State Theatre
419 Pierre Street,
Pierre,
SD
419 Pierre Street,
Pierre,
SD
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The Bijou, on Pierre Street, was in operation from at least the 20s. The theater was later remodeled and renamed the State. The State suffered a fire in the 80s and closed. A new State Theatre was built not far away. The old State (at least the lobby space) was converted into retail use.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The Film Daily Yearbook. 1950 gives a seating capacity for the State Theatre as 420.
1985 photo of the State Theatre.
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Chuck 1231, That picture is for the newer state theatre at 123 W. Capitol. Use Google Street View for the picture.
I couldn’t make this stuff up, and if I could I’m sure readers would find it too contrived.
The Bijou Theatre began operating in February, 1908, said a brief article in a 1913 issue of The Moving Picture Age. The building had been the city’s opera house prior to its conversion into a combination movie and vaudeville theater by the new operator, Mr. J.E. Hippie. Mr. Hippie, a man clearly ahead of his time, was a former postmaster of Pierre, and editor and publisher of a daily newspaper. The article included this passage about the aptly named exhibitor:
As for the Bijou itself, the article said that it seated 606 patrons in an area 40x97 feet, and that the stage was 16x40 feet. The house was steam-heated, had both alternating current from the city and direct current from its own power plant, and featured such amenities as “…a sanitary drinking fountain, checking rooms, and retiring rooms.”