Gem Theatre

The Gem Theatre was opened in 1913. In June 1916 it was reported that the theatre suffered damage from a hurricane. The Gem Theatre appears on the 1919 Sanborn, in a narrow concrete building that was constructed sometime after 1908. Since this block had experienced rapid growth, and some smaller wooden buildings had been replaced with brick or concrete structures, it’s entirely possible that it was constructed to be a theatre, rather than converted from a store. It was damaged by a furnace fire in early-1928.

This was closed on June 23, 1938, and converted to retail. The 2015 streetview shows it vacant, with a very unattractive 1970’s front, but it has recently been turned into a sushi restaurant.

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

Joe Vogel on April 30, 2023 at 2:32 pm

The earliest mention of the Gem I’ve found in the trades is in the June 17, 1916 issue of Moving Picture World, which notes a recent disaster:

“The Gem theater at Yuma Colo was partially destroyed by a cyclone which caused several deaths, injured many and did great property damage. A. B. Conant, proprietor of the house, immediately began work of rebuilding the theater and expects to be operating again in a few days.”

In ads touting the wartime movie “Pershing’s Crusaders” in Moving Picture World in August and September, 1918, the Gem is listed among theaters showing the film.

A fire started by an overhead furnace caused $2,000 damage to the Gem in early 1928, according to the January 17 issue of Film Daily.

50sSNIPES on October 15, 2023 at 8:05 am

The Gem Theatre was built in 1913 and closed on June 23, 1938 following the opening of the Yuma Theatre.