Blackstone Theatre
110 W. Main Street,
Dwight,
IL
60420
110 W. Main Street,
Dwight,
IL
60420
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Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Architect Benjamin Howard Marshall (b May 5, 1874, Chicago; d June 19, 1944, Chicago) designed the Blackstone theater, Drake Hotel, and Edgewater Beach Apartments.
Another website also shows that architect Benjamin Marshall designed a Blackstone theater. Only problem is, that site claims that the Blackstone theater that Marshall designed was located in Chicago. Unless someone knows for sure, I wouldn’t use Benjamin Marshall’s name as architect of this theater.
Lost Memory, the Blackstone Theatre (today called the Merle Reskin Theatre) in Chicago is the one designed by Marshall & Fox. I don’t have any information on the former Blackstone Theatre in Dwight, Illinois.
Thanks Bryan. I had a feeling that Benjamin Marshall didn’t design this Blackstone theater. There is a small photo of this theater on that “other” theater website, Cinema-something.
Now age 71, I was raised in Dwight, Illinois and worked for the Blackstone Theater on West Main Street for three years, 1951 – 1954, including as second projectionist. From my 1953 IRS withholding statement, this theater was owned by Arthur B. & Leigh McCollum, McCollum Theater Circuit, 510 Willdon Bldg., Hoopeston, Illinois. You list theater seating as 500 but I remember seating closer to 450 including a balcony. We ran four different movies a week, Sunday/Monday, Tuesday/Wednesday, Thursday/Friday, and Saturday. Sunday 2 – 11 PM, Monday through Saturday, twice from 7 PM, and a single Saturday afternoon showing at 2 PM. A money giveaway drawing
“buck night) was every Wednesday between the two showings. Cooling used cold well water. Heating used steam from the central West Main Street heating plant that also serviced the adjacent Veteran’s Hospital. During my employment, the local managers were Mr/Mrs Calvin. Mr. Calvin died in Dwight in September, 1954. The local First National Bank drive-through lane and parking lot now occupies this real estate. John Van Dyke, Tallahassee, FL.
According to the 1951 Film Daily Yearbook, in addition to the Blackstone in Dwight, the other eight theaters in the McCollum Theater Circuit were the Clintonia and Kay in Clinton, the Central in Fairbury, the Lorraine and Princess in Hoopeston, the Paxton in Paxton and the Bon-Air and Watseka in Watseka. At the time, the General Manager was A.J. Nelson, and the company address the same as what Mr. Van Dyke provided in his interesting description above.
The marquee from the Blackstone Theater is now located on the building in this photo.