I’m not pointing any fingers, but somebody made out like a bandit when the Gillis Opera House was replaced by a new building, if this item from the June 19, 1926 Motion Picture News is any indication: “Establish Rental Record in Kansas City, Mo.
“A RECORD in North Side theatre property rental was established in Kansas City this week. The first ground floor store room in the new Gillis Theatre, now under construction on the site where the old Gillis recently was demolished by an explosion, will rent for $7,200 a year over a 10-year period—about $3.40 a square foot. The lease was obtained by Paul Pruzan from the Werby Realty & Investment Company.”
The June 19, 1926 issue of Motion Picture News had this article about local reaction to the opening of the Ritz:
“ Baxter Springs Citizens Like Ritz Theatre
“The new Ritz Theatre, Baxter Springs, Kan., owned by John I. Cooper, was packed to the guards during its recent opening, and both the owner and Clare Rehm, manager, expressed their appreciation for the magnificent response made by the people of Baxter Springs and vicinity.
“Mr. Cooper said today that the newly installed Blizzard cooling system would be put in a state of perfection within a day or two and that the show house would be made as cool as a cave during the summer weather.
“The theatre contains 346 opera chairs in the parquet and 167 in the balcony, making a total of 507 seats.
“Mrs. Roy Brooks, organist of the Victory Theatre, Rogers, Ark., also owned by Mr. Cooper, came to Baxter Springs to play the Wurlitzer theatre organ during the initial show and the music was praised highly.”
Two Pendleton movie houses bore the name Cosy Theatre between 1906 and 1919. A house in the 200 block of S. Main Street, opened in 1908 as the Orpheum Theatre, was renamed the Cosy on April 23, 1916. The first Cosy had been taken over by a new owner in 1915, remodeled and expanded, and renamed the Temple Theatre, which opened on September 27 that year. The first Cosy/Temple was at approximately 348 S. Main Street.
The Temple Theatre operated until mid-April, 1917, then reopened after a few days as the Arcade Theatre, which was still listed in the FDY in 1926 (with 350 seats) but was gone in 1927. The building is still standing, though much remodeled, the theater space being occupied by part of a large hardware store.
The March 7, 1936 issue of Motion Picture Herald had this item about the United Artists:
:“J. J. Parker’s new United Artists theatre in Pendleton, Ore., has been opened following remodeling. The house has a seating capacity of 600. Victor M. Keady, for the past six years assistant manager at the Broadway in Portland, and prior to that for a number of years with Loew’s State in Los Angeles, has been named manager.”
The reference to remodeling made me wonder if the house had operated earlier under a different name, but if it did I’ve been unable to track it down. Through the early 1930s the only theaters active in Pendleton were the Alta and the Rivoli, both of which are accounted for. Earlier houses called the Arcade and the Rialto closed before 1929. As the earliest photos of the United Artists show a façade indicating construction no later than the 1920s, the building certainly had an earlier life, but perhaps only as a retail store or some other non-theatrical use.
The July 17, 1948 issue of Boxoffice ran a brief item saying that work was progressing rapidly on the new theater being built by L. A. Moore at Umatilla, Oregon.
Does anyone have any idea of which theater in Newport was called the Capital (or Capitol) in 1921, when this item about its planned expansion appeared in the April 2 Moving Picture World? “NEWPORT, ARK.—Extensive improvements will be made to Capital Theatre. A forty-two-foot extension will be built, making room for 300 additional seats. Balconies also will be enlarged, twenty-two-foot stage constructed to accommodate home talent and road shows. Typhoon fans will be installed. Address R. T. Meibbon, manager.” The 500-seat Capitol Theatre is the only house listed at Newport in the 1926 FDY.
The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists three theaters at Eureka Springs: the Best, the Wilke, and a house (possibly this one) called the Electric M. P. Parlor.
The phrase Motion Picture Parlor also occurs in connection with Eureka Springs in this item from the June 27, 1908 issue of The Billboard: “SCAGGS is manager of the S&S. L. S. & R. Amusement Co., operating the Eureka Motion Picture Parlor at Eureka Springs, Ark. He has been identified with the moving picture world for several seasons, and has operated in some of the largest cities. Mr. Skaggs is a hustler and persistent advertiser, and his motto is— ‘Nothing too good for the public.’”
The Facebook page of the Eureka Springs Historical Museum provides this post with a brief history and one interior photo of the Opera House. A bit more history is covered in some of the comments on the post. The building was converted into a church by 1923, and was either partly burned or simply dismantled for its lumber sometime in the 1930s.
The Wilke Theatre is one of three houses listed at Eureka Springs in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the others being the Best and the Electric Motion Picture Parlor. By 1926, the only house listed at Eureka Springs in the FDY was the Commodore (listed at Cinema Treasures as the New Basin.)
Two other Eureka Springs theater names appeared in the July 7, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World, which said “K. T. Poplim of the Empire Theatre at Eureka Springs. Ark., has closed the Blue Mouse Theatre of that place.” The Blue Mouse only remained closed for a week though, its reopening being announced in the July 14 issue of MPW.
Empire and Blue Mouse could, of course, have been akas for earlier Eureka Springs movie houses.
The Best Theatre is one of three houses listed at Eureka Springs in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the others being the Wilke and the Electric Motion Picture Parlor. By 1926, the only house listed at Eureka Springs in the FDY was called the Commodore.
The Peoples Theatre operated at least into the 1960s. In a comment on Water Winter Wonderland’s page for the house, the then-owners' niece recalls working there during that decade.
A belated answer to Leslie: The December 22, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World mentions a theater at Waupaca called the Lyric. Its manager, Charles Cohen, had recently bought the building in which the theater was located and planned to remodel and expand the seating capacity to 400. There could have been earlier theaters. While it may be of note that Waupaca was not listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the Lyric at least was in operation by 1917.
Here are a few words about the Grand from the May 25, 1907 issue of Moving Picture World: “The clean, wholesome show at a popular price is appreciated by the Calumet public. Almost every evening the theater is crowded and the variety of pictures which is presented makes the entertainment always new.”
The August 18, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World carried this brief notice" “CALUMET, MICH.—The Crown theater has been opened to the public.”
Here is something about the Bijou from the May 25, 1907 MPW: “The Bijou Theater of Calumet contemplates an expansion in the direction in the near future and a modern moving picture show will be fitted up in the Corgan building just opposite the present Bijou.”
From 1908 into the early 1910s, the most commonly mentioned Calumet theaters were the Grand and the Star, but neither of those is listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. Instead, there are only the Royal Theatre, 305 6th Street, and an Acme Motion Picture, no address given. Nevertheless, the Star was mentioned in the May 6, 1916 MPW. It was to be remodeled and expanded. As the Crown opened in 1917, and was supposed to have been in the old Bijou building, I am wondering if perhaps Star was an aka for the Bijou?
Two buildings labeled “Motion Pictures” appear on the 1922 Sanborn map of Bedford, both on J Street. The wider one must have been the Lawrence Theatre, and the narrower one, which was at 1519 J Street, thus must have been the Grand. The cigar shop next door to the theater in the 1910 postcard view is still there on the 1922 map. A modern-looking structure at 1517 today might be the cigar shop’s building, but the Grand’s site is now part of a parking lot.
The Lawrence must have been the theater labeled “Motion Pictures” at 1605 J Street on the 1922 Sanborn map of Bedford. The map shows a rather shallow balcony and no stage. Current Google Street view (here) shows an interesting old brick building with a crenelated second floor parapet wall. The three-bay façade with a taller center section still has a fairly theatrical appearance, even though there is no marquee. It looks to be in good condition, at least on the exterior, and is currently occupied by a business called Crane’s Leather and Shoe Store.
The Liberty was expected to open in September, according to this item from the July 14, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World: “Upon the expiration of the lease of the Palace Theatre, which William Eyre conducts at Pen Argyl, Pa., near Stroudsburg, he will discontinue its conduct and give his time entirely to the management of another theatre now under construction in that town which is owned by the Hurd Brothers. Mr. Eyre will take up his new enterprise when the building is completed in September.”
The January 1, 1924 issue of The Exhibitor made reference to “…the Liberty, Pen Argyl… opened recently by Marsh and Hurd.”
Also, it appears that the Palace did not shut down after Mr. Eyre departed, as it was still listed in the 1926 FDY, along with the Liberty. The 1929 FDY listed the 400-seat Liberty and the 500-seat New Palace. I haven’t discovered if the New Palace was a new theater or the old house perhaps remodeled or simply under new ownership. The Palace, which was on Main Street, was listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, along with a house called the Bijou. Only the Liberty was listed in the FDY by 1940, but with 600 seats, so it must have been expanded at some point.
From the September 28, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World: “The Crystal and Princess Theaters at Waterloo, Iowa, have installed an indirect lighting system.” I’ve seen a couple of other references to the Crystal, but so far this is the only mention of the Princess I’ve come across in the trade journals.
The Wayne Theatre was at 427 N. Market Blvd. It is currently in use as a church. The building is tiny. I doubt it could have held much over 100 seats, if that.
This item is from the “Theatre Deals” column of Film Daily for February 8, 1946: “Chambers Buys the Flagler Bunnell, Fla. — F. J. Chambers who is constructing the new Bunnell Theater, has purchased the Flagler from Earl M. Fain, of Leesburg. Fain recently bought the theater from L. E. Lamboley. Jim Camp, who will also run the Bunnell theater after its opening late in February, will assume management.”
Flagler was an aka for the Biddle Theatre, as revealed in this item from the March 1 FD: “Bunnell, Fla. —The Flagler Theater, erected by J. M. Biddle about 20 years ago and used ever since as a theater, has been sold and the new owner, Ernest Decker of Smyrna Beach, plans to convert the building into a modern garage. Theater will continue to operate until completion of the Bunnell theater, now under construction.”
Mr. Decker’s plans for the Flagler must have fallen through, as the August 19 FD had this item: “Camp Sells to Dole. Bunnell, Fla.—The Flagler has been sold by G. M. Camp to H. A. Dale of Lake City. Dale is already owner of the Lake Theater in Lake City.”
In 1948, the April 10 issue ofBoxoffice noted that the Bunnell Theatre had been sold to Weldon S. Bristow, former manager of the Schine Theatres houses at Mayville, Kentucky. This item said the Bunnell had 400 seats.
The Bunnell was remodeled in 1949. According to the July 2 issue of Boxoffice, the house had been closed for two months, the building was lengthened and the front replaced, and new projection and sound equipment installed. At this time the Bunnell was owned by Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Dale.
A page about Flagler County history says that “[t]he Flagler Theater operated as such until 1946 when it was closed down when the new Bunnell Theater, adjoining the Holden building on the northwest corner of Moody Blvd and U.S. 1, began operations on 28 Feb 1946. Ernest R (Ernie) Decker bought the Flagler Theater building from F J Chambers in Feb 1946 with the intention of making it an automotive garage. The building was still standing in April 2007 and was being used as an apartment building.” It also notes that the Biddle/Flagler Theatre, located on U.S. 1 (aka State Street,) opened in 1926.
The northwest corner of State Street (U.S. 1) and Moody Boulevard is now occupied by a Citgo filling station and convenience store. Citgo uses the address 100 W. Moody Blvd., but the Bunnell Theatre must have had a State Street address.
Here is an item from the July 3, 1915 issue of Moving Picture World:“Doc Webster has opened a new house in Leesburg, Fla., running Universal program. The Prince is the name of this new house.”
The names of the architect are most likely spelled Alan J. MacDonough, the spellings preferred by the Society of Architectural Historians (founded 1940 at Harvard University) and their online publication “SAH Archipedia” hosted by the University of Virginia Press.
The Palace was built by the local Masonic Lodge, who had their quarters in the third floor until the early 1970s. The building was designed by architect Alan J. MacDonough (some sources give the spelling McDonough, but the Society of Architectural Historians and the University of Virginia Press prefer the “Mac” spelling, so I’m inclined to follow their practice.)
I’m not pointing any fingers, but somebody made out like a bandit when the Gillis Opera House was replaced by a new building, if this item from the June 19, 1926 Motion Picture News is any indication: “Establish Rental Record in Kansas City, Mo.
“A RECORD in North Side theatre property rental was established in Kansas City this week. The first ground floor store room in the new Gillis Theatre, now under construction on the site where the old Gillis recently was demolished by an explosion, will rent for $7,200 a year over a 10-year period—about $3.40 a square foot. The lease was obtained by Paul Pruzan from the Werby Realty & Investment Company.”
The June 19, 1926 issue of Motion Picture News had this article about local reaction to the opening of the Ritz:
Two Pendleton movie houses bore the name Cosy Theatre between 1906 and 1919. A house in the 200 block of S. Main Street, opened in 1908 as the Orpheum Theatre, was renamed the Cosy on April 23, 1916. The first Cosy had been taken over by a new owner in 1915, remodeled and expanded, and renamed the Temple Theatre, which opened on September 27 that year. The first Cosy/Temple was at approximately 348 S. Main Street.
The Temple Theatre operated until mid-April, 1917, then reopened after a few days as the Arcade Theatre, which was still listed in the FDY in 1926 (with 350 seats) but was gone in 1927. The building is still standing, though much remodeled, the theater space being occupied by part of a large hardware store.
The March 7, 1936 issue of Motion Picture Herald had this item about the United Artists:
The reference to remodeling made me wonder if the house had operated earlier under a different name, but if it did I’ve been unable to track it down. Through the early 1930s the only theaters active in Pendleton were the Alta and the Rivoli, both of which are accounted for. Earlier houses called the Arcade and the Rialto closed before 1929. As the earliest photos of the United Artists show a façade indicating construction no later than the 1920s, the building certainly had an earlier life, but perhaps only as a retail store or some other non-theatrical use.The Historic Rivoli Theater official web site provides periodic updates on the progress of the renovation project.
The July 17, 1948 issue of Boxoffice ran a brief item saying that work was progressing rapidly on the new theater being built by L. A. Moore at Umatilla, Oregon.
Does anyone have any idea of which theater in Newport was called the Capital (or Capitol) in 1921, when this item about its planned expansion appeared in the April 2 Moving Picture World? “NEWPORT, ARK.—Extensive improvements will be made to Capital Theatre. A forty-two-foot extension will be built, making room for 300 additional seats. Balconies also will be enlarged, twenty-two-foot stage constructed to accommodate home talent and road shows. Typhoon fans will be installed. Address R. T. Meibbon, manager.” The 500-seat Capitol Theatre is the only house listed at Newport in the 1926 FDY.
The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists three theaters at Eureka Springs: the Best, the Wilke, and a house (possibly this one) called the Electric M. P. Parlor.
The phrase Motion Picture Parlor also occurs in connection with Eureka Springs in this item from the June 27, 1908 issue of The Billboard: “SCAGGS is manager of the S&S. L. S. & R. Amusement Co., operating the Eureka Motion Picture Parlor at Eureka Springs, Ark. He has been identified with the moving picture world for several seasons, and has operated in some of the largest cities. Mr. Skaggs is a hustler and persistent advertiser, and his motto is— ‘Nothing too good for the public.’”
The Facebook page of the Eureka Springs Historical Museum provides this post with a brief history and one interior photo of the Opera House. A bit more history is covered in some of the comments on the post. The building was converted into a church by 1923, and was either partly burned or simply dismantled for its lumber sometime in the 1930s.
The Wilke Theatre is one of three houses listed at Eureka Springs in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the others being the Best and the Electric Motion Picture Parlor. By 1926, the only house listed at Eureka Springs in the FDY was the Commodore (listed at Cinema Treasures as the New Basin.)
Two other Eureka Springs theater names appeared in the July 7, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World, which said “K. T. Poplim of the Empire Theatre at Eureka Springs. Ark., has closed the Blue Mouse Theatre of that place.” The Blue Mouse only remained closed for a week though, its reopening being announced in the July 14 issue of MPW.
Empire and Blue Mouse could, of course, have been akas for earlier Eureka Springs movie houses.
The Best Theatre is one of three houses listed at Eureka Springs in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the others being the Wilke and the Electric Motion Picture Parlor. By 1926, the only house listed at Eureka Springs in the FDY was called the Commodore.
The Peoples Theatre operated at least into the 1960s. In a comment on Water Winter Wonderland’s page for the house, the then-owners' niece recalls working there during that decade.
A belated answer to Leslie: The December 22, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World mentions a theater at Waupaca called the Lyric. Its manager, Charles Cohen, had recently bought the building in which the theater was located and planned to remodel and expand the seating capacity to 400. There could have been earlier theaters. While it may be of note that Waupaca was not listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the Lyric at least was in operation by 1917.
Here are a few words about the Grand from the May 25, 1907 issue of Moving Picture World: “The clean, wholesome show at a popular price is appreciated by the Calumet public. Almost every evening the theater is crowded and the variety of pictures which is presented makes the entertainment always new.”
The August 18, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World carried this brief notice" “CALUMET, MICH.—The Crown theater has been opened to the public.”
Here is something about the Bijou from the May 25, 1907 MPW: “The Bijou Theater of Calumet contemplates an expansion in the direction in the near future and a modern moving picture show will be fitted up in the Corgan building just opposite the present Bijou.”
From 1908 into the early 1910s, the most commonly mentioned Calumet theaters were the Grand and the Star, but neither of those is listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. Instead, there are only the Royal Theatre, 305 6th Street, and an Acme Motion Picture, no address given. Nevertheless, the Star was mentioned in the May 6, 1916 MPW. It was to be remodeled and expanded. As the Crown opened in 1917, and was supposed to have been in the old Bijou building, I am wondering if perhaps Star was an aka for the Bijou?
The 1922 Sanborn map of Bedford shows a garage with a 25 car capacity at 1416 I Street.
Two buildings labeled “Motion Pictures” appear on the 1922 Sanborn map of Bedford, both on J Street. The wider one must have been the Lawrence Theatre, and the narrower one, which was at 1519 J Street, thus must have been the Grand. The cigar shop next door to the theater in the 1910 postcard view is still there on the 1922 map. A modern-looking structure at 1517 today might be the cigar shop’s building, but the Grand’s site is now part of a parking lot.
The Lawrence must have been the theater labeled “Motion Pictures” at 1605 J Street on the 1922 Sanborn map of Bedford. The map shows a rather shallow balcony and no stage. Current Google Street view (here) shows an interesting old brick building with a crenelated second floor parapet wall. The three-bay façade with a taller center section still has a fairly theatrical appearance, even though there is no marquee. It looks to be in good condition, at least on the exterior, and is currently occupied by a business called Crane’s Leather and Shoe Store.
The Liberty was expected to open in September, according to this item from the July 14, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World: “Upon the expiration of the lease of the Palace Theatre, which William Eyre conducts at Pen Argyl, Pa., near Stroudsburg, he will discontinue its conduct and give his time entirely to the management of another theatre now under construction in that town which is owned by the Hurd Brothers. Mr. Eyre will take up his new enterprise when the building is completed in September.”
The January 1, 1924 issue of The Exhibitor made reference to “…the Liberty, Pen Argyl… opened recently by Marsh and Hurd.” Also, it appears that the Palace did not shut down after Mr. Eyre departed, as it was still listed in the 1926 FDY, along with the Liberty. The 1929 FDY listed the 400-seat Liberty and the 500-seat New Palace. I haven’t discovered if the New Palace was a new theater or the old house perhaps remodeled or simply under new ownership. The Palace, which was on Main Street, was listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, along with a house called the Bijou. Only the Liberty was listed in the FDY by 1940, but with 600 seats, so it must have been expanded at some point.
From the September 28, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World: “The Crystal and Princess Theaters at Waterloo, Iowa, have installed an indirect lighting system.” I’ve seen a couple of other references to the Crystal, but so far this is the only mention of the Princess I’ve come across in the trade journals.
The Wayne Theatre was at 427 N. Market Blvd. It is currently in use as a church. The building is tiny. I doubt it could have held much over 100 seats, if that.
The Flagler Playhouse was devastated by a major fire in late October, 2023, and has been closed ever since.
This item is from the “Theatre Deals” column of Film Daily for February 8, 1946: “Chambers Buys the Flagler Bunnell, Fla. — F. J. Chambers who is constructing the new Bunnell Theater, has purchased the Flagler from Earl M. Fain, of Leesburg. Fain recently bought the theater from L. E. Lamboley. Jim Camp, who will also run the Bunnell theater after its opening late in February, will assume management.”
Flagler was an aka for the Biddle Theatre, as revealed in this item from the March 1 FD: “Bunnell, Fla. —The Flagler Theater, erected by J. M. Biddle about 20 years ago and used ever since as a theater, has been sold and the new owner, Ernest Decker of Smyrna Beach, plans to convert the building into a modern garage. Theater will continue to operate until completion of the Bunnell theater, now under construction.”
Mr. Decker’s plans for the Flagler must have fallen through, as the August 19 FD had this item: “Camp Sells to Dole. Bunnell, Fla.—The Flagler has been sold by G. M. Camp to H. A. Dale of Lake City. Dale is already owner of the Lake Theater in Lake City.”
In 1948, the April 10 issue ofBoxoffice noted that the Bunnell Theatre had been sold to Weldon S. Bristow, former manager of the Schine Theatres houses at Mayville, Kentucky. This item said the Bunnell had 400 seats.
The Bunnell was remodeled in 1949. According to the July 2 issue of Boxoffice, the house had been closed for two months, the building was lengthened and the front replaced, and new projection and sound equipment installed. At this time the Bunnell was owned by Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Dale.
A page about Flagler County history says that “[t]he Flagler Theater operated as such until 1946 when it was closed down when the new Bunnell Theater, adjoining the Holden building on the northwest corner of Moody Blvd and U.S. 1, began operations on 28 Feb 1946. Ernest R (Ernie) Decker bought the Flagler Theater building from F J Chambers in Feb 1946 with the intention of making it an automotive garage. The building was still standing in April 2007 and was being used as an apartment building.” It also notes that the Biddle/Flagler Theatre, located on U.S. 1 (aka State Street,) opened in 1926.
The northwest corner of State Street (U.S. 1) and Moody Boulevard is now occupied by a Citgo filling station and convenience store. Citgo uses the address 100 W. Moody Blvd., but the Bunnell Theatre must have had a State Street address.
Here is an item from the July 3, 1915 issue of Moving Picture World:“Doc Webster has opened a new house in Leesburg, Fla., running Universal program. The Prince is the name of this new house.”
The names of the architect are most likely spelled Alan J. MacDonough, the spellings preferred by the Society of Architectural Historians (founded 1940 at Harvard University) and their online publication “SAH Archipedia” hosted by the University of Virginia Press.
The Palace was built by the local Masonic Lodge, who had their quarters in the third floor until the early 1970s. The building was designed by architect Alan J. MacDonough (some sources give the spelling McDonough, but the Society of Architectural Historians and the University of Virginia Press prefer the “Mac” spelling, so I’m inclined to follow their practice.)