State Theatre
118 N. Main Street,
Holstein,
IA
51025
118 N. Main Street,
Holstein,
IA
51025
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Originally opened by Claus Paulsen as the State Theatre in October 1927. In 1929 it was purchased by the Seff brothers.
The building is quite deep, but fairly narrow, and has a tall one story facade in brown brick. Decoration is quite basic. The 1933 map shows a stage and scenery as well. This theatre likely closed in 1948, as the State Theatre name moved to a new Quonset Hut style building on the south end of downtown (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). It is currently used by the Masons, and appears to be in decent shape.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
Whoever wrote the history on the current State Theatre’s official web site got a lot of it wrong. I think I’ve pieced together an accurate early history from FDYs and trade journals though. This house never operated as the Scenic Theatre, which was a different house which was listed in the 1914-1915 American motion Picture Directory and mentioned in trade journals even earlier.
The October 29, 1927 issue of The Billboard listed the State in its “Theater Openings” column, though mistakenly gave the name as Seff Theatre. Building owner C. F. Paulson leased the new house to the Seff brothers. A brief article about Cecil R. Seff in the January 28, 1928 issue of Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World also notes the opening of the house, but correctly calls it the State. The State name does not appear in the FDY until 1929, the 1928 edition listing only the Scenic and the generic name Movie. The State and the Scenic are both listed in the 1929 and 1930 FDYs. I haven’t checked later editions to see how long the two theaters remained competitors.
Incidentally, the 1930 FDY’s listing of a house called the Moon Theatre at Holstein, Iowa, is apparently a mistake. Other sources indicate that the Moon was at Holstein, Nebraska.