Comments from 50sSNIPES

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Victory Theatre on Jul 9, 2022 at 8:09 am

This was first opened as the Comet Theatre on October 2, 1909, although some papers like to call it the Comet Electric Theatre for pretty much a short period of time. It was originally scheduled to open on September 30 of that year but was postponed to two days later.

Exactly 10 years and two days later on October 4, 1919, the theater reopened as the Victory Theatre with a 6-reel presentation of “Beneath of the Fire Boys”. Tom Blair was the owner of the Victory. It was a silent movie theater until July 11, 1930 when sound was installed there. This is mostly a first-run theater, but sometimes films there arrive much later than usual in portions of the 1940s, and the nearby Kemp sometimes gets a twist.

The theater was later taken over by W.O. Kemp, and later by O.K. Kemp, who had attempted to install CinemaScope there, and it did. “The Robe” was the first CinemaScope film there on May 30, 1954.

Its closing date hasn’t been found yet but still in operation into the 1960s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Rialto Theatre on Jul 7, 2022 at 5:34 am

The Orpheum Theatre was once destroyed by a fire on July 21, 1928, which caused an estimate loss of $5,000-$10,000. The fire destroyed the stage scenery, basement, boiler room (where the fire started), and dressing rooms.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Bluebell Theatre on Jul 7, 2022 at 5:15 am

Update: The Charles Amusement (or Charles Amusement Company) opened its doors on February 9, 1907 under a two-year lease with T.C. Charles being manager.

It was renamed the Bluebell Theatre later on during the year and closed for the final time before 1908 came in.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Madsen Theatre on Jul 7, 2022 at 5:07 am

Correction: Not known as Wilson Theatre. The guy who operated the Electric back then known as Wilson left the Electric in late 1907 to make his own theater called Wilson’s Theatre.

But yes, the Electric Theatre was once known as Wilson’s Electric Theatre when Wilson took ownership.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about DeKalb Theater on Jul 5, 2022 at 3:40 pm

The theater was designed by Axel J. Claesson of Boone County, near Belvidere. He has been in the designing theaters business for many years for the Marchesi Bros. Theatres of Amboy, the A.D. McCullom Circuit of Hoopeston, and the Anderson Theatre Corporation of Morris. He was also the one who started off his career as a designer for the Sheridan Theatre in Chicago. He former spent seven years in Sweden and later went back to Chicago to continue his work at the city’s Art Institute under Professor Edward Wimmer of Vienna, Austria. Glenn W. Roush of 631 Lucinda Avenue of DeKalb was the original manager of the theater, who has been living in DeKalb since 1933, the Anderson Theatre Circuit since 1934, and at theater business since 1929. He has a wife and three children all in the ages of 3, 9, and 11 (as of 1949).

The DeKalb Theatre as of 1949 contains the following: The entire theater was also built out of concrete and steel with the only wood being used in the construction being the birch doors, trim, and maple double-reverse floor over concrete on the stage. It was also a fireproof theater, and also contains a television lounge with the use of a Zenith round television. The air conditioning system with a press of a button starts in motion with an unusual way. The pressing of the button automatically starts in motion the intricate machinery that heats or cool which circulates, filters, humidifies or dehumidifies 70,000 cubic feet of fresh air each minute. An unnamed Donald Duck cartoon and a newsreel was added on its grand opening attraction.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Sheridan Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 2:38 pm

Opened on November 2, 1923 with the Midwest Premiere of Ruth Stonehouse in “Lights Out”, along with a performance by the theater’s Barton Grand Organ.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Dunes 1,2,3 Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 2:24 pm

Opened on October 17, 1946 with Bob Hope in “Monsieur Beaucaire” along with a local newsreel “Dunes Review”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Barrison Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 9:10 am

Miss E. Mohrmann and Joe Howard signed a five-year lease for a livery building off of Sheridan Road on November 25, 1907 which Mr. Joseph E. Howard has accompanied by former Manager Takacs of the Schwartz Theatre nearby. The former livery stable was converted into the Barrison Theatre, which had a frontage of 70x46 (planned for 70x100 beforehand), a 18x35 stage with a 22x16 opening, and an original capacity of 540 seats (planned for 800 beforehand). Howard and Tekacs left Waukegan for Chicago on C&NW before the people behind the Waukegan News-SUN or real estate men had a chance to whether they intended to build up the former store. The Barrison Theatre opened less than a month later in December 1907 after various waitings.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Times Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 8:58 am

The Valencia Ballroom opened on December 31, 1926.

It became the Valencia Theatre on March 30, 1935 with Kermit Maynard in “Wilderness Mail” (listed as a World Premiere) and Ray Walker in “City Limits” with no extra short subjects. It had an original capacity of 900 seats.

It was renamed the Times Theatre in 1938.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Academy Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 8:39 am

This first opened as the Waukegan Academy in 1866.

It was announced on January 14, 1916 that the Academy Theater was planned to be built in the site of the Waukegan Academy. During the theater’s construction on February 2, 1916, a worker (reports as a tuckpointer) fell 16ft from the roof to the sidewalk suffering major injuries after losing his balance headlong from a platform near the top side of the wall. He was taken to the Waukegan Hospital downtown as the tuckpointer was identified as John J. Burke, a man in his 60s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Langer's Airdome on Jul 5, 2022 at 8:02 am

Correction: The Schwartz Theatre Became The Majestic Theatre On October 4, 1913, After A Nine-Year Run As The Schwartz Theatre. It Operated More Than A Few Years.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Majestic Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 8:00 am

On January 27, 1904, Samuel Schwartz (familiarly called “Sam”) said in a statement that he would build two places, his own theater and his own hotel. The theater and the hotel that he plans that his hotel and theater will be located at the southeast corner of County and Water streets. He said in the statement that “he have thought for sometime that Waukegan needed a down-to-date theater and a hotel and as he can at the time.”

Unlike most theaters back then, he said that his theater and hotel between it will have a store on each side of the main entrance and below the street level contains a bowling alley and a billiard hall. At the time, the name of his structure hasn’t been named yet. Less than a month later, he named the theater the Schwartz Theatre named after his last name. This was shortly before the theater being leased by Messrs. Rowland, Clifford and Wingfield of Chicago and had over $1,000 paid over on the contract. He said that he wants to have a term for ten years and was for $21,000. He wants it built by local Waukegan contractors.

After construction, the Schwartz Theatre (or Schwartz Opera House) then opened its doors in the middle of 1904, but its grand opening date was lost.

Shortly before Ned Langer opened his new airdome in 1911 off the corner of Genesee and Water streets, he began taking over operations at the Schwartz Theatre that April. For a short period of time, the Schwartz Theatre was renamed Schwartz-Orpheum Theatre by advertisements at a time for some unknown reason, but the Orpheum name was dropped soon after Langer left Waukegan for Dayton, Ohio and later Neenah, Wisconsin. It was the former spare place whenever severe weather strikes at Langer’s Airdome which was located down the street to the Schwartz Theatre.

The Schwartz Theatre closed in May 1913 and was remodeled into the Majestic Theatre which opened on October 4, 1913.

The Majestic Theatre continued to run live presentations and special events as late as 1935.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lakehurst Cinema 12 on Jul 5, 2022 at 7:18 am

Opened in May 1974.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Rialto Theatre on Jul 5, 2022 at 5:54 am

The Waukegan was first managed by William A. Haas, and opened on July 4, 1910 with a live presentation of “Rivola”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Deerpath Theatre on Jul 4, 2022 at 5:49 pm

It appears that the Deerpath closed its doors as late as March 1987.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Fort Sheridan Theater on Jul 4, 2022 at 5:41 pm

Opened as early as 1898.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Highland Park Theatre on Jul 4, 2022 at 5:21 pm

The Alcyon Theatre Opened On September 24, 1925.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Starlight Drive-In on Jul 3, 2022 at 3:08 pm

Opened with Robert Young in “Sitting Pretty” along with two cartoons: “The Magic Flute” (which I forgot where it came from), and Mighty Mouse in “The Catnip Gang”. It actually opened on May 5, 1950 according to its page.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Bel-Air Drive-In on Jul 3, 2022 at 2:43 pm

As a single-screener, the Bel Air Drive-In originally had a capacity of 500 cars plus a 200-seat capacity seating arrangement, and has the installation of a panoramic screen. The Bel-Air was first operated by former Madison County Sheriff chief R.L. Wesemann of Collinsville.

What’s crazy about the opening date of the Bel-Air is that the Bel-Air Drive-In opened its gates while the rest of the drive-ins surrounding the metro area closed for the season.

The Bel-Air Drive-In actually opened its gates on Christmas Eve 1953 with Robert Taylor in “Ride, Vaquero”, and John Payne in “The Vanquished” with no extra short subjects, but however, the management on opening day distributed toys to the children only on first night of the occasion.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lux Theatre on Jul 2, 2022 at 4:07 pm

The Oh-Gee Theatre Became The Lux Theatre On May 16, 1939 With “Stagecoach” Along With A Few Unnamed Short Subjects.

The Lux Closed For The Final Time On June 7, 1958 With “St. Louis Blues” And “Short Cut To Hell” As Its Last Films. Between Both Films Is An Extra Called “Nat King Cole” Which I Don’t Know What In The Living Heck That Came From.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lions Theater on Jul 2, 2022 at 3:57 pm

Opened on June 14, 1949 with Monty Wooley in “Miss Tatlock’s Millions” along with an unnamed Popeye cartoon.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Strand Theatre on Jul 2, 2022 at 10:14 am

The only headline I can find about the Strand is that the one-and-only Marengo native Mr. John C. Miller operated the Strand until December 1918 when the theater was purchased by C.W. Ritt, who was a former news depot in Woodstock, as the Strand was undergoing some extensive changes.

Mr. John C. Miller along with his wife Mrs. John C. Miller would later open up the famous Miller Theatre (named after themselves) almost a decade later on November 8, 1927.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Centralia Drive-In on Jun 30, 2022 at 3:09 pm

The Centralia Drive-In may’ve closed in the 1970s. The Kmart that was built in the theater’s site opened in 1980 and operated until June 2002. A Home Center store now sits in its site.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Main Theatre on Jun 30, 2022 at 3:02 pm

Opened as early as 1917.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Teton Theatre on Jun 30, 2022 at 12:59 pm

Closed On September 30, 2012.