Orpheum Theatre
1214 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City,
MO
64105
1214 Baltimore Avenue,
Kansas City,
MO
64105
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Midwest Theatres, Orpheum Circuit, RKO
Architects: G. Albert Lansburgh
Styles: French Renaissance
Previous Names: New Orpheum Theatre, RKO Orpheum Theatre
Nearby Theaters
This newer Orpheum Theatre opened on December 26, 1914 and the old Orpheum Theatre was then left vacant and was later razed in 1922.
The new Orpheum Theatre was designed for a sumptuous experiences inside and out. Built to resemble the Paris Opera House, the exterior was faced with terra cotta designed to resemble Tennessee marble. Embedded along the top of the building’s façade were carved panels symbolically depicting art and music.
The lobby floor was enhanced with a random marble mosaic in figured patterns and panels. A spacious ladies lounge provided divans, lounging chairs, writing desks, telephones, and dressing tables as well as offering maid service. Inside the auditorium was a domed roof painted blue and highlighted with artificial stars. The main stage curtain was made of wire woven asbestos painted to resemble velvet drapery and weighed in excess of 1,200 pounds.
As motion pictures gained in popularity and vaudeville declined, the Orpheum Theatre owners tried to draw audiences with legitimate theatre in the 1930’s, motion pictures only from September 2, 1938 and in 1948 it was taken over by Fox Midwest Theatres. It was closed on November 2, 1955 with Clark Gable in “The Tall Men”. In November 1961 and into early-1962 the Orpheum Theatre was demolished to make room for an addition to the Muehlebach Hotel.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Yes – they are wonderful – do you have any interior pics of other theaters in KC?
I’m afraid not, Mike. It sure was a beautiful theater, wasn’t it? How sad they let it be demolished, just like the Fox Theater here in San Francisco.
Even though I was a small boy, I remember that the recessed lighting was a Rose color off of the antique white and gold leaf – it was beautiful. The stage curtain was a beautiful crimson color and so were the redone seats. The orghestra seats were beutiful and taken over to the Tower Theater to prep it for the long run of Oklahoma. The screen was taking and installed at The Uptown Theater when it became obvious that it was going to be demolished. The facade was supposed to be saved for the new edition of the Hotel. Looking at what there is now – it is a crime that it was not saved.
To KCB3Player. Just to update you. The Boston Orpheum theatre is not gone. It is one of the oldest theatres in the country havimg opened in 1852 as the Boston Music Hall. It wasn’t named the Orpheum until 1906. In 1915 it was taken over by Loews(1915-1971) when it became the Aquarius until 1974. It became the Orpheum again in 1975. It was never an ornate theatre but it had it’s own character. It was never one of the 7 Orpheums. It has been a live music theatre since 1971 with a few movies thrown in. The balcony was removed years ago. Some of the biggest names in music from Rock, Country, Rap and classical have played here. It is still a grand old lady. Look it up on Wikipedia for more info.
I think there may have been a different theater in Boston than what you are talking about. It was designed by the same company the built the Orpheum Theaters in New Orleans, Kansas City and St.Louis. Maybe it was not known as the Orpheum in Boston, but was on the same circuit in the early days. Today’s Orpheum Theater in Boston is not the same theater that was part of the group of theaters built at the same time with a similar design. I will try to find out more about it. However, with that said, I am so grateful that the Boston Paramount has been saved and is beautiful again and also the theater up the street which I think is called The Lyric.
December 26th, 1914 grand opening ad in the photo section.
Movies only as of September 2nd, 1938. Another ad in the photo section.
Fox Midwest swapped its Missouri Theatre for the Orpheum in 1948. The Orpheum’s closed after the November 2, 1955 showing of Clark Gable in “The Tall Men.” It had closed the venerable Esquire in January of 1955.
In 1956, there was hope for one of the old theaters. Fox then had to select one of its theaters for Todd-AO and went with the Tower Theatre. It moved its next booking to the Esquire - reopening that theatre in September of 1956. And the Orpheum’s fate was sealed when Fox removed seating from the Orpheum to take to the Tower. The circuit sold the theatre the next month to a hotel firm. It was bulldozed beginning in November of 1961 and into 1962 to make way for a motel. Many hidden gems were found while razing the nearly 50-year old venue including old posters.
This Harry Houdini link has images of both the old and new Orpheums.
https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2021/04/kansas-citys-last-houdini-theater.html
The RKO Orpheum Theatre on January 27, 1941 became national headlines following a showing of a movie turned into an unexpected balcony show that also turned into a real simulated fairy tale. The story immediately quoted on many newspapers as an unexpected “true and real Cinderella story” due to its lost slipper situation between two girls and a doctor. The story goes like this:
It all started that night with a “once upon a time”, when 21-year-old Ms. Elinor Peery went sledding on a cold evening at the Armour Fields Golf Course. All of the sudden, Peery severely injured one of her hands from an accident. It was unknown if she went to the hospital that evening but she did seek some quiet diversion by telephoning her friend Ms. Marjorie Harrow and suggested on going to a matinee at the RKO Orpheum. Both are trying to save a lot of money but ended up getting the balcony seats. The Orpheum that night was showing a double Warner Brothers matinee, which were Ronald Reagan’s “Santa Fe Trail” and Cliff Edwards' “She Couldn’t Say No” plus an RKO Pathé newsreel.
And then it all happened: They were trying to watch one of the two movies while her black gabardine wedged with flat soles slippers still had snow on it that made it a little slick. As she was watching the screen, she immediately saw her own two legs silhouetted before her and from her flat-of-back viewpoint. She was terrified to see that one of her slippers arching high over the balcony rail. It floated to the crest of the curve then picked up speed on the downward course, disappearing into the darkness of the lower floor. The audience who were watching the slipper fell into the darkness immediately broke into massive laughter, even some small boys on the front row leaned over the rail and shouted for a return pitch. Peery immediately hobbled to the seat she was after. Harrow replied to Peery that some man’s got her shoe but the boys immediately told her that he’s not going to throw it back. Peery gave Harrow a favor by watching her seat. For almost 30 minutes, she disappeared from the Orpheum, then an usher brought the missing wedgie to her and she immediately broke into laughing heartily. The movie was never interrupted during the incident.
He asked her to accompany him to the manager’s office. The girls immediately introduced to an indignant man who introduced himself as Dr. B. Albert Lieberman Jr., a lifelong Kansas City resident who would eventually become a WWII veteran later in his life. His mother lived in Kansas City for more than seven decades in her life, and beforehand it was St. Louis when she was born in 1878. Lieberman at the time of the Orpheum balcony incident worked as a member of the staff at Menorah Medical Center and the Research Hospital alongside a former staff member of the General and former Queen Of The World hospitals. Harrow said in a statement to Elinor: “Elinor, he wouldn’t give me your shoe until you bought him a new pair of glasses because your wedgie broke his when it hit him, but he called his lawyer and the lawyer said he had to give back your shoe. I told him I could call the lawyers too and that I’d just call your father that he didn’t give me that shoe!”. Then-Orpheum manager Lawrence Lehman immediately calmed the actions down by saying “Now, folks, let’s all just be nice about this.” Lehman told Peery is she was hurt or not, but Peery relied that it was only dignity. Both girls were delighted when he insisted they take some seats from the main auditorium instead of the balcony. He urged Ms. Peery to pay for his glasses then said he would sue her for the amount, but she replied that she didn’t have any job. The theater’s liability insurance would care for replacing the glasses. Lieberman’s wife was also in the theater watching the movie, while the arguments continue on the doctor. “Now you just make yourself comfortable in my office, doctor, Here’s a good book to entertain you”, said Lehman. He gave Lieberman a book to read but he cannot see anything without his glasses. Lieberman shouted “I CAN’T READ WITHOUT MY GLASSES!” And back at the auditorium, the two young women then took the choice seats Lehman offered and the girls thanked Lehman for their comfort as they both sat back down to finish the show, ending with a complete misandry note with an unhappily ever after for that man. Poor Lieberman!
As mentioned above, Dr. Albert B. Lieberman Jr. became a WWII veteran due to the fact that he served on General Eisenhower’s staff during the invasions of Europe in World War II and twice received commendations from his commanding generals. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Honorary Reverse. On July 15, 1960, his 82-year-old mother died in a vehicle accident. Lieberman lastly became a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center until his death at the age of 66 on March 29, 1974.