Canna Theatre
110 E. Chestnut Street,
Gillespie,
IL
62033
110 E. Chestnut Street,
Gillespie,
IL
62033
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Eisentraut Theatres, Frisina Amusement Company
Previous Names: Pert Theatre, New Pert Theatre, Lyric Theatre
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First opened in October 1921 as the Pert Theatre. On June 6, 1928 it reopened as the New Pert Theatre with a seating capacity of 603. From September 1930 it was remodeled by the Frisnia Amusement Co. and was known as the Lyric Theatre.
Frisnia closed the Lyric Theatre in 1953 and it remained dark until it re-opened as the Canna Theatre on October 18, 1956 with Joan Crawford in “Autumn Leaves”. It was then operated by the Canna Anna civic organisation.
In recent years it reverted back to the name Lyric Theatre. The theatre was donated to the city of Gillespie in 2003 and has been renovated for use as a concert hall.
In 2007 it was leased by a new management and the name reverted back to Canna Theatre, screening first-run movies. Seating capacity was given as 252. Opening on May 18, 2007 with “Shrek the Third” it had closed by 2016. It was purchased by the Assembly of God Church of Illinois in 2017 who planned renovations and with plans to reopen summer of 2017 screening family movies. This never happened.
Contributed by
Bryan, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
If threefarmers could please contact this website again or email me at i would greatly appreciate it. I am a member of the Lyric players the group that runs the Theatre.
The seating capacity for the Lyric Theatre in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook is given as 603.
The Eisentraut family of Hillsboro has leased the theatre from the city of Gillespie and it is once again showing movies on the big screen under the name “Canna”. Upgrades to the theatre include leather couch seating, a new sound system, new carpet, tuxedo dressed staff that make personal introductions to every feature. The theatre recently had it’s first sold-out show under new ownership with Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Handsome marquee and entrance. Art moderne look. Cheers to all who run this place.
The 1928 opening of this house as the New Pert Theatre was a re-opening. The April 8, 1922, issue of The Moving Picture World said that the Pert Theatre in Gillespie, Illinois, had opened the previous October. There is a photo (which I have also uploaded to the photo page,) and it shows the same building the Canna Theatre occupies now.
Status should be closed. Facebook page indicates now permanently closed.
We are the owners of Canna Theatre and it’s actually being restored. The theatre is a joint effort of being a church and a community theatre. Through the last year we have added and replaced the previous flooring to now have 1/8 inch slope flooring, for easier viewing. We have added seating to facilitate capacity of 185. Removed old heating, and installed new heating. We also through licensing with the motion pictures industry will be showing 3 family movies this summer and will be expanding on how well the community takes hold of this project. The hold up for us is the digital projector for dci equipment like most rural small communities. We also have a great relationship with the previous owners once that comes in play, I believe it will be running as a normal capacity theatre. In the mean time until that happens we will continue to restore and make it better for the community, just wanted to give you all a little update.
Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “GILLESPIE, ILL. – Louis Odorizzi of Staunton, Ill., who owns and operates the Sunset Drive-In on Highway 66 near Mount Olive, Ill., has leased the old Lyric Theatre here and is readying it for reopening in the next 60 days. … Odorizzi plans to reopen the house with a new name, the Canna Theatre.”
Actually, by March 10, 1927 a movie ad lists it as the “New Pert” I’ve uploaded a scan of the ad.
Here’s a February 2022 article on the Canna Theatre: Gillespie City Council rejects Canna Theater offer.