Colby Twin Theatre
355 N. Franklin Avenue,
Colby,
KS
67701
355 N. Franklin Avenue,
Colby,
KS
67701
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Additional Info
Architects: Mel C. Glatz
Functions: Office Space
Previous Names: Colby Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Colby Theatre opened in 1939, and was remodeled in 1971. At one point it was twinned. I have no time line as to when it was twinned and I am assuming that it closed around 2006.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Colby was remodeled in 1971 but apparently not twinned at that time. It was scheduled to reopen on October 27, according to the October 25 issue of Boxoffice, and the opening feature would be “Big Jake” with John Wayne. There were 430 seats. The remodeling project was designed by Mel C. Glatz. I don’t know if Glatz was responsible for the shingled faux-mansard the building now sports, but the brick front with carriage lamps was part of his design.
The Colby Theatre was long run by Don Phillips, who also operated the town’s drive-in and a theater called the Lyric, which dated back to at least 1925 (then being operated by J.P. Phillips) and was open part time at least as late as 1956.
The former theatre is now an electronics business in downtown Colby. New picture in the photo section.
The nasty ‘70s trash on the front of the building is now gone. The facade is sort of a mess, and shows evidence that the theater was likely a remodeled storefront. It is covered by a mural.
This seems to have originally been a garage/dealership, which was built sometime between 1907 and 1918. It is located next door to an older theater, the Lyric, which also had a horrible remodel, which is now removed.
The reopening of the Colby Theatre was to take place on Wednesday, October 27, 1971 according to the October 25 issue of Boxoffice. The opening feature was to be “Big Jake” with John Wayne. Seating capacity was now 430. The house had opened thirty years earlier, in 1941. A notice that construction on the original project was underway had appeared in the January 4, 1941 issue of Motion Picture Herald.