Royal Theatre

The first movies in town were traveling motion pictures shows at the Howells Opera House. But its first theatre was the Royal Theatre which launched on May 29, 1916 by Thomas Verba in the late-19th Century George W. Heun Building. Heun Hardware had moved to a larger location diversifying to a variety store which gave Varba his opportunity to convert the space. The town’s entire silent film operation occurred at the Royal Theatre, although it did have two different downtown Howells locations.

The Royal Theatre opened on 2nd Street with Benny J.Haas and Mr. J.W. Koza in the projection booth. Mrs. J.W. Koza played the Crown Combinola Piano. Verba’s son, “Red,” played the drums there, as well. Anton Janata took over the Royal Theatre on April 1, 1922 continuing operation in the Heun Building. After an unsuccessful sound test there in October of 1926 and likely at the end of a 10-year leasing agreement, Janata moved the Royal Theatre to a new location in 1927. But Janata was still not satisfied with his sound film experiments In the new location.

Janata teamed with soda pop retailer Frank Malik to move the operation to the Bohemian National Hall in 1929. This ended the 13-year run of the Royal Theatre albeit in two locations. The pair launched the new Howells Theatre as a short-lived and all-sound movie operation in the Bohemian National Hall (it has its own Cinema Treasures entry). Janata and Marik then moved to another new location. (which also has its own entry)though dissolving their partnership.

Beginning with the Royal Theatre in 1916, Howells had been served by nearly 40 years by a variety of motion picture operators in various locations through the year 1955. The town’s final operator was the grandson of the Royal Theatre’s first operator when F.J. “Red” Verba took on the Howells Theatre in 1951.

Thus, the Verbas had both opened the motion picture industry in Howells during World War I and, after an absence of almost 30 years, the Verbas ended movie operations there when Red closed the Howells Theatre in the TV age in 1955. Despite its nearly 40 years of movie entertainment by different owners and various buildings, Howells’ theatres had one projectionist in common as the Royal Theatre’s opening projectionist, Benny J. Haas, had served as projectionist in each of the other venues through to the closing day in 1955. Well done, Mr Haas!

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