Paramount Theatre

212 N. 3rd Street,
Bismarck, ND 58501

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Finkelstein & Ruben, Paramount-Publix

Architects: Jack J. Liebenberg

Firms: Liebenberg and Kaplan

Previous Names: Eltinge Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Paramount Theatre

Originally opened as the Eltinge Theatre on February 9, 1920 with “The Miracle Man”. It was operated by the Finkelstein & Ruben chain. They were taken over by Publix in 1929. It was remodeled to the plans of architectural firm Liebenberg & Kaplan and became the Paramount Theatre on October 4, 1929, just three weeks before the stock market crash that precipitated the Great Depression. It was still open in 1937, but had closed by 1938.

Contributed by Ken McIntyre

Recent comments (view all 7 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 15, 2008 at 7:10 am

The Paramount was located in the 200 block of 3rd Street.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 23, 2010 at 2:19 am

Chuck, can you find any listings from the 1930s or later for either a State Theatre or a Capitol Theatre in Bismarck? Those two and the Bismarck are the only theaters in the town that are mentioned in Boxoffice during the 1930s and 1940s.

I’m wondering if the State might have been the Paramount renamed (the Capitol was an older theater on Main Avenue and had only 300 seats.) After being mentioned three times in Movie Age in 1929, the Paramount vanishes, and the only explanation I can think of for a house built for a major chain vanishing from the magazine without a trace is that the name was changed. Had it been destroyed in some disaster I’m sure the magazine would have mentioned it.

I also came across two references to an Eltinge Theatre in Bismarck. It was having Gennett talking picture equipment installed according to Movie Age of June 8, 1929. A second reference to the Eltinge appeared in Boxoffice of October 28, 1950. I find this gap puzzling. The Eltinge then vanishes too.

Another mystery is a single-line item in Boxoffice of September 24, 1949, datelined Bismarck, N.D., saying “The new Krieger Theatre has been opened here by Frederic and Albert Krieger.” Neither the theater nor the Kriegers ever get mentioned again.

By 1954, Boxoffice is making reference to the Bismarck and the Dakota as the town’s only indoor theaters, though a 1956 item said that the Capitol was being reopened following extensive remodeling. There’s never a hint of what became of the State or the mysterious Eltinge or Krieger theaters.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 24, 2010 at 12:10 am

Thanks. Somehow I missed the Dakota Stage Playhouse page.

Whet the help of the name Gackle I found one more Boxoffice item mentioning the Krieger Theatre, in 1964 when Albert Krieger joined a regional association of theater operators. Boxoffice must have misplaced the theater in the earlier item.

Heh. Gackle.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on July 2, 2014 at 9:50 pm

This theatre was the Eltinge Theatre prior to the Paramount name.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 12, 2017 at 10:42 am

This opened as Eltinge on February 9th, 1920 and reopened as Paramount on October 4th, 1929. Both grand opening ads in the photo section.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on May 25, 2022 at 8:04 pm

The Eltinge Theatre actually started life a week prior, on February 1, 1920 with Norma Talmadge in “A Daughter Of Two Worlds” with no sign of attraction listed.

As of the Eltinge, information about the theater goes as follows: The Eltinge’s proprietor was E.A. Hughes, and was operated by E.E. Vesperman. The interior of the main auditorium measures 61x98ft with the installation of green-colored leather seats which were placed 32 inches from back to back being in accordance with city ordinance in Minneapolis. Despite the original auditorium being small, the walls were dipped in ivory gray with blue and gold stripes with handwork decorations with painting done by Carl Olson who has also done art work with Harold Hiberg of Minneapolis. There is storage across the rear of the auditorium making them much more advantageous for motion picture patrons. The theater itself was fireproof and contains Motiograph 35mm projectors being installed by Vesperman himself. The restrooms were located at at the left of the foyer for both genders, as well as a drinking fountain between each door. Lastly, there is a conditioner tunnel running around the basement of the theater, which provided for safeguarding the health of patrons for weather usage.

The Eltinge was the first theater in Bismarck to have the installation of sound with Vitaphone, with “The Singing Fool” being the first sound film on April 29, 1929. But shortly right after sound installation, it was announced on September 16, 1929 that the Eltinge Theatre will become the Paramount Theatre, which it did.

Publix reopened the theater as the Paramount Theatre on October 4, 1929 with Evelyn Brent in “Fast Company”, along with the following: an intermission overture, a local merchant reel on the appreciation to the people all across Bismarck, a Paramount newsreel, a short with Ruth Etting in “Favorite Melodies”, and a Max Fleischer Screen Song cartoon “Daisy Bell” (the fifth of its series).

This actually closed as the Paramount in early 1938 in connection to the opening of the Bismarck Theatre a few buildings away.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on May 25, 2022 at 8:05 pm

This was never known as the State Theatre due to the State Theatre being located at a different area.

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