jwmovies The address you gave is for the Twixt Town drive in. It’s on the other side of town across from Kmart east. This drive in sat where the Kmart west building stands
The Barton organ is now playing! There remains some work to do with wiring and some console components. Visit this website for more info on the Barton and the Wurlitzer at the Paramount. www.cr-atos.org
The Paramount will reopen Nov. 3 2012. The organ console has returned to the theater, but it will still be another year before the rest of the components return and are installed.
The stage house has been expanded and the orchestra pit enlarged. The seating has been reduced to around 1700.
The pipes for the organ and the relay are still in the chambers. The console is a total loss as is the blower. A replacement blower has been located. There are possible leads on a replacement console of similar vintage that can be redecorated to match the original. Restoring the organ is very much part of the plan.
Carmike built a 12 screen stadium style theater less than a mile down the road. Once their leases were up on the older, smaller theaters they dumped them.
Theatre Cedar Rapids reopened with Mel Brooks “The Producers” in February 2010. The original chandeliers that hung in front of the organ chambers were located in the warehouse of a local antique collector and were refurbished and donated to the theater. They are back in their original location.
The ticket lobby had the 1965 decoration removed and plaster work and lighting fixtures were restored to the 1928 appearance.
New restroom areas were added in the lower levels of the theater lobby (they had been sealed off in 1965 and were not reused in the 1983 remodeling).
The new color scheme of the theatre echos earlier colors used by the theater and is quite attractive. The ugly plastic reflector panels that were hung in front of the proscenium in 1983 were removed.
The stage floor was rebuilt with a new removable trap section. New mechanicals were added and a new lift for the organ console has been installed (ready for the return of the organ next year).
The theater lobby was expanded into the store fronts of the building and the theater now has the capability to host catered events. New rehearsal and dressing room space was aquired in the basement and upper levels of the building. It is quite an impressive reuse of the space and very functional.
Here is a link to the Cedar Rapids Gazette article about the reopening and some really nice pictures.
The building took substantial water on the main floor of the auditorium and lobby, and the basement of the entire building was flooded. All the electrical for the building was knocked out and the building is still empty. The renovation plans basically will move the electrical above the main floor and expand the lobby space into the storefronts on the main level
The lobby for the US Cellular Center arena stands about where the theater stood. It was across the street from the Iowa theater and the Columbia theater and next door to the Grand (Lyric) theater located in the Grand hotel building. Both the Grand and Columbia were short lived converted store front theaters. Interestingly enough, larger entertainment venues replaced all three theaters.
The Town and Grand were replaced by the arena and the Columbia by the Iowa theater building.
See notes about Roy Metcalfe and Fountainbleau Cinemas under the Times theater listing for Cedar Rapids. His Times theater and World theaters both featured electric pump waterfalls in the lobbies.
Capri Cosmetology College moved into the building in 2003. Ironically the building they left when the moved from downtown was also a former theater building. It was the former Isis Theater.
The city is moving ahead with plans to restore the theater. FEMA is providing 90% and the state 10% of the funding. Debate about building a new, larger auditorium stopped when folks realized that the Feds would only pay for restoration not replacement. Seems that pesky “historical” designation screwed over those morons that wanted to build some bland, characterless glass and steel box.
The Palace theater was located on second avenue between third and fourth streets (railroad tracks). A parking ramp constructed in 1960 for US Bank now sits on that lot. Across from the street was the Isis theater. That building still stands and was home to Capri Cosmetology College and now a bar occupies that building.
Roy Metcalfe also operated the World (Nee: Strand/State) theater on Third avenue. When he retired in 1980 Dubinsky Theaters took over the lease on the World and ran it until 1981. The Times was leased to a company from Des Moines that operated it as a Porno house.
A 5 screen theater complex that opened in the late 1980s and closed in 2000. It was later reopened by a local businessman as a second run theater. Ironically, the strip mall it is located in sits on the lot originally occupied by the Twixt Town drive in from 1948-1977.
After the floods of June 2008 damaged the Iowa Theater building, the community theater group Theatre Cedar Rapids (sic) has set up temporary home in the building while fund raising goes on for major renovations to the Iowa Theater building.
It was a typical GC cracker box. Four long and narrow auditoriums with an aisle down the middle of each one. The uncomfortable white “reclining” seats and a screen mounted way too high on the wall.
Star Wars and Superman played at the luxurious, 700 seat Plaza theater. The sequels, unfortunately, were booked in to these cruddy and uncomfortable theaters because GC was a bigger chain and won the rights.
The theater was actually built in a building that had housed the parking garage for a large apartment building. Kinda ironic that a parking lot would be turned into a theater?
One story told by the son of a prior owner of the theater was of a woman that complained that a male patron was getting “fresh” with her and had put his hand in her lap. When the police came it turned out that the man was less than “fresh” he was actually dead.
The non profit group that gutted the building completely (balcony, plaster, everything) is now out of business. The building is just an empty shell. Apparently there was some dispute between the president and the board members. The president was the wife of the president of the bank that owns the building.
The Barton theater organ was built for Barton by the Wangerin company of Oshkosh WI, because Barton had outsold their production capacity . It was the largest of the Wangerin built Bartons.
Does anyone know what the status of the proposed redevelopement? I used to live near the theatre in the 90s I don’t recall it triplexed, I recall it as duplexed. I only went to the shows in the main auditorium anyway. I loved it, faded and tired, but still very comfy .
As for the Cooper Theatre, the main auditorium remained intact until the end- there was an added screen on the side, but the main house and it’s balcony were still one unit. I saw Lawrence of Arabia and 10 Commandments there when they were reissued about a decade ago.
jwmovies
The address you gave is for the Twixt Town drive in. It’s on the other side of town across from Kmart east.
This drive in sat where the Kmart west building stands
The Barton organ is now playing! There remains some work to do with wiring and some console components. Visit this website for more info on the Barton and the Wurlitzer at the Paramount. www.cr-atos.org
The Paramount will reopen Nov. 3 2012. The organ console has returned to the theater, but it will still be another year before the rest of the components return and are installed. The stage house has been expanded and the orchestra pit enlarged. The seating has been reduced to around 1700.
The replacement console for the organ is currently under construction and the solo chamber is being rebuilt.
The pipes for the organ and the relay are still in the chambers. The console is a total loss as is the blower. A replacement blower has been located. There are possible leads on a replacement console of similar vintage that can be redecorated to match the original. Restoring the organ is very much part of the plan.
Carmike built a 12 screen stadium style theater less than a mile down the road. Once their leases were up on the older, smaller theaters they dumped them.
Here is a video from FEMA who provided $4 million towards the renovation.
View link
Theatre Cedar Rapids reopened with Mel Brooks “The Producers” in February 2010. The original chandeliers that hung in front of the organ chambers were located in the warehouse of a local antique collector and were refurbished and donated to the theater. They are back in their original location.
The ticket lobby had the 1965 decoration removed and plaster work and lighting fixtures were restored to the 1928 appearance.
New restroom areas were added in the lower levels of the theater lobby (they had been sealed off in 1965 and were not reused in the 1983 remodeling).
The new color scheme of the theatre echos earlier colors used by the theater and is quite attractive. The ugly plastic reflector panels that were hung in front of the proscenium in 1983 were removed.
The stage floor was rebuilt with a new removable trap section. New mechanicals were added and a new lift for the organ console has been installed (ready for the return of the organ next year).
The theater lobby was expanded into the store fronts of the building and the theater now has the capability to host catered events. New rehearsal and dressing room space was aquired in the basement and upper levels of the building. It is quite an impressive reuse of the space and very functional.
Here is a link to the Cedar Rapids Gazette article about the reopening and some really nice pictures.
View link
The building took substantial water on the main floor of the auditorium and lobby, and the basement of the entire building was flooded. All the electrical for the building was knocked out and the building is still empty. The renovation plans basically will move the electrical above the main floor and expand the lobby space into the storefronts on the main level
I took down my web site. I’m looking at either putting my info on the website for the local ATOS chapter or starting a blog.
The lobby entrance was on the corner of A Avenue and 3rd street. The auditorium was on the corner of A Avenue and 2nd street.
The lobby for the US Cellular Center arena stands about where the theater stood. It was across the street from the Iowa theater and the Columbia theater and next door to the Grand (Lyric) theater located in the Grand hotel building. Both the Grand and Columbia were short lived converted store front theaters. Interestingly enough, larger entertainment venues replaced all three theaters.
The Town and Grand were replaced by the arena and the Columbia by the Iowa theater building.
A tornado took down the screen in 1965, but Kmart took down the theater in 1969.
See notes about Roy Metcalfe and Fountainbleau Cinemas under the Times theater listing for Cedar Rapids. His Times theater and World theaters both featured electric pump waterfalls in the lobbies.
Capri Cosmetology College moved into the building in 2003. Ironically the building they left when the moved from downtown was also a former theater building. It was the former Isis Theater.
The city is moving ahead with plans to restore the theater. FEMA is providing 90% and the state 10% of the funding. Debate about building a new, larger auditorium stopped when folks realized that the Feds would only pay for restoration not replacement. Seems that pesky “historical” designation screwed over those morons that wanted to build some bland, characterless glass and steel box.
The Palace theater was located on second avenue between third and fourth streets (railroad tracks). A parking ramp constructed in 1960 for US Bank now sits on that lot. Across from the street was the Isis theater. That building still stands and was home to Capri Cosmetology College and now a bar occupies that building.
Roy Metcalfe also operated the World (Nee: Strand/State) theater on Third avenue. When he retired in 1980 Dubinsky Theaters took over the lease on the World and ran it until 1981. The Times was leased to a company from Des Moines that operated it as a Porno house.
A 5 screen theater complex that opened in the late 1980s and closed in 2000. It was later reopened by a local businessman as a second run theater. Ironically, the strip mall it is located in sits on the lot originally occupied by the Twixt Town drive in from 1948-1977.
After the floods of June 2008 damaged the Iowa Theater building, the community theater group Theatre Cedar Rapids (sic) has set up temporary home in the building while fund raising goes on for major renovations to the Iowa Theater building.
See the Town theater listing for Cedar Rapids. The theater was also known as the Crystal and Delphi.
It was a typical GC cracker box. Four long and narrow auditoriums with an aisle down the middle of each one. The uncomfortable white “reclining” seats and a screen mounted way too high on the wall.
Star Wars and Superman played at the luxurious, 700 seat Plaza theater. The sequels, unfortunately, were booked in to these cruddy and uncomfortable theaters because GC was a bigger chain and won the rights.
The theater was actually built in a building that had housed the parking garage for a large apartment building. Kinda ironic that a parking lot would be turned into a theater?
One story told by the son of a prior owner of the theater was of a woman that complained that a male patron was getting “fresh” with her and had put his hand in her lap. When the police came it turned out that the man was less than “fresh” he was actually dead.
The non profit group that gutted the building completely (balcony, plaster, everything) is now out of business. The building is just an empty shell. Apparently there was some dispute between the president and the board members. The president was the wife of the president of the bank that owns the building.
The Barton theater organ was built for Barton by the Wangerin company of Oshkosh WI, because Barton had outsold their production capacity . It was the largest of the Wangerin built Bartons.
Does anyone know what the status of the proposed redevelopement? I used to live near the theatre in the 90s I don’t recall it triplexed, I recall it as duplexed. I only went to the shows in the main auditorium anyway. I loved it, faded and tired, but still very comfy .
As for the Cooper Theatre, the main auditorium remained intact until the end- there was an added screen on the side, but the main house and it’s balcony were still one unit. I saw Lawrence of Arabia and 10 Commandments there when they were reissued about a decade ago.