Roxy Cinemas
827 LaSalle Street,
Ottawa,
IL
61350
827 LaSalle Street,
Ottawa,
IL
61350
3 people
favorited this theater
Originally opened around 1910 as the Gayety Theatre, a vaudeville house, the theater later was renamed the Roxy and became a movie theater.
When GKC took over the Roxy in the mid-1980’s, the chain twinned the theater. A few years later, four more screens were added when a new addition was built next to the old building.
Now part of the 21st Century Cinemas chain, the Roxy Cinemas continues to feature first-run films.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
This is a recent photo of the R_XY at night.
A Marr & Colton theater organ was installed in the Roxy Theater in Ottawa, IL in 1927.
Operated by 21st Century Cinemas, the address for the Roxy Cinemas should be 827 La Salle Street.
Here is another photo of the Roxy.
The Roxy in Ottawa, was originally the Gayety and was a vaudeville house. It was an art showcase with six large paintings by Isabelle Sanders, an OTHS teacher, who was also an artist. They were of Starved Rock and other areas. My mom played the organ there during the silent era and at the Orphuem, too. I once helped her install new curtains, as she was an interior decorator, and was hired to do so. In the late 40s, shows ran Sun-Tue, then a double on wed with dish night, and then Thur -Sat. If the projectionist missed his cue, we would all stomp and clap until movie came back on. The Roxy greeted 3D with Bwana Devil and Cinemascope with the Robe. IT also featured the first push back rocking seats. The box office was out front on the sidewalk, and the original marquee hung over the walk and there was also an upright sign. For years, it was An Alliance Theater.
Here is a 1985 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c4c2qj
1985 Night Photo
Here are a couple of my recent pictures of the Roxy:
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I remember and dearly loved Isabelle Sanders' paintings that were in the Roxy. arnie P, do you have any idea what happened to them? Please contact me…
According to this 2010 article from the Ottawa Times, the Gayety Theater was heavily damaged in a blaze in December 1930 that began in a next door beauty salon. The theater was remodeled in Spanish atmospheric style and reopened in September 1931 as the Roxy.