Lans Theatre
401 Main Street,
Lansing,
IA
52151
401 Main Street,
Lansing,
IA
52151
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The Blackhawk Theatre is listed as operating since at least 1941. Still operating as the Blackhawk Theatre in 1950, this long gone theatre was located at Main & South 4th Street in the main business section of Lansing.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
I think the Blackhawk and the Lans are two different theaters. The 1955 Film Daily lists a 324 seat Blackhawk Theater and a 340 seat Lans Theater. No address given for either theater. The Lans Theater must have opened in the 1950s.
It was probably a name change, and Film Daily just didn’t get around to purging their list of the old name. Lansing had a population of about 1500, and probably wouldn’t have supported two theaters.
The October 2, 1948, issue of Boxoffice says that M.W. Long had bought the Black hawk Theatre in Lansing, Iowa.
A brief item in the January 15, 1949, issue of Boxoffice says that the Lans Theatre in Lansing was having a new marquee installed. No operator’s name was given, but after that, through the 1950s and as late as 1968, M.W. Long often wrote capsule movie reviews for Boxoffice, and was always listed as the operator of the Lans Theatre.
My guess would be that Long put a new marquee on the Black Hawk and, since signage for four letters cost less than for nine letters, he changed the name.
It’s possible but it’s unusual that the Film Daily would list the same theater under two names with different seat counts. If they are listed together, normally the newer one doesn’t have a seat count.
Here is something else to add to the mystery. An Iowa history website lists a Blackhawk Theater aka Lans Theater at 401 Main Street. They also list a Blackhawk Theater/Beck Hotel at 390 Main Street. Both in Lansing, Iowa.
The 1948 item about the sale to M.W. Long is the only mention of the Black Hawk (as Boxoffice spelled it) I’ve found in the magazine.
The classified ad section of the March 4, 1974, issue of Boxoffice advertises a nameless, 300-seat theater in Lansing, Iowa, for sale, at $17,000.
The last mention of Lansing I’ve found in Boxoffice is this ad from the October 21, 1974, issue: “WANTED TO BUY: Theatre in Iowa. Indoor or indoor-outdoor combo. Prefer community size 7,000 to 10,000. Gene Mueller, Lansing, Iowa”
Wow, if I had known there would be this much confusion I wouldn’t have listed this theatre. LM, I just found that listing that you mentioned of the Blackhawk(Beck Hotel) and the different address. I couldn’t find anything else on it though.
Keep adding those theaters Chuck, I enjoy some confusion. It keeps things from becoming boring. Two different Blackhawk Theaters could explain why the 1955 Film Daily lists both the Blackhawk and the Lans at the same time. One possible scenario would have M.W. Long purchasing the Blackhawk Theater and changing the name to the Lans Theater because another Blackhawk Theater was going to open around that time. Maybe it was being opened by the former owner of the first Blackhawk Theater. The Blackhawk might have been sold to M.W. Long but the name couldn’t be used. Without more information, I can only guess at why both theaters were listed at the same time.
This article is from the Cedar Rapids Gazette in April 1961. There is an accompanying photo of “the old Lansing Theater” on Main Street. This could have been a typo, or an alternate name for the Lans.
In Lansing a group of citizens has already incorporated as Medical Offices, Inc. The group is capitalized at $75,000 and plans to sell $50 shares of stock. The group, headed by Ben Spinner, has purchased the old theater building on Main street and is in the process of remodeling it. The downstairs will be used by the Interstate Power Co. The upstairs is intended to house 2 doctors and a dentist. Dr. F. S. Wilson is expected to occupy the dental office and Dr. John Thornton, one of the doctor’s offices. Now the group is looking for another doctor for the remaining office. Spinner said, “Rentals from the building will assure a sound financial base for running the building.” The project is expected to be done about May 1. Some 200 persons attended a public meeting Thursday evening in Lansing at which the project was explained and the sale of stock begun.