Much thanks to slussr. The Janet Theatre now has a photo. As Rich Slusser indicated, its location was in Jennings, north St. Louis County, Missouri.
Other theaters nearby were the Rio, (demolished), the Baden, still there but unrecognizable and if you took the bus, there was the Tower(demolished) and the Bremen (still there) theaters near Grand and West Florissant. The Studio Theater in Pine Lawn and the Wellston and Victory theaters in Wellston. Again, thanks for the memories.
I read your post from 2005.
I had just realized that the “airdome” (air-drome -an airfield equipped with control tower and hangars as well as accommodations for passengers and cargo) you described is the same as my post regarding an outdoor movie feature.
Sorry, for not acknowledging as I had looked it up.
Hi everyone.
The above image of the former Victory Theatre certainly seen better days.
I used to see movies at the Victory and at the other theatre (the Wellston) located at the other end of the block(s) on the south-side of (Easton)where MLK and Keinlen Av intersect.
The Wellston is long gone.
Wellston is dead, devoid of any economic activity.
The Wellston Bus Loop was quite a hub when I was kid in the
50s and 60s. If you went north toward Pine lawn, you could see a movie at the tiny Studio Theatre.
I am not sure that the Victory building bears much resemblance or even if it still there. I last saw Wellston in 2006. It would be better if they knocked it all down Any comments about the building as of 2011?
Much thanks for the Mikado image. It is a good-looking theatre. It is hard to believe it is the same theatre building. Patrick
I have copied the image of the Criterion to my Pictures folder.
I must admit that if there was ever a cluster of theatres that confused me, it was this one. The Comet and Criterion, I had actually seen; including the demolished Regal Theatre.
The Roosevelt and the Douglas, I have not and there are a few more that have not been covered as the Beaumont Theatre which I am not sure ever existed as claimed by an African American woman I had met at a meeting at Catholic Charities in 2006 who said she saw movies there.
Does anyone know if there was a Beaumont Theatre? – Patrick
Thank u Chuck1231.
I must admit that I should have known better.
Perhaps looking at the image was confusing for me.
I think by now, the rehab is complete.
I believe the old Bonanza will be a restaurant but I could be wrong. Patrick Genna
Regarding the Janet Theatre, (Jennings), this was my childhood theatre between age 9 and 19 years (1952-1963).
Prior to my family’s move to Jennings, we had always lived in the City near Downtown, the West End, North St. Louis near Easton Av. (Sherman Park) and N. Kings highway.
My father and I lived three blocks from The Janet.
It was a little and pleasant movie house.
It had closed by the time I graduated eight grade
and I had moved away after graduating from the closed Corpus Christi High School.
In 2004, I had visited the Midas theatre building and stood in the what was now the bay for installing exhaust systems. The theatre interior was barely recogizable. I was emotionally disappointed.
Yet I can’t seem to remember if it had a vertical sign or a marquee.
Can anyone help with this?
And thank for the current image of the theatre-turned muffler shop. Does anyone have images of it before its demise?. Please post if you have any images
Regarding the Queens Theatre, it had a unique feature. It had an outdoor theatre on the east side of the building. This was a an open lot with a brick wall at its rear with a painted white screen.
During the summer, the Queens showed movies.
I am not sure why they did this unless it was too hot to sit inside.
My father and I were there many times in the early 1950s sitting on folding chairs and folks try to move them when ushers said no.
In 2006, I stopped at the Queens (church).
The brick wall with its painted screen was still there.
A woman from the church saw me and I said hello. We talked a bit and she told me that they were going to alter the front of the theatre building and add another (annex) building to where the outdoor theatre was.
I guess they never got around to it.
The woman told me that she knew nothing about the history of the theatre or its original name.
What a memory and thanks for the memories. Patrick
Apologies all! I had confused the Criterion with the Comet. It was the Comet that had a gaping hole in the side wall that was easily seen from the street, not the Criterion. My memory of the Comet was that it had a vertical sign that had flashing lights with a (Comet) lights flashing upward.
I don’t think it was neon, but I may be wrong. The 1985 picture is really sad. I can seem to think that this was the same theatre and reminded me a little of the Regal. Patrick.
Chuck1231. Sorry to say this, but I am confused. After seeing the Google image, exactly which of the three buildings is the actual theatre as seen on Google Earth? It is possible that I might have misidentified the Bonanza from the cluster?
When I saw these buildings back in 2006-7, was I wrong about which building was the theatre? Thanks, Patrick
Chuck2131 and JALex:
I used to drive by the Bonanza daily when I worked downtown. I had lived on Lindell near Vandeventer. For a brief time, I would try to figure a way into the building, but not so.
The “building” next door was demolished a long time ago. It had the remnants of some cast-iron structure but I am not sure and I had mistakenly believed the demolished structure was the Bonanza Theatre!
I could NOT find the exit doors of the Bonanza.
I had never seen a movie here.
I am trying to understand how this theatre was around from 1909-1916 (JALex).
Is this theatre that old?
Thanks, Patrick
Chuck2131 and digitalcool, I visited the Bremen Theatre sometime in 2006-7 and wondered when it would demolished.
The building is falling apart.
I had walked around from the rear and located the Exit door. One can see clearly on a sunny day the seats and the screen area, but the rest in shrouded in darkness. The Bremen is located in a very dangerous place and I was fearful to enter the building as I was alone. When I was a kid living in Jennings, I saw movies here and it is hard to believe how this old theatre is going to be re-habbed. Nearby is the crumbling Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Patrick
The Criterion at Jefferson(?) reminds me of the now-demolished Regal Theatre up the street near Grand when the city had it knocked down sometime in 2006-7. I took pictures of it; inside and out..though it would have been dangerous to step inside it. It had this huge gaping hole in the side wall. It was horrible to see this bit of history lesson that nothing last forever. I am also asking if anyone know where the Comet Theatre is in location to the Criterion. I am confused about these two theatres.
Patrick
The 1984 movie MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON with Robin Williams has a scene showing this theatre. It seems that 12 years later, the theatre closes?
To see the theater as a muffler shop today, go to PHOTOS tab (located above the picture of the former theater) and click on it.
Much thanks to slussr. The Janet Theatre now has a photo. As Rich Slusser indicated, its location was in Jennings, north St. Louis County, Missouri. Other theaters nearby were the Rio, (demolished), the Baden, still there but unrecognizable and if you took the bus, there was the Tower(demolished) and the Bremen (still there) theaters near Grand and West Florissant. The Studio Theater in Pine Lawn and the Wellston and Victory theaters in Wellston. Again, thanks for the memories.
Hey JALex
I read your post from 2005. I had just realized that the “airdome” (air-drome -an airfield equipped with control tower and hangars as well as accommodations for passengers and cargo) you described is the same as my post regarding an outdoor movie feature.
Sorry, for not acknowledging as I had looked it up.
See above image. – Patrick
Hi everyone.
The above image of the former Victory Theatre certainly seen better days. I used to see movies at the Victory and at the other theatre (the Wellston) located at the other end of the block(s) on the south-side of (Easton)where MLK and Keinlen Av intersect.
The Wellston is long gone.
Wellston is dead, devoid of any economic activity. The Wellston Bus Loop was quite a hub when I was kid in the 50s and 60s. If you went north toward Pine lawn, you could see a movie at the tiny Studio Theatre.
I am not sure that the Victory building bears much resemblance or even if it still there.
I last saw Wellston in 2006.
It would be better if they knocked it all down
Any comments about the building as of 2011?
Much thanks for the Mikado image. It is a good-looking theatre. It is hard to believe it is the same theatre building. Patrick
Thank u Chuck1231.
I have copied the image of the Criterion to my Pictures folder.
I must admit that if there was ever a cluster of theatres that confused me, it was this one. The Comet and Criterion, I had actually seen; including the demolished Regal Theatre.
The Roosevelt and the Douglas, I have not and there are a few more that have not been covered as the Beaumont Theatre which I am not sure ever existed as claimed by an African American woman I had met at a meeting at Catholic Charities in 2006 who said she saw movies there. Does anyone know if there was a Beaumont Theatre? – Patrick
Thank u Chuck1231. I must admit that I should have known better. Perhaps looking at the image was confusing for me. I think by now, the rehab is complete.
I believe the old Bonanza will be a restaurant but I could be wrong. Patrick Genna
Hey digiitalcool, an update on the Bremen building’s condition would be nice,…so images would be great. PatrickGenna
Hi Everyone
Regarding the Janet Theatre, (Jennings), this was my childhood theatre between age 9 and 19 years (1952-1963).
Prior to my family’s move to Jennings, we had always lived in the City near Downtown, the West End, North St. Louis near Easton Av. (Sherman Park) and N. Kings highway.
My father and I lived three blocks from The Janet. It was a little and pleasant movie house. It had closed by the time I graduated eight grade and I had moved away after graduating from the closed Corpus Christi High School.
In 2004, I had visited the Midas theatre building and stood in the what was now the bay for installing exhaust systems. The theatre interior was barely recogizable. I was emotionally disappointed.
Yet I can’t seem to remember if it had a vertical sign or a marquee. Can anyone help with this? And thank for the current image of the theatre-turned muffler shop. Does anyone have images of it before its demise?. Please post if you have any images
Thank u Chuck1231
Chuck, I am not sure that the Comet was at Sarah and Vandeventer? Patrick
Hi Chuck1231 and JALex.
Regarding the Queens Theatre, it had a unique feature. It had an outdoor theatre on the east side of the building. This was a an open lot with a brick wall at its rear with a painted white screen.
During the summer, the Queens showed movies.
I am not sure why they did this unless it was too hot to sit inside. My father and I were there many times in the early 1950s sitting on folding chairs and folks try to move them when ushers said no.
In 2006, I stopped at the Queens (church).
The brick wall with its painted screen was still there. A woman from the church saw me and I said hello. We talked a bit and she told me that they were going to alter the front of the theatre building and add another (annex) building to where the outdoor theatre was. I guess they never got around to it. The woman told me that she knew nothing about the history of the theatre or its original name.
What a memory and thanks for the memories. Patrick
Apologies all! I had confused the Criterion with the Comet. It was the Comet that had a gaping hole in the side wall that was easily seen from the street, not the Criterion. My memory of the Comet was that it had a vertical sign that had flashing lights with a (Comet) lights flashing upward. I don’t think it was neon, but I may be wrong. The 1985 picture is really sad. I can seem to think that this was the same theatre and reminded me a little of the Regal. Patrick.
Chuck1231. Sorry to say this, but I am confused. After seeing the Google image, exactly which of the three buildings is the actual theatre as seen on Google Earth? It is possible that I might have misidentified the Bonanza from the cluster? When I saw these buildings back in 2006-7, was I wrong about which building was the theatre? Thanks, Patrick
Chuck2131 and JALex: I used to drive by the Bonanza daily when I worked downtown. I had lived on Lindell near Vandeventer. For a brief time, I would try to figure a way into the building, but not so.
The “building” next door was demolished a long time ago. It had the remnants of some cast-iron structure but I am not sure and I had mistakenly believed the demolished structure was the Bonanza Theatre! I could NOT find the exit doors of the Bonanza.
I had never seen a movie here. I am trying to understand how this theatre was around from 1909-1916 (JALex).
Is this theatre that old? Thanks, Patrick
Chuck2131 and digitalcool, I visited the Bremen Theatre sometime in 2006-7 and wondered when it would demolished. The building is falling apart. I had walked around from the rear and located the Exit door. One can see clearly on a sunny day the seats and the screen area, but the rest in shrouded in darkness. The Bremen is located in a very dangerous place and I was fearful to enter the building as I was alone. When I was a kid living in Jennings, I saw movies here and it is hard to believe how this old theatre is going to be re-habbed. Nearby is the crumbling Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Patrick
I am sorry. I am in error. Is it the Comet Theatre at Jefferson that I have confused with the Criterion? Patrick
The Criterion at Jefferson(?) reminds me of the now-demolished Regal Theatre up the street near Grand when the city had it knocked down sometime in 2006-7. I took pictures of it; inside and out..though it would have been dangerous to step inside it. It had this huge gaping hole in the side wall. It was horrible to see this bit of history lesson that nothing last forever. I am also asking if anyone know where the Comet Theatre is in location to the Criterion. I am confused about these two theatres. Patrick