Audubon Theatre

In the period prior to and during the prohibition era, Audubon - once a recognized township unto itself - was where the gambling, bawdy houses, and other assorted alternative lifestyle activity took place in Henderson. In that mix was the Novelty Theater. Mrs. J.L. Horton became the city’s first female movie theater operator when she opened the Novelty Theatre on March 22, 1913. Horton also played the piano and operated her confectionery next door which served as the Novelty’s de facto concession stand.

The venue was Henderson’s first neighborhood movie house. All reports of the period indicate that the theater was at the corner of Clay and Letcher, likely where the contemporary T&T Drug Store Building is. The Novelty played short films mostly from Mutual Studios using a single Powers No. 5 projector and programming live, illustrated songs between the films so that the films could be rewound and the next film threaded. Henry P. Vogel took over the operation on May 9, 1914.

Vogel updated the venue including two Simplex projectors to play multi-reel film titles and provided a sloping floor for an improved sightlines. The Audubon line of the Henderson Traction Company’s streetcar system helped folks from all over town reach the East Side neighborhood for a day or evening of fun. Dade Park had opened nearby in 1922 and the Dade Park Ferry brought folks from Indiana’s Union Township which undoubtedly drew adventurous sorts from Evansville, Indiana, to Audubon / the East Side.

The maps of the day correctly show the Audubon Theater at 118 Letcher and it was housed in a converted horse stable dating back prior to the advent of automobiles. Contemporary research suggests that the Novelty was renamed as the Audubon Theatre with both operating at 130 Letcher. It’s possible that the map and the newspaper reports of the day are inaccurate. It’s more likely that the Audubon was always at 118 Letcher and had nothing in common with The Novelty which was at Clay Street and Letcher Street. Either way, it’s fairly immaterial as the Audubon Theater’s side of the business district has been completely eliminated with both the 118 and the 130 buildings demolished.

The Audubon Theatre specialized in racier, exploitation films befitting its neighborhood. “The Red Kimono", “The Road to Ruin", “Damaged Goods” and even “Better Born” were played, likely on four-wall lease outs. Ownership changes were constant. EE Culley took on the Audubon in 1927. Before him was B.T. Curry. Before him was Edward Preston Mitchell of Mitchell & Martin. Before them… well… you get the idea. Reports from Mitchell’s wife suggested that silent film captions were often read aloud by audience neighbors to neighboring members because the Audubon drew a significant portion of patrons who were unable to read. Mitchell & Martin gave away posters to requesting kids who wanted them for their bedroom walls.

But by 1930, the Audubon’s fortunes had changed significantly. The streetcar system that brought folks easily to the theater went bankrupt. The Dade Ferry stopped running to and from Indiana eliminating another group of potential patrons. The Depression caused money to dry up limiting movie attendance. Most importantly, the silent film era was all but over and the cost for independent theater operators to make the transition to talkies was an iffy proposition, especially for a 150-seater like the Audubon.

As for the Audubon neighborhood, its leading bawdy house operator in the area, Sallie Smithhart died in 1930 ending an infamous era. Clearly, it was a new era and there was no returning to the roaring 1920’s. So the Audubon neighborhood would have to redefine itself for a new era and it would do so without a movie theatre as the Audubon closed permanently - without converting to sound - that same year.

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