Paramount Theatre
1114 Main Street,
Kansas City,
MO
64105
1114 Main Street,
Kansas City,
MO
64105
1 person
favorited this theater
Located in downtown Kansas City, this theater was formerly known as the Newman Theatre when it opened in June 1919. It originally had an Austin pipe organ and later in 1925 this was replaced by a Wurlitzer style 260. A 3 Manual 15 Rank organ with real 32ft Diaphones. The organ is currently in a private home in Zanesville, Ohio.
In the 1940’s it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. and was re-named Paramount Theatre after 1945. From 1969, it was briefly known as the Towne Theatre after it had been converted into a 4-screen cinema.
It was torn down in 1972.
Contributed by
William Hamilton, Robert Maes
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Recent comments (view all 25 comments)
Here is a 1925 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/l8h67u
Just curious, shouldn’t this theatre be listed as the Towne Theatre aka Newman, Paramount. The Toene was the last name the theatre had before its closing. Don’t we usually list them with the last known name and then aka’s?
Vintage shot from the J.K. Redmond archives -
View link
Here is a Boxoffice ad featuring the Paramount in June 1952. I have never heard of this film.
http://tinyurl.com/ycu9zml
“3 For Bedroom C” Warner Brothers, released June 26, 1952.
From the 1920s a postcard view of $2,000,000.00 Newman Theatre in Kansas City.
Thanks for posting the photo Don.
Here’s a full page of photos on the 1939 world premiere of Paramount’s Bob Burns comedy, “I’m From Missouri,” at the Newman Theatre: boxofficemagazine
Gloria Swanson’s first and only movie in the Natural Color process played its world premiere engagement here in 1952: boxoffice
I worked at the Paramount in 1965 abd early 66. The wonderful secrets that builting had especially behind the screen on the old stage. It was a large performing arts stage and much of the organ pipes and effects were still there. No one knew that the organ was downstairs on a lift until the theater was demolished. There was a grand piano, drums and a harp behind the screen sitting to the side of the stage. Also, we went into the ceiling where you could see the equipment to lower the beautiful lights for cleaning. A very young Thomas Hart Benton painted most of the murals that were pricesly and simply demolished. No one cared, not even the so called Landmarks Commission. Stan Durwood knew about them when he had it converted to the Towne IV and was careful to not destroy them but cover them up. I doubt that he woudl see that theater demolish 4.5 years later for one of the uglist buildings in downtown KC. The Roxy went too and could have been a wonderful playhouse incorporated into the City Center Project. No vision aat that time.