Lincoln Theatre
217-219 Eighth Street,
Cairo,
IL
62914
217-219 Eighth Street,
Cairo,
IL
62914
1 person
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This theater opened in 1917 as the Kimmel (replacing an earlier Kimmel Theatre [1911-1917] a few doors down Eighth Street). The theater was renamed the Jackson in 1932 and at the end of 1936, again renamed the Rodgers. Later in the 50s, the theater was once more renamed, this time as the Lincoln. It continued to operate until the late 60s. The building is now home to Cairo’s Elks club.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft & Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
The 1941, 1943, 1945, 1950 and 1951 Film Daily Yearbooks spell this as “Rodgers”. Does anyone know which spelling is the correct one?
Was this theater owned by the same person that owned the Rodgers Theater chain? This website mentions that “They also added to their operation a theater in Caruthersville, and four in Illinois, two in Cairo Ill., one in Anna and one in Carbondale. In 1921, the Rodgers moved their headquarters to Cairo and went there to make their home”.
Lost Memory, according to the 1951 Film Daily Yearbook list of active theater circuits at that time, Rodgers Theaters, Inc. was based in Cairo, IL still (230 Eighth Street), and lists C.W. Rodgers as President. Included in that chain at the time are 14 theaters:
ARKANSAS: Blytheville: Gem, Ritz, Roxy. ILLINOIS: Anna: Rodgers, Yale. Cairo: Gem, Lincoln. Carbondale: Rodgers, Varsity. MISSOURI: Caruthersville: Gem, Rodgers. Poplar Bluff: Criterion, Jewel, Rodgers.
The vertical signs of the former Lincoln Theatre (now an Elks club) and the Gem Theatre across the street can be seen in this photo.
I believe the Rodgers Theater became the Lincoln Theater when it became Cairo’s African American move theater after the Opera House closed in the 50’s.
Here is a 2004 view of the Elks club.
The Lincoln Theatre in Cairo was mentioned in Boxoffice of June 14, 1947. The Opera House had burned down on February 7 that same year. If the Rodgers became the Lincoln when it replaced the Opera House as the town’s African-American theater, then the name change must have taken place that year.
Boxoffice of October 26, 1957, reported that the Rodgers circuit had announced that their Lincoln Theatre at Cairo would be closed “…for an indefinite period.” I haven’t found any later mentions of the Lincoln in Boxoffice.
Thanks agin Joe.
In the photo above, the Lincoln is showing a movie released in 1948, which would seem to confirm that the Rodgers became the Lincoln in 1947.