Correction: It was never renamed Capital 12 Theatres nor expanding to 12 screens in 2006/07. The Capital 8 has been an eight-screen theater throughout its entire history. This was due to the fact that the Capital 8 and Capital 4 are really close to each other to the Capital Mall.
The signage says Capital 12 Theatres, but the main theater still has its original eight screens and its Capital 8 Theatres name because the nearby Capital 4 Theatres was still operating at the time. They still kept the Capital 12 Theatres sign in front of Truman Blvd after the August 2009 closure of the Capital 4 until 2011 when the sign reverted back to its normal Capital 8 name.
The Capital 12 name should not be on the page. It has been Capital 8 throughout its history.
The RKO Orpheum Theatre on January 27, 1941 became national headlines following a showing of a movie turned into an unexpected balcony show that also turned into a real simulated fairy tale. The story immediately quoted on many newspapers as an unexpected “true and real Cinderella story” due to its lost slipper situation between two girls and a doctor. The story goes like this:
It all started that night with a “once upon a time”, when 21-year-old Ms. Elinor Peery went sledding on a cold evening at the Armour Fields Golf Course. All of the sudden, Peery severely injured one of her hands from an accident. It was unknown if she went to the hospital that evening but she did seek some quiet diversion by telephoning her friend Ms. Marjorie Harrow and suggested on going to a matinee at the RKO Orpheum. Both are trying to save a lot of money but ended up getting the balcony seats. The Orpheum that night was showing a double Warner Brothers matinee, which were Ronald Reagan’s “Santa Fe Trail” and Cliff Edwards' “She Couldn’t Say No” plus an RKO Pathé newsreel.
And then it all happened: They were trying to watch one of the two movies while her black gabardine wedged with flat soles slippers still had snow on it that made it a little slick. As she was watching the screen, she immediately saw her own two legs silhouetted before her and from her flat-of-back viewpoint. She was terrified to see that one of her slippers arching high over the balcony rail. It floated to the crest of the curve then picked up speed on the downward course, disappearing into the darkness of the lower floor. The audience who were watching the slipper fell into the darkness immediately broke into massive laughter, even some small boys on the front row leaned over the rail and shouted for a return pitch. Peery immediately hobbled to the seat she was after. Harrow replied to Peery that some man’s got her shoe but the boys immediately told her that he’s not going to throw it back. Peery gave Harrow a favor by watching her seat. For almost 30 minutes, she disappeared from the Orpheum, then an usher brought the missing wedgie to her and she immediately broke into laughing heartily. The movie was never interrupted during the incident.
He asked her to accompany him to the manager’s office. The girls immediately introduced to an indignant man who introduced himself as Dr. B. Albert Lieberman Jr., a lifelong Kansas City resident who would eventually become a WWII veteran later in his life. His mother lived in Kansas City for more than seven decades in her life, and beforehand it was St. Louis when she was born in 1878. Lieberman at the time of the Orpheum balcony incident worked as a member of the staff at Menorah Medical Center and the Research Hospital alongside a former staff member of the General and former Queen Of The World hospitals. Harrow said in a statement to Elinor: “Elinor, he wouldn’t give me your shoe until you bought him a new pair of glasses because your wedgie broke his when it hit him, but he called his lawyer and the lawyer said he had to give back your shoe. I told him I could call the lawyers too and that I’d just call your father that he didn’t give me that shoe!”. Then-Orpheum manager Lawrence Lehman immediately calmed the actions down by saying “Now, folks, let’s all just be nice about this.” Lehman told Peery is she was hurt or not, but Peery relied that it was only dignity. Both girls were delighted when he insisted they take some seats from the main auditorium instead of the balcony. He urged Ms. Peery to pay for his glasses then said he would sue her for the amount, but she replied that she didn’t have any job. The theater’s liability insurance would care for replacing the glasses. Lieberman’s wife was also in the theater watching the movie, while the arguments continue on the doctor. “Now you just make yourself comfortable in my office, doctor, Here’s a good book to entertain you”, said Lehman. He gave Lieberman a book to read but he cannot see anything without his glasses. Lieberman shouted “I CAN’T READ WITHOUT MY GLASSES!” And back at the auditorium, the two young women then took the choice seats Lehman offered and the girls thanked Lehman for their comfort as they both sat back down to finish the show, ending with a complete misandry note with an unhappily ever after for that man. Poor Lieberman!
As mentioned above, Dr. Albert B. Lieberman Jr. became a WWII veteran due to the fact that he served on General Eisenhower’s staff during the invasions of Europe in World War II and twice received commendations from his commanding generals. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Honorary Reverse. On July 15, 1960, his 82-year-old mother died in a vehicle accident. Lieberman lastly became a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center until his death at the age of 66 on March 29, 1974.
On February 22, 1955 during a showing of Virginia Mayo’s “The Silver Chalice” in CinemaScope, the Rainbow Theatre suffered ceiling damage when a 12x16ft plaster section fell into the balcony, injuring five people.
On July 28, 1957 at approximately 3:20 PM ET, 17-year-old Roy Paul Cosgrove, the usher of the theater, was standing at the edge of the balcony when he witnessed several kids with their feet on other seats. He turned on his flashlight and shined the kids telling them to get their feet off the seats until he accidentally plummeted 30ft from the balcony to the orchestra seats in the 12th row of the main auditorium, with his leg striking a 15-year-old girl between her stomach and her right arm. His flashlight also fell around the same time as himself. This all happened during “20 Million Miles From Earth”, which was part of a double feature alongside “27th Day”. He was completely knocked out after the fall and was taken to Wilson Memorial Hospital for numerous injuries, including a broken wrist, broken front teeth, and multiple bruises and abrasions.
The 15-year-old, Donna Kolly, told the Press and Sun Bulletin that she thought that it sounded something like glass breaking. She looked up at the balcony but didn’t see anything. She turned back to watch the movie. Suddenly, Cosgrove landed on Donna without even a single notice. She said that Cosgrove landed on his stomach on the back of the seat in front of her and hung there for several moments.
The June 22, 1950 midnight collapse of the balcony was actually caused by a huge pile of plastered ceiling that fell onto the balcony, injured a total of 27 patrons including one in serious condition. During investigation, a section of 40x15ft plaster fell from vibration caused by someone walking across the framework above the loge section. The youngest of the injured is a 5-year-old boy who had laceration on his head. One of the patrons injured was 52-year-old Mrs. Robert Case who either jumped or fell from the loge section to the main floor at approximately 20 feet below.
The incident happened minutes just before the second feature, “Pirates Of Capri”, ended around 15 minutes before midnight when the collapse happened without even a single notice or warning.
This actually opened as the Vero Theatre, and was renamed the Florida Theatre on November 13, 1936. The Florida Theatre name would remain for decades until the very end of its motion picture operation.
The Florida Theatre closed as a movie theater on June 18, 1985 with Madonna’s “Desperately Seeking Susan”, and Kent Theatres was its last operator, who operated the Florida Theatre for 25 years in total since June 1960 after being part of the Talgar Theatre Company since May 1948. It would eventually become a Brackett’s Furniture Store owned by Bob Brackett for a brief time.
After an extensive two-year restoration project following its 1989 closure of the furniture store, the Florida Theatre’s original marquee was restored and the theater reopened as the Theatre Plaza on October 26, 1991 as a special events house featuring live performances and performing arts. This lasted until 2008 when the theater building itself was taken over by local boards.
The Fine Arts Cinema originally closed on November 10, 1970 with “Yours, Mine, And Ours” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” due to repairs, but it was later confirmed that it closed for the final time as a movie theater.
It was due to the fact that in March 1971, the management originally planned to reopen as a X-rated theater but a lease immediately turned it down before planning to reopen. This came during the skyrocketing arrests of theater operators and projectionists because of the adult film policy issue.
The Fairfield Theatre, which opened on April 30, 1928, did had a little article during World War II. It was originally an all-white theater, but following the killing of a colored man on April 26, 1941 literally made colored residents to blame on the Fairfield Theatre for the very unfortunate affair. Fairfield had two theaters at the time, which is the Fairfield and the Gary.
The Fairfield Theatre closed for the final time on July 15, 1967 with Don Knotts in “The Reluctant Astronaut”.
The Idle Hour Theatre opened in 1911 and closed as a movie house on December 29, 1936 with Shirley Temple in “Temple Stowaway” (unknown if extras added) due to the opening of the Miller Theatre nearby. It would eventually become a special events house. In February 1946 following modernization, the Idle Hour Theatre was renamed “Miller Junior Theatre”.
On April 24, 1947, movies returned to the former Idle Hour and reopened as the Gem Theatre.
During early morning construction on August 27, 1936, two St. Louis men started to picket in front of the then-constructed Miller Theatre carrying signs to the effect that the employers were unfair to union labor. They were warned to leave the area but would not heed the warning. However, Marshal Kausler forcibly ejected them from the premises with no damage done other than to the face of one of the pickets by a well-placed thrust from Kausler himself.
The Miller Theatre, named after manager Harry E. Miller, opened its doors on December 30, 1936 with James Stewart in “After The Thin Man” (unknown if any extras added), and was the replacement of the Idle Hour Theatre nearby which closed as a movie theater the previous day. Some of the Miller Theatre’s original installations include a buff and blue interior color scheme with panel lights as well as a low, flat, ceiling and no chance for escaping sound or echoes the talking screen will be without imperfection.
May 28, 1952 marks the day when the staff at Miller Theatre stepped into court on a petition for a temporary injunction against the Projectionist Union, prohibiting the union from picketing their chain while being held before Circuit Judge Gordon Dorris of the Circuit Court of Carter County in Salem, Missouri. Despite the theater still running at the time, this went on for a short time due to many reports of picketing around the theater.
The Court Theatre was the first movie theater to operate in Vienna since the nearby Vienna Theatre closed in early-1946, leaving moviegoers to go see movies in either Rolla or Belle.
The Dixon Theatre actually installed sound in 1931, and was closed in 1933 due to sponsorship failure. The Dixon Theatre reopened again in January 1934 but closed shortly afterward. The theater reopened on February 28, 1936 after both major remodeling and redecorating.
Corrections: The Waverly Theatre was never home to Welsh’s or Welch’s or Welsh Theatre. The Welsh name belongs to the Elroy Theatre nearby.
The Elroy Theatre nearby was renamed the Welsh Theatre following ownership changes on June 30, 1950. The Welsh name didn’t last long at all, as Roy L. Saxon returned back to the theater alongside his partner E.E. McMillan who took over the theater ownership in late-January 1955 alongside a successful CinemaScope installation and was renamed the McRoy Theatre two months later.
It was also not renamed the Rose Theatre because the Rose Theatre is on Greenlaw Street and not Main. The Rose Theatre only operated for a short period of time in the early-1950s.
Later operated by ABC Southeastern Theatres and Plitt Theatres until closing as a first-run movie house in January 1982.
Opened in December 1940.
Correction: It was never renamed Capital 12 Theatres nor expanding to 12 screens in 2006/07. The Capital 8 has been an eight-screen theater throughout its entire history. This was due to the fact that the Capital 8 and Capital 4 are really close to each other to the Capital Mall.
The signage says Capital 12 Theatres, but the main theater still has its original eight screens and its Capital 8 Theatres name because the nearby Capital 4 Theatres was still operating at the time. They still kept the Capital 12 Theatres sign in front of Truman Blvd after the August 2009 closure of the Capital 4 until 2011 when the sign reverted back to its normal Capital 8 name.
Still open in 1963.
Originally closed on July 9, 1951 for refurbishing, but never reopened.
The actual opening date is March 5, 1940, yes with “Rich Man Poor Girl” along with a comedy, cartoon, and newsreel (all unnamed).
The RKO Orpheum Theatre on January 27, 1941 became national headlines following a showing of a movie turned into an unexpected balcony show that also turned into a real simulated fairy tale. The story immediately quoted on many newspapers as an unexpected “true and real Cinderella story” due to its lost slipper situation between two girls and a doctor. The story goes like this:
It all started that night with a “once upon a time”, when 21-year-old Ms. Elinor Peery went sledding on a cold evening at the Armour Fields Golf Course. All of the sudden, Peery severely injured one of her hands from an accident. It was unknown if she went to the hospital that evening but she did seek some quiet diversion by telephoning her friend Ms. Marjorie Harrow and suggested on going to a matinee at the RKO Orpheum. Both are trying to save a lot of money but ended up getting the balcony seats. The Orpheum that night was showing a double Warner Brothers matinee, which were Ronald Reagan’s “Santa Fe Trail” and Cliff Edwards' “She Couldn’t Say No” plus an RKO Pathé newsreel.
And then it all happened: They were trying to watch one of the two movies while her black gabardine wedged with flat soles slippers still had snow on it that made it a little slick. As she was watching the screen, she immediately saw her own two legs silhouetted before her and from her flat-of-back viewpoint. She was terrified to see that one of her slippers arching high over the balcony rail. It floated to the crest of the curve then picked up speed on the downward course, disappearing into the darkness of the lower floor. The audience who were watching the slipper fell into the darkness immediately broke into massive laughter, even some small boys on the front row leaned over the rail and shouted for a return pitch. Peery immediately hobbled to the seat she was after. Harrow replied to Peery that some man’s got her shoe but the boys immediately told her that he’s not going to throw it back. Peery gave Harrow a favor by watching her seat. For almost 30 minutes, she disappeared from the Orpheum, then an usher brought the missing wedgie to her and she immediately broke into laughing heartily. The movie was never interrupted during the incident.
He asked her to accompany him to the manager’s office. The girls immediately introduced to an indignant man who introduced himself as Dr. B. Albert Lieberman Jr., a lifelong Kansas City resident who would eventually become a WWII veteran later in his life. His mother lived in Kansas City for more than seven decades in her life, and beforehand it was St. Louis when she was born in 1878. Lieberman at the time of the Orpheum balcony incident worked as a member of the staff at Menorah Medical Center and the Research Hospital alongside a former staff member of the General and former Queen Of The World hospitals. Harrow said in a statement to Elinor: “Elinor, he wouldn’t give me your shoe until you bought him a new pair of glasses because your wedgie broke his when it hit him, but he called his lawyer and the lawyer said he had to give back your shoe. I told him I could call the lawyers too and that I’d just call your father that he didn’t give me that shoe!”. Then-Orpheum manager Lawrence Lehman immediately calmed the actions down by saying “Now, folks, let’s all just be nice about this.” Lehman told Peery is she was hurt or not, but Peery relied that it was only dignity. Both girls were delighted when he insisted they take some seats from the main auditorium instead of the balcony. He urged Ms. Peery to pay for his glasses then said he would sue her for the amount, but she replied that she didn’t have any job. The theater’s liability insurance would care for replacing the glasses. Lieberman’s wife was also in the theater watching the movie, while the arguments continue on the doctor. “Now you just make yourself comfortable in my office, doctor, Here’s a good book to entertain you”, said Lehman. He gave Lieberman a book to read but he cannot see anything without his glasses. Lieberman shouted “I CAN’T READ WITHOUT MY GLASSES!” And back at the auditorium, the two young women then took the choice seats Lehman offered and the girls thanked Lehman for their comfort as they both sat back down to finish the show, ending with a complete misandry note with an unhappily ever after for that man. Poor Lieberman!
As mentioned above, Dr. Albert B. Lieberman Jr. became a WWII veteran due to the fact that he served on General Eisenhower’s staff during the invasions of Europe in World War II and twice received commendations from his commanding generals. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Honorary Reverse. On July 15, 1960, his 82-year-old mother died in a vehicle accident. Lieberman lastly became a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center until his death at the age of 66 on March 29, 1974.
On February 22, 1955 during a showing of Virginia Mayo’s “The Silver Chalice” in CinemaScope, the Rainbow Theatre suffered ceiling damage when a 12x16ft plaster section fell into the balcony, injuring five people.
Built in the late-1970s.
On July 28, 1957 at approximately 3:20 PM ET, 17-year-old Roy Paul Cosgrove, the usher of the theater, was standing at the edge of the balcony when he witnessed several kids with their feet on other seats. He turned on his flashlight and shined the kids telling them to get their feet off the seats until he accidentally plummeted 30ft from the balcony to the orchestra seats in the 12th row of the main auditorium, with his leg striking a 15-year-old girl between her stomach and her right arm. His flashlight also fell around the same time as himself. This all happened during “20 Million Miles From Earth”, which was part of a double feature alongside “27th Day”. He was completely knocked out after the fall and was taken to Wilson Memorial Hospital for numerous injuries, including a broken wrist, broken front teeth, and multiple bruises and abrasions.
The 15-year-old, Donna Kolly, told the Press and Sun Bulletin that she thought that it sounded something like glass breaking. She looked up at the balcony but didn’t see anything. She turned back to watch the movie. Suddenly, Cosgrove landed on Donna without even a single notice. She said that Cosgrove landed on his stomach on the back of the seat in front of her and hung there for several moments.
The June 22, 1950 midnight collapse of the balcony was actually caused by a huge pile of plastered ceiling that fell onto the balcony, injured a total of 27 patrons including one in serious condition. During investigation, a section of 40x15ft plaster fell from vibration caused by someone walking across the framework above the loge section. The youngest of the injured is a 5-year-old boy who had laceration on his head. One of the patrons injured was 52-year-old Mrs. Robert Case who either jumped or fell from the loge section to the main floor at approximately 20 feet below.
The incident happened minutes just before the second feature, “Pirates Of Capri”, ended around 15 minutes before midnight when the collapse happened without even a single notice or warning.
Still open in the mid-1980s.
Functions Update: Classics films and foreign films are also presented.
The Cine probably opened in 1986, due to the fact that a 1985 aerial view shows the building not being built yet.
This actually opened as the Vero Theatre, and was renamed the Florida Theatre on November 13, 1936. The Florida Theatre name would remain for decades until the very end of its motion picture operation.
The Florida Theatre closed as a movie theater on June 18, 1985 with Madonna’s “Desperately Seeking Susan”, and Kent Theatres was its last operator, who operated the Florida Theatre for 25 years in total since June 1960 after being part of the Talgar Theatre Company since May 1948. It would eventually become a Brackett’s Furniture Store owned by Bob Brackett for a brief time.
After an extensive two-year restoration project following its 1989 closure of the furniture store, the Florida Theatre’s original marquee was restored and the theater reopened as the Theatre Plaza on October 26, 1991 as a special events house featuring live performances and performing arts. This lasted until 2008 when the theater building itself was taken over by local boards.
The Pines Theatre opened with Walt Disney’s “Those Callaways”, and originally housed a total capacity of 800 seats.
The Fine Arts Cinema originally closed on November 10, 1970 with “Yours, Mine, And Ours” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” due to repairs, but it was later confirmed that it closed for the final time as a movie theater.
The Fairfield Theatre, which opened on April 30, 1928, did had a little article during World War II. It was originally an all-white theater, but following the killing of a colored man on April 26, 1941 literally made colored residents to blame on the Fairfield Theatre for the very unfortunate affair. Fairfield had two theaters at the time, which is the Fairfield and the Gary.
The Fairfield Theatre closed for the final time on July 15, 1967 with Don Knotts in “The Reluctant Astronaut”.
In color, the marquee that was installed in May 1951 was colored blue and white.
The Idle Hour Theatre opened in 1911 and closed as a movie house on December 29, 1936 with Shirley Temple in “Temple Stowaway” (unknown if extras added) due to the opening of the Miller Theatre nearby. It would eventually become a special events house. In February 1946 following modernization, the Idle Hour Theatre was renamed “Miller Junior Theatre”.
On April 24, 1947, movies returned to the former Idle Hour and reopened as the Gem Theatre.
During early morning construction on August 27, 1936, two St. Louis men started to picket in front of the then-constructed Miller Theatre carrying signs to the effect that the employers were unfair to union labor. They were warned to leave the area but would not heed the warning. However, Marshal Kausler forcibly ejected them from the premises with no damage done other than to the face of one of the pickets by a well-placed thrust from Kausler himself.
The Miller Theatre, named after manager Harry E. Miller, opened its doors on December 30, 1936 with James Stewart in “After The Thin Man” (unknown if any extras added), and was the replacement of the Idle Hour Theatre nearby which closed as a movie theater the previous day. Some of the Miller Theatre’s original installations include a buff and blue interior color scheme with panel lights as well as a low, flat, ceiling and no chance for escaping sound or echoes the talking screen will be without imperfection.
May 28, 1952 marks the day when the staff at Miller Theatre stepped into court on a petition for a temporary injunction against the Projectionist Union, prohibiting the union from picketing their chain while being held before Circuit Judge Gordon Dorris of the Circuit Court of Carter County in Salem, Missouri. Despite the theater still running at the time, this went on for a short time due to many reports of picketing around the theater.
The Court Theatre was the first movie theater to operate in Vienna since the nearby Vienna Theatre closed in early-1946, leaving moviegoers to go see movies in either Rolla or Belle.
The Dixon Theatre actually installed sound in 1931, and was closed in 1933 due to sponsorship failure. The Dixon Theatre reopened again in January 1934 but closed shortly afterward. The theater reopened on February 28, 1936 after both major remodeling and redecorating.
The Welsh Theatre was actually renamed the McRoy Theatre in late-March 1955.
Corrections: The Waverly Theatre was never home to Welsh’s or Welch’s or Welsh Theatre. The Welsh name belongs to the Elroy Theatre nearby.
It was also not renamed the Rose Theatre because the Rose Theatre is on Greenlaw Street and not Main. The Rose Theatre only operated for a short period of time in the early-1950s.