State Theatre
NW Washington Avenue,
Billings,
MO
65610
NW Washington Avenue,
Billings,
MO
65610
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Final showtimes were “Fast on the Draw” supported by two comedy shorts on July 14, 1950. The theatre was destroyed the next day by a massive fire.
The July 15, 1950 fire started in the old Princess Theatre next door to the State Theatre, and spread to it destroying both as well as another building to the left of the State. The old Princess is where the Bill Gilberts mentioned above was living at the time of the fire.
The original “old Princess Theatre” mentioned was next door to the State Theatre. I found a photo of the original Princess, but it is from circa 1915-1920. In it you can see the vacant lot that the State Theatre was later built on, and the buildings next door in the 1950 fire photo I posted. So the original Princess Theatre needs it’s own page. Not to be confused with the other Princess Theatre from 1943 already listed.
Additional history, July 1950 photo and description added credit Larry Wiles. (Princess Theatre was next door to State Theatre the way I am reading it…)
“July 1950 the State Theater on the right in the pictures. The old Princess Theater (Bill Gilbert’s) would be just out of the picture to the right but burned to the ground. Notice the men on the roof of the building down the street. They are using a bucket brigade to pour water on the roofs of those buildings, on the end of the block on that side was a Cities Services gas station. In the bottom picture in the center you can just make out part of the band stand that sat on the lot next to the alley.”
“BILLINGS. MO. – O. F. Bolinger has sold the State here to Buford L. Lowrance, an ex-GI new to the business. Bolinger owned the theatre for a year.” —BoxOffice, Feb. 1, 1947