Crest Theatre
4825 E. Douglas Avenue,
Wichita,
KS
67218
4825 E. Douglas Avenue,
Wichita,
KS
67218
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Commonwealth Amusement Corp., Sullivan Independent Theatres, United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Architects: Robert O. Boller, Dietz Lusk Jr.
Firms: Boller & Lusk
Nearby Theaters
The Crest Theatre in Wichita was designed by architectural firm Boller & Lusk. It was located near the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center. The Crest Theatre was opened on January 18, 1950 with Olivia de Haviland in “The Heiress”. It was closed on December 31, 1989 with John Travolta in “Look Who’s Talking”. It was demolished in 1997. A chiropractic clinic is located at this address today.
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
A view of the auditorium is one of two photos of the Crest featured in an ad for Heywood-Wakefield theater seats in Boxoffice of October 7, 1950.
In the 1950s there was an usher’s dressing room down front at the left side of the screen. It could be reached from a tunnel that went under the theater from the front to the back. The uniforms were cleaned weekly and very smart
Linkrot repair: Here is the October 7, 1950, Boxoffice page with the Heywood-Wakefield ad featuring two photos of the Crest Theatre.
Bonus link: The architect’s rendering of the Crest, as featured in Boxoffice of December 4, 1948.
I officed in this theatre during part of my tenure as City Manager for the Commonwealth and later United Artists Theatres. As mentioned above, United Artists closed the theatre and turned off all utilities. That made ever reopening the theatre impossible as it had an artesian spring in the the office area which soon flooded the lower area of the theatre when the sump pump ceased to function. The main floor was reseated in the early 80’s to provide more comfortable seating but the theatre was not able to compete once the multiplex operations entered the scene.
May 15 1974 has “BUSTING” playing at 7;30 and 9;30.
Went to the Crest in ‘50s and early '60s. Did it have a terrazzo logo on the floor with a shock of wheat with the word “Commonwealth”?
I’m not sure about “Commonwealth” being on the floor, but it was definitely in the center of the marquee. It also had a giant “S” ( for Sullivan Theatres) in the middle of the terrazzo floor in the lobby. This was my favorite theatre of them all. I saw my first movie there, “Smoky” about a horse, in 1967. What I remember most was the sunken lounge area behind the concession stand. The restrooms and the offices were located there also. I also remember the murals depicting Wichita history inside the auditorium. I did some microfilm research and found that the Wichita Beacon on January 15, 1950 included a special commemorative program heralding the new theatre. The first movie shown there was “The Heiress” starring Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift on January 17, 1950.
There are some ads for the Crest playing 3-D revivals in 1958 in this article: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/golden-age-3-d
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum has threads of memories about the Crest here, here, and here.
This opened on January 18th, 1950. Grand opening ad posted.