Zelda Theatre
309 W. Superior Street,
Duluth,
MN
55802
309 W. Superior Street,
Duluth,
MN
55802
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An early downtown Duluth cinema.
Contributed by
Kirk J. Besse
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Opened in 1920 closed in 1925, operated by Finklestein Theatres.
Here is a 1919 picture of the Zelda Theatre:
http://tinyurl.com/2e9qe53
I am wondering about the comment made by chuck1231 regarding who operated the Zelda Theatre and I am not aware of Finklestein Theatres.My grandfather,William Abrahamson built the theatre,it was named after one of his daughters named Zelda and he owned I believe 2 others.
The company, which dominated much of Minnesota in 1920s was F&R which stood for Finkelstein & Ruben.
I don’t know the source of Chuck’s information, but it probably dates from several years after the Zelda Theatre opened. A 1926 issue of The Film Daily made a reference to “…the late Bill Abrahamson at the Zelda, Duluth….” so F&R probably took over the house after he died; although another Film Daily item from 1926 mentioned a Gus Carlson as operator of the Zelda. He could have been an independent operator, or a manager for F&R.
I’ve found a couple of other mentions of W. M. Abrahamson in publications from the 1910s. A biennial report of the Minnesota treasurer’s office said that the office had received a fifty dollar incorporation fee from the W. M. Abrahamson Theater Co. on February 17, 1913. The 1913-1914 edition of Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide listed a 1200-seat, ground floor vaudeville and picture theater in Duluth called the Empress, with W. M. Abrahamson as manager.