The San Souci Theatre was listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, and it was mentioned in the November 18, 1922 issue of Motion Picture News, but appears to have been closed by 1926, or at least is not listed in the FDY that year.
The Broadway Theatre may have officially become a movie house in 1935, but an 850 seat house called the Italian Club, which must have been this place, was the largest of three indoor theaters listed at Ybor City in the 1926 Film Daily Year Book (the 800-seat Casino and 500-seat Rivoli were the other two. There was also a house called the Airdome, no capacity given.)
The fitness club has moved to another location and the former Isis Theatre building is now occupied by a gift shop called Olive + Jo, itself lately moved from another location on State Street.
The latest mention of the Isis I’ve found in Boxoffice is from the issue of June 18, 1956, which said that the house was being closed for the summer, and patrons would be directed to the Grand Theatre, which would remain open and was under the same management.
I found the Grand Theatre at Preston mentioned in the January 3, 1978 issue of Boxoffice, which gave the name of its manager as Glen Peterborg. Back on February 26, 1956, Boxoffice had run a short item about the renovation of the Grand, which had new paneling and flooring in the lobby and a new concession stand. The Grand and Isis were under the same ownership at the time, and both houses were managed by L.J. “Jim” Ward.
The University of Utah has a photo of the Isis Theatre dated March 2, 1908. This must have been one of the earliest movie theaters to use Egyptian-inspired design.
Do note that the 1932 grand opening ad gives strong indications that this was a re-opening of a renovated theater, including the line “[t]he same courteous treatment that has always been extended to their patrons which has made the house famous all over the state will be continued.” Multiple sources on the Internet say that the Isis was open by 1908.
The Davenport Theatre changed hands in 1912, as noted in the September 7 issue of Moving Picture World: “F. E. Daigneau, of Austin, Minn., father of D. Daigneau, closed a deal recently by which he purchased the fine Davenport motion picture theater at Redwing, Minn. Its seating capacity is 600.”
The September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World noted the recent opening of the Meyers Theatre:
“Charles and William Meyers have just opened their beautiful little moving picture house at 1812-1814 West Chicago Street, Chicago, Ill. It is claimed for the house that it is the most up-to-date show on the northwest side. The woodwork is of stained mahogany, with the seats and piano matching. The proprietors have installed the first 1913 Motiograph machine in Chicago. The employees have separate lockers for their clothing at the rear of the building. The managers are so proud of their house that they invite exhibitors to come and inspect it.”
The September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World had a brief item about F. H. and E. A. Franke, who had just bought the Bell Theatre on Armitage Avenue. The Franke’s then owned five neighborhood houses, and had just signed a contract to build another, of 300 seats, to be located at Grand Avenue and Monticello Avenue. The Rex is the only house we have listed near that location. I wonder if it could have been the Franke’s project?
In 1912 the Clark Theatre was one of five neighborhood houses in Chicago owned and operated by by F. H. And E. A. Franke. The September 7 issue of Moving Picture World said that the pair had just bought the Bell Theatre on Armitage Avenue and also owned the California Theatre on 26th Street. They had just closed a contract to erect a new, 300-seat movie house on Grand and Monticello Avenues, slated to open around November 1. I’ve been unable to discover if that project was completed, but the nearest house we have listed to that location is the New Rex, opened in 1913 as the Lawndale Theatre.
and E. A. Franke’s California Theatre was mentioned in the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World, which noted that the house had recently been redecorated and was thriving.
This item from the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World mentions the Bell Theatre and its new owners:
“F. H. and E. A. Franke, took over the Bell Theater, Armitage and Albany Avenues, this city, August 1. The Bell seats 530 people. This is the fifth vaudeville house which the Messrs. Franke have turned into successful straight picture houses. They have no doubt that the Bell will be a winner in a short time, like the four others. All the houses now controlled by them were considered ‘lemons’ at the time they purchased them. The California, one of their houses, has just been redecorated and business is excellent. The Clark, another of their houses, is also doing fine business. These enterprising proprietors and managers have just closed a contract for the erection of a new picture theater on Grand and Monticello Avenues. The new house will seat 300 people, and will be completed about November 1st. It will be one of the best appointed of its size in Chicago.”
This item from the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World notes a new owner for the Starland Theatre, but the new owner’s timing would prove to have been quite unfortunate:
“Announcement that the Globe Amusement Company has acquired another motion picture theater, making six in all, was made this week. The new house is the Starland Theater, located on the $1,000,000 Frazer pier at Ocean Park. It is one of the finest motion picture houses in California. J. M. Boland, former owner of the house, is to be retained as resident manager. The Globe Amusement Company is planning to build or acquire and to operate, 15 houses in and around Los Angeles. No. 1 is at Fifth and Los Angeles Streets, No. 2 at Central Avenue and Jefferson Street, No. 3 at Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park road, No. 4 at 18th and Main Streets and No. 5 at Sixth and Palos Verdes Street. All except the last named, which is in San Pedro, are in Los Angeles proper.”
The item was somewhat belated, as the site of the Starland Theatre, Fraser’s Million Dollar Pier, which had officially opened on the weekend of June 17, 1911, was destroyed by a fire on September 3, 1912, four days before the article was published. The adjacent business area of five square blocks was also consumed by the flames.
Here is an item about the Mozart Theatre from the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World:
“The new Mozart Theater, owned by Mrs. Anna Mozart and operated entirely by women, is turning out better than anyone expected. Although the theater is located on the outskirts of the shopping district and on a by-street the house has enjoyed excellent business ever since it opened its doors. The policy is to provide good music and good pictures and it has been living up to this policy. The first week the feature was ‘St. George and the Dragon.’ Last week ‘The Crusaders’ was the principal subject. This week ‘The Raven’ is the bill, and ‘Robin Hood’ is scheduled for next week. In addition to the feature two or three other reels—educational, travel, scenic or industrial—are run each week.”
Now we’ve got three versions of the architect’s name, two of which must be wrong. Our page for the Enzor has it as Edward Okel, which I’m sure is right. Googling Edward Oakley brings up mostly references to an early 19th Century British architect, and Edward Olek doesn’t bring up any architects at all. Googling Edward Okel brings quite a few period references from reliable sources. Okel designed at least two other houses for Jake Wells' Bijou Amusement Co., in Atlanta and Mobile, in 1908, so it’s not surprising that he’d have designed the Knoxville house too.
Boxoffice of August 28, 1948 said that the Mills Theatre had served as Tama’s movie house since the destruction of the Iuka Theatre by a fire in December, 1944.
Multiple sources indicate that Soleman’s Opera House was opened in the early 1880s by Henry Soleman, the town’s first druggist. He managed the theater for over 25 years. The house was listed in earl 20th century Cahn guides as a 500-seat ground floor theater.
The Mills Theatre was operating as a movie house by 1925, when the September 12 issue of Exhibitors Trade Review noted that two theater operators from Osceola had recently “…purchased two movie houses at Tama, Iowa, the Ideal [sic] Hour and the Mills.”
The Idle Hour was the only theater listed at Tama in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory.
The Idle Hour was the only theater listed at Tama in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. The December 27, 1913 issue of Moving Picture World mentioned a house in Tama called the Star Theatre which had opened the previous April, so the Idle Hour had competition at that time. An item in the February 1, 1910 issue of The Nickelodeon said that a John Hedrick planned to open a moving picture theater at Tama. That could have been the origin of the Idle Hour.
The Iuka Theatre was destroyed by a fire in December, 1944. Boxoffice of August 28, 1948 reported that the ruins of the building had not yet been removed. Movies had been shown at the Mills Theatre since the fire.
In the 1920s and into the early 1930s Bolivar had a theater called the Opera House. After vanishing in the later 1930s and early 140s, the Opera House reappeared, last being listed in the 1946 FDY, with 350 seats. The Carol Theatre first appears in the 1947 edition.
The photo of the theater building shows a streamline/deco front with brickwork and glass blocks characteristic of the 1930s. If the place was not opened until 1947, that design was remarkably retardataire. It might be that the building originally housed some other business and was converted into a theater in the 1940s.
A web site chronicling long run movie engagements in the US lists a five week run of the original “Star Wars” at the Carroll [sic] Theatre in Bolivar beginning on August 24, 1977.
The July 7, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World had this news about the Cameo Theatre:
“The rebuilding and enlarging of the old Frolic Theatre on Market street, San Francisco, will be commenced at an early date and plans have been made for reopening the house on August 15. It will be known as the Cameo Theatre in its new form and will be virtually a new house.”
An item in the August 18th issue of the same journal suggests that the project might have been behind schedule, saying that “William Clutts, general manager of theatres for Universal, is in San Francisco supervising construction work on the new Cameo Theatre.”
Jim_C: I think the information got lost from the description at some point, as we’ve known for many years (since 2004, in fact) that the Arrow Theater dated to the 1920s. The notice that construction contracts had been let was published in October, 1924. The 1940 date is for a reopening under the new name Azteca Theatre. I don’t think we’ve ever discovered the original opening date, but it must have been either late 1924 or early 1925. The Arrow’s first appearance in the city directory was in the 1926 edition, so early 1925 is the most likely opening.
The Delta Theatre was taken over by Hal J. Lyon in 1946, according to an article about Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of Boxoffice. Lyon took over the Elco Theatre at the same time, bringing his circuit, based in Franklin, Virginia, to six houses.
The Elco Theatre was taken over by Hal J. Lyon in 1946, according to an article about Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of Boxoffice. Lyon took over the Delta Theatre at the same time, bringing his circuit, based in Franklin, Virginia, to six houses.
Motion Picture Daily of January 19, 1945 reported that the Pix Theatre Company had opened its new High Theatre in Portsmouth, Virginia, giving the small circuit six houses. Two more were planned.
An article about theater owner Hal J. Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of <em<Boxoffice said that he opened the Lyon Theatre in Waverly on August 9, 1940. It was the fourth house in his small circuit, which began with the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, which he took over in 1929. It expanded with the Boykins Theatre at Boykins in 1935 and Lyon’s State Theatre at Franklin in 1937.
The San Souci Theatre was listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, and it was mentioned in the November 18, 1922 issue of Motion Picture News, but appears to have been closed by 1926, or at least is not listed in the FDY that year.
The Broadway Theatre may have officially become a movie house in 1935, but an 850 seat house called the Italian Club, which must have been this place, was the largest of three indoor theaters listed at Ybor City in the 1926 Film Daily Year Book (the 800-seat Casino and 500-seat Rivoli were the other two. There was also a house called the Airdome, no capacity given.)
The fitness club has moved to another location and the former Isis Theatre building is now occupied by a gift shop called Olive + Jo, itself lately moved from another location on State Street.
The latest mention of the Isis I’ve found in Boxoffice is from the issue of June 18, 1956, which said that the house was being closed for the summer, and patrons would be directed to the Grand Theatre, which would remain open and was under the same management.
I found the Grand Theatre at Preston mentioned in the January 3, 1978 issue of Boxoffice, which gave the name of its manager as Glen Peterborg. Back on February 26, 1956, Boxoffice had run a short item about the renovation of the Grand, which had new paneling and flooring in the lobby and a new concession stand. The Grand and Isis were under the same ownership at the time, and both houses were managed by L.J. “Jim” Ward.
The University of Utah has a photo of the Isis Theatre dated March 2, 1908. This must have been one of the earliest movie theaters to use Egyptian-inspired design.
Do note that the 1932 grand opening ad gives strong indications that this was a re-opening of a renovated theater, including the line “[t]he same courteous treatment that has always been extended to their patrons which has made the house famous all over the state will be continued.” Multiple sources on the Internet say that the Isis was open by 1908.
The Davenport Theatre changed hands in 1912, as noted in the September 7 issue of Moving Picture World: “F. E. Daigneau, of Austin, Minn., father of D. Daigneau, closed a deal recently by which he purchased the fine Davenport motion picture theater at Redwing, Minn. Its seating capacity is 600.”
The September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World noted the recent opening of the Meyers Theatre:
The September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World had a brief item about F. H. and E. A. Franke, who had just bought the Bell Theatre on Armitage Avenue. The Franke’s then owned five neighborhood houses, and had just signed a contract to build another, of 300 seats, to be located at Grand Avenue and Monticello Avenue. The Rex is the only house we have listed near that location. I wonder if it could have been the Franke’s project?
In 1912 the Clark Theatre was one of five neighborhood houses in Chicago owned and operated by by F. H. And E. A. Franke. The September 7 issue of Moving Picture World said that the pair had just bought the Bell Theatre on Armitage Avenue and also owned the California Theatre on 26th Street. They had just closed a contract to erect a new, 300-seat movie house on Grand and Monticello Avenues, slated to open around November 1. I’ve been unable to discover if that project was completed, but the nearest house we have listed to that location is the New Rex, opened in 1913 as the Lawndale Theatre.
I don’t know why my previous comment isn’t rendering properly, but the names of the California’s owners in 1912 were F. H. and E. A. Franke.
This item from the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World mentions the Bell Theatre and its new owners:
This item from the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World notes a new owner for the Starland Theatre, but the new owner’s timing would prove to have been quite unfortunate:
The item was somewhat belated, as the site of the Starland Theatre, Fraser’s Million Dollar Pier, which had officially opened on the weekend of June 17, 1911, was destroyed by a fire on September 3, 1912, four days before the article was published. The adjacent business area of five square blocks was also consumed by the flames.Here is an item about the Mozart Theatre from the September 7, 1912 issue of Moving Picture World:
Now we’ve got three versions of the architect’s name, two of which must be wrong. Our page for the Enzor has it as Edward Okel, which I’m sure is right. Googling Edward Oakley brings up mostly references to an early 19th Century British architect, and Edward Olek doesn’t bring up any architects at all. Googling Edward Okel brings quite a few period references from reliable sources. Okel designed at least two other houses for Jake Wells' Bijou Amusement Co., in Atlanta and Mobile, in 1908, so it’s not surprising that he’d have designed the Knoxville house too.
Boxoffice of August 28, 1948 said that the Mills Theatre had served as Tama’s movie house since the destruction of the Iuka Theatre by a fire in December, 1944.
Multiple sources indicate that Soleman’s Opera House was opened in the early 1880s by Henry Soleman, the town’s first druggist. He managed the theater for over 25 years. The house was listed in earl 20th century Cahn guides as a 500-seat ground floor theater.
The Mills Theatre was operating as a movie house by 1925, when the September 12 issue of Exhibitors Trade Review noted that two theater operators from Osceola had recently “…purchased two movie houses at Tama, Iowa, the Ideal [sic] Hour and the Mills.”
The Idle Hour was the only theater listed at Tama in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory.
The Idle Hour was the only theater listed at Tama in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. The December 27, 1913 issue of Moving Picture World mentioned a house in Tama called the Star Theatre which had opened the previous April, so the Idle Hour had competition at that time. An item in the February 1, 1910 issue of The Nickelodeon said that a John Hedrick planned to open a moving picture theater at Tama. That could have been the origin of the Idle Hour.
The Iuka Theatre was destroyed by a fire in December, 1944. Boxoffice of August 28, 1948 reported that the ruins of the building had not yet been removed. Movies had been shown at the Mills Theatre since the fire.
In the 1920s and into the early 1930s Bolivar had a theater called the Opera House. After vanishing in the later 1930s and early 140s, the Opera House reappeared, last being listed in the 1946 FDY, with 350 seats. The Carol Theatre first appears in the 1947 edition.
The photo of the theater building shows a streamline/deco front with brickwork and glass blocks characteristic of the 1930s. If the place was not opened until 1947, that design was remarkably retardataire. It might be that the building originally housed some other business and was converted into a theater in the 1940s.
A web site chronicling long run movie engagements in the US lists a five week run of the original “Star Wars” at the Carroll [sic] Theatre in Bolivar beginning on August 24, 1977.
The July 7, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World had this news about the Cameo Theatre:
An item in the August 18th issue of the same journal suggests that the project might have been behind schedule, saying that “William Clutts, general manager of theatres for Universal, is in San Francisco supervising construction work on the new Cameo Theatre.”Jim_C: I think the information got lost from the description at some point, as we’ve known for many years (since 2004, in fact) that the Arrow Theater dated to the 1920s. The notice that construction contracts had been let was published in October, 1924. The 1940 date is for a reopening under the new name Azteca Theatre. I don’t think we’ve ever discovered the original opening date, but it must have been either late 1924 or early 1925. The Arrow’s first appearance in the city directory was in the 1926 edition, so early 1925 is the most likely opening.
The Delta Theatre was taken over by Hal J. Lyon in 1946, according to an article about Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of Boxoffice. Lyon took over the Elco Theatre at the same time, bringing his circuit, based in Franklin, Virginia, to six houses.
The Elco Theatre was taken over by Hal J. Lyon in 1946, according to an article about Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of Boxoffice. Lyon took over the Delta Theatre at the same time, bringing his circuit, based in Franklin, Virginia, to six houses.
Motion Picture Daily of January 19, 1945 reported that the Pix Theatre Company had opened its new High Theatre in Portsmouth, Virginia, giving the small circuit six houses. Two more were planned.
An article about theater owner Hal J. Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of <em<Boxoffice said that he opened the Lyon Theatre in Waverly on August 9, 1940. It was the fourth house in his small circuit, which began with the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, which he took over in 1929. It expanded with the Boykins Theatre at Boykins in 1935 and Lyon’s State Theatre at Franklin in 1937.