Dakota Theatre
1067 Main Street,
Sturgis,
SD
57785
1067 Main Street,
Sturgis,
SD
57785
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From July 2010 a photo of the Dakota Theatre building in Sturgis.
Joe, the only thing that I found on the Majestic Theatre was the 298 seat Majestic Theatre owned by Black Hills Amusement Co. closed in 1950 when the new Dakota Theatre opened.
The Dakota was under construction in 1950 when the March 25 issue of Boxoffice reported that the walls and roof had been completed and the heating plant installed. I haven’t found any announcement of the opening, but it probably came that year.
The Majestic was quite old, and was listed in a 1909 business directory.
The Majestic was being rebuilt in 1929, according to the the April 13 issue of Movie Age. 150 seats were to be added to the 500-seat house. I haven’t found the Majestic mentioned later than 1929, nor any other theater in Sturgis until the Dakota was being built. It could be that the Majestic operated until the Dakota opened, perhaps under a different name. It seems unlikely that a town of Sturgis’s size would have been without a movie theater for any length of time between 1929 and 1950, but about as unlikely that it would have supported two theaters at any one time.
A postcard showing the Majestic was sold on E-bay some time ago. Unfortunately even the Google cache of the listing appears to be gone, so no details from the listing page are available.
It’s difficult to research Sturgis because it is one of four towns of that name, and the other three were mentioned in Boxoffice far more frequently than the one in South Dakota.
The Dakota was opened by Black Hills Amusement Co. in the early-1950’s thru 1975 and then by Gattschalk Theatres until closing in 1985. There was also a Majestic Theatre in Sturgis, does anyone have any info on the Majestic?
Building Still Standing but vacant
Address:
1067 Main St.
Stugis, SD. 57785
This is a March 1957 schedule for the Dakota Theater.