Plaza Theater
4444 First Avenue NE,
Cedar Rapids,
IA
52402
4444 First Avenue NE,
Cedar Rapids,
IA
52402
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The 730-capacity Plaza Theater opened its doors on June 30, 1967 with John Wayne in “The War Wheel”, and closed on December 3, 1987 with “Teen Wolf Too” as its last film.
The Plaza throughout its history was first operated by Tri-States Theatres, followed by ABC Midwest Theatres, JSB Midwest Theaters, and lastly the Dubinsky Brothers.
In early October 1975, one of the glass plate window-doors was destroyed by an unknown person using a slingshot, breaking the door and a lead-sinker.
This opened on June 30th, 1967. I uploaded its grand opening ad and picture here.
Cedar Rapids: Downtown and Beyond, by George T. Henry and Mark W. Hunter, says that the Plaza Theatre opened in the summer of 1967 with The War Wagon, and closed in December, 1987.
After the floods of June 2008 damaged the Iowa Theater building, the community theater group Theatre Cedar Rapids (sic) has set up temporary home in the building while fund raising goes on for major renovations to the Iowa Theater building.
Here is a 1970 ad from the Cedar Rapids Gazette:
http://tinyurl.com/ysgq9h
Now the Ballroom is outta business
In the early 80’s the theatre was converted to a nightclub- then an office supply store. Currently it has been renovated into a ballroom called “Let’s Dance”
As referred to above, this theatre was one of three built in the middle to late 60’s by ABC/TriStates Theatres. (The third was the Parkway/Moline,IL. All were designed by Henry George Greene of ABC Theatres.) All three featured rocking chair seating, large screens complete with drapes and 70mm projection. Because of their basic floor plan, they were extremely efficient theatres to operate. I managed this theatre for about a year, and relieved managers for vacations in the other two. I refer to these theatres and others like them as the “second generation” of movie palaces.