Cameo Theatre

Kenosha, WI

620 56th Street

, Kenosha, WI 53140 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Neo-Classical

Function:	Office Space
Seats:	343
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

A tiny downtown showplace with a checkered on-again-off-again history. In 1915 Walter M. Burke purchased a tract of land from the adjacent Bain Wagon works and built the still-standing Burke Building (the namestone still graces the upper floors). The narrow, low first floor was equipped for motion pictures and was named the Burke Theatre. William Meyer was the first manager. Two years or so later, Burke disposed of his interests to a theatrical firm from Joplin, Missouri, which in turn sold it to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mantkus, who operated it for some time until Charles Collins took it over, and eventualy the Kenosha Orpheum Theatre Company held the lease until the mid-1930s when Manning Silverman acquired the theatre. In 1925 a fire damaged the Burke Building, and the theatre was renamed the Cameo.

In about 1933 the Cameo was again remodeled (including the installation of sound equipment) after some years of being dark through the early Great Depression, and Don F. Cross assumed its management. In the early 1940s, Standard Theatres took over the Cameo, and then there was a brief period wen it was called the Ken-Gay (for the nearby Kenosha and Gateway Theatres) when it played features right out of first-run release at those two theatres.

It became the Lathrop Appliance Store in the mid-1940s, but its triangular-shaped marquee still briefly shelters passersby along busy 56th Street.

Contributed by Louis Rugani

YOUR COMMENTS

A Barton theater organ was installed in the Burke Theater in 1925.

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 22, 2007 at 6:43pm

Actually 3 different organs were installed in this theater. While it was named the Burke Theater a Bennett Pipe Organ, Opus 881, a 2 Manual/9 Rank was installed in 1921. Again under the Burke name a Barton Pipe Organ, 2 Manual/3 Rank was installed in 1925. While the theater was under the Cameo name another Barton Pipe Organ, 2 Manual was installed. The Barton Pipe Organs were made in Oshkosh Wisconsin. It is not known what happened to any of these organs! If you know anything about any of these organs, please email us!

"Gee Dad, it was a "BENNETT/BARTON!"

posted by Ret. AKC(NAC) Bob Jensen on Feb 15, 2008 at 7:59am

Does anyone know where it might be possible to get hold of any old photos of this theatre, especially from the 1940s when it was known as The Chief? Also, if anyone has any contacts who worked at the theatre or even went there as audience members I woudl be very interested in getting in contact with them.

posted by mike chopra-gant on Jul 14, 2008 at 12:13pm

Appleton Post Crescent, October 21, 1925: CHIEF HURT IN KENOSHA
$60,000 THEATRE BLAZE
Kenosha —</P)— Fire which broke out in the boiler room of the Burke
Theatre early Wednesday caused damages amounting to about $60,000. The building was completely gutted. In addition to the theatre a dozen offices above it were burned by the blaze. Chief John Schwartz was injured while fighting the fire when he fell down a rear stairway obscured by thick smoke.

posted by Louis Rugani on Feb 8, 2009 at 4:26am

Here is a spreadsheet with some early-1940s day-by-day bookings and other data at the then-CHIEF Theatre: http://www.cinemahistory.org/Chief%20Theater_files/Chief%201941%20modified.xls

posted by Louis Rugani on Feb 25, 2010 at 3:43pm

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