This theater was not destroyed, but was dark until after World War II when it was reopened as a Dickenson Theater and showed very old movies, sometimes triple features. It was managed for a while by Leon Weaver of the Weaver Brothers and Elviry troup and was open through the 1950s.
The Princess theater was located on the north side of Commercial Street a block or so west of the footbridge over the railroad yards that is still there. I am a native of Springfield and the theater was open as long I remember in the 1930s and up until after World War II. It was a third-run theater, but after the war was remodeled, renamed the Kickapoo and showed first-run movies simultaneously with the Gillioz or Electric theaters in the central business district. I believe it was open all through the 1950s and was only closed after many theaters feel victim to TV.
This information is wrong. I attended the opening of the Grenada in 1939 when the Ritz Brothers in “The Three Musketeers” was shown. After that it showed third-run movies for years, plus serials on the weekends. It was open all through the 1950s as far as I know and closed when TV caused many theaters to shut down. You can still see where it was when you see street views of the south side of Commercial Street several blocks east of Boonville, Ave.
This theater was not destroyed, but was dark until after World War II when it was reopened as a Dickenson Theater and showed very old movies, sometimes triple features. It was managed for a while by Leon Weaver of the Weaver Brothers and Elviry troup and was open through the 1950s.
My previous comment should read “fell victim.”
The Princess theater was located on the north side of Commercial Street a block or so west of the footbridge over the railroad yards that is still there. I am a native of Springfield and the theater was open as long I remember in the 1930s and up until after World War II. It was a third-run theater, but after the war was remodeled, renamed the Kickapoo and showed first-run movies simultaneously with the Gillioz or Electric theaters in the central business district. I believe it was open all through the 1950s and was only closed after many theaters feel victim to TV.
This information is wrong. I attended the opening of the Grenada in 1939 when the Ritz Brothers in “The Three Musketeers” was shown. After that it showed third-run movies for years, plus serials on the weekends. It was open all through the 1950s as far as I know and closed when TV caused many theaters to shut down. You can still see where it was when you see street views of the south side of Commercial Street several blocks east of Boonville, Ave.