Colony Theater & Cocktails
4506 Forest Avenue,
East St. Louis,
IL
62204
4506 Forest Avenue,
East St. Louis,
IL
62204
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Hello all,
I am doing a large-scale research project on adult theatres and would be very interested to hear from anything who either worked at or attended this theatre during its time showing adult films. If you would like to help me out, you can email me at .
Thanks!
what is this theater all about?? i was told that anything goes in there while watchin porn and all that.. is this true?? first i’ve heard of this place and thought hmm i m gonna look it up online and see what it’s all about. can someone tell me what goes on there and what it is all about. just curious.. thanks
The Colony # 2 (at 4500 Forest) is closed; date of closure not known. The facility is to be auctioned by St. Clair County.
And, contrary to a book on Illinois theatres, the original Colony (at 40th & Waverly) is still standing…unused since 1992.
Oops # 2…new theatre at 40th & Waverly opened in 1948, not 1958.
Oops…Colony 2 at 4500 Forest Avenue, not North Forest Avenue.
Excuse me for interjecting:
I would hope the “contributors” realize we are talking about two seperate theatres here.
The original Colony (also known as the Waverly and the 40th Street) was located at the intersection of 40th & Waverly—4000 Waverly or 1854 N. 40th Street). This structure, the Colony, dated from 1958, replacing the original Waverly/40th Street which was destroyed by fire in 1945. This theatre went porno in 1974, much to the consternation of East St. Louis city officials.
In 1991, another “theatre” was opened, known as Colony 2, this at 4500 North Forest Avenue. Since porno was socially acceptable by this time, no ruckus was made by officials.
This theatre is still in operation and yes LM it still has sound.
When you were a teenager, did movies have sound? :) Check your mail for the theater list.
Lost, I am not sure if it opened as the Colony, but I do remember as a teenager dating a girl in East St. Louis and going to the Colony to see “A Summer Place”. It was a really nice theatre at the time. I remember the name of the theatre in Neon along the upper portion of the theatre in cursive. It was pink neon on a white backround but I don’t remember any style as far as the exterior was concerned. I do remember the seats once you sat down they would tilt forward and the back would go back a little. Don’t remember the theatre at that time as much as I do the date. Later married her.
So, this is the missing Colony Theater. Okay, Waverly Theater then 40th St. Theater and last but not least, Colony Theater. Is there any chance that this theater opened as the Colony Theater, went through two name changes and finally reverted back to Colony Theater? The reason that I ask is, I found an E.S.L. theater listing and it shows a Colony Theater operating in 1921. If you want to see it, I’ll email it to you. For now, the settings above should be:
Colony Theater aka Waverly Theater aka 40th St. Theater
Status-Open
3 Screens
Address changed to 4506 Forest Ave.
Function-Adult Movies
Opened as the Waverly, on the corner of 40th & Waverly with the entrance on Waverly. Renamed the 40th St. with the entrance moved to the 40th Street side. Then when it was renamed the Colony it was regular neighborhood theatre showing regular features. Later the Colony on a single screen showing porn and then split into three screens showing porn with the entrance on the parking lot side giving the address the 4506 Forest Ave. You can still see the hatchet job on the front of the theatre where the old entrance was. The porno that is shown now is all video. The building was painted a really putrid green the last time we went past there. They at one time adertised in the St. Louis Post Dispath for the Colony and XXX rated films.
Chuck….Thanks for all of your help with these E.S.L. theaters. This is the mystery that I’m trying to solve. I read an article that said; When the Majestic Theater closed in 1960, there were only two open theaters remaining in E.S.L. One was the Esquire and the other was the Colony.
Now, was this 40th St. Theater called the Colony in 1960 or was there another Colony Theater in 1960? The current porn theater called the Colony gives two addresses. One at 4500 Forest and the other at 4506 Forest. I’m sure the two addresses are the same building or maybe a typo.
I guess what I’m trying to find out is, did the 40th St. Theater change its name to the Colony Theater prior to 1960, become a triplex and end up as a porn theater today? Or, could there be another Colony Theater that needs to be added?
This theatre as mentioned has gone through many name changes, It is located at 40th & Waverly with the original address or entrance on the corner of 40th. The most current name was the Colony Theatre with porn as its main features. The entrance is now on Forest Blvd. and still shows porn videos was well as selling them.
The best sequence of name changes that I can come up with for this theater is this, advertised as the Colony Theater in 1921. Listed in the city directory as the Waverly Theater in 1924. And listed in a neighborhood theater ad in 1940 as the Fortieth Street Theater. In 1921 and 1924, the address is given as:
1856 N 40th St
East St Louis, IL 62204
In the 1940 the address is:
4000 Waverly Ave
East St Louis, IL 62204
Maybe the theater was remodeled and the entrance was moved.
While doing an address search for this theater, I found a Colony Theater located at 4506 Forest Blvd in East St Louis, IL. Under category it reads “Converted three-screen movie theater showing adult videos”. I don’t know if there is any connection between these two theaters.