Grand Theatre

An ad in the Hardin County Index dated 8/28/53 touts the grand opening of the New Grand Theater, with a panoramic wide screen. Opening features were “Dangerous When Wet”, starring Esther Williams, “Arrowhead”, starring Charlton Heston and Jack Palance (as an Indian), “Stalag 17” and “Pickup on South Street”, a great Sam Fuller film.

The Grand Theatre was purchased in 1975 by Gerald Peterson of Peterson Theatres of Waverly Iowa. It was interesting in the fact that it had a balcony with 25 or so seats in it.Restrooms were in behind the stage in the basement. It operated until the mid to late 80’s when I believe the Eldora New Providence School systems Voc- Ed class undertook the gutting and remodel of the Grand and was re-opened as a dollar house run by a group of volunteers

Leo Wolcott was the owner; there were 3 items in the 9-26-53 Motion Picture Herald. The theatre was closed one day to install Wolcott’s own invention of a new wide screen, using satin as the screen surface. The articles said he spent $35.03 on the project. He contended that since the industry couldn’t decide on a standard screen, he would just make his own: “Leo’s theory is that the merry-go-round on screens has run the gamut of ground glass to silver screen to gold fibre to beaded screens to white plastic, and is now back to silver screen again. Leo figures he can afford to junk the satin screen when and if the industry settles on something.” The same edition of MPH said Wolcott raised his admission prices to 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children, and adult admission for Saturday matinees would be 40 cents. Wolcott’s problems as an exhibitor, as well as others in Iowa, was discussed at the 1953 U. S. Senate hearings regarding motion picture distribution practices. It was said that Wolcott would not book pictures from Warner Bros. or RKO, and that a WB salesman had not visited him in several years. RKO complained he would take only shorts, B westerns and old features. Wolcott only bought shorts from WB. He refused to pay the percentages these distributors wanted for current features.

1915 map gives a capacity of 378, and the 1920 map says 367. Historical address seems to have been 1132, and possibly very briefly 203-205 E Marion St, before it was renamed and the address scheme changed.

The name Grand was not among the four theater names listed at Eldora in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, but there was a generic listing for a M. P. Theater, which could have been the Grand. It’s possible the house didn’t open until late in the year and had not yet been named at the time the directory went to press.