Earl Theater
319 E. Main Street,
Knoxville,
IL
61448
319 E. Main Street,
Knoxville,
IL
61448
1 person
favorited this theater
The Earl Theater on Main Street, near Hebard Street in Knoxville, is listed in the 1945 Film Daily Yearbook as open with seating for 315. Another theater, the Tivoli Theater with 175 seats, is also listed as operating at that time. Any further information would be appreciated.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Living first in Galesburg & then in Peoria in my early years, I passed thru Knoxville many times. The Earl was opened about 1942, at which time the Tivoli was closed. It was a very attractive art deco house from the outside (I was never in it), but regrettably closed probably by 1960 and has long-since been demolished.
The Earl was a fine movie house located on Main Street in Knoxville where the Mobil convinience store is now located.The picture is correct as to its location. It sat on the south portion of the lot with the sidewalk in front.A lighted marquee sign facing east and west.Closed in early 80’s.
The grassy area next to the tan building was an alley to the rear of the Earl. Used to be a diner. It is now a barber shop or similar venue.The theater was next to the alley and sat about 15 feet from Main street only the sidewalk seperated it from the road.To the right was an older home/ used car lot. A auto repair shop is located there now.
I was the projectionist (part-time high school job) here from 1964 to 1969. Many fond memories of the place, with its crying room, couches, and local sport of seeing how far you could roll an empty coke bottle towards the screen. We had a policy of refunding the tickets and sending people home if there were not more than five in the house by the time the shorts and previews were over (not enough to cover costs). The owner Sumner Johnson was an interesting character.
1950 photo added.
The Earl most likely opened in 1942, when the April 10 issue of Film Daily reported it as being among theaters that had recently bought Super Simplex projectors and Crestwood carpeting from the National Theater Supply Company in Chicago. The Earl was probably built by Earle J. Williams, who had operated the Tivoli Theatre in Knoxville at least as early as 1924. Williams was still in the theater business at least as late as 1951, when he was mentioned in the June 9 issue of Boxoffice as the co-owner of the Macomb Drive-In at Carthage, Illinois along with a Mr. Allen.