Adler Theatre
136 E. Third Street,
Davenport,
IA
52801
136 E. Third Street,
Davenport,
IA
52801
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136 would be about right. The (then) Mississippi Hotel’s address was 106. The hotel stands right at 3rd and Brady (a one-way, and the main road north from downtown). Down the street to the east wass the Blackhawk Hotel; about a block west was the Davenport. Those were the three main hotels of their day. They’re all still open, although I believe as apartments.
The Orpheum was a huge theater; it and the Fort in Rock Island got all of the best movies in their day. The prefab multi-screen theaters came into existence in the late 60s, and they put almost all of the downtown theaters on both sides of the river out of business within a few years. Fortunately, this and the Fort (the biggest on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities) are both still open, albeit not as movie houses anymore.
Boxoffice magazine of September 15, 1956 has two small photos of the revamping of the marquee:
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Here is another photo of the Adler Theater.
Cary Grant fell ill here on November 29, 1986 while preparing for his one-man show entitled “Conversations with Cary Grant.” He died later that night at St. Luke’s Hospital.
In 1923, businesses on the opposite side of the 100 block of E. 3rd Street from the future site of the Adler included a small theatre called the Mirror, seen at far left in this photograph.
That marquee if awful.
The address given on their website is 136 E. Third Street. Here is a close-up view of the Adler Theater.
The Adler was just reopened after over a year of extensive renovation to the stage so it can attract more broadway plays. Plus, it will be celebrating it’s 75th anniversary.
Read more here.
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Recent color photos of this theatre can be found on the site: “America’s Stunning Theatres” by photographer and stagehand Noah Kern at: http://www.pbase.com/affablebeef/theatres Comments and information may be left there without registration; such can be public view or only to Mr. Kern. Scroll down the page to find the name, and then click on the sample image above it to be taken to the page of photos of it.
I was an Usher at the former RKO Orpheum Theatre from 1966-68,under the tutelage of the late Milt Troehler,long time manager of the Theatre.I loved the theatre and my experiences there!
Kurt J. Noack
As the RKO Orpheum Theatre it seated 2708 people.