Plaza Theatre
518 N. Main Street,
Oshkosh,
WI
54901
518 N. Main Street,
Oshkosh,
WI
54901
3 people
favorited this theater
The Fischer Theatre was opened on November 23, 1927 with the world premiere of “On Your Toes” starring Reginald Denny. It was built and operated by Fisher-Paramount Theatres. ‘Singing’ organist Harry Wagner played the Barton organ. By 1930 it had been renamed Strand Theatre and was later taken over by Standard Theaters Management Corp. It was renamed Raulf Theatre in December 1952 under Marcus Theatres, and was finally renamed Plaza Theatre in 1968.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
It was the Raulf in 1963 as part of Marcus Theaters.
(May 17, 1937)
FORMER OSHKOSH THEATER MANAGER BEATEN BY THREE
Kenosha, Wis. â€" William Exton, theater manager, reported to Kenosha police today that three stranded actors, two women and a man, whom he was “giving a lift” to Chicago, beat him up and drove away with his car four miles south wf Waukegan. Chicago police found the car abandoned.
Exton reported that the trio had thrown him in a ditch. He hitched a ride back to Kenosha on a truck. (Mr. Exton. victim of the incident in the story from Kenosha, is a former Oshkosh man, having served as manager of the Strand theater about two and a half years ago.)
(The Daily Northwestern, Friday, November 18, 1927)
MAKE PLANS FOR THEATER OPENING
Officials of Raulf and Fischer Companies Visit Oshkosh to Arrange Details
With but a few days remaining before the opening of the beautiful new Fischer theater, officials of the Raulf company, the architectural firm and the theatrical company paid a visit to Oshkosh Thursday, to arrange the final details. Included in the party were Charles Raulf, Frank Fischer and Clarence Keller.
They declared that the progress on the theater had been even more rapid than they had expected and that there is not the slightest doubt as to the theater opening at the scheduled time.
So sure are the workmen, employed in putting in the finishing details at the building, that thousands of dollars have been wagered by them that tne theater will be completed in time for the formal opening.
SHOW FIRST BELEASE.
Mr. Fischer declared that arrangements have been made with Carl Laemmle, former Oshkosh man, now head of the Universal Pictures corporation, so that a picture just being completed at Universal City will be rushed to Oshkosh for the opening. The picture, he stated, is now in the cutting room at the studio and will be sent to Milwaukee by airplane, arriving there Monday. It will be exhibited in no other city prior to its showing in Oshkosh, and, in fact, will be seen here thirty days before it is released to any other theater, he declared. This was made possible only because of Mr. Laemmle’s interest in his “old home town.”
Work on the interior of the theater is being pushed rapidly and already the show house has taken on the beautiful appearance that will greet the theatergoers at the opening next Wednesday.
INSTALL SEATS.
The placing of the seats is also being accomplished in a rapid manner. While much is to be done before the doors will be thrown open Wednesday, day and evening shifts will work every day until next week.
The interior throughout promises to be one of beauty and attractive with its brilliant coloring and atmospheric effects, and Oshkosh citizens are looking forward to the opportunity of visiting the new motion picture palace with a considerable amount of interest.
7-page Grand opening ad as Fischer from November 23rd, 1927 can been seen at http://en.calameo.com/books/000247928b6caf6f14f30
December 24th, 1952 ad (ad Raulf) is at View link
1968 plaza theatre logo is at View link
The grand opening ad Mike Rivest linked to says that the Fischer Theatre was designed by the Milwaukee architectural firm Chas. J. Keller & Son.
Frank W. Fischer’s circuit was a regional affiliate of Paramount Pictures, Fischer-Paramount Theatres.
The style of the theater was Spanish-Atmospheric.
We need to find a modern address for the Plaza Theatre. Oshkosh renumbered the lots on Main Street in 1957, and the former 200 block became the modern 500 block. The address of The Magnet, a billiard parlor across the street from the former entrance of The Plaza, is 519 N. Main. The address of Mainview Apartments, which appears the be the former entrance to the Raulf Hotel, is 530 N. Main. I would guess that the theater entrance, which was at the south end of the hotel’s frontage, was approximately at modern address 518 N. Main.
Street View needs to be reset, too. It currently shows the Time Theatre, in the modern 400 block of Main Street.
A website on downtown Oshkosh states that is became the Strand in 1930,Raulf 1953 and Plaza 1968 and was demolished in 1979.The site is now occupied by Mainview Apartments.
I don’t think the auditorium building was actually demolished. It appears to have been gutted and filled with floors, and windows were punched in the side walls. If you move Street View three clicks south, you can see the side of the building across the parking lot. Even the stage house is still standing.