Rex Theatre
414 1st Street,
Glenwood,
IA
51534
414 1st Street,
Glenwood,
IA
51534
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Related Websites
Rex Theatre - Glenwood (Official)
Additional Info
Functions: Movies, Movies (Family)
Styles: Romanesque Revival
Previous Names: Glenwood Opera House, Royal Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
712.527.4433
Manager:
712.527.4433
Nearby Theaters
The Rex Theatre is on the north side of the old town square in Glenwood IA. The building was built in 1891 and operated as the Glenwood Opera House until 1908 when it became the Rex Theatre, operating with 430 seats.
During the 1970’s thru to the 1990’s it went through several ownership changes but reamained open and was briefly re-named Royal Theatre. For the last decade it has been in McGinnis family ownership and the family lives in the loft apartment upstairs while they engage themselves in the renovation/restoration of the theatre. It remains open from May thru November of the year and restoration efforts take place during the winter months when it is closed.
It is Richardsonian/Romanesque in design. It is a very early silent era movie theatre that has been exhibiting film since 1908 or 1909. Archival area newspapers show it starting to show film on a regular weekly basis by 1910. During the first few decades of showing film it also continued to have plays, recitals and community events mixed in with the showing of films, but went to just film exhibition by mid-20th century. The Rex Theatre is considered to be one of the longest running exibitors of film at the same location in the world.
Contributed by
William McGinnis
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
It was called the Royal Theatre during the 1990’s . It had been bought by a theater circut that did not have a sensitivity to the historic name . After the McGinnis familiy purchased it they changed the name back to The Rex Theatre .
An item in the May 31, 1913 issue of The Billboard says that “W. A. Coates & Son, Whiting, Iowa, will open a moving picture theater In Everham Block, Glenwood, Iowa.” I haven’t been able to track down an Everham Block in Glenwood, so I don’t know if it could be this theater or not. What is certain is that the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists two theaters at Glenwood: the Motiograph Theatre and the Glenwood Opera House. The latter must be a missing aka for the Rex, and the former could be the Coates’s house.
But there is an ad from the Mills County Tribune of October 28, 1915 promoting a special feature at the Rex Theatre in Glenwood, and sporting a line at the bottom reading “Regular program at the Scenic…..5c and 10c.”
The 1905 Polk guide to Iowa lists the Glenwood Opera House, and the theater is still listed that way in the 1914-1915 Gus Hill Guide, but it is listed as the Rex Theatre in the Cahn Guide at least as early as the 1912-1913 edition.