Casino Theatre
621 E. Washington Street,
Springfield,
IL
62701
621 E. Washington Street,
Springfield,
IL
62701
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The World’s Dream Theatre opened here as an early Springfield nickelodeon. It opened March 14, 1908 presumably on a 10-year leasing agreement with highlights from the Jimmy Britt and Fighting Nelson boxing match. The Casino Theatre had opened as an outdoor theater as part of the White City Amusement Park in 1908. So successful was it that indoor digs were found right here. The Casino bumped the World’s Dream and was operated by John Kargin and George Mills.
Leo Burnstine and George Shepherd ran it to the end of the 10-year leasing agreement during WWI; but they closed before War’s end as the pair moved on to more modern theaters.
An article about early exhibitor John Karzin in the June 13, 1925 issue of Moving Picture World says that he opened the Casino at Springfield in 1908. He later formed a partnership with Springfield candy store owner Gus Kerasotes and opened the Royal Theatre. In 1912, he sold his interest in both houses to Kerasotes and returned to St. Louis, where he had operated theaters before launching his Springfield ventures, and began operating theaters there again.
The Casino was one of eight movie theater listed at Springfield in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory.