Kelly Theatre

211 N. Main Street,
Wakeeney, KS 67672

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MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on March 9, 2023 at 11:21 pm

Boxoffice, Nov. 18, 1950: “C. B. Kelly of the Kelly, Wakeeney, Kas., has remodeled that house and has installed 498 new Irwin seats, purchased from Shreve Theatre Equipment Co.”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on August 26, 2020 at 5:44 am

In 1925 a Mr. J. H. Kelly was operating a movie house called the Garden Theatre at Wakeeney, mentioned in the May 9 issue of The Moving Picture World. Then the April 14, 1945 issue of Boxoffice brought further news of a Mr. Kelly in Wakeeney, though his initials are different:

“C. B. Kelly, who entered the theatre business by buying one at Wakeeney, Kas., back in 1923, was on Filmrow this week, accompanied by W. K. Heyl, with whom he is associated in ownership of the Kaw at Junction City. Kelly built a theatre to replace the old Kelly when it burned in 1929, and now he is planning another new house to be built after the war. He will use the present building for a skating rink.”
I’ve been unable to find a followup article telling whether Kelly did or did not carry out his plans to replace his theater with a new one, so the house at 211 Main could date from around 1930, or from the post-war period.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 25, 2020 at 2:59 pm

Address is 211 N. Main Street. In the June 2008 satellite and street view only the facade remains. You can get to the street view by Googling “keyser true value wakeeney ks”, click “See Outside” and scroll left 3 storefronts to the facade. Below is a 2010 link from a local effort to rebuild a new theatre behind the facade which apparently never happened. In the link it shows a photo of Kelly Theatre with “Boys From Brazil” on the marquee, so it was still open as late as 1978. It also has a 2010 photo of the facade only, and a 2007 drawing of plans of what was proposed then.

http://wkw.stparchive.com/Archive/WKW/WKW11282010p10.php