Colton Theatre

The Crescent Theatre was constructed by Dr. Bretz in 1912 at the corner of 8th Street (now La Cadena Drive) and H Street in the Riley and Zempleberg Building. It was planned as a dual-purpose indoor theatre and airdome during the warm season. The theatre launched on December 17, 1912 with its named revealed as the Crescent Theatre.

New operators took on the theatre which was refreshed and rechristened as the Argonne Theatre on July 16, 1919 with the film, “Better Times”. Frank Buttolph took on the theatre and renamed it the Colton Theatre on April 14, 1922. The theatre was temporarily closed on January 15, 1930 and re-emerged as the New Colton Theatre on May 16, 1930 with “The Lost Zeppelin”. The New Colton Theatre had an RCA sound system for improved talkies, new chairs, projection, and screen. Within a year the New Colton Theatre changed its name to Colton Theatre. In 1938 construction work began on a ‘new’ Colton Theatre to replace the 26 years old theatre and the Colton Theatre closed February 1, 1939 with “Young Dr. Kildaire” and “A Christmas Carol”.

The New Colton Theatre launched on February 2, 1939 (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures).

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