Apollo Theatre
3229 Troost Avenue,
Kansas City,
MO
64109
3229 Troost Avenue,
Kansas City,
MO
64109
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Midwest Theatres
Architects: Carl Boller
Firms: Boller Brothers
Previous Names: Woodlin Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Woodlin Theatre was opened in February 1912. On June 1, 1912 new operators took over and it was renamed Apollo Theatre. Dark terra cotta front façade with a U shaped marquee. Ornamental work around the exterior poster cases and the box office. The box office was centered and entrances on each side of the box office.
The Apollo Theatre had a nice sized lobby with a good sized concession area which I am sure was expanded in later years. The theatre had a small balcony. There was decorative plaster work on the proscenium around the stage. The Apollo Theatre was one of many theatres that were designed by the Boller Brothers in the Kansas City area. The theatre closed by Fox Midwest Theatres on July 30, 1958 with David Niven in “Around the World in 80 Days”. It was turned into a night club in 1959. The building gained a new façade and was ‘For Sale’ in March 2019.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
Re: Here is a thread on the possible renovation of this theatre along with pictures; old, new, and proposed:
View link
posted by Claydoh77 on Dec 26, 2006 at 6:48am
Here is the more specific link:
http://forum.kcrag.com/index.php?topic=10835.0
This site has vintage photos of the Apollo, along with other KC theatres -
View link
Though not identified as the Kansas City Apollo, a few small photos of this house appeared in an ad for Viragon germicidal equipment that was published in Boxoffice of August 17, 1946. There is a photo of the facade before its modern remodeling, and a rare interior photo showing a section of seating in the balcony. Viragon was a Kansas City based company.
If I remember correctly, there was another Apollo theater in Kansas City, located within the Union Station building, circa 1960’s.
Here is a fresh link to the Viragon ad with the pictures of the Apollo in Boxoffice, August 17, 1946.
Interesting Viragon ad, Joe.
Image of the exterior of the Apollo Theater before facade change.
http://digital.library.umsystem.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?sid=738293e1c6fb79905fb58dcaf947adc1;med=1;c=umkcredic;q1=umkcredic;rgn1=umkcredic_all;size=20;lasttype=boolean;view=entry;lastview=thumbnail;subview=detail;cc=umkcredic;entryid=x-001.tif;viewid=001.TIF;start=1;resnum=1
The Apollo was part of the FOX Midwest chain until it closed. I remember going to see “The 10 Commandments” there when it was a roadshow engagement.
Although I was a Fox employee working at the Plaza and a friend of the manager, Jack Scharfenburg, he still had a hard time getting me by the watch dog that Paramount had hired to make sure everybody had a ticket to see “The 10 Commandments “.
The Woodlin Theatre opened in February of 1912. On June 1, 1912, it got new operators and a new name, the Apollo Theatre. The theatre equipped for sound to stay relevant. Fox Midwest would close the Apollo July 30, 1958 at the end of its lease with “Around the World in 80 Days.”