Lincoln Theatre

217-219 8th Street,
Cairo, IL 62914

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Showing 4 comments

bbrown1
bbrown1 on August 28, 2011 at 2:42 am

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.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on May 8, 2010 at 8:51 pm

Thanks agin Joe.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 8, 2010 at 10:14 am

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.

bbrown1
bbrown1 on August 23, 2007 at 4:16 am

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.