Missouri Theatre

Love the site. It's so efficient and professional looking. I maintain the Missouri Theatre's (St. Joseph, MO) website, and I think I gave you the wrong address. You have www.paastjo.org; the correct address is www.geocities.com/broadway/stage/8697.

Thanks,

Josh

This is a beautiful & unique theatre, what a wonderful restoration. I really enjoyed this theatre on my recent visit with the Theatre Historical Society on their Heart of America Conclave. Such an unusual atmospheric theatre with the ceiling looking like a tent with the sky peeking through. The artist intended it to include styles "Hittite, Assyrian, Persian, and Arabian"


Check out this link for some great pictures and info:
http://www.missouritheater.org

This one has history on the artist Waylande Gregory who helped design the theatre and some more great pictures including some of the restoration:
http://www.angelfire.com/pa3/wy/

I own and operate http://www.MissouriTheater.org I am the Executive Director of the Allied Arts Council. The City of St Joseph owns the theater and leases it to the various arts groups in town including the St Joseph Symphony, The Performing Arts Association, the Robidoux Resident Theatre and the American BarberBoys to name a few.
For a real insight into the mnind of Waylange Gregory - who did al the orhamental work - go to the MissouriTheater.org and read his letter prior to beginning work.
The Allied Arts COuncil and our member agencies consulted with the City in the $1.9MM renovation project completed March 2002. There are many photos of the work in progress linked theu the site to the Allied Arts Council site www.StJoeArs.org
Feel free to contact for more.
Wally Bloss
Executive Direcor
Allied Arts Council
artstaff@stjoearts.org

I don't know if anyone from St. Joseph involved with the preservation or current management of the Missouri Theatre reads this page regularly, (the link to stjoears.org doesn't work), but I'm an indie filmmaker currently making a documentary about historic movie theatres and the people who fight to save them from demolition. I would like to come down to St. Jo and film the theatre and interview those involved with its preservation and knowledgable about the theatre's history. If interested, please email me at: jwomaha@msn.com I hope to film this theatre before the end of June (2005). Thanks! Jim Fields, Director/Producer, "Preserve Me a Seat"

I'll comment directly to Jim by e-mail.
On May 28 I ceded my claim to the websites and gave them to the Allied Arts Council in St Joseph, as I had left there and moved to Logan Utah to the Ellen Eccles Theatre (formerly the Capitol). The new person in charge may take up the process, but has "parked" the domain names for now.
Call 816-233-0231 and ask for Theresa

Wally Bloss

This is an early 70's photo of the Missouri Theater.

I think that the picture referenced above is actually of the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, MO where MU (Mizzou Tigers) listed on the marquee are. http://www.cinematreasures.com/theater/4966/

The full link that the photo came from is here:
http://www.kewpie.net/motheatre2.html

On that link it states that "Now the Missouri Theatre is called the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts". On their site, it states "The Missouri Theater is owned by the City Of St Joseph". How many Missouri Theaters does the City of St. Joseph own?

lost, the story line in the link above tells about the Missouri Theatre in Columbia, Mo. and the pic is also of the Missouri Theatre in Columbia. When you click the link at the end of the story that you are referring to where is says the theatre is owned by the City of St. Joseph it shows a few pictures of the Missouri Theatre in St. Jo. Evidently who ever set the info on the site got his information and pictures mixed up.

I may be wrong but having been to both theatres & the MU connection along with the look of the outside, I would say that the creator of the link you attached has used an incorrect photo for the St. Joe theatre.

The exterior of the Missouri Theatre in St. Joseph is very ornate:
http://www.wallybloss.com/MissouriTheatre.htm

The Missouri Theatre of Columbia was owned by Commonwealth Theatres (the center of the Marquee in your link refers to Comonwealth Theatres. The current exterior, which appears almost exactly as the link above can be seen at: http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=9925

I think what happened was the Kewpie site linked the wrong Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts in their info at the bottom of the page.

The link to my website of the St. Joseph Mo Theatre from the Columbia site is in error. I have added a clarification on the St Joseph page listed above.
Wally Bloss

Thanks for clearing this mystery up guys. I thought I was losing my marbles again. I'll just post the photo link under the Columbia Missouri Theater. Maybe I should post it under all the Missouri Theaters just to be safe. (just kidding)

This is a photo of the Missouri Theater in St. Joseph. (I hope)

Another photo of the Missouri Theater in St. Joseph and a brief history can be seen here.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979

Missouri Theater and Missouri Theater Building ** (added 1979 - Building - #79001353)
112-128 S. 8th St. and 713-721 Edmond St., St. Joseph
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: W.J. Assenmacher Co., Boller Brothers
Architectural Style: Art Deco, Exotic Revival, Other
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Local Gov't
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Auditorium, Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Auditorium

This is a recent photo of the Missouri Theater.

The Missouri Theater can be seen in the background of this photo, probably taken in the early 1950s.

Anyone ever consider flying a screen and show a classic film now and then?

The link I posted on 9/19/07 no longer works; use this one instead:

Missouri Theater, probably early 1950s

The Mar 25, 2008 link no longer works either.

Here is a 2008 photo.

This is another photo of the Missouri Theater.

Missouri Theater photo

A January 2009 photo is here.

1985 photo of the Missouri Theatre.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c25%2c3%2c-1&SortField=ProductName+DESC%2cProductName&catpageindex=13&ProductID=29265

This is a recent photo.