The Roosevelt Shopping Center opened theatre-less on September 9, 1933. An independent theater proposed the addition of a theater at the far end of the complex but zoning issues hampered the project. The delay in zoning allowed A.H. Blank and Tri-Cities Theatres to become a partner and operator of the proposed Roosevelt Theater project with Blank adding air conditioning and other elements including its steel frame tripling the project’s budget which ultimately paid out nicely. The Roosevelt Theater’s architecture matched the Spanish Colonial theme of its center upon opening on Christmas Day 1934 with “Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch.”
The local Drama Association was ready to move from the Kendall Playhouse and purchased the building. They would move in once the December 1954 leases with Tri-Cities expired. Fortunately, the Roosevelt Theatre played Francis, the Talking Mule in “Francis Goes to West Point” on July 9, 1952. Francis got to the military academy and said, “The Roosevelt closed permanently after that showing. I didn’t think my film was that bad.” Co-star Donald O'Connor assured the animal thespian that it was, indeed, that bad.
Tri-Cities let Des Moines Community Drama take over the venue 18 months early and only after it removed the screen, projectors, and other movie related equipment from the building. The venue reopened for live plays January 11, 1953 as the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It continues as the Playhouse Theatre in contemporary times. Des Moines movie fans have yet to forgive Francis, however.
The Majestic Theatre was a high profile vaudeville house opened to house the Orpheum circuit performers at 206-210 8th Street. High dollars were associated in the puffery for the building to create excitement and for a chance to claim it as the most expensive theater built in the city of Des Moines to date. $175k, $150k. $125k. $100k. But the City listed the project at an austere $50k - not the most expensive theater in the city at that time. The building carried a 15-year lease but would be subleased out seasonally year over year - another clue that this was a lower cost shed than a grand theatrical palace.
So it began as the Majestic Theatre on November 17, 1907. Year one, season one - first day’s performance had the Kinodrome short films and Orpheum vaudeville attractions. Its first two years were as the Majestic Theatre with a mix of Orpheum and Orpheum-like performers. Things would change as one might expect in such a fluid subleasing situation. So be patient.
Its third year (9th season) began on November 14, 1909 as the Des Moines Orpheum Theatre. It would be actual Orpheum Orpheum every day. The venue booked W.C. Fields, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, the Foys, and many others. So the Majestic sign was removed on favor of an Orpheum Theatre sign making the Majestic sign available. It was one of the best built elements of the former Majestic so Elbert and Getchell purchased the Majestic sign and be-bopped it over to the Empire Theatre at 313-315 8th Street for the New Majestic beginning August 21, 1910 with “popular vaudeville” (aka cheaper).
During World War I, profits had definitely swung to cinematic exhibition and live stage programming in mid-sized cities and lower dropped considerably as opera houses and vaudeville theaters struggled for survival. In Des Moines, alone, the Berchel and Princess had gone dark, Foster’s Opera House/Theatre was demolished; the Majestic was showing many more films than ever before, and the Orpheum Circuit was fighting for survival closing here for a brief period in 1919.
The reorganized Orpheum took on the Des Moines Orpheum in late 1919 reopening for its season. It was a major vote of confidence for the house. That confidence lasted until the end of the venue’s 15 year leasing agreement in 1922. The Orpheum decided to move to new digs over at the Sherman / Pantages / Empress / Hippodrome wannabe at 412 8th Street. So it was time for a new name here and that became the Iowa Theatre (not the one you’re thinking of, likely) on September 24th, 1922 with third-tier vaudeville on the building’s second and final 15-year leasing cycle. The Iowa’s live presentation was - as you might expect - not a programmatic winner. So there was only one direction for the Majestic/Orpheum/Iowa to go: burley house! And so it began as the renamed Garrick Theatre on August 24, 1924 and The Kandy Girls dancing across the burlesque stage.
For its 20th birthday (77th season), it got a new partner and name. The burlesque house was picked up by the “Tiffany” of the burley circuit - The Mutual Burlesque Association (MBA) and known as the “Mutual Wheel” as it bicycled adult acts across the country. The venue was renamed as the Mutual Garrick Theatre in late 1927. Rube Bernstein’s Bathing Beauties opened the season with Erin Jackson - known as one of the main Mutual beauties on the “wheel.” In other words, a vote of confidence for the theater. Omer Kenyon was the programmer but it wasn’t a big hit. The Mutual Garrick was done after a single year.
So for its 21st birthday (81st season), it was the first of many indy operators trying to wring a nickel out of the old dog and under its new and final operational name - The President Theatre. It opened its season with a live play in 1928, “Why Men Leave.” Generally, this presidential dog was not up for the hunt. But at least its direction was familiar. After failing as a legit stage, it tried to be an event hall including wrestling, and it would finally end up as a second- and sometimes third-tier burley house - the kind with a “k” or burlesk theater - complete with a police raid and some local controversy. But there were some good shows toward its final days. In February of 1937, “Sliding” Billy Watson brought his “Beef Trust” show entitled, “Krausemeyer’s Alley” headlined by Bobbie Lee and with Babe Davis and Nadine Marsh performing the way they performed. And its final Burlesk presentation was on November 15-21, 1937 with “Running Wild” starring the “Creole Fashion Plate” herself, Karyl Norman. Not a bad swan song.
The venue’s 30th Anniversary had been reached and - having already reached the lower tier burley house stage - there would be no re-upping by anyone for a third 15-year cycle as there was nowhere to go but down. Literally. The last contract was signed by the Cohen Brothers - demolition experts. They had a salvage sale in early 1938. Orpheum Booker / Manager Clyde Fairless retrieved the booking ledger (!) listing all of the house’s live performances. He reviewed the ledger tracing the building’s demise in the reduction of booked acts year over year as the theater devolved to closure. The Majestic/Des Moines Orpheum/Iowa/Garrick/Mutual Garrick/President Theatre had few distinctions especially as not being the city’s most expensive theater built. But at least in 1938 it could claim to be the first Des Moines Theatre razed for a car parking garage.
Sadly… that distinction is also not the Majestic-President’s as the Berchel Theatre was torn down in 1931 for - yes - a parking lot. But at least it was the second theater razed for a parking lot and the first theater to be torn down and replaced by a parking lot with six operational names. That’s something, I guess.
Factually - it wasn’t really ever a silent movie house, per se, although short silent films were a part of vaudeville presentations here. Also, it wasn’t known as the Orpheum in 1908. And, it wasn’t closed in 1929.
The Princess Theatre was a legit stage theater that opened on November 1, 1909. It went dark in 1919 - likely at the expiry of a 10-year lease but also struggling against movie theaters making legit and opera houses harder to program profitably. The Princess made a comeback in March of 1920 and performed their final play of the Spring 1923 season on May 12, 1923 with “The Cave Girl.” On May 14, 1923, just two days later, the Princess Theater burned down. Imagine that! Operators Elbert and Getchell vowed to rebuild after receiving a sizable insurance check. However, more 100 years later, the Princess Theatre has yet to have been rebuilt. And that gets you a second, “imagine that.”
This new-build retail building began as a Food 4 Less in 1988 then Value Fair grocery store in 1992 quickly folding. Carmike decided to turn the grocery store into a discount movie theater.
This venue was built by Richard L. Davis' Davis Theatres under the Eastgate Cinemas, Inc. (one word) moniker and designed by Winkler-Goewey Architects. (General Cinema would have used its own architect had they developed this venue; but they didn’t.) The $350,000 complex had 770 seats at launch - 462 in the large house and 308 in the smaller auditorium. R.L. Davis Theatres' Eastgate Cinemas I & II had a World Premiere of “The Hostage” at launch on Oct. 26, 1966. It was controlled by 1,600 stockholders. There is little doubt that the booking and marketing of the venue was being handled by General Cinema for its first two years before moving solely under Davis Theatres' aegis. Davis added a third screen and all of the Davis Theatres locally were marketed internally by that point in 1969.
In the porno chic era, adult theaters were commonplace. Davis built a Cinema III to handle adult titles in late 1969. Like many shopping centers of its era, Eastgate toyed with being a Mall but it was developed theatre-lessly in 1963 as the Eastgate Shopping Center. The first 20 years were good for all with lessees in place and under contract. The next 20 years weren’t good and a number of local critics blamed the adult cinema for the lack of re-ups. And they may have been right as Eastgate scuffled in its second leasing cycle and didn’t really make it to its third potential leasing cycle.
From a cinematic perspective, the Des Moines' East-side was supportive of the adult Cinema III and Cinema 1536 but not so much any others. In 1976, Davis Theatres cited an impossible environment to operate to its stockholders and sold its portfolio to the competing Dubinsky Bros. Circuit including the Eastgate twin. Under Dubinsky, the twin was renamed as the Eastgate Cinema 1 & 2 closing permanently as a 99 cent, sub-run discount house. Its final advertised shows were August 4, 1988 with “Willow” and “Red Heat.” Cinema III would continue 16 more years going down with the Eastgate Shopping Center in demolition in late 2004.
R.V Keeney launched the Urban Theatre apparently on June 10, 1948 with “Bringing Up Father” and “Rainbow over the Rockies.” They closed in 1950 and reopened as the New Urban Theatre in 1953. It stopped advertising likely closing as the New Urban Theatre on January 2, 1954 with “Walt Disney’s Peter Pan.” In 1955, it is home to a roofing company.
A Des Moines' grindhouse that played third-run, five- and six-hour long shows without a break from noon until people were gone. Prices in the 1950s were still as low as a dime for entry on certain days. The Iowa Theatre closed on January 1, 1957 with a triple-feature of “Anything Goes,” Fastest Gun Alive,“ and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.”
The Palace’s grand opening was October 25, 1913 with “A Sister to Carmen.” The Palace appears to have closed on June 22, 1929 with “Flying Buckaroo” unable to make the conversion to sound. It was used as a retail building beginning in 1931.
The Wakonda Shopping Center was announced way back in 1957. The project stalled but finally got contracts for building and its anchor tenant in 1963 with the Center finally opened theatre-less in November of 1964. Richard L. Davis' Davis Theatres teamed with Heartland Cinema Co. to build a venue here in 1969. Davis had the River Hills / Cinerama complex and the Eastgate twin. It was a luxury suburban venue seating 344 patrons opening in 1969.
The third operator of the venue, Fridley Theatres Circuit, closed the Fine Arts on December 6, 1987 with “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” and “Jean de Florette.” The theater had been scuffling closing temporarily in the summer of 1987 due to lack of business.
Closed permanently on October 6, 1996 with “Independence Day” and “Courage Under Fire.” Was torn down weeks later to make way for a Menard’s Home Improvement big box retail store.
The Plantation closed permanently for films on Labor Day September 1, 1986 with “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday, the 13th: Part II.” It’s next event was a sand volleyball tournament the next month.
The Pioneer closed on a high note after with a Cheech & Chong triple feature with “Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke,” “Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin'” and “Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie.” Despite strong snack sales on September 11, 1983, the venue didn’t open the next season.
Closed the way a good drive-in used to close… with a triple feature. The Capitol closing July 4, 1983 with “Hell’s Angels Forever,” “Women of Passion” and “Satan’s Mistress.” Demolished in 1985, the neon attractor was salvaged and sent to California.
The original Avalon Theatre was around the corner at 852 Hull Street launching on November 18, 1934 by E.M. Garrett. It closed on January 28, 1946 with Abbott & Costello in “The Naughty 90s” to move to new digs. That took place on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1946 with Shirley Temple “Kiss and Tell.” Days later, the original building was sold to close an estate - indicating that one or both of the original Avalon owners may have passed. The Avalon closed permanently on Labor Day, September 2, 1957 with “Oklahoma.”
The art deco Capri Theatre closed at the end of its lease on August 26, 1990 with “Presumed Innocent.” Its long-standing neighbor as the Uptown Theatre, Boyce’s, served as its de facto concession stand in its formative years. Likely the most significant event in the venue’s history was when screen legend Gloria Swanson made a personal appearance on July 20, 1950 escorted by local DJ Al “Rocky” Rockwell at the Uptown in support of “Sunset Boulevard.”
Carrols Development built this on the north end of Macomb near Western Illinois in 1971. The 604-seat venue was automated launching on October 27, 1971 following an open house the previous day. Orange rocking chair seats were an upgrade over the aging downtown Macomb Theatres run by Kerasotes.
Dubinksy Brothers took over the cinema in fairly short order. Excellence took over when it bought out Dubinksy Bros. effective on December 1, 1989. In 1991, Carmike and Excellence created a joint operating agreement in February and, that same year, essentially buying out the Excellence side by September. This moved the Cinema Twin to Carmike ownership.
Carmike closed the Cinema 1 & 2 on May 28, 2009 at the expiry of Excellence’s 20-year lease. The Rialto opened on East Jackson Street on June 18, 2009 and was operated by the same manager, Larry Jarvis, but a new company. To answer the query above, the Cinema 1 & 2 was relit for overflow screenings and special purpose WIU-curated titles which the new operator didn’t want to run in the 6-plex. With no leasing obligation and everything still working (at least the analog equipment), it was a short-lived attempt to draw WIU students who were within walking distance of the venue. That didn’t spark much enthusiasm, so it closed once again - this time permanently.
The University took over the spot and had the venue demolished in early April of 2015 (beginning April 3d). Pictures of the demolition can be found in photos.
The Roosevelt Shopping Center opened theatre-less on September 9, 1933. An independent theater proposed the addition of a theater at the far end of the complex but zoning issues hampered the project. The delay in zoning allowed A.H. Blank and Tri-Cities Theatres to become a partner and operator of the proposed Roosevelt Theater project with Blank adding air conditioning and other elements including its steel frame tripling the project’s budget which ultimately paid out nicely. The Roosevelt Theater’s architecture matched the Spanish Colonial theme of its center upon opening on Christmas Day 1934 with “Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch.”
The local Drama Association was ready to move from the Kendall Playhouse and purchased the building. They would move in once the December 1954 leases with Tri-Cities expired. Fortunately, the Roosevelt Theatre played Francis, the Talking Mule in “Francis Goes to West Point” on July 9, 1952. Francis got to the military academy and said, “The Roosevelt closed permanently after that showing. I didn’t think my film was that bad.” Co-star Donald O'Connor assured the animal thespian that it was, indeed, that bad.
Tri-Cities let Des Moines Community Drama take over the venue 18 months early and only after it removed the screen, projectors, and other movie related equipment from the building. The venue reopened for live plays January 11, 1953 as the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It continues as the Playhouse Theatre in contemporary times. Des Moines movie fans have yet to forgive Francis, however.
Address - 610 Mulberry
End of the line - August 7, 2025 as the venue reached the expiry of its 30-year leasing agreement.
The Majestic Theatre was a high profile vaudeville house opened to house the Orpheum circuit performers at 206-210 8th Street. High dollars were associated in the puffery for the building to create excitement and for a chance to claim it as the most expensive theater built in the city of Des Moines to date. $175k, $150k. $125k. $100k. But the City listed the project at an austere $50k - not the most expensive theater in the city at that time. The building carried a 15-year lease but would be subleased out seasonally year over year - another clue that this was a lower cost shed than a grand theatrical palace.
So it began as the Majestic Theatre on November 17, 1907. Year one, season one - first day’s performance had the Kinodrome short films and Orpheum vaudeville attractions. Its first two years were as the Majestic Theatre with a mix of Orpheum and Orpheum-like performers. Things would change as one might expect in such a fluid subleasing situation. So be patient.
Its third year (9th season) began on November 14, 1909 as the Des Moines Orpheum Theatre. It would be actual Orpheum Orpheum every day. The venue booked W.C. Fields, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, the Foys, and many others. So the Majestic sign was removed on favor of an Orpheum Theatre sign making the Majestic sign available. It was one of the best built elements of the former Majestic so Elbert and Getchell purchased the Majestic sign and be-bopped it over to the Empire Theatre at 313-315 8th Street for the New Majestic beginning August 21, 1910 with “popular vaudeville” (aka cheaper).
During World War I, profits had definitely swung to cinematic exhibition and live stage programming in mid-sized cities and lower dropped considerably as opera houses and vaudeville theaters struggled for survival. In Des Moines, alone, the Berchel and Princess had gone dark, Foster’s Opera House/Theatre was demolished; the Majestic was showing many more films than ever before, and the Orpheum Circuit was fighting for survival closing here for a brief period in 1919.
The reorganized Orpheum took on the Des Moines Orpheum in late 1919 reopening for its season. It was a major vote of confidence for the house. That confidence lasted until the end of the venue’s 15 year leasing agreement in 1922. The Orpheum decided to move to new digs over at the Sherman / Pantages / Empress / Hippodrome wannabe at 412 8th Street. So it was time for a new name here and that became the Iowa Theatre (not the one you’re thinking of, likely) on September 24th, 1922 with third-tier vaudeville on the building’s second and final 15-year leasing cycle. The Iowa’s live presentation was - as you might expect - not a programmatic winner. So there was only one direction for the Majestic/Orpheum/Iowa to go: burley house! And so it began as the renamed Garrick Theatre on August 24, 1924 and The Kandy Girls dancing across the burlesque stage.
For its 20th birthday (77th season), it got a new partner and name. The burlesque house was picked up by the “Tiffany” of the burley circuit - The Mutual Burlesque Association (MBA) and known as the “Mutual Wheel” as it bicycled adult acts across the country. The venue was renamed as the Mutual Garrick Theatre in late 1927. Rube Bernstein’s Bathing Beauties opened the season with Erin Jackson - known as one of the main Mutual beauties on the “wheel.” In other words, a vote of confidence for the theater. Omer Kenyon was the programmer but it wasn’t a big hit. The Mutual Garrick was done after a single year.
So for its 21st birthday (81st season), it was the first of many indy operators trying to wring a nickel out of the old dog and under its new and final operational name - The President Theatre. It opened its season with a live play in 1928, “Why Men Leave.” Generally, this presidential dog was not up for the hunt. But at least its direction was familiar. After failing as a legit stage, it tried to be an event hall including wrestling, and it would finally end up as a second- and sometimes third-tier burley house - the kind with a “k” or burlesk theater - complete with a police raid and some local controversy. But there were some good shows toward its final days. In February of 1937, “Sliding” Billy Watson brought his “Beef Trust” show entitled, “Krausemeyer’s Alley” headlined by Bobbie Lee and with Babe Davis and Nadine Marsh performing the way they performed. And its final Burlesk presentation was on November 15-21, 1937 with “Running Wild” starring the “Creole Fashion Plate” herself, Karyl Norman. Not a bad swan song.
The venue’s 30th Anniversary had been reached and - having already reached the lower tier burley house stage - there would be no re-upping by anyone for a third 15-year cycle as there was nowhere to go but down. Literally. The last contract was signed by the Cohen Brothers - demolition experts. They had a salvage sale in early 1938. Orpheum Booker / Manager Clyde Fairless retrieved the booking ledger (!) listing all of the house’s live performances. He reviewed the ledger tracing the building’s demise in the reduction of booked acts year over year as the theater devolved to closure. The Majestic/Des Moines Orpheum/Iowa/Garrick/Mutual Garrick/President Theatre had few distinctions especially as not being the city’s most expensive theater built. But at least in 1938 it could claim to be the first Des Moines Theatre razed for a car parking garage.
Sadly… that distinction is also not the Majestic-President’s as the Berchel Theatre was torn down in 1931 for - yes - a parking lot. But at least it was the second theater razed for a parking lot and the first theater to be torn down and replaced by a parking lot with six operational names. That’s something, I guess.
Factually - it wasn’t really ever a silent movie house, per se, although short silent films were a part of vaudeville presentations here. Also, it wasn’t known as the Orpheum in 1908. And, it wasn’t closed in 1929.
The Princess Theatre was a legit stage theater that opened on November 1, 1909. It went dark in 1919 - likely at the expiry of a 10-year lease but also struggling against movie theaters making legit and opera houses harder to program profitably. The Princess made a comeback in March of 1920 and performed their final play of the Spring 1923 season on May 12, 1923 with “The Cave Girl.” On May 14, 1923, just two days later, the Princess Theater burned down. Imagine that! Operators Elbert and Getchell vowed to rebuild after receiving a sizable insurance check. However, more 100 years later, the Princess Theatre has yet to have been rebuilt. And that gets you a second, “imagine that.”
This new-build retail building began as a Food 4 Less in 1988 then Value Fair grocery store in 1992 quickly folding. Carmike decided to turn the grocery store into a discount movie theater.
This venue was built by Richard L. Davis' Davis Theatres under the Eastgate Cinemas, Inc. (one word) moniker and designed by Winkler-Goewey Architects. (General Cinema would have used its own architect had they developed this venue; but they didn’t.) The $350,000 complex had 770 seats at launch - 462 in the large house and 308 in the smaller auditorium. R.L. Davis Theatres' Eastgate Cinemas I & II had a World Premiere of “The Hostage” at launch on Oct. 26, 1966. It was controlled by 1,600 stockholders. There is little doubt that the booking and marketing of the venue was being handled by General Cinema for its first two years before moving solely under Davis Theatres' aegis. Davis added a third screen and all of the Davis Theatres locally were marketed internally by that point in 1969.
In the porno chic era, adult theaters were commonplace. Davis built a Cinema III to handle adult titles in late 1969. Like many shopping centers of its era, Eastgate toyed with being a Mall but it was developed theatre-lessly in 1963 as the Eastgate Shopping Center. The first 20 years were good for all with lessees in place and under contract. The next 20 years weren’t good and a number of local critics blamed the adult cinema for the lack of re-ups. And they may have been right as Eastgate scuffled in its second leasing cycle and didn’t really make it to its third potential leasing cycle.
From a cinematic perspective, the Des Moines' East-side was supportive of the adult Cinema III and Cinema 1536 but not so much any others. In 1976, Davis Theatres cited an impossible environment to operate to its stockholders and sold its portfolio to the competing Dubinsky Bros. Circuit including the Eastgate twin. Under Dubinsky, the twin was renamed as the Eastgate Cinema 1 & 2 closing permanently as a 99 cent, sub-run discount house. Its final advertised shows were August 4, 1988 with “Willow” and “Red Heat.” Cinema III would continue 16 more years going down with the Eastgate Shopping Center in demolition in late 2004.
R.V Keeney launched the Urban Theatre apparently on June 10, 1948 with “Bringing Up Father” and “Rainbow over the Rockies.” They closed in 1950 and reopened as the New Urban Theatre in 1953. It stopped advertising likely closing as the New Urban Theatre on January 2, 1954 with “Walt Disney’s Peter Pan.” In 1955, it is home to a roofing company.
A Des Moines' grindhouse that played third-run, five- and six-hour long shows without a break from noon until people were gone. Prices in the 1950s were still as low as a dime for entry on certain days. The Iowa Theatre closed on January 1, 1957 with a triple-feature of “Anything Goes,” Fastest Gun Alive,“ and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.”
Status - Demolished
Opened in 1911 - likely on a 5-year lease - and closed June of 1916.
The Strand closed on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 1953 with “The Moon is Blue.” Work started the next day converting to a retail store that opened in Feb. 1958
Closed Dec. 19, 2014 with “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.” Operated by ABC Theatres from 1967-1972.
The Ingersoll closed with a rep double feature of “Lady from Shanghai” and “Lady By Choice” on June 28, 1977.
The Palace’s grand opening was October 25, 1913 with “A Sister to Carmen.” The Palace appears to have closed on June 22, 1929 with “Flying Buckaroo” unable to make the conversion to sound. It was used as a retail building beginning in 1931.
Last advertised “My Dinner with Andre” on April 29, 1982 and was torn down in October of 1982.
The Wakonda Shopping Center was announced way back in 1957. The project stalled but finally got contracts for building and its anchor tenant in 1963 with the Center finally opened theatre-less in November of 1964. Richard L. Davis' Davis Theatres teamed with Heartland Cinema Co. to build a venue here in 1969. Davis had the River Hills / Cinerama complex and the Eastgate twin. It was a luxury suburban venue seating 344 patrons opening in 1969.
The third operator of the venue, Fridley Theatres Circuit, closed the Fine Arts on December 6, 1987 with “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” and “Jean de Florette.” The theater had been scuffling closing temporarily in the summer of 1987 due to lack of business.
This theater’s name was the Eastgate Cinema III matching the one-word moniker of its shopping center.
Closed permanently on October 6, 1996 with “Independence Day” and “Courage Under Fire.” Was torn down weeks later to make way for a Menard’s Home Improvement big box retail store.
The Plantation closed permanently for films on Labor Day September 1, 1986 with “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Friday, the 13th: Part II.” It’s next event was a sand volleyball tournament the next month.
The Pioneer closed on a high note after with a Cheech & Chong triple feature with “Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke,” “Cheech & Chong’s Still Smokin'” and “Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie.” Despite strong snack sales on September 11, 1983, the venue didn’t open the next season.
Closed the way a good drive-in used to close… with a triple feature. The Capitol closing July 4, 1983 with “Hell’s Angels Forever,” “Women of Passion” and “Satan’s Mistress.” Demolished in 1985, the neon attractor was salvaged and sent to California.
The original Avalon Theatre was around the corner at 852 Hull Street launching on November 18, 1934 by E.M. Garrett. It closed on January 28, 1946 with Abbott & Costello in “The Naughty 90s” to move to new digs. That took place on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1946 with Shirley Temple “Kiss and Tell.” Days later, the original building was sold to close an estate - indicating that one or both of the original Avalon owners may have passed. The Avalon closed permanently on Labor Day, September 2, 1957 with “Oklahoma.”
The art deco Capri Theatre closed at the end of its lease on August 26, 1990 with “Presumed Innocent.” Its long-standing neighbor as the Uptown Theatre, Boyce’s, served as its de facto concession stand in its formative years. Likely the most significant event in the venue’s history was when screen legend Gloria Swanson made a personal appearance on July 20, 1950 escorted by local DJ Al “Rocky” Rockwell at the Uptown in support of “Sunset Boulevard.”
Filling in a bit further then:
Carrols Development built this on the north end of Macomb near Western Illinois in 1971. The 604-seat venue was automated launching on October 27, 1971 following an open house the previous day. Orange rocking chair seats were an upgrade over the aging downtown Macomb Theatres run by Kerasotes.
Dubinksy Brothers took over the cinema in fairly short order. Excellence took over when it bought out Dubinksy Bros. effective on December 1, 1989. In 1991, Carmike and Excellence created a joint operating agreement in February and, that same year, essentially buying out the Excellence side by September. This moved the Cinema Twin to Carmike ownership.
Carmike closed the Cinema 1 & 2 on May 28, 2009 at the expiry of Excellence’s 20-year lease. The Rialto opened on East Jackson Street on June 18, 2009 and was operated by the same manager, Larry Jarvis, but a new company. To answer the query above, the Cinema 1 & 2 was relit for overflow screenings and special purpose WIU-curated titles which the new operator didn’t want to run in the 6-plex. With no leasing obligation and everything still working (at least the analog equipment), it was a short-lived attempt to draw WIU students who were within walking distance of the venue. That didn’t spark much enthusiasm, so it closed once again - this time permanently.
The University took over the spot and had the venue demolished in early April of 2015 (beginning April 3d). Pictures of the demolition can be found in photos.
Hope that helps ya.
Oct. 30, 1920 grand opening ad in photos featuring “The Brute,” a silent race film directed, written, produced and distributed by Oscar Micheaux.