Empress Theatre

Opened in the silent era of cinema as the Majestic Theatre in 1913. It operated until 1940 when it was replaced by the Norka Theatre. The buildings have been joined together as a single retail building as of 1975.

Movies had been shown sporadically by traveling exhibitors in the late 19th-Century built Akron Opera House beginning in 1907. M.M. Moore of Mason City, Iowa converted the retail Baker Block housing the H. Rohrer clothing store into the Majestic Theatre on a five year lease. (Rohrer moved to new digs.) The Majestic had an outer box office and breezeway into the 200-seat auditorium. Moore assured locals that only films approved by the National Board of Censorship would be presented. It opened May 17, 1913.

After the five year lease expired, the Majestic Theatre got new operators. They gave the interior a major refresh including the removal of the stage to increase to 260-seats. That also included a name change to the Empress Theatre with all new Motiograph projection. The venue was converted to sound to remain commercially viable in 1929 and seating count reached 290 in that refresh to sound.

Melvin V. and Ida Smith took over the Empress Theatre 1936. Economic times improved. The Smiths announced a new theatre in September of 1940 and would displace W.W. Burrill & Sons men’s and boys' clothing store. The final film played at the Empress Theatre was on November 21, 1940 with James Stewart in “No Time for Comedy.” The Motiograph projection was moved next door for the November 23, 1940 launch of the new Norka Theatre. (It has its own entry on Cinema Treasures).

The former Empress / Majestic Theatre was returned to retail removing the entry and box office. Home to McPherson’s Variety, Vivian and Dan McPherson would then expand into the closed Norka Theatre in 1975 ending the movie theater run in the 233-239 Reed locations after 62 years. Well above average for a town with - at that time fewer than 1,500 residents. McPherson’s Variety exited downtown in 1983 but the building was still in use in the 2020’s.

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