Goldie's Best Little Opryhouse in Kentucky
418 Frederica Street,
Owensboro,
KY
42301
418 Frederica Street,
Owensboro,
KY
42301
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Built in 1912, the Theater that stands at 418 Frederica Street is now being bought by Theatre Workshop of Owensboro. It opened on October 29th 1912 as The Empress owned by George A. Bleich. One of the first Movie houses built in America, it had a 750 seats. Now a 350 seat theatre it is home to stage plays and Concerts put on by TWO. Theatre workshop is currently trying to raise money to finish the purchase but also to renovate and bring the building back to it’s glory. for info please visit theatreworkshop.org.
My April 2010 photo:
http://www.agilitynut.com/10/4/goldies.jpg
Tryed to look at their Offical Website its not there any more.
Quite a mouthfull of a name for this theatre.
I think that movies ended before 1988. The Goldies Opry House opened on 3, Sept. 1982, they celebrted their 25th anniversary in 2007. Also the header should have an AKA Empress as that was the theatre’s name when it opened in 1906
Currently listed for sale on E-Bay, opened as the Empress theatre with vaudeville, showed movies until around 1988
The “Encyclopedia” probably spelled the name wrong. There was a Bleich Theater located on Frederica Street in Owensboro, KY.
According to Bowers' “Encyclopedia” page 551, there was a “Bleach” [sic] theatre in Owensboro equipped with a Reproduco organ made by the Operators Piano Co. I could not find a page for the Bleach, so I am putting this here for the time being.
This is the Frederica Street Malco. The first one, on W. 3rd Street, was razed many years ago. This Malco was one of four movie theatres (others included the Strand and Bleich) in downtown Owensboro during the 40s, 50s & 60s. It retained its name on top of the marquee for many years after closing as a movie theatre, but now is known as “Goldie’s.” To add to the confusion, the towns last remaining operating movie theatre is called…the Malco. It’s a fairly new megaplex. If I can figure out how it’s done, I’ll post a photo at photobucket.
The Malco Theatre is listed in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 500. In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. is has a seating capacity given as 756 and is operated by Paramount Pictures Inc through their subsidiary M.A. Lightman.
The 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook has the Malco Theatre, 418 Frederica Street with a seating capacity of 720. Also listed in this edition of F.D.Y. is a New Malco Theatre, 118 W. 3rd Street that has a seating capacity of 552.
Fair enough. Hopefully we can keep to a minimum the number of new additions that are blatant advertisements.
According to this site ,“this 1906 theater, which showcased vaudeville in the days before films, has become Goldie’s Best Little Opryhouse in Kentucky”. I guess it was a movie theater at one time.
Do you show films? Has this venue ever been a movie theater?