Doric Theatre

908 Walnut Streeet,
Kansas City, MO 64106

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This downtown theatre was located on Walnut Street between E. 9th Street and E. 10th Street, and was located a block east of the Palace Theatre. The Doric Theatre was opened May 25, 1918 with Arthur Guy Empey in “Over the Top”. It was severely damaged by an explosion in 1922.

Contributed by Chuck

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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

mlind on July 18, 2005 at 4:04 pm

Other photos: View link
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hardy65 on February 3, 2007 at 12:10 pm

I am in possesion of a photocopy of a partial page from the “Kansas City Star” dated November 25, 1917. It reports on the construction of the Doric Theater which was to replace the Ridge Building located at 908 Walnut Street which had burned in 1909. The theater was to cost “over $50,000” and was being built by a company managed by George W. Curtis “one of the first Kansas City men to be interested in moving pictures.”

The theater got its name from the exterior design of the building created by the architects, Greenebaum & Hardy. The exterior finish of the building was terra cotta and the seating capacity was 976.

kcfan on April 29, 2011 at 4:23 pm

Here are a couple of photos from an architectural journal titled The Western Architect, Sept. 1919 issue. Lovely interior shot, which also shows the floor plan. Enjoy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcfan/5670370082

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Joe Vogel on March 24, 2012 at 10:16 am

Ground was being cleared for the new theater that was to become the Doric, according to an item in The American Contractor of September 3, 1917. Architects Greenbaum & Hardy had designed the house for owner Mrs. Margaret D. C. Ridge.

An item about the Doric Theatre’s new organ appeared in the November 29, 1919, issue of Music Trades Review:

“ORGAN IS VERSATILE

“Kimball Piano Co. Makes Telling Window Display of Big Organ Manual Board

“KANSAS CITY, MO., Nov. 26.—The Kimball Piano Co. is showing in its display window the manual board of the new Kimball pipe organ, which is now being installed at the Doric Theatre in this city. This instrument is one of the finest of its kind in the United States and is the largest to be installed in any theatre in the west. While it takes up less space than many of the others, it contains many stops which are an innovation in pneumatic construction. In addition to a full tones set of pipes, the instrument by means of double touch kevs possesses the equipment of an orchestra, string, brass or both, a marimba band, brass band, or can manage solos on a variety of instruments against a background of orchestral or organ music. The double touch keys are distinctly new and do away with the organ stops.”

Following the explosion which severely damaged the Doric Theatre in 1922, the December 16 issue of The American Contractor said that architects Greenbaum, Hardy & Schumacher were drawing preliminary plans for a theater on the site, but I’ve found no evidence that the project was ever carried out.

Here are fresh links to the photos of the Doric Theatre at the Kansas City Public Library. All are dated 1918: