Arcade Theatre

I think the description of this theatre is for the Columbia Theatre. Also according to the info that I have the Arcade had a retail arcade and the theatre in later life had two seperate auditoriums. The front facade of the Arcade is not the elaborate front as the Columbia as described above. The lower portion of the Arcade is a red brick with a rather plain white stucco surfaced top.

A Barton organ was installed in the Arcade Theater in 1926.

Here are some photos from two weeks ago:

http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=6693329
Old arcade building to be revamped
By: Erica Byfield
By: Erica Byfield KVFS Channel 12 News June 21, 2007
PADUCAH, Ky. - It's not often that we get to take a step back in time, but that's exactly what we did Thursday.

We took an exclusive tour of the old arcade building in downtown Paducah with an investor that wants to bring some life back to it.

Sharon Graves can't help but get excited, "It will be very dramatic to see all that cleaned up."

She's poured a lot of energy into this project.

"When I see the potential in this building it would be great place to work," Graves said.

She explained plans to gut Paducah's old arcade theater, built in 1911, in an exclusive tour.

Stage one, overhaul the front part of the building into retail and office space and then fix up the old theatre into more work space.

"We'll just build from the inside and where going to put windows on the back," she said.

If the Paducah City Commission approves Sharon Graves' proposal to buy the property, she says she hopes to sell off all the artifacts inside here... including the theatre seating, speakers... you name it... and she hopes it all goes to a local charity.

"It's going to still be the same building but once it's all painted the same color and new windows... it's going to pop again."

Sharon Graves adds she has an extra incentive to paint and rebuild this landmark.

"I've had so many people tell me that when they were little they could come here to the theatre" she said.

It won't happen overnight, but Graves is sure once it's done the old arcade will once again be the talk of the town.

Sharon Graves still needs approval by the Paducah City Commission before she can start renovating the old arcade building.

the Arcade is described as having closed in the 1980's.
From: http://www.paducahmainstreet.com/theater.htm (which has a vintage photo):
The Arcade has been multiple uses including the theatre, offices, restaurants, offices, and retail stores.

and

The Arcade Theatre building is approximately 19,250 square feet. Parts of this structure are currently being used as offices, a retail store, and a barbershop.

Here is a view of the Arcade on the left and Columbia on the right:
http://tinyurl.com/2b7uah

Wow

1982 photo of the Arcade Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c17%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=26&ProductID=27809
1986 photo of the Arcade.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c17%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=27&ProductID=27811
1982 photo of the Arcade and Columbia Theatres.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c17%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=27&ProductID=27813

Here is a 1988 photo showing both the Arcade and Columbia theaters as closed.

LIFE night shot of Arcade, 1952 -
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=eabdbb5a4dba5514&q=on%20leave%20source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Don%2Bleave%2Bsource:life%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D126

So from the photo in 1986 (Theatre Open) and the the photo from 1988 (Theatre closed) that means the Arcade closed sometime between those two photos.