Will Rogers Theatre
705-715 Monroe Avenue,
Charleston,
IL
61920
705-715 Monroe Avenue,
Charleston,
IL
61920
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 26 comments found
My family has been to the Will Rogers Theater many times, back to when my husband and I were in college… back to when the management would post a note to remind the college kids that in the wintertime there may or may not be heat. It didn’t stop us from taking in the movies offered. My kids grew up watching movies there… after they split the theater (side by side for the Life’s too Short and yes, at one time it did have a balcony) they put semi-new seats in and upgraded the sound. The seating was still retched, lol, you had to look over people’s shoulders… but they had the best popcorn of all the movie theaters in central Illinois, and the kids that operated the counter were great and so was the management who would greet people who were regulars (like our family apparently). I was sorry to see AMC closed it’s doors and frankly, though the theater needed work, I didn’t understand it, it was packed every weekend.
Please check out the new web site for the Will Rogers Theatre in Charleston IL The Theatre is in restoration.
www.WillRogersCharleston.com
A few short comments about the Will Rogers Theater: I didn’t come to Charleston, Illinois until later in adulthood but my family lives in a historical neighborhood within easy walking distance of The Square where the Will Rogers is located (just off). We thoroughly enjoyed walking from home down to Roc’s, a historical bar and BBQ joint on The Square for BBQ with a colorful history, then after dinner walking on down to Will Rogers for a movie. A delightful way to spend an evening. We always found the Will Rogers to be clean and comfortable but with an increasingly “neglected” look as time went on. Current movies were shown there at reduced rates, a great bargain. Then AMC bought it from Kerasotes and pretty quickly closed it. Last year the local newspaper reported that a couple had bought it with intentions of renovating/restoring it. They brought in a huge dumpster and there seemed to be some kind of work going on. Then the dumpster disappeared, work stopped and no further word on when or what is happening there for going on a year now. Final comment is that AMC was bought out last year by a Chinese group who bought up all the American AMC theaters. So the major movie theater chain in the U.S. is now China-owned.
Some additional information about the designation with pictures: View link.
Named recently to a list of the most endangered historical sites in Illinois: View link.
I talked to a person who lives at Charleston today. She told me she stop going to the Will Rogers, though she lives close to the theater. As many of the seats were broken, sound was poor quality. The theater wasn’t in good shape. I don’t know if it was Kerasotes or it was AMC decision to let this theater become in bad shape. Causing the theater to lose customers. This use to be a great theater, with quality sound & seats in great shape. It’s sad that this great theater was let to get in this condition. I hope some person or group will save this theater & do the repairs needed to bring this theater back to the great theater it was.
That’s too bad. It was a really nice-looking room.
Or orchestra/balcony?
When it was divided, did they go left and right or front and back?
I was shocked when I read today that the Will Rogers Theater had been closed by AMC. AMC seems to have been busy closing several theaters that they had bought from Kerasotes. I wonder how long it will be before the AMC Paris Theater, Paris, Illinois is closed by AMC for the same reason it has closed other theaters. At one time the former owner of the Star Dust Drive-In Theater at Charleston, Illinois try to buy the Will Rogers theater from Kerasotes. Charleston being a college town, I wouldn’t be surprise some else will try to reopen the Will Rogers Theater, unless AMC has it in writing it can’t be used as a movie theater when sold.
It seems odd, theater that Kerasotes operted for years was making money. AMC buys the theaters then closes them.
My uncle lives in this town but I don’t know if he ever went to this theater.
This theater has been closed by AMC: View link
I was told i am a very distant relative.
Thanks to those providing photos. I grew up in a town about 15 miles from Charleston, during the 1960’s and 70’s, and went to many movies at the Will Rogers Theatre. I did not know that it is on the National Register of Historic Places, and am very glad to learn that it is. It is certainly a beautiful example of Art Deco style, and those aspects appear to be well-preserved. My grandfather had worked very briefly with Rogers, and I grew up keenly aware of how beloved by many, Rogers was. I would always stop and look at the large photo of him in the lobby (although I remember the photo being larger, from floor to ceiling—-I hope this is not an example of always remembering childhood things as being larger than they are actually are!). Anyway, thank you for bringing back some good memories.
2010 photo of the Will Rogers Theatre.
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2009 photos of the Will Rogers Theatre.
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This is the National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the Will Rogers Theater.
Here are more 1983 photos including some of the interior:
Photo1
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Here are some 1983 photos. The city is misidentified as Champaign in the first photo.
http://tinyurl.com/cnfuh2
http://tinyurl.com/d7qddr
Here is another recent photo of the Will Rogers Theater.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984
Will Rogers Theatre and Commercial Block (added 1984 – Building – #84001066)
705-715 Monroe Ave., Charleston
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Kennedy,Roy M., multiple
Architectural Style: Art Deco
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Specialty Store, Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Specialty Store, Theater
This is a recent photo of the Will Rogers Theater.
You can read the entire nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places if you want. It lists this theater as being built in 1935 but not opening until Feb of 1938. You need the Adobe reader installed on your computer to read this:
http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/hargis/PDFs/201501.pdf
This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 1/12/1984. The report and some 1983 photos are here:
View link
The Gregg Toland Day Festival is September 25, 2004. The festivities include free showings of “Citizen Kane” and Wuthering Heights" at the Will Rogers as well as art vendors, live period music, children’s activities, walking tours, and an exhibit on Toland and his family roots. In conjunction with the festival, there will also be an academic symposium on September 24-25, 2004. For details, please use www.greggtolandday.com