Chief Theatre

Jeanette Shoeneman opened the Chief Theatre just a block away from the long-running former Rex Theatre turned Wahoo Theatre on October 18, 1947. She ran a two-theatre town until closing the Wahoo Theatre in 1959 at the end of a 30-year leasing cycle.

The Chief Theatre continued until running into declining audiences in the late-1970’s. Operator James Yates raised box office fortunes and eyebrows late in 1981 showing X-rated films on weekdays with mainstream fare continuing on weekends. Controversy including a segment on the nationally-syndicated “Entertainment Tonight” TV show led to the closure of the Chief Theatre on January 12, 1982. That effectively ended the operation after about 35 years.

In 1986, the building became a short-lived repertory house showing classic films from the 1930’s and 1940’s. That failed quickly and the building was retrofitted for other retail purposes.

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