Heart Theater

The HEART is reopened but stil FOR SALE. Could easily be twinned and not not destroy a very plain interior.

The interior design of the Heart Theater was carried out by Charles Dawson of Mattoon.

Just read about the theatre holding an Academy Awards Night. If anyone went, let us know how much fun it must have been! :-)

This is a photo of the Heart Theater.

Lost Memory: Great photo. I have friends in Effingham who know this theatre very well.

There was a theater in Los Angeles that later became a garage, kind of the opposite of this building. Here are some additional photos:
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/10/heart2.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/10/heart3.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/10/heart4.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/10/heart5.jpg

Ken: The last photo of the glass block stairway is really neat....have never seen that feature in any theatre that I have ever visited and I've visited more than a few since being bitten by the theatre buff 'bug'!

I think this theater is close. The Heart Theater website shows the last movie showing at this theater being on December 24, 2006. Facing The Giants was shown at 2:00 p.m. & a free showing of It's A Wonderful Life at 4:30 p.m.

I hope this closing news is incorrect. I know a business man in Effingham who might have interest in keeping it open, but would have to inquire.

The Heart Theater is now listed on the 21st Century Cinemas website with more showing times than it was prior to closing. The movie listed as showing at the Heart Theater (Charlotte's Web) is different than the one listed in the newspaper article to be shown when the Theater reopen.

On the 21st Century Cinemas Website this morning, it states the Heart Theater is closed until future notice.

The Heart Theater reopened on Easter weekend. The theater website (21st Century Cinemas)shows the theater is only open on Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Guard: Thanks for this very good news even though it's only open on the weeknds....better than not at all. This town is the site of Fun Fest each Labor Day weekend when hundreds of Corvettes come to town so the owners of the Heart should run the cult classic, Corvette Summer, imo.

This morning on the 21st Century Cinemas website for the Heart Theater, it was written no shows this weekend, thanks for your business. I don't know if that means that the Heart Theater is closed once again or just a temporary closing.

Guard: I truly hope it is the latter reason. Keep us posted.

Patsy: I don't understand 21st Century Cinemas reason for not trying to maintain a regular schedule to show movies at the Heart Theater. Beside confusing customers who would attend the Heart Theater as to whether the theater is open or is close. I would also think it would make it harder to sell the theater. Which was stated in an article in a newspaper when the Theater was reopen after being closed for a month, was the intent of the owner of the Theater. On thursday night I notice that 21st Century Cinemas had added Midway Drive-In (Sterling, Illinois)to the list of theaters that they operate.

On the 21st Century Cinemas website this evening (May 1,2007) it states there will be no show for the weekend of May 4th-May 6th at the Heart Theater. Anyone have a clue or has knowledge as to what is going on when it comes to the Heart Theater? This will make the second weekend in a row that the Heart Theater will remain close. Is this a temporary closing or a permanent closing for the Heart Theater?

The 21st Century Cinemas website shows the Heart Theater will be closed again this weekend, May 11th - May 13th. On the Yahoo Movies listings, it shows the status of the Heart Theater being temporarily closed.

Recent photos of this theatre are HERE

There is some new photos of the Heart Theater on the 21st Century Cinemas website. Click on the Heart Theater, it'll take you to the pictures. The Theater is still for sale. I think the owner is making a mistake not having the theater open since he wants to sell it & is asking a high price for it. The status of the Theater should be change to close.

Here is a recent (November) photo of the Heart Theater.

I know a man from Effingham who owns a large car related business so perhaps he might be interested in purchasing this theatre or know someone who might have interest!

My April 19,2007 post talks about this person and his connection to an event called Fun Fest.

This is a 2008 photo of the Heart Theater.

I know a man by the name of Mike Yeager who owns Mid-America Enterprises. He should be contacted by someone in Effingham about purchasing this theatre in conjunction with his Corvette business. During his Fun Fest weekend over Labor Day weekend he could run the Corvette themed movie, Corvette Summer with Annie Potts. I don't want to read that this hometown art deco theatre was demolished because nobody cared or took the time to find a possible buyer! Mike Yeager is that possible buyer and lives in the community!

I would really like to buy this theater and totally restore it. If you know who I should contact or if you know the price they wont please email me at ihavewhatuwant@hotmail.com


Thanks so much

T.M.S.: Try this link which is the Chamber of Commerce site for Effingham. They might be able to help you locate someone connected to the Heart Theatre.

http://www.effinghamchamber.org/

T.M.S.: Below is an email that I rec'd with a contactphone number. Hope this helps...keep us posted. Thanks.

The phone number on the marquee is 217/549-3000. We are delighted someone is at least interested in it. It is an historical landmark here and everyone would dearly like someone to take it and get it back to working condition.

Pat Copple

Program Coordinator

Here is a close-up view of the Heart Theater.

A neat old art deco theatre with a great marquee and facade that needs to be purchased and become part of the community, again!

anybody know what is the asking price?

Martin: The phone number on the marquee is 217/549-3000. Keep us posted!

Still For Sale. Here are some photos.

Lost: What a wonderful theatre in the heartland of America. Sure hope someone buys it...soon! Sure wish we could learn the asking price on CT!

Effingham Resident: Thanks for the informative post. I only mentioned Mr. Yeager as I know he is a longtime resident and one who could pursue this project for his fellow citizens and make it work! My husband will see him later this month so I will have him put a "bug" in Mike's ear about this and just see where it goes as this theatre should be saved, imo!

I think I am just going to bite the bullet and buy the theatre when I return from Germany in a few weeks so I know it stays in good hands. The town was wanting the library to wreck it and rebuild there, someone was thinking about making it into a dinner and stand up comedy club, and another man wanted to turn it into a bookstoor.

I want to make sure it stays as the original Heart Theatre so I am just going to buy it in a few weeks.

Effingham Resident: Your comments about making sure the theatre "stays in good hands" was music to my ears! I commend you and wish you all the best. And to think the town was wanting to "wreck it" is not music to my ears! The art deco Heart needs to be saved and appreciated now and for future generations. Just curious: Does the town have one of those multi-plexes in a nearby mall? If so, this may be why the town thinks it doesn't need this quaint theatre from their past....all the more reason to "treasure" it. I'm glad that it has been added to Cinema Treasures by a Paul Salley and a Colby Higgs. Thank you CT members.

Yes. Effingham has another multi-theatre complex called RMC Cinemas at the mall in town. They have I believe around 10 theatres. The differnce between the Heart Theatre and RMC is the Hearts artsy look and the RMC's more retro hip look. RMC's prices are also a lot more pricy. Tickets are $7.25 per person compared to the Hearts $2.00 for seniors and students and $3.00 for adults. The Heart also boasts for its $1, $1.50, and $2.00 small, medium, and large popcorn and soda (unlimited refills) prices compared the to $3 for a soda and popcorn with only one refill at the mall. However the mall seems to still keep all the business.

I would venture to say that the RMC business is mostly young kids so they don't understand nor grasp the idea of a hometown, downtown historic art deco theatre. I would also venture to say that those kids wouldn't even know what the term "art deco" means.

The Effingham Heart Theater is scheduled to be auctioned on June 28 by Schackman Auction Service of Newton, IL.

And to the person posting as Effingham resident, I would remind you that libel laws still apply to online posting.

It appears to have sold at auction!

Sunday, June 29, 2008 9:06 PM CDT
Effingham resident saves Heart Theater
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
Journal-Gazette/Times-Courier
hmeeker@jg-tc.com

EFFINGHAM — Over the years, the Heart Theater gave customers many happy endings.

The same was true Saturday afternoon through a drama played outside the theater. But there was still some nail-biting suspense.

Mark McSparin could not get the right price for the 68-year-old movie theater during an auction under the marquee Saturday. So he planned to sell pieces of the art deco exterior and other fixtures to turn the structure into a storage building in a few weeks.

But McSparin had no intention of being labeled the villain in this drama. He said he was willing to accept any final bids to keep from breaking the heart of the theater’s fans.


Effingham resident Lonnie Waymoth came to the rescue for the idled entertainment venue a few hours later when he brokered a deal with McSparin. Waymoth was the high bidder at $80,000 during the sale conducted by auctioneer Art Schackmann of Jasper County.

McSparin was asking for a bottom-dollar offer of $110,000 when the auction ended before the over-the-phone dickering by the owner and high bidder, who faced limited opposition during the bidding.

“We were real close to each other on price. I guess we’re both satisfied,” said Waymoth, whose family, including his daughter, Angela Waymoth Lappin, plans to re-open the theater in a matter of months. “We were close enough so we pushed a little more.”

“I’m not satisfied with the final price, but I accomplished what I set out to do by selling the theater. The people of Effingham will be happy to see this,” said McSparin, whose new drive-in theater opened this weekend at Charleston.

The Heart has been inactive as a movie theater for about 18 months. But it reaches back many decades in Effingham social history. It opened in 1940 as a state-of-the-art motion picture theater and a notable architectural addition to the Effingham Courthouse Square.

“This is where I had my first job when I was 11,” said Effingham resident Don Eden prior to the auction that drew about 40 people near the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Third Street. “I swept up the place and blew out the popcorn from under the seats. And I got to see all those wonderful movies, too.”

Many auction spectators walked through the theater prior to Schackmann’s call for bidders outside. They had a chance to see the interior of the projection room, the office and a storage room where marquee letters and other pieces of equipment were stacked on shelves.

Effingham resident Marion Burford was thrilled to see old popcorn bags saved in one room. She wondered if one could be saved for inclusion in a local history museum.

The ticket booth has not changed over the years, or the colorful marquee with its rows of flashing lights. This sense of nostalgia for the Heart was what drew Waymoth, a semi-retired businessman, to Saturday’s transaction.

“It goes back to my beginning of time,”he said. “One of the movies I remember seeing when I was younger was ‘The Ten Commandments.’”

The Waymoth clan seemed to be drawn to the idea of showbiz before the deal was sealed Saturday. Waymoth’s granddaughter was placing her tiny hands in the handprints from a 1960 commemoration near the curb in front of the theater. She seemed starstruck.

“I guess this will be a family endeavor,” Waymoth said. “You just hate to let go of this.”

Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869

Bad news, the deal fell through...the buyer apparently pulled out after the auction...so the Heart IS STILL FOR SALE! If interested, contact Mark at 217-549-3000

Bloo: Again, I say someone should approach Mike Yeager of Mid America Enterprises and see if he would be interested!! He is in Effingham!

From Boxoffice magazine, January 1940. The Hart spelling is theirs.

EFFINGHAM, ILL.-The Frisina Amusement Co. was scheduled to open its new theater, the Hart, here with appropriate ceremonies Thursday. Exhibitors from central Illinois were invited to attend.

What I read online the reason the deal fell through was when the building was inspected by an building inspector for the buyer. Mold was found in the building. The inside of the theater would had to be gutted & rebuilt before the theater could be reopen. The seller had the possible buyers believing the theater building would be a turn key operation. The buyer who pulled out believed untill the building inspector gave her the bad news about the building. There wouldn't be much worked involved before reopening the theater. So who ever buys the theater will have to plan on spending a large amount of money in redoing the theater besides the price they paid for the
building.

1983 Photo

1985 Photo

This is a 2009 photo.

Some 2009 photos of the Heart Theatre courtesy army arch.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/4111475955/sizes/l/in/pool-72675154@N00/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/4111473987/sizes/l/in/pool-72675154@N00/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/4112237740/sizes/l/in/pool-72675154@N00/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/army_arch/4111468559/sizes/l/in/pool-72675154@N00/