Some further notes: The NRHP listing for the building that held the Scenic indicates that the Comet building may have been known as the Alex Long building, but that may have been how it was known in 1959 when the local history was written up. If it did indeed open in 1909, Benton was still operating the Scenic, and cannot have been the first owner.
The Comet was owned or at least run by J.E. Benton. The theater was closed to allow the post office to move to this building from the A. E. Noble building west of the square (and across from the current PO). It’s not clear when exactly that took place, but the post office would probably have stayed here until the present building was constructed in 1931. The brick facade may have been installed to convert it to a post office, and it was certainly in place by 1933.
A cryptic reference is made to Benton staying in the theater business in Albia for some time, possibly reopening the Scenic (which I will add). He moved on to Des Moines eventually.
National Register listings from the 1980s are usually complete garbage, but the 1985 listing for downtown is really excellent. The link is here: https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/85000007, and the theater listing begins on page 267. There’s quite a bit of information.
Based on information from a comment on the other large theater, this may actually have been the Rex, and the northern theater the Comet. There’s some conflict with dates, as the source article claims the Rex opened in 1923. The fact that the map was issued in 1922, when they were both open, and the next in 1933, when they had both closed, makes it hard to eliminate a name based on the dates.
That makes it sound like this was probably the Comet, and the theater to the south was the Rex. The brick facade that was put up to convert it to a dealership is rather indeterminate in style, but certainly could be from 1923-ish.
There is a problem with the dates. If the Rex was the demolished theater to the south, it was open by Nov. 1922 at the latest. It’s still listed as open in the 1929 guide, but that could be wrong.
The theater was open by Feb. 1913. The building was originally built for the Citizen, which ceased publication in May 1916. They originally used the entire building, but had retreated to the basement by the time the theater opened. The 1907 map shows the first floor as a pool & billiard hall. The side of the building still shows the original 1893 structure, with a second floor bay removed, and all the window openings bricked over. I’ve added a map view of the original layout.
Found the photo, which is a 1962 picture of the Rock Island depot in Centerville. The depot is now a house off of 210th Ave, which is ridiculously far out of town, but I guess that is the screen in the background. A caption would not have hurt.
Is that supposed to be the screen in the background on the right? One set of tracks obviously did run nearby, behind what is now the MFA location at the intersection, but it would have made no sense to have the station there. It’s miles out of town. There is a railway station well to the north on IA 5, but it is older.
I suppose this was originally also used as an armory, but between 1907 and 1913 a large armory was built on E Jackson St. It’s still there, used as apartments.
The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity as 1,000. Maps call it the Armory or Drake Avenue Opera House, but the Cahn guide uses Theatre. I’ve added a map view. The site is currently occupied by a used car dealer operating in an old gas station that was likely built just after the fire.
The 1914-15 listings also have a Gem. There’s no other movie theater on the 1916 map, but there is a building with stage/scenery on the second floor. It’s now a parking lot to the east of the large old building that has the pharmacy.
The 1914-15 listings call this the Opera House, but it was the Broadway by 1916. Still listed as the Broadway in 1956. The capacity of 350 is pretty consistent. I’m not sure when this closed, but it appears to be closed in a 1980 John Margolies photo. I think it was still vacant when I first visited in early 2010, although of course there could have been work going on inside.
The barracks doesn’t seem to have a street address, but the marker should be moved to the site directly across from the end of the path leading to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. The building was constructed between 1854 and 1868. It’s huge, and it’s not clear where the theater was.
Demolished and replaced, or just butchered into a ‘ye olde fake’?
SethG
commented about
Cine Lunaon
Mar 3, 2025 at 6:07 am
Now part of a local university. It’s in good shape, and now painted white. There are windows cut into the large doors on the left, so you can see the old tile entry for the theater. The building was modified (probably during the theater conversion), and the very top of the roofline is art-nouveauish.
Some further notes: The NRHP listing for the building that held the Scenic indicates that the Comet building may have been known as the Alex Long building, but that may have been how it was known in 1959 when the local history was written up. If it did indeed open in 1909, Benton was still operating the Scenic, and cannot have been the first owner.
The Comet was owned or at least run by J.E. Benton. The theater was closed to allow the post office to move to this building from the A. E. Noble building west of the square (and across from the current PO). It’s not clear when exactly that took place, but the post office would probably have stayed here until the present building was constructed in 1931. The brick facade may have been installed to convert it to a post office, and it was certainly in place by 1933.
A cryptic reference is made to Benton staying in the theater business in Albia for some time, possibly reopening the Scenic (which I will add). He moved on to Des Moines eventually.
This has to have been the Rex, which means the capacity was 500.
National Register listings from the 1980s are usually complete garbage, but the 1985 listing for downtown is really excellent. The link is here: https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/85000007, and the theater listing begins on page 267. There’s quite a bit of information.
I’ve added two Sanborn view showing the changes resulting from the fire.
Based on information from a comment on the other large theater, this may actually have been the Rex, and the northern theater the Comet. There’s some conflict with dates, as the source article claims the Rex opened in 1923. The fact that the map was issued in 1922, when they were both open, and the next in 1933, when they had both closed, makes it hard to eliminate a name based on the dates.
That makes it sound like this was probably the Comet, and the theater to the south was the Rex. The brick facade that was put up to convert it to a dealership is rather indeterminate in style, but certainly could be from 1923-ish.
There is a problem with the dates. If the Rex was the demolished theater to the south, it was open by Nov. 1922 at the latest. It’s still listed as open in the 1929 guide, but that could be wrong.
Website is: https://www.facebook.com/KingOperaHouseAlbia/
It was looking a little shabby when I saw it in 2010, but the new front is so cheap and bland. It’s a depressing Auto-CAD remake of the original.
That’s a good possibility. It’s odd that only the Majestic is listed, since the Ritz was also open by early 1913 at the latest.
The theater was open by Feb. 1913. The building was originally built for the Citizen, which ceased publication in May 1916. They originally used the entire building, but had retreated to the basement by the time the theater opened. The 1907 map shows the first floor as a pool & billiard hall. The side of the building still shows the original 1893 structure, with a second floor bay removed, and all the window openings bricked over. I’ve added a map view of the original layout.
Found the photo, which is a 1962 picture of the Rock Island depot in Centerville. The depot is now a house off of 210th Ave, which is ridiculously far out of town, but I guess that is the screen in the background. A caption would not have hurt.
Is that supposed to be the screen in the background on the right? One set of tracks obviously did run nearby, behind what is now the MFA location at the intersection, but it would have made no sense to have the station there. It’s miles out of town. There is a railway station well to the north on IA 5, but it is older.
Why is there a picture of a railway station? Totally useless, and should be deleted.
This is not showing movies, and is only open for special events. The name should probably revert to Ritz from the clumsy and verbose name used now.
I don’t know why this is listed as closed, that is not what Trolleyguy was saying. ‘Website’ is: https://www.facebook.com/WayneTheatre/
We should also add the circuit info that Ken supplied long ago.
I suppose this was originally also used as an armory, but between 1907 and 1913 a large armory was built on E Jackson St. It’s still there, used as apartments.
Address should be 101-103 Drake Ave.
The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity as 1,000. Maps call it the Armory or Drake Avenue Opera House, but the Cahn guide uses Theatre. I’ve added a map view. The site is currently occupied by a used car dealer operating in an old gas station that was likely built just after the fire.
The 1914-15 listings also have a Gem. There’s no other movie theater on the 1916 map, but there is a building with stage/scenery on the second floor. It’s now a parking lot to the east of the large old building that has the pharmacy.
The 1914-15 listings call this the Opera House, but it was the Broadway by 1916. Still listed as the Broadway in 1956. The capacity of 350 is pretty consistent. I’m not sure when this closed, but it appears to be closed in a 1980 John Margolies photo. I think it was still vacant when I first visited in early 2010, although of course there could have been work going on inside.
I didn’t say it had been demolished. I asked it if had been. The Burger King is still there.
The barracks doesn’t seem to have a street address, but the marker should be moved to the site directly across from the end of the path leading to the Castillo San Felipe del Morro. The building was constructed between 1854 and 1868. It’s huge, and it’s not clear where the theater was.
Demolished and replaced, or just butchered into a ‘ye olde fake’?
Now part of a local university. It’s in good shape, and now painted white. There are windows cut into the large doors on the left, so you can see the old tile entry for the theater. The building was modified (probably during the theater conversion), and the very top of the roofline is art-nouveauish.