Kee Theatre
217 W. 2nd Street,
Kewanee,
IL
61443
217 W. 2nd Street,
Kewanee,
IL
61443
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Balaban & Katz Corp., Publix Great States Theatres Corp, Publix Theaters Corporation
Functions: Church
Styles: Atmospheric, Spanish Colonial
Previous Names: Plaza Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Plaza Theatre was opened by July 1927 and was designed in an Atmospheric style. It was renamed Kee Theatre in 1938 and became part of the Publix Great States Theatres chain. It was destroyed by a fire in 1942.
The Kee Theatre was rebuilt but at a slightly different address 221 W. 2nd Street and closed in 1952.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
It was actually 1942 when the Kee was lost to a fire that destroyed a big chunk of Kewanee’s business district. This is the item that was published in the April 15 issue of Motion Picture Daily:
Publix rebooted the Plaza as the streamline moderne Kee Theatre on Christmas Day 1937 with High Flyers and The Westland Case. It played “Rise and Shine” on the first of three playdates on April 12, 1942 but before the second playdate, the building exploded taking much of downtown with it. It was rebuilt and opened on March 1, 1945 with The Great Barn Dance. The Kee wasn’t a match for the lure of television closing on May 11, 1952 with The Marrying Kind.