The Colonial Theatre at Hamburg, Iowa, is listed in the 1926 FDY, but no seating capacity is given.
The December 1, 1917, issue of The Moving Picture World had an item datelined Hamburg saying “Howard Cohen plans to erect a moving picture theater here.” That might have been the Colonial.
Or maybe not. The 1914-1915 edition of The American Motion Picture Directory lists a remarkable three movie theaters in the tiny town of Hamburg: the Empire, the Lyric, and the Favorite, any of which might later have become the Colonial.
As of the last time Google’s camera car went by the Valley Theatre had not been demolished. The auditorium has gotten fenestration though, so it has been converted to either offices or possibly housing.
The Valley Theatre had a Link organ installed in 1923. The Valley is first listed in the FDY in 1927, with 900 seats.
A 20-watt radio station, WGBW, had been licensed to the Valley Theatre, according to a notice in the March 7, 1925, issue of Radio Digest.
Boxoffice of March 30, 1959, reported that fourteen boys, the oldest being twelve, had petitioned the Spring Valley City Council to have the Valley Theatre reopened. The Council resolved to contact the owners of the theater building about the matter, but it looks like the boys never got their wish.
Boxoffice of March 30, 1959, said that the Little River Drive-In had opened on Friday, March 20. Owner Bill Crosby was also the operator of Wright City’s indoor house, the Choctaw Theatre.
Boxoffice of March 30, 1959, reported that H. A. Greenlin, operator of the Avenue Theatre, had reopened the Garden Theatre with Spanish language films. Several Latin American live performers and a feature film made up the opening program.
The March 30, 1959, issue of Boxoffice said that the Princess Theatre in Meredosia was to be remodeled for use as part of Steinberg Motors, an auto dealership. C. F. Skinner had established the Princess in 1919, in a remodeled building previously owned by the Sanitary Flush Manufacturing Company. Presumably this was a company that made either toilets or the mechanism for flushing them.
The March 30, 1959, issue of Boxoffice reported that the 340-seat Empire Theatre at Chrisman, Illinois, had been destroyed by a fire on March 19. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Kent, indicated no plans to rebuild.
The two buildings flanking the theater in the vintage photo are still standing on the south side of the town square. The bank on the corner has built an addition on the space once occupied by the theater. The bank uses the address 147 W. Monroe, so the theater’s address must have been slightly lower, perhaps 143 W. Monroe.
Two brief items in the March 30, 1959 issue of Boxoffice mention the Liberty Theatre. One notes that the old Grand Theatre was scheduled to be demolished and that
Alliance Theatre Corporation would move its operations to the old Liberty. The other says that Alliance intended to spend $100,000 to renovate the Liberty, which had been dark for some time.
The Rex listed with 450 seats starting with the 1935 FDY must have been the one at 119 S. C Street. The 1938 FDY lists a 650-seat New Rex Theatre, and that must have been the house at 232 E. Yosemite which was opened in 1937. Oddly, both the Rex and the New Rex continued to be listed in the FDYs well into the 1940s, but with the Rex always listed as closed.
This undated photo (though “Young Tom Edison” was released in March, 1940) shows the Madera Theatre at the left, and the marquee of the Rex can be made out on the right side of the street near the beginning of the next block, just past the hotel on the corner of C Street. The sites of both the hotel and the Rex Theatre are now occupied by a branch of Chase Bank.
This undated photo from the California State Library collection shows Center Street in Taft, Looking west across 5th Street. The C & C Theatre is on the corner, and it appears to be the same building that was later the Sunshine Theatre. On the right can be seen a collection of movie posters on display in front of the Sparber Building. This was 428 Center Street, the Star/Optic Theatre.
The article about the opening of the Forum Theatre that appeared in the August, 1924, issue of Architect and Engineer had this interesting information:
“Eighteen hundred people can be accommodated in the theater, while the roof garden, which has complete cafe service, has a capacity of 200 persons.”
Looking Google’s the aerial view of the building today I see no evidence of this roof garden. The building just has an ordinary roof, with no flat areas. Does anyone know what became of the vanished rooftop cafe?
Okay, the Boxoffice article uploaded by moviejs1944 says that the Mini Theatre was actually inside the mall, not in the outbuilding that now houses Sam’s Sorrento Pizza.
The article also credits the design of the Mini Theatre to “Lou Wilse” but this is clearly an error. The architect was undoubtedly Louis Wiltse, who designed or remodeled more than a dozen theaters in Michigan.
In 1921 the Pageant was remodeled for Charles Skouras, the project being noted in the December 18, 1920, issue of The American Contractor. Plans for the $35,000 project were drawn by Kansas City architect H. Alexander Drake.
The September 23, 1950, issue of Boxoffice said that the Zoe Theatre had been opened by the Armentrout Circuit. Some of the houses in the circuit were called the Clark Theatre, after founder Clark Armentrout. This house was named for Clark’s granddaughter Zoe, daughter of Russell Armentrout.
The Rolla Preservation Alliance informs me that the Rollamo Theatre was at 210 W. 8th Street. The drastically altered building is still standing, and now houses a bank.
The principals of Johnson & Maack were Eugene S. Johnson and Albert C. Maack. The firm was founded in 1929 and became Johnson & Maack & Saunders in 1937.
This house probably opened in 1931. That year the May 24 issue of The Film Daily ran this notice:
“Frankfort, Ind. — A theater is to be erected here by Valos and Gregory at an estimated cost of $100,000.”
I haven’t been able to find any opening notices, but Valos and Gregory’s “Roxey” Theatre at Frankfort was mentioned in the June 18, 1934 issue of the Logansport Pharos-Tribune. Their newly-incorporated company, the Cass Theatre Corporation, had just taken over the Paramount and Luna Theatres in Logansport.
This item is from the March 15, 1931, issue of The Film Daily:
“Rolla, Mo. — Construction bids have been received for the erection of the Rollamo here at an estimated cost of $75,000. Johnson & Mack of St. Louis are the architects.”
The July 30, 1931, issue of the Rolla Herald said that work on the theater was being rushed to have it open by August 5, but the August 6 issue of the paper carried no theater news or advertisements. Advertisements had appeared by August 16, however.
Anitem in the April 17, 1931, issue of the Angola Herald said that Mrs. Gladys Brokaw had leased the former Browkaw Theatre on the north side of the square to a Mr. Ellis, who was in the process of building a new theater on Maumee Street next door tot he Hendry Hotel (the Hendry, which burned in 1968, was at the southwest corner of Maumee and Elizabeth Street, one block west of the square.) Ellis intended to use the theater on the square as an overflow house.
Another brief item in the Herald on July 3 said that the former Brokaw Theatre would reopen as the Strand Theatre. The New Brokaw Theatre was still under construction, as was Mr. Eliss’s new house, for which the name Angola Theatre had been chosen. As it turned out, the Angola Theatre never opened. The uncompleted theater building was foreclosed in 1932.
Joe Brokaw was not without a theater during the period between the closing of the old Brokaw Theatre and the opening of the new one, though. Numerous items in the Herald during the period indicate that the Angola Opera House was presenting talking pictures, and that Joe Brokaw was the manager. In fact Brokaw had been operating the Opera House at least as early as 1926, and a DeForest Phonofilm sound system had been installed in October, 1929. The first sound movie presented in Angola was the Marx Brothers first feature film, “The Cocoanuts”.
Joe Brokaw had been in the theater business at Angola at least as early as 1909, when the Steuben Republican was touting the “New Brokaw Theatre” in its issue of December 9. The May 26, 1914, issue of the Herald mentioned “Brokaw’s new theatre”— presumably the house that eventually became the Strand.
Architect Frederick George Clausen retired in 1914, and it is likely that the 1915 Garden Theatre was designed by his son, Rudolph J. Clausen, who, on his father’s retirement, formed the firm of Clausen & Kruse with Walter O. Kruse.
Architect Frederick George Clausen retired in 1914, whereupon his son Rudolph J. Clausen formed the firm of Clausen & Kruse with Walter O. Kruse, so the 1916 remodeling of the Family Theatre should be attributed to Rudolph.
However, as the elder Clausen was Davenport’s leading architect, it’s quite possible that he was the original architect of the house.
No date is given, but the records of the American Terra Cotta Company list the Douglas Theatre, 22nd and Sawyer, Chicago, among the projects using the company’s products. The architect was Ralph C. Harris.
The October 23, 1915, issue of The American Contractor said that a two-story building, 75x162 feet, to house a theater, stores, and offices was under construction at 5746-5752 S. Prairie Avenue. It was one of several projects underway by developers Kusel & Harris. Ralph C. Harris was the architect.
I believe this was an African American house. A biography of black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux lists one of his movies, “The Homesteader” appearing at Dooley’s Atlas Theatre in Chicago, on 7-8 March 1919.
The records of the American Terra Cotta Company indicate a D. A. Dooley Dixie Theatre at 4711 S. State Street. The theater was fairly wide, so probably covered three narrow lots, 4711-4715. The project was designed by Newhouse & Bernham.
Looking at the satellite view I’m thinking it’s likely that only the front portion of this theater survives, and the auditorium has been demolished. The building as it is now is not large enough to have accommodated a theater of almost 700 seats.
The Colonial Theatre at Hamburg, Iowa, is listed in the 1926 FDY, but no seating capacity is given.
The December 1, 1917, issue of The Moving Picture World had an item datelined Hamburg saying “Howard Cohen plans to erect a moving picture theater here.” That might have been the Colonial.
Or maybe not. The 1914-1915 edition of The American Motion Picture Directory lists a remarkable three movie theaters in the tiny town of Hamburg: the Empire, the Lyric, and the Favorite, any of which might later have become the Colonial.
As of the last time Google’s camera car went by the Valley Theatre had not been demolished. The auditorium has gotten fenestration though, so it has been converted to either offices or possibly housing.
The Valley Theatre had a Link organ installed in 1923. The Valley is first listed in the FDY in 1927, with 900 seats.
A 20-watt radio station, WGBW, had been licensed to the Valley Theatre, according to a notice in the March 7, 1925, issue of Radio Digest.
Boxoffice of March 30, 1959, reported that fourteen boys, the oldest being twelve, had petitioned the Spring Valley City Council to have the Valley Theatre reopened. The Council resolved to contact the owners of the theater building about the matter, but it looks like the boys never got their wish.
Boxoffice of March 30, 1959, said that the Little River Drive-In had opened on Friday, March 20. Owner Bill Crosby was also the operator of Wright City’s indoor house, the Choctaw Theatre.
Boxoffice of March 30, 1959, reported that H. A. Greenlin, operator of the Avenue Theatre, had reopened the Garden Theatre with Spanish language films. Several Latin American live performers and a feature film made up the opening program.
The March 30, 1959, issue of Boxoffice said that the Princess Theatre in Meredosia was to be remodeled for use as part of Steinberg Motors, an auto dealership. C. F. Skinner had established the Princess in 1919, in a remodeled building previously owned by the Sanitary Flush Manufacturing Company. Presumably this was a company that made either toilets or the mechanism for flushing them.
The March 30, 1959, issue of Boxoffice reported that the 340-seat Empire Theatre at Chrisman, Illinois, had been destroyed by a fire on March 19. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Kent, indicated no plans to rebuild.
The two buildings flanking the theater in the vintage photo are still standing on the south side of the town square. The bank on the corner has built an addition on the space once occupied by the theater. The bank uses the address 147 W. Monroe, so the theater’s address must have been slightly lower, perhaps 143 W. Monroe.
Two brief items in the March 30, 1959 issue of Boxoffice mention the Liberty Theatre. One notes that the old Grand Theatre was scheduled to be demolished and that Alliance Theatre Corporation would move its operations to the old Liberty. The other says that Alliance intended to spend $100,000 to renovate the Liberty, which had been dark for some time.
The Rex listed with 450 seats starting with the 1935 FDY must have been the one at 119 S. C Street. The 1938 FDY lists a 650-seat New Rex Theatre, and that must have been the house at 232 E. Yosemite which was opened in 1937. Oddly, both the Rex and the New Rex continued to be listed in the FDYs well into the 1940s, but with the Rex always listed as closed.
This undated photo (though “Young Tom Edison” was released in March, 1940) shows the Madera Theatre at the left, and the marquee of the Rex can be made out on the right side of the street near the beginning of the next block, just past the hotel on the corner of C Street. The sites of both the hotel and the Rex Theatre are now occupied by a branch of Chase Bank.
This undated photo from the California State Library collection shows Center Street in Taft, Looking west across 5th Street. The C & C Theatre is on the corner, and it appears to be the same building that was later the Sunshine Theatre. On the right can be seen a collection of movie posters on display in front of the Sparber Building. This was 428 Center Street, the Star/Optic Theatre.
The article about the opening of the Forum Theatre that appeared in the August, 1924, issue of Architect and Engineer had this interesting information:
Looking Google’s the aerial view of the building today I see no evidence of this roof garden. The building just has an ordinary roof, with no flat areas. Does anyone know what became of the vanished rooftop cafe?Okay, the Boxoffice article uploaded by moviejs1944 says that the Mini Theatre was actually inside the mall, not in the outbuilding that now houses Sam’s Sorrento Pizza.
The article also credits the design of the Mini Theatre to “Lou Wilse” but this is clearly an error. The architect was undoubtedly Louis Wiltse, who designed or remodeled more than a dozen theaters in Michigan.
It looks like the Mini Theatre building is now the location of Sam’s Sorrento Pizza. Sam’s is at the theater’s address, at least.
Here is a photo of 18th Street with the Boone Theatre at the left and the Gem Theatre in the next block.
The New Rialto was designed by architect H. Alexander Drake.
In 1921 the Pageant was remodeled for Charles Skouras, the project being noted in the December 18, 1920, issue of The American Contractor. Plans for the $35,000 project were drawn by Kansas City architect H. Alexander Drake.
The September 23, 1950, issue of Boxoffice said that the Zoe Theatre had been opened by the Armentrout Circuit. Some of the houses in the circuit were called the Clark Theatre, after founder Clark Armentrout. This house was named for Clark’s granddaughter Zoe, daughter of Russell Armentrout.
The Rolla Preservation Alliance informs me that the Rollamo Theatre was at 210 W. 8th Street. The drastically altered building is still standing, and now houses a bank.
The principals of Johnson & Maack were Eugene S. Johnson and Albert C. Maack. The firm was founded in 1929 and became Johnson & Maack & Saunders in 1937.
This house probably opened in 1931. That year the May 24 issue of The Film Daily ran this notice:
I haven’t been able to find any opening notices, but Valos and Gregory’s “Roxey” Theatre at Frankfort was mentioned in the June 18, 1934 issue of the Logansport Pharos-Tribune. Their newly-incorporated company, the Cass Theatre Corporation, had just taken over the Paramount and Luna Theatres in Logansport.This item is from the March 15, 1931, issue of The Film Daily:
The July 30, 1931, issue of the Rolla Herald said that work on the theater was being rushed to have it open by August 5, but the August 6 issue of the paper carried no theater news or advertisements. Advertisements had appeared by August 16, however.Anitem in the April 17, 1931, issue of the Angola Herald said that Mrs. Gladys Brokaw had leased the former Browkaw Theatre on the north side of the square to a Mr. Ellis, who was in the process of building a new theater on Maumee Street next door tot he Hendry Hotel (the Hendry, which burned in 1968, was at the southwest corner of Maumee and Elizabeth Street, one block west of the square.) Ellis intended to use the theater on the square as an overflow house.
Another brief item in the Herald on July 3 said that the former Brokaw Theatre would reopen as the Strand Theatre. The New Brokaw Theatre was still under construction, as was Mr. Eliss’s new house, for which the name Angola Theatre had been chosen. As it turned out, the Angola Theatre never opened. The uncompleted theater building was foreclosed in 1932.
Joe Brokaw was not without a theater during the period between the closing of the old Brokaw Theatre and the opening of the new one, though. Numerous items in the Herald during the period indicate that the Angola Opera House was presenting talking pictures, and that Joe Brokaw was the manager. In fact Brokaw had been operating the Opera House at least as early as 1926, and a DeForest Phonofilm sound system had been installed in October, 1929. The first sound movie presented in Angola was the Marx Brothers first feature film, “The Cocoanuts”.
Joe Brokaw had been in the theater business at Angola at least as early as 1909, when the Steuben Republican was touting the “New Brokaw Theatre” in its issue of December 9. The May 26, 1914, issue of the Herald mentioned “Brokaw’s new theatre”— presumably the house that eventually became the Strand.
Architect Frederick George Clausen retired in 1914, and it is likely that the 1915 Garden Theatre was designed by his son, Rudolph J. Clausen, who, on his father’s retirement, formed the firm of Clausen & Kruse with Walter O. Kruse.
Architect Frederick George Clausen retired in 1914, whereupon his son Rudolph J. Clausen formed the firm of Clausen & Kruse with Walter O. Kruse, so the 1916 remodeling of the Family Theatre should be attributed to Rudolph.
However, as the elder Clausen was Davenport’s leading architect, it’s quite possible that he was the original architect of the house.
No date is given, but the records of the American Terra Cotta Company list the Douglas Theatre, 22nd and Sawyer, Chicago, among the projects using the company’s products. The architect was Ralph C. Harris.
The October 23, 1915, issue of The American Contractor said that a two-story building, 75x162 feet, to house a theater, stores, and offices was under construction at 5746-5752 S. Prairie Avenue. It was one of several projects underway by developers Kusel & Harris. Ralph C. Harris was the architect.
I believe this was an African American house. A biography of black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux lists one of his movies, “The Homesteader” appearing at Dooley’s Atlas Theatre in Chicago, on 7-8 March 1919.
The records of the American Terra Cotta Company indicate a D. A. Dooley Dixie Theatre at 4711 S. State Street. The theater was fairly wide, so probably covered three narrow lots, 4711-4715. The project was designed by Newhouse & Bernham.
Looking at the satellite view I’m thinking it’s likely that only the front portion of this theater survives, and the auditorium has been demolished. The building as it is now is not large enough to have accommodated a theater of almost 700 seats.