Fraser Theatre

408 Grand Avenue,
Spencer, IA 51301

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Fraser Theatre

This first iteration of the Fraser name was opened on October 6, 1913 with Harry Myers in 2Home Sweet Home" & Charles Arling in “Fickle’s Fortune Favor”. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer organ. It was located in an old two story brick commercial building, which had been built sometime before 1893. The 1909 map shows stoves being sold here, and it seems that the building was extended to the rear to accommodate the theater.

This theatre operated until June 1931, when a disastrous fire sparked by a fireworks explosion left this entire block in ruins. It was back in operation by 1932, in a new building, which is listed separately on Cinema Treasures. The new theatre was actually one door south of the old location.

Note that the historical address was 438 S. Main Street, but the street name was changed to Grand Avenue in 1939.

Contributed by Seth Gaines

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 1, 2023 at 9:16 pm

The Fraser is listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, but I wonder if it’s origin could have been just a couple of years earlier in a house called the Unique Theatre? This item is from the August 17, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World:

“Spencer, Iowa.—The new Unique Theater Building is now completed and ready for business. It will seat 450 people, 410 on the first floor and forty in the balcony.”

SethG
SethG on December 2, 2023 at 7:16 am

Maybe. This wasn’t a new building, but if they did extensive work on it, they might have referred to it as new.

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