1931 photo added courtesy of the Retro Quad Cities Facebook page.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 27, 2017 at 1:34 pm

The Garden Theatre launched September 22, 1915 as a new build theatre playing “Helene of the North.” Clausen & Kruse were the architects and the Mandel Brothers of Chicago handled the interior decoration. The theatre would add sound followed by a refurbishing in 1930.

The Garden Theatre closed for the summer on March 31, 1953 with plans to come back exclusively as a 3D theatre in the Fall. That never transpired. In July of 1954, the theater seats were removed and the floor leveled to become two different retail locations, one of which was a Posner’s retail store.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 1, 2018 at 6:12 am

Architect Frederick George Clausen retired in 1914, and it is likely that the 1915 Garden Theatre was designed by his son, Rudolph J. Clausen, who, on his father’s retirement, formed the firm of Clausen & Kruse with Walter O. Kruse.

nsortzi
nsortzi on May 23, 2024 at 6:05 pm

This theater was demolished decades ago.

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