Here is part of an article from the Decatur Daily Review dated 3/15/14:
The biggest deal in amusement circles ever brought off in Decatur was the sale of the Empress theater lease Saturday night to the F. and H. Amusement Company, incorporated, of which Marcus Heiman of Chicago is the manager. The deal was made through H.K. Oldham, who represented Charles G. Powers, and has been in progress for the past three or four weeks.
Rollin Mallory will manage the theater and Herbert George will remain as treasurer. All the old attaches of the theater, as well as the orchestra, will be retained. The new owners expect to make some extensive improvements in the theater and will keep the attractions up to a high standard. Frank Owens will retain his lease on the check room and candy privileges. His lease has three years from next August yet to run, and he has the privilege of renewing it for five more years at a value for rental to be fixed by disinterested parties.
A. Sigfreid stated: “The F. and H. company is a strong combination. They wanted the Empress theater because it is right in their territory, and they paid us a good price for it. They are building a new theater in Rockford and another in Champaign, and will also open a new theater in Terre Haute this year. They have two in Springfield, two in Champaign and one in Urbana, so this is on a direct route. I agreed to the sale because I am getting old, and to continue in the vaudeville business would, I believe, shorten my life ten years.â€
In addition to the Empress, the F. and H. Amusement company owns the
following theaters:
Chatterton opera house, Bloomington, Ill.
Walker opera house, Champaign, Ill.
Orpheum theater, Rockford, 111.
Majestic theater, Rockford, Ill.
Chatterton opera house, Springfield, Ill.
Majestic theater, Springfield, Ill.
Illinois theater, Urbana, Ill.
Orpheum theater, Green Bay, Wis.
Fuller opera house, Madison, Wis.
Orpheum theater. Madison, Wis.
Grand opera house, Oshkosh, Wis.
American theater, Davenport. la.
Majestic theater, Waterloo, Ia.
New Grand theater, Evansville, Ind.
Orpheum theater, Gary, Ind.
Orpheum theater, Michigan City, Ind.
Orpheum theater, South Bend, Ind.
Varieties theater, Terre Haute, Ind.
OPENING SEASON 1914-1916:
New Orpheum theater, Rockford, Ill.
New Varieties theater, Terre Haute, Ind.
Here is a blurb from the Englewood Economist in February 1915:
BONITA THEATER
Manager Frank Clifford has arranged an especially attractive list of selected pictures for the Bonita this week starting tonight, Monday, Feb. 15th, the program is as follows: “The Flower of Faith,” a fine 2 act Selig drama; “The Broken Circuit,” a thrilling drama of the rails, featuring Helen Holmes, also “Making Them Cough Up,” and “Bertha, the Button Hole Maker,” two laughable Biograph comedies.
Here is an August 1931 ad from the San Mateo Times:
http://tinyurl.com/nn7phj
Here is a November 1928 ad from the Daily Herald:
http://tinyurl.com/n9jtt5
Here is a March 1915 ad from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/m94fck
Here is a March 1915 ad from the Suburbanite Economist:
http://tinyurl.com/lgjy4l
Here is a March 1915 ad from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/n8v884
Here is a March 1915 ad from the Suburbanite Economist:
http://tinyurl.com/m9lbyz
Here is a December 1960 ad from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/kv4mfm
Here is a January 1915 ad from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/lqu3mc
I saw Rainman here in 1988.
Here is part of an article from the Decatur Daily Review dated 3/15/14:
The biggest deal in amusement circles ever brought off in Decatur was the sale of the Empress theater lease Saturday night to the F. and H. Amusement Company, incorporated, of which Marcus Heiman of Chicago is the manager. The deal was made through H.K. Oldham, who represented Charles G. Powers, and has been in progress for the past three or four weeks.
Rollin Mallory will manage the theater and Herbert George will remain as treasurer. All the old attaches of the theater, as well as the orchestra, will be retained. The new owners expect to make some extensive improvements in the theater and will keep the attractions up to a high standard. Frank Owens will retain his lease on the check room and candy privileges. His lease has three years from next August yet to run, and he has the privilege of renewing it for five more years at a value for rental to be fixed by disinterested parties.
A. Sigfreid stated: “The F. and H. company is a strong combination. They wanted the Empress theater because it is right in their territory, and they paid us a good price for it. They are building a new theater in Rockford and another in Champaign, and will also open a new theater in Terre Haute this year. They have two in Springfield, two in Champaign and one in Urbana, so this is on a direct route. I agreed to the sale because I am getting old, and to continue in the vaudeville business would, I believe, shorten my life ten years.â€
In addition to the Empress, the F. and H. Amusement company owns the
following theaters:
Chatterton opera house, Bloomington, Ill.
Walker opera house, Champaign, Ill.
Orpheum theater, Rockford, 111.
Majestic theater, Rockford, Ill.
Chatterton opera house, Springfield, Ill.
Majestic theater, Springfield, Ill.
Illinois theater, Urbana, Ill.
Orpheum theater, Green Bay, Wis.
Fuller opera house, Madison, Wis.
Orpheum theater. Madison, Wis.
Grand opera house, Oshkosh, Wis.
American theater, Davenport. la.
Majestic theater, Waterloo, Ia.
New Grand theater, Evansville, Ind.
Orpheum theater, Gary, Ind.
Orpheum theater, Michigan City, Ind.
Orpheum theater, South Bend, Ind.
Varieties theater, Terre Haute, Ind.
OPENING SEASON 1914-1916:
New Orpheum theater, Rockford, Ill.
New Varieties theater, Terre Haute, Ind.
Here is a blurb from the Englewood Economist in February 1915:
BONITA THEATER
Manager Frank Clifford has arranged an especially attractive list of selected pictures for the Bonita this week starting tonight, Monday, Feb. 15th, the program is as follows: “The Flower of Faith,” a fine 2 act Selig drama; “The Broken Circuit,” a thrilling drama of the rails, featuring Helen Holmes, also “Making Them Cough Up,” and “Bertha, the Button Hole Maker,” two laughable Biograph comedies.
Here are some June 2009 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/knox87
http://tinyurl.com/nmp4hn
http://tinyurl.com/n85nxn
http://tinyurl.com/ljzv6j
Here is an October 1963 photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/mf48an
Here is a June 1947 ad from the Fresno Bee:
http://tinyurl.com/ktnpgy
Here is a June 1947 ad:
http://tinyurl.com/nlhbhp
Here are photos from 1980 and 1982:
http://tinyurl.com/mxtocr
http://tinyurl.com/m5wgv8
Here is another 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/nfo35c
Here is a June 1947 ad from the Fresno Bee:
http://tinyurl.com/mcg84k
Here is a June 1947 ad from the Fresno Bee:
http://tinyurl.com/mevd4u
Here is an undated photo:
http://tinyurl.com/n3perm
This plaque used to be in the Grand Rotunda of the Roxy:
http://tinyurl.com/m8fh5f
The status should be updated per Joe’s information of 4/11/08.
Here is an interior photo, circa 1930s:
http://tinyurl.com/kt6wn4
Photo on this site:
http://www.americandrivein.com/states/co.htm
You can see more of the bear on this site:
http://www.americandrivein.com/states/tx.htm