The Wall Theatre closed February 26, 1936 with a Monogram double-feature of “King Kelly of the U.S.A.” and “Great God Gold.” It did have a religious screening, some agricultural screenings and several free holiday screenings thereafter, however.
The Fremont Drive-In Theatre went out with a bang with July 4, 1988 showings of “Beetlejuice” and “Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach” with a fireworks display between the two shows. Attendance was dwindling due to the popularity of VHS home video and the operator decided to let the 40-year lease lapse.
The Fremont closed June 25, 1975 at end of lease with “What’s Up, Doc?” The theatre had free Christmas screenings and a religious screening before being taken over in 1976 becoming the short-lived Jim Rhodus' Fremont Theatre Restaurant and Lounge. After that failed, it became the Family Fun Center in 1980. The theatre was demolished in February of 1992.
The Vista was announced in February of 1925 at the vacant lot at 2611-2619 Independence last used for a summer carnival. The new Vista opened August 14, 1925 with “The Boomerang” supported by a comedy short and live music of the Sweeney Radio Orchestra. The Spanish architectural plan was drawn by Victor J. DeFoe.
The Roanoke Theater opened January 26, 1913 with “The Little Minister.” After a refresh, it relaunched as the Spillane Theater with Douglas Fairbanks in “Flirting with Fate” and Charlie Chaplin’ in “The Champion” on September 7, 1918. On September 4, 1921, it reverted to the Roanoke moniker. The theater was wired die sound to stay relevant. As Teatro de Tampico, the venue closed with Fernando Fernandez in “Frontera Norte” on May 12, 1955. It then was offered for sale and became a financial agency.
The Summit Theater reopened beginning May 18, 1956 playing Spanish language films by Joseph R. Duran. After closing again, it would become an antique store. In 2006, the theatre was restored and reopened for special events before being converted to condos.
The Empress facts are well documented but sadly not on this site. Just to clear up the key factual errors, the building was not converted to retail or was it demolished in 1956. It began as the primary “A” vaudeville theater in the city with a prestigious 99-year lease. Kinodrome motion picture shorts were featured at the outset with a projection booth from the beginning. But when the Globe opened a year later on August 27, 1911, it would get the “A” vaudeville bookings… but not before Charlie Chaplin wowed crowds with his pantomime act on the Empress stage in week-long runs in December of 1911 and June of 1912.
From there, things get fairly predictable as better theaters are built, the Empress slips rung by rung. Its 99-year prestige lease is renegotiated to fit a more common 30-year leasing cycles with low-priced front-end six-month and one-year financial incentives designed to fill the house quickly at each vacancy. That leasing pattern attracted lesser live plays, third-tier vaudeville and burlesque starting with the upper tier Mutual Burlesque. Then the burlesque became more tawdry with better burlesque moving to better venues. As a burley house, the Empress became a place where arrests and shake downs became common. If nothing else, it got the venue in the newspaper headlines.
True that in 1936, a scheduled 40-week vaudeville run shuttered after just 12 weeks. But things devolved further as the building was then equipped for the first time with sound film gear and became an exploitation film theater with adult-only films. Programmed by Richlynn Amusements, movies began on August 14, 1937 with continuous showings of the silent syphilis film “Damaged Goods” supported by the notorious sound documentary, “Killers of the Sea.” Things devolved further when the flagging theater went full grind house mode adding live African American burley shows in which stage help was recruited with classified ads requiring no previous stage experience (and no union card needed there, obviously). Shows began before noon and ran past midnight.
Union issues and censor board matters hounded the Richlynn’s short existence at the Empress. When the Royal was told not to run the film, “Ecstasy,” the Empress used its biggest ads yet to trumpet the film’s opening in February of 1938. The much needed scrutiny by the city and press did drum up clientele. The lightning rod film, “Baby is Born” was the next major hurdle as the city manager said the Empress could only show the more acceptable, “Birth of a Baby.” Richlynn moved on at the end of a one-year lease in August of 1938 wringing ever last quarter it could from the then-faded location.
The Empress’ reworked 30-year lease was up in 1940 and the building was razed by the Bonded Building Wreckers Inc. after it had a salvage sale. Even the sale seemed tawdry with blue, green and white marble offered cheap, glass beveled doors at ten bucks a throw, and brass railing at 20 cents a foot. The press even followed some pieces such as the theater’s ornate box office to its new location as the Empress still attracted some following. The building was demolished for parking in the Summer of 1940.
Became the Fiesta December 28, 1941 with “Honky Tonk” and “ Hold Back The Dawn” on a twin bill. The Fiesta ended on January 6, 1953, with a triple feature of “Dodge City”, “Beast with Five Fingers” and “Captive Girl.”
This was known to many locals as the Circle Theatre housed in the Circle Theatre Building - the name it had for the majority of its operating years. (When it closed, an article referred to it as the former Circle Theatre.) It did, however, open as the Emerald and close as the Pic.
The Ritz Theatre closed at the end of lease on December 1, 1960 with a triple feature of Kirk Douglas in “Indian Fighter,” “When Comedy Was King,” and Van Johnson in “Enemy General.”
The Mary Lue fulfilled a 20-year lease under two different operators leaving December 9, 1951. But new operators reopened the venue the following weekend on December 15, 1951 as the Comet Theatre with Judy Canova in “Joan of the Ozarks” and Rex Allen in “Redwood Forest Trial.” By May of 1952, it was apparent that television was taking a toll on neighborhood theaters and the Comet disappeared from view.
But in Comet-like fashion, the theatre did reappear after its longer than anticipated vanishing act of 1952. When it re-emerged it now had widescreen projection to accommodate CinemaScope presentations. But it then vanished permanently with a double feature of Joel McCrae in “Wichita” and Tyrone Power in “Untamed” on March 11, 1956. The building then next served as a union meeting hall, a church, and, finally, the Crystal Palace Bar. On November 16, 1984, the tavern building burned down and what little remained was razed just days later.
A September 1966 beautification has the giant Oak Park sign removed from the former theater turned church in a project known as “Scrap Old Signs” and hauled off for free.
The Benton Theater launched September 11, 1913 with what it called “the highest conception in motion pictures” and supported by Professor Pearson’s Orchestra and the Ladies' Apollo Quartet. W.A. Andlauer of the Bonaventure launched the venue which had 917 seats including 60 box seats at opening.
Fox Midwest took on the venue and would convert it to Western Electric sound in 1929.
The circuit closed the Benton on June 10, 1956 following showings of Glenn Ford in “Jubal” in CinemaScope and Barabara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in “There’s Always Tomorrow.” The University of Kansas City studio theatre received the Benton’s seating in February of 1957 ahead of its launch.
The Mann Hopkins Cinema 6 closed on March 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It featured curbside concession sales before announcing its permanent closure on November 19, 2020.
The Woodlin Theatre opened in February of 1912. On June 1, 1912, it got new operators and a new name, the Apollo Theatre. The theatre equipped for sound to stay relevant. Fox Midwest would close the Apollo July 30, 1958 at the end of its lease with “Around the World in 80 Days.”
The Regent Theatre opened as a premiere motion picture house with a Kimball pipe organ, live orchestra and launching March 26th, 1916 with Fannie Ward in “For the Defense.” The Regent would convert to sound to stay current.
But with the impact of television and competition from new theaters, the Regent devolved into second-run double features followed by its final period as a faded, deep discount sub-run grindhouse showing three shows continuously from late morning until after midnight. No showtimes were posted or necessary in the advertising. The Regent closed on May 12, 1964 with Glenn Ford in “Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” Inger Stevens in “The World, Flesh & Devil,” and Glenn Ford in “The Sheepman.”
The theatre was redesigned for Pener’s, a men’s clothing store, by architects Bloomgarten & Frohwerk in 1965. At the end of its 20-year lease, the store moved and the former theatre building was demolished reportedly to make way for the AT&T Pavillion project as parking garage but appears to have been used for the 1201 Walnut Building skyscraper built by HNTB Architects in 1991.
The Capri Theatre closed in June of 1964 for a conversion to Cinerama and re-emerged with “Circus World” on July 1, 1964. The Capri converted back to regular widescreen presentation and ended its movie run when AMC Theatres closed the venue on August 8, 1971 with “Ryan’s Daughter.”
Appears to have ceased operations June 22, 1975 with “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings.”
The theatre closed April 26, 2007 when the building was purchased by a medical center and the lease terminated by agreement.
The Wall Theatre closed February 26, 1936 with a Monogram double-feature of “King Kelly of the U.S.A.” and “Great God Gold.” It did have a religious screening, some agricultural screenings and several free holiday screenings thereafter, however.
The Fremont Drive-In Theatre went out with a bang with July 4, 1988 showings of “Beetlejuice” and “Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach” with a fireworks display between the two shows. Attendance was dwindling due to the popularity of VHS home video and the operator decided to let the 40-year lease lapse.
The Empress Theatre exited with “Freaky Friday” on April 13, 1977.
The Fremont closed June 25, 1975 at end of lease with “What’s Up, Doc?” The theatre had free Christmas screenings and a religious screening before being taken over in 1976 becoming the short-lived Jim Rhodus' Fremont Theatre Restaurant and Lounge. After that failed, it became the Family Fun Center in 1980. The theatre was demolished in February of 1992.
The Vista was announced in February of 1925 at the vacant lot at 2611-2619 Independence last used for a summer carnival. The new Vista opened August 14, 1925 with “The Boomerang” supported by a comedy short and live music of the Sweeney Radio Orchestra. The Spanish architectural plan was drawn by Victor J. DeFoe.
The Roanoke Theater opened January 26, 1913 with “The Little Minister.” After a refresh, it relaunched as the Spillane Theater with Douglas Fairbanks in “Flirting with Fate” and Charlie Chaplin’ in “The Champion” on September 7, 1918. On September 4, 1921, it reverted to the Roanoke moniker. The theater was wired die sound to stay relevant. As Teatro de Tampico, the venue closed with Fernando Fernandez in “Frontera Norte” on May 12, 1955. It then was offered for sale and became a financial agency.
The Summit Theater reopened beginning May 18, 1956 playing Spanish language films by Joseph R. Duran. After closing again, it would become an antique store. In 2006, the theatre was restored and reopened for special events before being converted to condos.
May 8, 1953 grand opening ad in photos
The Empress facts are well documented but sadly not on this site. Just to clear up the key factual errors, the building was not converted to retail or was it demolished in 1956. It began as the primary “A” vaudeville theater in the city with a prestigious 99-year lease. Kinodrome motion picture shorts were featured at the outset with a projection booth from the beginning. But when the Globe opened a year later on August 27, 1911, it would get the “A” vaudeville bookings… but not before Charlie Chaplin wowed crowds with his pantomime act on the Empress stage in week-long runs in December of 1911 and June of 1912.
From there, things get fairly predictable as better theaters are built, the Empress slips rung by rung. Its 99-year prestige lease is renegotiated to fit a more common 30-year leasing cycles with low-priced front-end six-month and one-year financial incentives designed to fill the house quickly at each vacancy. That leasing pattern attracted lesser live plays, third-tier vaudeville and burlesque starting with the upper tier Mutual Burlesque. Then the burlesque became more tawdry with better burlesque moving to better venues. As a burley house, the Empress became a place where arrests and shake downs became common. If nothing else, it got the venue in the newspaper headlines.
True that in 1936, a scheduled 40-week vaudeville run shuttered after just 12 weeks. But things devolved further as the building was then equipped for the first time with sound film gear and became an exploitation film theater with adult-only films. Programmed by Richlynn Amusements, movies began on August 14, 1937 with continuous showings of the silent syphilis film “Damaged Goods” supported by the notorious sound documentary, “Killers of the Sea.” Things devolved further when the flagging theater went full grind house mode adding live African American burley shows in which stage help was recruited with classified ads requiring no previous stage experience (and no union card needed there, obviously). Shows began before noon and ran past midnight.
Union issues and censor board matters hounded the Richlynn’s short existence at the Empress. When the Royal was told not to run the film, “Ecstasy,” the Empress used its biggest ads yet to trumpet the film’s opening in February of 1938. The much needed scrutiny by the city and press did drum up clientele. The lightning rod film, “Baby is Born” was the next major hurdle as the city manager said the Empress could only show the more acceptable, “Birth of a Baby.” Richlynn moved on at the end of a one-year lease in August of 1938 wringing ever last quarter it could from the then-faded location.
The Empress’ reworked 30-year lease was up in 1940 and the building was razed by the Bonded Building Wreckers Inc. after it had a salvage sale. Even the sale seemed tawdry with blue, green and white marble offered cheap, glass beveled doors at ten bucks a throw, and brass railing at 20 cents a foot. The press even followed some pieces such as the theater’s ornate box office to its new location as the Empress still attracted some following. The building was demolished for parking in the Summer of 1940.
Became the Fiesta December 28, 1941 with “Honky Tonk” and “ Hold Back The Dawn” on a twin bill. The Fiesta ended on January 6, 1953, with a triple feature of “Dodge City”, “Beast with Five Fingers” and “Captive Girl.”
The Giles closed at end of lease in November 30, 1958 with Susan Hayward in “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” and Martin and Lewis’ “Jumping Jacks.”
This was known to many locals as the Circle Theatre housed in the Circle Theatre Building - the name it had for the majority of its operating years. (When it closed, an article referred to it as the former Circle Theatre.) It did, however, open as the Emerald and close as the Pic.
The Ritz Theatre closed at the end of lease on December 1, 1960 with a triple feature of Kirk Douglas in “Indian Fighter,” “When Comedy Was King,” and Van Johnson in “Enemy General.”
The Mary Lue fulfilled a 20-year lease under two different operators leaving December 9, 1951. But new operators reopened the venue the following weekend on December 15, 1951 as the Comet Theatre with Judy Canova in “Joan of the Ozarks” and Rex Allen in “Redwood Forest Trial.” By May of 1952, it was apparent that television was taking a toll on neighborhood theaters and the Comet disappeared from view.
But in Comet-like fashion, the theatre did reappear after its longer than anticipated vanishing act of 1952. When it re-emerged it now had widescreen projection to accommodate CinemaScope presentations. But it then vanished permanently with a double feature of Joel McCrae in “Wichita” and Tyrone Power in “Untamed” on March 11, 1956. The building then next served as a union meeting hall, a church, and, finally, the Crystal Palace Bar. On November 16, 1984, the tavern building burned down and what little remained was razed just days later.
A September 1966 beautification has the giant Oak Park sign removed from the former theater turned church in a project known as “Scrap Old Signs” and hauled off for free.
The Oak Park ceased operations on May 17, 1959 with “Some Like it Hot” and “La Parisienne.” Just months later, it was operating as a house of worship
This four screen 1,300 venue closed on September 30, 2000. On October 11, 2000, the theater’s contents were then auctioned off.
The Benton Theater launched September 11, 1913 with what it called “the highest conception in motion pictures” and supported by Professor Pearson’s Orchestra and the Ladies' Apollo Quartet. W.A. Andlauer of the Bonaventure launched the venue which had 917 seats including 60 box seats at opening.
Fox Midwest took on the venue and would convert it to Western Electric sound in 1929. The circuit closed the Benton on June 10, 1956 following showings of Glenn Ford in “Jubal” in CinemaScope and Barabara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in “There’s Always Tomorrow.” The University of Kansas City studio theatre received the Benton’s seating in February of 1957 ahead of its launch.
The Mann Hopkins Cinema 6 closed on March 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It featured curbside concession sales before announcing its permanent closure on November 19, 2020.
The Woodlin Theatre opened in February of 1912. On June 1, 1912, it got new operators and a new name, the Apollo Theatre. The theatre equipped for sound to stay relevant. Fox Midwest would close the Apollo July 30, 1958 at the end of its lease with “Around the World in 80 Days.”
The AMC Embassy 2 departed on January 25, 1981 with Bo Derek in “A Change of Seasons” on Screen 1 and Angela Lansbury in “Mirror Crack’d” on Screen 2.
The Regent Theatre opened as a premiere motion picture house with a Kimball pipe organ, live orchestra and launching March 26th, 1916 with Fannie Ward in “For the Defense.” The Regent would convert to sound to stay current.
But with the impact of television and competition from new theaters, the Regent devolved into second-run double features followed by its final period as a faded, deep discount sub-run grindhouse showing three shows continuously from late morning until after midnight. No showtimes were posted or necessary in the advertising. The Regent closed on May 12, 1964 with Glenn Ford in “Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” Inger Stevens in “The World, Flesh & Devil,” and Glenn Ford in “The Sheepman.”
The theatre was redesigned for Pener’s, a men’s clothing store, by architects Bloomgarten & Frohwerk in 1965. At the end of its 20-year lease, the store moved and the former theatre building was demolished reportedly to make way for the AT&T Pavillion project as parking garage but appears to have been used for the 1201 Walnut Building skyscraper built by HNTB Architects in 1991.
The Capri Theatre closed in June of 1964 for a conversion to Cinerama and re-emerged with “Circus World” on July 1, 1964. The Capri converted back to regular widescreen presentation and ended its movie run when AMC Theatres closed the venue on August 8, 1971 with “Ryan’s Daughter.”