Vaudette Theatre

Joe Vogel on November 13, 2013 at 3:35 pm

I must have intended to put a link in my previous comment but forgot to insert it. I can’t find the photo of the Lyric Theatre I was linking to now, but I’ll keep looking for it. The American Terra Cotta Company’s archives are at the University of Minnesota Libraries, and they’ve reconfigured their web site. I don’t know if the photos are even available online anymore.

Joe Vogel on November 14, 2013 at 12:23 pm

Yes, Ken, that’s it, and it’s definitely the house that later became the Tivoli.

Loper is undoubtedly the correct spelling of the owner’s name. A brief biography appears on this page of the 1912 Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume 3 by Newton Bateman. It says that he converted his restaurant in to a theater after it was destroyed by a riot on August 8, 1908. That would give the first Lyric an opening of late 1908 or early 1909.

However, at least one resident of Springfield believed that Loper had a restaurant and theater in operation in the first Lyric building at the time of the riot. In a 1984 oral history interview, Marion Ester Schermerhorn (1899-1994) (this PDF) says that Loper “…had a restaurant and a theater right together.” It could have been one of those instances when a shopkeeper converted a back room into a nickelodeon.

The Lyric is mentioned in an item in the April 5, 1913, issue of The Moving Picture World:

“SPRINGFIELD, ILL.

“PROPRIETORS H. T. Loper of the Lyric and W. W. Watts of the Vaudette have taken a long contemplated step and are trying out the plan of the longer show and the ten-cent admission. These two high-class houses showing licensed pictures report that demands for a lengthier program and the elimination of the constant changing of audiences has been frequent. The Savoy is giving three reels of licensed pictures but not so recent releases for five cents.”

The Vaudette was the house that later became the second Lyric and then the Tivoli.

dallasmovietheaters on June 2, 2026 at 12:50 pm

Sort of interesting to have two different listings in the database with the same photo. Good news: they didn’t move the theatres physically but they did do a name swap. Harry T. Loper’s entry into the movie industry was unusual by any standard. During Springfield’s Race War Riot of August 14, 1908, Loper’s Restaurant located at this address was set ablaze in fatal fire that ended his restaurant. How bad was the situation? The Governor intervened and had reinforcements from Lincoln, Bloomington, Normal, Peoria, Pekin, and Taylorville deployed. And as an odd footnote, Loper - who was trying to mitigate the violence based on his experiences in another city.

So with the restaurant gone and with that incident on file, in 1909, Loper opened the Lyric Theatre with nickel movies. (The 223-225 South Fifth Street location was where his restaurant once was.) Above the Lyric was a popular dance hall, the Lyric Dance Hall. Loper found success and said he enjoyed this business far more than that of the restaurant industry.

Across the street was the Vaudette Theatre (#2). Basically, the Vaudette bebopped across the street displacing the Lyric here at 223-225 S. Fifth Street. It was the third and final Vaudette location for Springfield. (The original Vaudette - a vaudeville theatre - had opened on Sixth Street in 1904 and appears to have closed quickly. ) So what happened across the street at the former Vaudette locale of 216-218? The venue received a brand new Mark Evans-create terra cotta front as the New Lyric Theatre. A swap.

W.W. Watts opened here removing the pillars The Vaudette became a lower tier, discount sub-run double feature house here at 223-225 S. Fifth Street displacing the Lyric Theatre to now become a 550-seat venue effective at its relaunch on September 26, 1920 to the plans of Samuel A. Bullard of Bullard & Bullard Architects and likely on a ten year leasing agreement. So what happened at the former Vaudette locale of 216-218 S. Fifth? Harry P. Loper reopened there on July 31, 1920 with a terra cotta front as the New Lyric Theatre. (It would become the Tivoli Theatre which has its own Cinema Treasure listing.)

At this location, the inherited occupant upstairs - the Lyric Dance Hall retained its name not accepting the new Vaudette’s moniker - take that. A bit confusing though to have the Lyric Dance Hall not above the Lyric Theatre and Karma occurred as the Dance Hall was gutted by a fire on January 21, 1921.

Effective on November 4, 1928, Dominic Frisina’s Frisina Amusement took on the Vaudette, the Lyric and the Princess to make the transition to sound with Movietone equipment. On October 22, 1929, Fox Theatres took over 14 Frisina locations including the Vaudette, Princess and Tivoli. The slightly rebranded Fox Vaudette closed on May 30, 1930 at the end of its 20-year leasing agreement. Their final ad (in photos) read, “Say Goodby in a blaze of dazzling glory with Bebe Daniels in “Rio Rita.” The location was transformed into a W.T. Grant variety store (1930-1965) followed by a Thrifty Drug store with cafeteria. And I would say still standing although nothing is original.

Entry should be the Vaudette Theatre formerly known as the New Vaudette Theater, the Fox Vaudette Theatre, and the Lyric Theatre.