Ricky Theater
2921 Shelby Avenue,
Mattoon,
IL
61938
2921 Shelby Avenue,
Mattoon,
IL
61938
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This movie theater was originally opened June 11, 1946 by John and Walter Mullaney on Shelby Avenue at 29th Street. There is an auto repair shop located at the Ricky Theater’s address today.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Rickey Theater barely lasted for five years as it closed in 1952.
Here is a November 1946 ad from the Mattoon Daily Journal-Gazette:
http://tinyurl.com/onoweb
I lived at 2713 Champaign and I beleave that is a new building where the theater used to be but i’m not certain. I did see Roy Rogers and Trigger on the stage once. I don’t remember the date. Hope this helped somewhat.
Some time after the Ricky Theatre closed, John Mullaney filed suit against the Frisina Amusement Company, operator of Mattoon’s other theaters, alleging that the bankruptcy of his and his late brother’s business had been the result of unfair practices by the chain.
Mullaney claimed that Frisina had used its power with distributors to limit his access to films, and that when the Ricky opened Frisina had begun running special promotions such as bargain nights at its theaters. The special promotions had been ended once the competition had been vanquished, he noted.
In 1953, a local Realtor bought the shuttered Ricky Theatre and converted it for other uses. The property had been sold for $5,000 at a bankruptcy auction.
This opened on June 11th, 1946. Grand opening ad in the photo section.