Belmont Theatre
5607 St. John Avenue,
Kansas City,
MO
64123
5607 St. John Avenue,
Kansas City,
MO
64123
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The Belmont Theatre opened in 1913 seating 506. The front facade was rather unique, with a terra cotta with different color stones protruding from the surface.
The theatre had a central entrance with the box office to the side. It had a large triangular-shaped marquee. About half way up the front on each side of the marquee there was a portico to protect the patrons from the rain or snow while in line.
The Belmont Theatre had a large lobby in a Moderne Deco style with bright carpeting. There were benches and couched that matched the carpeting. Three aisles led into the auditorium which was also decorated in a Art Deco style.
The Belmon Theatret outlasted a lot of the neighborhood houses in Kansas City but closed in 1969 and today houses a church.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The old Belmont Theater was never demolished. It has been a church since it closed as a movie theater. The front is all different, but the interior has not been changed all that much. From the balcony – there are steps going down the side walls to the stage area. The original theater seats are still there and have been redone.
Mike Gallagher
Was this theater ever called the St. John Theater?
The Belmont was a very early neighborhood house, dating back to around 1915. In 1925, there were plans afoot to remodel and expand it, but I don’t know if the project was carried out or not. In Google’s satellite views the building doesn’t look large enough to have accommodated the 1,800 seats that this item from the February 7, 1925, issue of The Reel Journal said it was to have:
I don’t seen any evidence of a “large and elaborately equipped stage” (there’s only a modest structure that looks almost like a lean-to) nor the high roof and emergency exits that a 600-seat balcony would require, so maybe Mr. Grogger’s Oklahoma oil wells didn’t produce as well as he had expected them to, and he couldn’t afford to carry out his ambitious expansion plans.Robb, the St John theater is up at 3608 St John – just a very small theater. The building is still there with “St John Theater” carved in the stone over the door. It is now used as the Della C Lamb community center. There is nothing posted here about it though.