Arcade Theatre

West Plains first moving pictures were shown at its Johnson Opera House and were advertised as early as 1899. So popular were movies that a new-build theatre was constructed in the northwest corner of the town’s court house square opening on March 2, 1914 with John Barrymore in “The American Citizen". The Famous Theatre was operated by Judge Francis Marion McCoy and Norton Henry. The pair also programmed the Catron Opera House’s films. Seth H. Garrison of Garrison’s Drug Store was on hand providing complimentary boxes of chocolate creams to those in attendance.

The Famous Grocery Store had opened in 1888 by Joseph Lee Elledge. He created an arcade with four buildings, the Famous Grocery stayed in its original spot though was redesigned in 1913 expanded into one of the three new build facilities in 1913. The third building would be for offices. And the fourth was for the Famous Theatre also owned by Elledge. The arcade was architected by Buffalo, New York transplant Samuel A. Bishop.

Dean W. Davis took over the Famous Theatre and, as sound films came into vogue, he determined a new theatre would be better than upgrading the Famous Theatre. Not long after the Famous Theatres' 15th Anniversary, Davis hired the Boller Brothers of Kansas City to design the New Famous Theatre. But during the construction, the name was changed to the Davis Theatre opening on October 6, 1930.

Glen W. Dickinson of Dickinson Theatres took on the Davis Theatre relaunching it with RCA sound on August 29, 1931 with Bela Lugosi in “Dracula” along with a cartoon and a comedy reel featuring installations of RCA sound. It was known as the Dickinson Theatre. Davis bought out Dickinson and the theatre closed on March 2, 1932 with Bill Cody in “Dugan of the Badlands” as the last advertised show.

Davis announced that the theatre would reopen in 1940 as the Famous Theatre. It relaunched April 6, 1940 with John Wayne in “Three Texas Steers” and Tommy Kelly in “Peck’s Bad Boy with the Circus". That rebirth was short-lived and the seating was donated to a church.

Bob Butler, J.O. Young and Everett Malcolm retrofitted the location for another run this time as the Butler Theatre. Butler had also operated theatres in Mammoth Spring and Mountain View, Arkansas. It launched as the Butler Theatre on May 4, 1947 with Jane Russell in “The Outlaw". That lasted until June 7, 1950 when the venue closed with Virginia Grey in “Unknown Island".

Jesse Jones took over the operation continuing it as the Arcade Theatre. Its reboot as the Arcade Theatre took place on June 12, 1950 with the Marx Brothers in “Love Happy". Dean W. Davis of the Davis Theatre and Avenue Theatre came back to his former location and bought out yet another competitor. The last show was Charles Starrett and Smiley Burnett in “Whirlwind Raiders" and Cathy O’Donnell in “The Feuding Sisters"(aka Bury Me Dead) on December 31, 1950. This time Davis got even smarter by buying the entire building from the Elledge Sisters to ensure that nobody would operate a competing theatre there again.

Late in the 20th Century, the west property housing the theatre was demolished. Not too long after, the Elledge Arcade would receive its listing on the National Register of Historic Places within the Courthouse Square Historic District in 2001.

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