Missouri Theater

Correct address of the theatre was 626 N. Grand. The 634 address was that of the office building.

That is correct. The attraction was a Grand Ole Opry show with Roy Acoff, Kitty Wells, Johnnie and Jack, Pop and his Jug Band, Smoky Mountain Boys, Tennessee Mountain Boys, and “Extra Added: Sensational New Star” Elvis Presley. Two shows the nights of the 21st and 22nd, three on the 23rd. Admission: 75-cents in advance; $1.00 at the door. Kids 25-cents.

The first console of the Missouri died in a fire due to a careless smoker. The 2nd console along with a new expanded unification relay took it’s place and made the organ noteworthy. In 1954 the console was purchased by Harvey Heck and made it part of the Graumann’s Egyptian Theatre Wurlitzer that he owned. In 1972 it became part of Bill Brown’s Wurlitzer in the first “Organ Stop Pizza”. In 1987 the restaraunt closed , organ removed and was sold to Jim and Sherrie Krughoff in Downers Grove, IL and Dave Junchen restored it and it is now part of the Krughoff Residence Wurlitzer since Aug. 5, 1989 when it was formally dedicated.
jgrebe

I would appreciate anyone who could send me a photo of the now demolished Missouri Theatre that was located on Grand Ave., in St. Louis, MO. One of my Ancestors, Adeline Rotty was one of the original Missouri Rockets. After she graduated from Harris Teachers College she won a scholarship to study in New York City. She was most noted for training and bringing to New York six dancers from St. Louis, MO., known as the Missouri Rockets, who were the forerunners of the famous Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall. Her routine of the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” is still done today. She was also the choreographer for the Marx Brother’s show, “Animal Crackers”. She lived to be 100 and died on March 10, 1997, in Wilbraham, Mass. My e-mail address is

I have been asked to get involved with a sign and marquee restoration at the Missouri Theater. The new sign must match the design and theme of the original sign and marquee.

Can someone help me find good photos of this?

Interior shots are available on postcards which, on occasion, can be found on eBay.

In the midtown Grand Center area were the Fox, Princess, New Grand Central, Misourri, Empress, St. Louis and the Vicoria all with 6 blocks of each other. Some were and some did double duty,
James Grebe

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The Wurlitzer TO in the Missouri was installed in 3/27/21 and was a model 285 Wurlitzer (4m/32r). Due to its success, the organ was enlarged on 1/15/27. This was the biggest Wurli in town till the Fox. When the theatre closed not enough time and money left to pull everything out before demolition and instead the blower of the organ was left in the basement, covered with a tarp and the theatre was torn down over it. It must be still below the pavement in the parking lot. The Baldwin piano that was on the stage was a model H Baldwin (6') and was orginally white. When the theatre closed the piano was purchased by Merkel Piano Co. The white was stripped and underneatth was grey primer. It was covered with cigarette burn and mars. There is a pic in Mary Bagleys book of the piano on stage. The piano now sits in a condimineum in Chesterfield owner is a private party.
JamesGrebe

The organ model that is at the Fox has always been called the
“Crawford Special”, although Crawford himself may have had nothing to do with its design. If you had read the information you used from that web site, you would realize this. Also if you had ever read the book about the St. Louis Fox, it also calls the Fox’s Wurlitzer a “Crawford Special”. If you had done YOUR research you would have realized that this name comes from the fact that the first of the model was located at the Paramount Theater in New York where Crawford played, and the “Crawford Special” name was applied to the 4 other organs of that type.

Mr. Van Bibber is not even remotely correct about the Missouri Rockets. He fails to give credit to the person who formed the troup, Russell Market. The history of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes begins at the Missouri Theater. Eventually, Markert’s Rockets caught the eye of Samuel L. (Roxy) Rothapfel and they moved to New York City to appear at the Roxy Theater as the Roxyettes, beginning in March 1927.

Russell Markert and Roxyettes were lured away by Roxy when he moved eastward along 50th Street to open the Radio City Muisc Hall on December 27, 1932. In the beginning at the Music Hall, they were known as the Radio City Music Hall Roxyettes. But when Roxy was eventually fired as Director of the Music Hall and the Center (nee RKO Roxy) Theater, the Roxyettes' name was changed to Rockettes in 1934, the name being influenced by the Rockefeller name.

Sources of this information include:

Ben M. Hall, The Best Remaining Seats
Daniel Okrent, Great Fortune
Gail G. Hannah, Radio City Music Hall: A Legend Is Reborn (This is a booklet that was produced by Radio City Entertainment on the restoration of the Music Hall.)

I trust that this information gives correct and factual information about the Missouri Rockets.

You are right JAlex, Skouras Brothers did not build the St. Louis Theatre. Also, Charles if you read through the comments above, you do not mention that the Rocket Girls became the Rockettes. All you say is that they moved on to the Roxy theater.

The Missouri Rocket Girls would go on to become the even more famouse Radia City Rockettes.