|
Not a member yet? Register now.  | |||||||||||||||||||||||
SearchNewest TheatersMar 20 Regal 8Mar 20 Cinemagic Theatre Mar 20 Rebel Drive-In Mar 20 Rainbow Cinema 8 Mar 19 Princess Theatre Mar 19 Plymouth Theatre Mar 19 Rex Theatre Mar 19 Woodlawn Theatre Mar 19 West End Theatre Mar 19 Norwood Theatre more new theaters Recent CommentsMar 20 Avon Theatre (1)Mar 20 Five Points… (1) Mar 20 Thunderbird… (2) Mar 20 Princess Theater (1) Mar 20 72 Drive-In (3) Mar 20 Grand Theater (3) Mar 20 Center Theater (6) Mar 20 Alabama Theatre (5) Mar 20 231 Drive-In (1) Mar 20 Ritz Theatre (2) Updated TheatersMar 20 Alabama TheatreMar 20 Cinemagic Drive-In Mar 19 Hong Kong… Mar 19 Hong Kong Arts… Mar 19 Kwun Chung Theatre Mar 19 Campus Cinemas Mar 19 Kipling Cinema 6 Mar 19 Edwards Big… Mar 19 State Theatre Mar 19 Orange Theatre more updated theaters |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
----------------------------------------
The Majestic Theatre was built in 1907 by the Western Vauseville Association (Mr. J. A. Sternad) and C. A. Day. Designed by the Chicago firm C. W. and George L. Rapp (specifically Frank Cox), it was modeled after the beautiful Majestic Theatre in Chicago, which they also designed. The cost to build the theatre was never specified. It was said that no expense would be spared to outfit the theatre to host even the biggest of big city acts. The only diffence in the shows from the vaudeville theatres in the city was to be the number of acts in an evening, perhaps only seven instead of fourteen. The act curtain was to have several paid advertisements as well as a painted ocean scene on an abestos curtain.
The theatre opened on July 29th 1907 with one-quarter of the sales the first two nights going to the hospital for an x-ray machine and electric fans. In the theatre's advertisments it was advertised that it served ice water and had electric fans. Another advertisments sujects that there may have been a grand opening on Sept. 1st, 1907.
R. C. Williams bought the theatre in 1922.
The theatre was now to be rented by Great States Theatres, Inc. (Katz & Balaban), in April of 1926, at the same time the company was opeing the $2,000,000 Rialto Square Theatre in near-by Joliet. At this time, a Mr. R. C. Williams is managing the Majestic, and would continue to managed for the Great States Theatres.
The theatre was closed in 1927. In 1936, William Heasman reopened the theatre. In 1957, the Majestic was deamed unsafe by the city (a decision later reversed) and was closed.
On November 11th, 1966, it was announced that Robert Norris had been able to sucessfully purchase the building. It stated his intentions were to open it as a movie house and charge subsancially less. The article states that there was some damage from negelet; holes in roof, ruined carpet, chipping paint, though Norris planed to have the building open by the summer.
Kerasotes Theatre's (based in Springfield), bought the theatre in 1968 and reopened it.
At some point in the 1979 (I believe), Kerasotes Theatre's bought the ajoining building to the south and was begining extensive renovations to convert it into a motion picture theatre to seat 300. It would be dubbed 'Majestic 2' The opening was planned for August 29th later that year.
In September of 1995, Kerasotes announced that the Majestic Theatres would be closing on Oct. 1st and would be torn down. At what point the building was saved from the wrecking ball I am not sure.
On October 4th, 1996 an article was published in the local newspaper as an appeal for support to reopen the theatre. Don Reeland was working with Kerasotes (now refered to as GKC) to strike a deal to purchase and run the theatre with training and distrobution from GKC, however he was looking for community support.
In 1998 the Majestic Theatre was purchased by it's current owner, Tim Burke of L.A.. It stood unused into 2006 due to a 10 years covenant forbidding the showing of new films, and it is hoped to be reopened soon.
In it's vaudeville days Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Ed Wynn, Eddie Cantor, Sophie Tucker, Eva Tanuay, as well as Temple & Clark and many others performed at the Majestic.
-------------------------------
Anyway, I can go on with tiny details. My research is ongoing, whenever I get the time. I still have many very big gaps withe almost no information. I do have pictures I can e-mail to anyone interested.
Oh- the theatre originally sat over 900. In the 1970's or 1980's, renovations reduced the capacity to 700. Shortly thereafter, the balcony was no longer used for seating. The orchrestra level seats approximately 500.