Chief Theater
21 E. Pike's Peak Avenue,
Colorado Springs,
CO
80903
21 E. Pike's Peak Avenue,
Colorado Springs,
CO
80903
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
I found the following in the Colorado Springs Gazette:
“The Burns Theatre held on to live entertainment a decade longer than the opera house, becoming a movie theater in 1928. Renamed the Chief Theatre in 1933, the majestic building remained a landmark in downtown Colorado Springs for the next 40 years”.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999
Chief Theatre (added 1999 – Building – #73002258)
Also known as The Burns Building & Theater
21 ½ E. Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Douglas & Heatherington, Troop & Schaaf
Architectural Style: Romanesque
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Business, Financial Institution, Specialty Store, Theater
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 1791 style F 3M was installed in the Burns Opera House (Burns) (Chief) Theater on 11/22/1927. Status: sold.
I remember going to the Chief in the late 40’s and seeing “Rosanna McCoy”. I was about 9 or 10 years old. My dad was in the Army reserves at Camp Carson and we were in Colorado for two weeks (from California). I guess it’s now Fort Carson.
The Wurlitzer theatre organ was lovely moved to the City Auditorium (Just down the street) where it is used often and with much success.
Here is a March 1972 ad from the Colorado Springs Gazette:
http://tinyurl.com/mfykyf
Here is a photo circa 1950s:
http://tinyurl.com/n4lsw2
This was in Boxoffice magazine, December 1951:
COLORADO SPRINGS-Sid Cox, assistant manager of the Chief for the past year, has been named manager of the 8th Street Drive-In, succeeding Ed Kelly, who has been transferred to Pueblo by Westland Theaters Co. Cos started his career as an usher at the Chief.
You must like this theater.
I believe that it stopped showing movies in 1972.