Chief Theater

21 E. Pike's Peak Avenue,
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Unfavorite 2 people favorited this theater

Showing all 12 comments

SamBrown
SamBrown on February 28, 2012 at 10:25 am

I went there often in the 60s then in the 70s urban renewal wanted everything modern in the springs so they said the building was unsafe so they tor it down and believe it the put up a parking lot

rivest266
rivest266 on August 17, 2011 at 9:10 am

I believe that it stopped showing movies in 1972.

lostmemory
lostmemory on July 12, 2009 at 1:01 pm

You must like this theater.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 12, 2009 at 12:57 pm

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.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 1, 2009 at 10:50 pm

Here is a photo circa 1950s:
http://tinyurl.com/n4lsw2

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on June 16, 2009 at 10:09 pm

Here is a March 1972 ad from the Colorado Springs Gazette:
http://tinyurl.com/mfykyf

Wurlitzer1773
Wurlitzer1773 on October 20, 2008 at 5:01 pm

The Wurlitzer theatre organ was lovely moved to the City Auditorium (Just down the street) where it is used often and with much success.

Irene225
Irene225 on June 10, 2008 at 5:41 pm

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.

lostmemory
lostmemory on October 27, 2007 at 10:36 am

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.

lostmemory
lostmemory on January 13, 2007 at 5:29 am

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

lostmemory
lostmemory on January 12, 2007 at 2:39 pm

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”.

KenRoe
KenRoe on January 12, 2007 at 1:48 pm

Listed in Film Daily Yearbooks from at least 1941 thru 1950 and beyond.