Lion Theatre

Fred P. Reichert constructed his Lion Theatre in 1906 launching the 900-seat venue on October 15, 1908 with live vaudeville and some short films. With a number of nickelodeons opening in that era in Port Clinton, Reichert renamed the business as the Lion Opera House moving primarily to live entertainment. It reverted to its original Lion Theatre name switching to full time silent feature presentations. But, in 1923, the venue stopped showing films and was used for sporadic live events through 1931.

Reichert turned his attention to the Colonial Theatre turned Madrid Theatre as the first run theatre. Reichert then rekindled the Lion Theatre in March of 1935 equipping it for sound motion pictures and running it as a second-run discount house. It launched as the New Lion Theatre on April 20, 1935 with Bill Boyd in “Cheaters” and Kermit Maynard in “Wilderness Mail.” The Erie Theatre made Port Clinton a three-theatre town which may have been one theatre too many.

Reichert died on January of 1936 but business carried on as Popular Theatres of the Madrid and Erie steered it to its closure on January 10, 1937 promising to reopen later in the year. That didn’t occur as the company held the lease all the way to 1947 likely to prevent further competition. Unused for ten years, new owners were found in 1947 and the theatre seats were removed and the floor leveled. Many artifacts from the theater’s first day of operation.

The building was still standing as of the 2020’s.

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