Esquire Theatre
211 E. 12th Street,
Kansas City,
MO
64106
211 E. 12th Street,
Kansas City,
MO
64106
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 33 comments
This address was home to two 12th Street Theatres. The original 650-seat venue launched on April 22, 1911 at a cost of $30,000. It went out of business a year later but reopened to much greater success with new management. So popular was the 12th Street Theater that Richards & Flynn decided to construct a larger theater on the same spot at the same time that Pantages was building a vaudeville house nearby. A final October 5, 1919 show at the 12th Street was followed by a salvage sale the next day and the building was razed two weeks late.
Richards & Flynn hired Edgar P. Madorie providing architectural drawings for the New 12th Street Theatre. During the construction phase, Frank L. Newman took on the project. It opened with the unwieldy name of Frank L. Newman’s New 12th Street Theatre on June 20, 1920 with Anita Stewart in “The Yellow Typhoon.” The name would become the 12th Street Theater.
In 1932, the theater briefly took on the name of the Wonderland - a theatre that was located in the Rookery Building from 1912 to 1925 a block away - but reverted quickly to the 12th Street Theater until changing its name to the Downtown Theatre. That was a sub-run operation playing deep discount double features continuously. Fox Midwest took on the venue and the neighboring Tower Theatre. On August 18, 1938, it rebranded the Downown as the Esquire Theatre with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”
Fox closed the venue on January 8, 1955 as television and suburban houses with free parking took their toll on business. When Fox installed Todd-AO at the Tower in 1956, it reopened the Esquire in September of 1956. The venue bowed out as a grindhouse under the moniker of the New Esquire Theatre on January 28, 1960 with continuous showings of a triple feature with Brigitte Bardot in “… and God Created Woman,” Jane Russell in “The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown,” and Dean Martin in “Ten Thousand Bedrooms.”
The New 12th Street and Pantages (turned Tower) theatres came in to downtown Kansas City together both built in 1920 and they would both exit together 40 years later in 1960. Cleveland Wrecking Company razed both buildings in the summer of 1960 after salvage sales.
This reopened as the Downtown on May 6th, 1934 and as Esquire on August 18th, 1938 and closed in 1960. 1934 and 1938 grand opening ads in the photo section.
JAlex. I quite agree. Thanks for the info.
“Inferno” was also shown in 3-D at the Ambassador Theatre in St. Louis that August. Somebody at TCM needs to do better research.
Mike G. I have a good one for you. Last Friday, I was watching TCM and the were running a 1953 movie from 20th Century Fox, Named “Inferno”, staring Robert Ryan, Rhonda Fleming and William Lundigan. The host, Ben Mankowitz, says that although the film was shot in 3D, it was only shown in 3D in L. A. New York, Chicago and London. I was nuts about 3D movies, especially color ones, and made a trip down to the Esquire to see 1st run, because it was advertised in 3D. I’m 99% sure if it hadn’t be 3D, I would have been agitated to say the least. Mankowitz also said most theaters weren’t equipped to show 3D. I’m sure most of the Fox theaters were because when I worked at the Plaza in 1955, they still had their 3D equipment in a storage room in the projection booth. What do you recall?
Afternoons or in the evenings after 8:00 pm. Enjoy the restoration of the Orpheum, Loew’s State (Palace) the Joy and the Saenger Theaterss (and a few others). I think the Joy is now a night club but at least it was saved. The Orpheum is similar to our Orpheum that was demolished in 1961.
By the way. I live in New Orleans, now. So be looking for a 504 area code.
Don H.
Mike. I’ll do that, I promise. When is the best time to call?
the Capri was a Durwood Theater near 11th and Broadway and then became the Lyric for many years of performances by the Lyric Opera and the Kansas City Ballet. I really thought that UMKC would take it over. It is a very good theater originally built as a Shriner’s Temple. KMBC TV had their studio in the basement. I hope it can be saved. I did not work at the Plaza but that was a 2nd Cousin of mine that did. If it would have still been owned by the J.C.Nichols Co. it would have never been destroyed -it would have been a great live performance Theater and could could have been easily renovated. I used to go to all the WHB Saturday morning Shows and always sat in the balcony. I saw Goldfinger there. Loved that theater too. Feel free to call me sometime and let’s talk old KC Theaters. 8168133664
Mike. Where was the Capri Theatre you mention? I think I’ve heard of it, but I don’t find in KC listings here.
Don H.
Mike. Did you ever work at the Plaza? The was a man with your last name there. He was an assistant mgr. But he left before I got there. I have heard his name mentioned. But I don’t know his first name.
Don H.
Maybe South Pacific was moved over to the Capri when the Tower finally closed its doors because my family did go to the Capri. There was one more long engagement movie at the Capri before BenHur. BenHur was the longest running movie ever in any KC Theater. I will never forget seeing it there and could not believe how wide the screen was and that beautiful sound. Sadly, my Dad took me to the Auction when the contents were being sold in preparation for the demolition of the Tower and Esquire Theater. All the beautiful Italian Marble on the walls of the long entry way just destroyed with no attempt to salvage it. The screen had already been removed and half of the seats were gone. We walked up to the projection booth and also just looked at the beauty of the theater especially the ceiling and the stage that was going to be gone in a short time. It was a sad time for KC especially because the Orpheum was meeting the same fate just a few months later.
Mike. You were talking about the sound system at the Plaza. I recall working there in 1956, when the film “Forbidden Planet” was playing. Back then, new shows started on Wednesdays and closed the following Tuesday.Well “Forbidden Planet” had one of the most stunning 4 track stereo soundtracks I’ve ever heard. On the Wednesday night show, it would knock your socks off. On Thursday, not so much. A lowly usher wouldn’t dream of going up to the projection booth to complain. So, I told my boss, the assistant mgr. He listens and says. “sounds OK to me”. So, I jumped about on Friday and he said the same think. On Saturday, he finally gave in and went up to the projection booth. The projectionist went to a relay rack, open the door and looked inside. He says, “Don’s right. there are 2 amps out. Will call RCA service co and get them out here Monday”. Monday night and Tuesday the movie sounded AWESOME again.
Don H.
South Pacific did indeed play at the Tower in ToddAO. The mgr at the time was Roy Hill, I think it probably ray for about a year or so. I know I saw “South Pacific” at the Tower when I was still working at the Plaza. It took me quite a while to get a pass to see it, even on a matinees. KCBE, the Disney movies you saw at the Esquire, may have been because the Esquire was in the FOX Midwest 1st run unit, with Uptown, Fairway and later, the Granada. If for some reason the Tower wasn’t running in the unit, the Esquire would be open and in the 1st run Fox unit. Disney movies always played 1st run at Fox. And they were Golden. Always a sell out on weekend matinees, especially. I can remember working at the Fairway, having the theatre sold out, and a double line from the box office, all the way to the back of the theatre in the parking lot and back out to the street. Those were the days.
Don H.
I just remembered that the Todd-A-O screen at the Tower was set up for the very long run of Oklahoma which ran for more than a year. The next movie was Around the World in 80 Days but was later transferred up the the RKO Missouri (Mainstreet, Cinerama and later Empire.I think either Around the World in 80 Day or Suddenly Last Summer was the last film to play the RKO Missouri before it was changed to 3 projection Cinerama. At that time the first ¼ of the balcony was removed in addition to the side lodges in front of the organ pipe grills. That was all covered by drapes.
To WTKFLHN – The large slightly curved Todd-A-O screen either went to the Brookside or the Plaza Theater. I am thinking the Brookside. The Wide Screen at the Orpheum was large but still smaller than the Tower’s huge screen. I do not remember South Pacific ever showing at the Tower, I thought that it was the the very first move shown at The Capri Theater. I may be Wrong. I was once told that the Orpheum Screen may have gone to the Capri instead of the Plaza. The screen at the Plaza was actually a curved Todd-A-O Screen but may have been brand new when it was mounted in front of the stage with light orange stage drapes. The Plaza was the 1st theater with any kind of surround sound ( it was actually a 2 channel stereo but sounded fantastic anyway ). The Esquire had no stage left – it was removed when the Pantages was built. I do not remember it having any stage curtain when I saw some Disney movies there in the 50s.
Not that it matters much at this late date, but the Esquire didn’t get very good movies to show on that last 4 week run before we finally closed. “The Wreck of The Mary Deere”, for example. (Really ?) Also we had a hefty union payroll. For the life of me, I can’t figure why they needed a full time stage hand. There wasn’t any stage at the Esquire, No curtain, no movable masking. If we had been allowed to operate that theatre like they do today, I think we would have been there a lot longer that 4 weeks.
Don H.
By the way, not that matters that much today. But the Esquire was not at the corner of 12th and Grand, but was in the middle of the block. That picture above shows the alley in the middle of the block on 12th st between Grand and McGee. The address at the top of the page, 211 e 12st is correct. The Tower had exits which came out in that alley on the west side of the auditorium, and on McGee st on the east side.
To KCB3Player. Yes, indeed, I was working at the Esquire during that last short run. And, if memory serves me, the Esquire was owned by Elmer Rhoden, who did also own the Waldo. I can remember that after we spreed mothballs on the wool carpet runners in both aisles, the mezzanine, the lobby and the balcony we loaded all the concession supplies into our cars, and took them out to the Waldo. The manager their took them and invited us to stay and watch the show. They were playing “Lil' Abner”, which I hadn’t seen before. Under the stage in the Esquire, there was a connecting door, which came up in the engine room in the Tower. I went in there once, when it was closed up at the time. I can remember the managers office was upstairs and the mezzanine above that long lobby the Tower was famous for. I never went backstage though, and I can’t remember for the life on me, whether there was still that big Todd-AO screen that they had put in the for ‘South Pacific".
Don H
To WTKFLHN – you must have been with the theater when the owner of the Waldo also opened the Esquire. Yes, it was only opened for a short time and had vry little business. Before it closed before it was mainly the Disney Theater in town (for some reason). I remember seeing quite a few Disney movies there. I remember going in both theaters with my Dad (he was the main singer at the Tower). I can tell you that the stage of the Esquire was built into the Tower Auditorum far right end and was actually changed into the main manager office sometime in the 40s. The Esquire was actually built before the Tower (Pantages) was built. There was a shop built on the site of the beautiful long lobby of the Tower. That lobby was full of beautiful marble, I can r recall seeing various stages of the demolition – very sad.. I am pretty sure it was originally calls The 12th Street and it was a live performance facility but the large performing arts stage did not survive when the Tower was built and that was where offices were. The Tower had an orchestra pit and a lot of dressing rooms built on each side of the stage. It was a large stage but not as large as the Main Street. Both theaters were in very nice condition when they were demolished, especially the Tower with the entire auditorium repained and the orchestra seats broght over from the Orpheum Theater (now that was a very sad loss and I fear that St. Louis is gong to loose their Orpheum ( a twin of ours) very soon.
I was assistant manager at the Esquire when it closed for the last time. I have been backstage at the Esquire. The stage was very small and that I know of, there weren’t any dressing rooms. So, I too would think that the Esquire was strictly a movie house. I know that back in its heyday, it was used as an overflow house tor Tower/Pantages. We had a pretty short run that last time. We opened and closed in just 4 weeks. I was given to understand that the ground that the theatres stood on was divided up like this. The long lobby of the Tower and most of the Esquire belonged to one owner. This excluded the stage area of the Esquire. The stage of the Esquire and the rest of the Tower belonged to another owner. There was no for one theatre to stay if the other was being demolished. Sad.
Copying and pasting Robb’s links doesn’t work for me. This might be one of the photos, if this link works.
Here is a link to the UM digital library image search page. Searching with Esquire in one box and theatre (-re spelling) in the other will fetch 22 images of the Esquire.
Image of Esquire Theater front facade.
http://digital.library.umsystem.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?sid=738293e1c6fb79905fb58dcaf947adc1;med=1;q1=umkcredic;rgn1=umkcredic_all;size=20;c=umkcredic;lasttype=boolean;view=entry;lastview=thumbnail;subview=detail;cc=umkcredic;entryid=x-015.tif;viewid=015.TIF;start=1;resnum=15
Image of the Esquire Theater.
http://digital.library.umsystem.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?sid=738293e1c6fb79905fb58dcaf947adc1;med=1;q1=umkcredic;rgn1=umkcredic_all;size=20;c=umkcredic;lasttype=boolean;view=entry;lastview=thumbnail;subview=detail;cc=umkcredic;entryid=x-010.tif;viewid=010.TIF;start=1;resnum=10
To all the Kansas City theater lovers – wouldn’t it be wonderful if we still had the Orpheum, Tower, Paramount, Roxy, Empress, and Palace Thesters, not to forget some of our wonderful neighborhood theaters. I am still looking for a picture of the Aladdin Theater on Truman Road and Belmont when it was in operation. I am told that there are a lot of theater pictures at the UMKC Library, but I have never been there. Also would like the National Theater on Independence Ave.
Several years ago, someone posted pic of the Tower, Esquire and Orpheum Theater all being demolished withine 6 months apart in 1961. They