AMC closed the AMC Classic Lorna Ridge 10 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Colorado Springs 10 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Pensacola 10 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Harrison 8 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Delmont 12 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
The Maltz Opera House launched November 10, 1879 with “The Rose of Auvergne” and “"Lischen and Fritzchen.” AMC closed its Classic State 3 just over 140 year later on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent at the end of July of 2020. It then sold off both the State and the Royal Knight to Jeff Konczak and his wife, Tina, who hoped to restore both venues from ‘plexed to single stage venues.
The theatre dates back to the late 19th Century. Olsen & Jensen converted it to full time motion pictures in the first decade of the 20th Century. Fred LaChase and Arthur VanHousen took it over in 1909 and it became the Favorite Theatre with Mrs. Dan Francis at the player piano. Omar Reed and L.A. Proskoveck transitioned the venue to the Talking BesTone Sound System from Omaha, new screen and seating as the Omar Theatre. Its relaunch was on February 13, 1930 with Edward Everett Horton in “The Hottentot” supported by the Harry Langdon short, “The Fighting Parson” and an animated short.
The Monsky Bros. Circuit of Omaha took on the venue and on August 14, 1930, it was renamed the New Schuyler Theatre with “A Lady of Scandal.” Joseph Svoboda took on the venue renaming it the Strand. The Strand closed with “Gone With the Wind” on April 27, 1940 to undergo a refresh under new operators Carl Mansfield and Harold B. Bowers of Weeping Water.
All new seating were installed under its new operators, with Mansfield and Bowers renaming the venue as the Colfax Theatre on October 24, 1940 with “My Love Came Back.” Mansfield and Bowers sold out to the competing Sky Theatre and Avalon owned by Neva L. Gannon in 1954. The Colfax Theatre closed on February 28, 1954 with Bob Hope in “Here Come the Girls” supported by a newsreel, a cartoon, and an El Brendel comes short with “His Wedding Scare.” They used throwback pricing on the final weekend with 10 cent admission for kids and 25 cents for adults.
As noted, the theatre reopened in 2006/7 and was operating in the 2020s.
The conversion to sound with associated name change to the Avalon took place on when Joseph F. Svoboda rebooting on October 7, 1930 with Jack Oakie in “The Social Lion.” For years, Svoboda had operated the neighboring tailor shop. The Avalon closed November 7, 1948 with “The Lady in Ermine” and had ostensibly been replaced by the new Sky Theatre on August 11, 1948. The former Avalon facility was remodeled as an office building in 1950.
The Columbus Drive-In closed after completing a second and final 20-year lease with a farewell dusk to dawn marathon of films on September 2, 1990 likely starting with “Days of Thunder” and “Die Hard 2” and continuing with some classic favorites. That’s closing with style.
Looks like the Rex may have opened June 23, 1917 with Florence La Badie starring in “Fear of Poverty.” It likely fulfilled a 10-year leasing contract. It then became the Allen Theatre in 1929. In February of 1930, the theatre purchased the Phone Film Talking Equipment converting to sound films.
Operator Rubel Hutchings sold Venron Wheeler in April of 1948. Wheeler refurbished the theatre and appears to have folded the Allen in the early 1950s as television took its toll on small town movie theaters.
The Harbor Cinema moved from 1937 Lakeshore Drive in Muskegon, MI after five years of operation to the former Plaza 1 & 2 location on December 28, 2018. The first-run theater also offered one-year memberships. However, the venue closed on March 15, 2020 after a magic show by Eric Yager due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre “semi-opened” during the pandemic to sell popcorn and concessions hoping to ride out the issue. However, on August 14, 2020 it announced that the closure would be permanent making the Harbor one of many theaters which closed permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Harbor Cinema management stated, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that we are staying closed permanently…. We had tried to do a couple fundraisers that we had hoped would get us by but no one anticipated having to be closed for 6 plus months and we had hoped that Congress would have passed a new small business funding bill before they left for recess. We want to thank everyone for a great 7 years! It’s been quite a ride and this is not how we had intended or hoped to end things….”
The Harbor Theatre closed at this location on December 27, 2018 and moved to the former Plaza in nearby Norton Shores. They continued there until closing during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
There was an “absense” (or an absence, if one would prefer) between the last film played in Adams, Nebraska on Thanksgiving of 1930 and the launch of this theater. And the guessy date provided is much closer to when the theatre closed than when it opened. The first event at the new Palm Theatre was a political speech on October 2, 1936, as Election Day neared. Its grand opening was October 8, 1936 with J.E. Leach showing a group of shorts and supposedly a short feature film.
After nearly a month of showing shorts – likely not what locals wanted to see – Leach invested in a second motion picture projector so he could show feature films. The operation continued as a two-day a week operation until closing on April 29, 1939 with Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne in “Love Affair.” The town would have to drive about 8 miles to Sterling to watch motion pictures.
The original Imperial Theatre opened in another location in downtown Alliance in 1910 operating with silent films from 1910 to 1914.
This venue’s history dates back to its inception as the New Imperial Theatre Building which was launched in the retrofitted Charters Hotel Building (formerly the Preston Hotel) on September 1, 1914 with two sold out screenings of “Beneath the Lion’s Paws.” Local movie legend Harry A. Dubuque had come to Alliance in 1912 and purchased the Majestic Theatre changing it to the Empress Theatre. He then bought the Crystal Theatre to have two theaters in town. Finally, he took on the competing Imperial in 1916 closing the Crystal moving Alliance from a three movie theater town to two. He then decided to close the Empress and go all-in on making the Imperial the best house possible.
In 1919, the building was given its second major overhaul post hotel operation with the architectural plans of famed Denver architect, Frank E. Edbrooke. The retrofit included a $10,000 Wurlitzer pipe organ. The New Imperial reluanched on August 27, 1919 with Pauline Frederick in “One Week of Life” supported by two live vaudeville acts.
Dubuque sold out to Jim E. Hughes and Ben J. Sallows in 1922. They opened the Rialto Theatre in 1923 to bring Alliance back to a two theatre town. They upgraded the theatre with carpeting for sound deadening to accompany the Pacent Sound System they purchased in 1929. Soon after, the pair sold the Imperial and the Rialto to Fox West Coast Circuit in October of 1929.
In 1937, Fox decided to give the building a major art deco retrofit modeled after a Boulder Fox theatre. Water Simon did the architectural work that led to the gutting of the Fox Imperial. In a classy move, Harry A. Dubuque and his wife were honored guests at the reopening of the venue. The new Fox Alliance Theatre opened November 23, 1937 with “The Prefect Specimen” supported by the Mickey Mouse cartoon, “A Hawaiian Holiday,” a Paramount news reel, and a Popular Science short subject.
In October of 1988, United Artists took over Commonwealth Circuit inheriting the Alliance. In June of 1990, a balcony theatre was added. By 1997, the Alliance was a triplex. It has since become a five-screen operation. Over 100 years later, the former Imperial turned Alliance Theatre was still going likely with foundational elements that date back to the 19th Century Preston Hotel building.
The Martin Square Mall had its grand opening on October 14, 1981 with many of its stores, anchors and theater not ready to open for two to three months. Cobb appears to have opened the triplex on December 18, 1981 with “Sharky’s Machine,” “Ragtime,” and “Heart Beeps.” It was subsequently closed as the Regal Martin Square Mall Cinema 3 on September 10, 1998 with “Dance With Me,” “Snake Eyes,” and “The Parent Trap.”
The Star Lite Drive-In Theatre launched September 14, 1949 with Glenn Ford in “The Return of October” supported by a cartton and short subjects. At the opening pf the 1950 season, the venue advertised as the Starlite Drive-in. In 1955, the original screen tower was widened to present CinemaScope films. Sunday sermons were a feature at the ozoner. The Starlite closed for the season a final time on August 30, 1976 with Burt Reynolds in “The Longest Yard.” Rumors of a 1977 season opener didn’t transpire.
The Elite Theatre was created in an existing retail building launching February 8, 1913 with an hour of films for a dime. Sheilds, Duncan and Hoil gave the theatre a refresh and a new front relaunching the venue as the Sterling Theatre on August 20, 1915. The Elite converted to sound to stay current on April 22, 1929 with the Super Mellaphone Talking Picture equipment which synchronized a record to the film.
The Sterling moved to new digs beginning on September 20, 1944 in the former Barcus Clothing Company retail location. It relaunched as the New Sterling Theatre with “Buffalo Bill” in Technicolor. The theatre would be equipped with widescreen projection to present CinemaScope films. The Sterling closed on September 26, 1956.
A city council meeting took up the matter of finding a new operator in December of 1956 to success. The theatre reopened one last time on March 30, 1957 when the Blue Hill Improvement Association took on the operation. But the impact of television was too great and the Sterling closed for the final time on July 24, 1957 with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire in “Funny Face.” The Association promised to reopen after the hot summer months passed but a classified ad offering all of the equipment told a different story.
Duane Barnason bought the building converting it into a location for Barnason’s Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) Supermarket early in 1958.
The Brady Electric Theatre launched in the M.W.A. Hall on January 20, 1914 with motion pictures. The theatre closed as a silent operation in 1930. It was wired for sound upon relaunch in 1935.
Robinson & Allen opened the Home Theatre on January 9, 1908. in the Y.Z. Building. In 1924, the pair bought the Smokehouse Restaurant building to make the New Home Theatre. They opened the Home Theatre on March 25, 1925 with dog star Peter, the Great, in “The Silent Accuser” supported by a Lloyd Hamilton comedy short and live music from Lyle Reeh’s Orchestra. The theatre was still in operation in 1967.
John Decker launched the new-build Orpheum Theatre on July 1, 1916 on Broadway Street in downtown Bloomfield (in the building described above without the star). At that point, Bloomfield had three operating theaters with the (original) Star Theatre which played movies, the new Orpheum also playing movies and the Pospeshil Theatre / Opera House mostly programming live events.
By December of 1916, it was clear that all three venues couldn’t survive. Decker sold out the Orpheum to the Star’s Beckman and Yeagar. The Star was closed on December 14, 1916 but its signage was moved to the Orpheum becoming the New Star Theatre on December 28, 1916 and resuming soon after as the Star Theatre (dropping the “New”).
The original Star Theatre was repurposed as an auto garage in 1916. The Pospeshil Theatre / Opera House became the Bloomfield Opera House and added motion pictures to its mix in the 1920s.
The Parmele Opera House was built in the year 1900 and opened October 29, 1900 by C.C. and T.E. Parmele with a play starring Clay Clement. In 1901, it was advertised as the Parmele Theatre. G.G. Griffin, who had operated the Ritz Theatre since 1928, took on the Parmele on July 29, 1931 and held a renaming contest.
On August 10, 1931, the Parmele became the Platz Theatre – a nickname some had for Plattsmore. Griffin would close the theatre in 1935 – and would be on hand for the theater’s blaze in 1961. But M.F. Westerlund took on the closed Platz and gave it a streamlined moderne makeover relaunching as the Cass Theatre on February 9, 1936 with “Farmer Takes a Wife.”
On June 22, 1961, the Cass Theatre played “Gold of the Seven Saints” – its last film before the fire that ended operations. It also had the film, “Elmer Gantry” on the premises for June 25-27, 1961 screenings that never took place. On April 26, 1964, the Ritz Theatre in a classy move brought the film, “Elmer Gantry,” back to to town saying, “We had this picture (booked) when the Cass theatre burned!” People could finally see the film that was advertised but never played at the Cass.
Edward Novak launched the Star Theatre in September of 1915. Under operator A.R Pytlik, the Star converted to sound to present talkies beginning on November 24, 1929. Czech films were part of the film mix as there was a large group of Czech pioneers who had been in the town back to the late 1800s. In fact, the Star’s final offering was the Czech film, “Harmonika” shown on March 28, 1943. It closed thereafter.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Lorna Ridge 10 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Colorado Springs 10 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Pensacola 10 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Harrison 8 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
AMC closed the AMC Classic Delmont 12 on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent that summer becoming one of many theatres closed by a circuit during the pandemic.
The Maltz Opera House launched November 10, 1879 with “The Rose of Auvergne” and “"Lischen and Fritzchen.” AMC closed its Classic State 3 just over 140 year later on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The circuit made the closure permanent at the end of July of 2020. It then sold off both the State and the Royal Knight to Jeff Konczak and his wife, Tina, who hoped to restore both venues from ‘plexed to single stage venues.
The theatre dates back to the late 19th Century. Olsen & Jensen converted it to full time motion pictures in the first decade of the 20th Century. Fred LaChase and Arthur VanHousen took it over in 1909 and it became the Favorite Theatre with Mrs. Dan Francis at the player piano. Omar Reed and L.A. Proskoveck transitioned the venue to the Talking BesTone Sound System from Omaha, new screen and seating as the Omar Theatre. Its relaunch was on February 13, 1930 with Edward Everett Horton in “The Hottentot” supported by the Harry Langdon short, “The Fighting Parson” and an animated short.
The Monsky Bros. Circuit of Omaha took on the venue and on August 14, 1930, it was renamed the New Schuyler Theatre with “A Lady of Scandal.” Joseph Svoboda took on the venue renaming it the Strand. The Strand closed with “Gone With the Wind” on April 27, 1940 to undergo a refresh under new operators Carl Mansfield and Harold B. Bowers of Weeping Water.
All new seating were installed under its new operators, with Mansfield and Bowers renaming the venue as the Colfax Theatre on October 24, 1940 with “My Love Came Back.” Mansfield and Bowers sold out to the competing Sky Theatre and Avalon owned by Neva L. Gannon in 1954. The Colfax Theatre closed on February 28, 1954 with Bob Hope in “Here Come the Girls” supported by a newsreel, a cartoon, and an El Brendel comes short with “His Wedding Scare.” They used throwback pricing on the final weekend with 10 cent admission for kids and 25 cents for adults.
As noted, the theatre reopened in 2006/7 and was operating in the 2020s.
The conversion to sound with associated name change to the Avalon took place on when Joseph F. Svoboda rebooting on October 7, 1930 with Jack Oakie in “The Social Lion.” For years, Svoboda had operated the neighboring tailor shop. The Avalon closed November 7, 1948 with “The Lady in Ermine” and had ostensibly been replaced by the new Sky Theatre on August 11, 1948. The former Avalon facility was remodeled as an office building in 1950.
The Columbus Drive-In closed after completing a second and final 20-year lease with a farewell dusk to dawn marathon of films on September 2, 1990 likely starting with “Days of Thunder” and “Die Hard 2” and continuing with some classic favorites. That’s closing with style.
Addition: Previous Operator – Jollo Electric Theatre Company
Looks like the Rex may have opened June 23, 1917 with Florence La Badie starring in “Fear of Poverty.” It likely fulfilled a 10-year leasing contract. It then became the Allen Theatre in 1929. In February of 1930, the theatre purchased the Phone Film Talking Equipment converting to sound films.
Operator Rubel Hutchings sold Venron Wheeler in April of 1948. Wheeler refurbished the theatre and appears to have folded the Allen in the early 1950s as television took its toll on small town movie theaters.
Looks like it may have ceased operations in 1910 at that location.
The Harbor Cinema moved from 1937 Lakeshore Drive in Muskegon, MI after five years of operation to the former Plaza 1 & 2 location on December 28, 2018. The first-run theater also offered one-year memberships. However, the venue closed on March 15, 2020 after a magic show by Eric Yager due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre “semi-opened” during the pandemic to sell popcorn and concessions hoping to ride out the issue. However, on August 14, 2020 it announced that the closure would be permanent making the Harbor one of many theaters which closed permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Harbor Cinema management stated, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that we are staying closed permanently…. We had tried to do a couple fundraisers that we had hoped would get us by but no one anticipated having to be closed for 6 plus months and we had hoped that Congress would have passed a new small business funding bill before they left for recess. We want to thank everyone for a great 7 years! It’s been quite a ride and this is not how we had intended or hoped to end things….”
The Harbor Theatre closed at this location on December 27, 2018 and moved to the former Plaza in nearby Norton Shores. They continued there until closing during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
There was an “absense” (or an absence, if one would prefer) between the last film played in Adams, Nebraska on Thanksgiving of 1930 and the launch of this theater. And the guessy date provided is much closer to when the theatre closed than when it opened. The first event at the new Palm Theatre was a political speech on October 2, 1936, as Election Day neared. Its grand opening was October 8, 1936 with J.E. Leach showing a group of shorts and supposedly a short feature film.
After nearly a month of showing shorts – likely not what locals wanted to see – Leach invested in a second motion picture projector so he could show feature films. The operation continued as a two-day a week operation until closing on April 29, 1939 with Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne in “Love Affair.” The town would have to drive about 8 miles to Sterling to watch motion pictures.
I think it’s simply renovated
The original Imperial Theatre opened in another location in downtown Alliance in 1910 operating with silent films from 1910 to 1914.
This venue’s history dates back to its inception as the New Imperial Theatre Building which was launched in the retrofitted Charters Hotel Building (formerly the Preston Hotel) on September 1, 1914 with two sold out screenings of “Beneath the Lion’s Paws.” Local movie legend Harry A. Dubuque had come to Alliance in 1912 and purchased the Majestic Theatre changing it to the Empress Theatre. He then bought the Crystal Theatre to have two theaters in town. Finally, he took on the competing Imperial in 1916 closing the Crystal moving Alliance from a three movie theater town to two. He then decided to close the Empress and go all-in on making the Imperial the best house possible.
In 1919, the building was given its second major overhaul post hotel operation with the architectural plans of famed Denver architect, Frank E. Edbrooke. The retrofit included a $10,000 Wurlitzer pipe organ. The New Imperial reluanched on August 27, 1919 with Pauline Frederick in “One Week of Life” supported by two live vaudeville acts.
Dubuque sold out to Jim E. Hughes and Ben J. Sallows in 1922. They opened the Rialto Theatre in 1923 to bring Alliance back to a two theatre town. They upgraded the theatre with carpeting for sound deadening to accompany the Pacent Sound System they purchased in 1929. Soon after, the pair sold the Imperial and the Rialto to Fox West Coast Circuit in October of 1929.
In 1937, Fox decided to give the building a major art deco retrofit modeled after a Boulder Fox theatre. Water Simon did the architectural work that led to the gutting of the Fox Imperial. In a classy move, Harry A. Dubuque and his wife were honored guests at the reopening of the venue. The new Fox Alliance Theatre opened November 23, 1937 with “The Prefect Specimen” supported by the Mickey Mouse cartoon, “A Hawaiian Holiday,” a Paramount news reel, and a Popular Science short subject.
In October of 1988, United Artists took over Commonwealth Circuit inheriting the Alliance. In June of 1990, a balcony theatre was added. By 1997, the Alliance was a triplex. It has since become a five-screen operation. Over 100 years later, the former Imperial turned Alliance Theatre was still going likely with foundational elements that date back to the 19th Century Preston Hotel building.
The Martin Square Mall had its grand opening on October 14, 1981 with many of its stores, anchors and theater not ready to open for two to three months. Cobb appears to have opened the triplex on December 18, 1981 with “Sharky’s Machine,” “Ragtime,” and “Heart Beeps.” It was subsequently closed as the Regal Martin Square Mall Cinema 3 on September 10, 1998 with “Dance With Me,” “Snake Eyes,” and “The Parent Trap.”
The Star Lite Drive-In Theatre launched September 14, 1949 with Glenn Ford in “The Return of October” supported by a cartton and short subjects. At the opening pf the 1950 season, the venue advertised as the Starlite Drive-in. In 1955, the original screen tower was widened to present CinemaScope films. Sunday sermons were a feature at the ozoner. The Starlite closed for the season a final time on August 30, 1976 with Burt Reynolds in “The Longest Yard.” Rumors of a 1977 season opener didn’t transpire.
The Elite Theatre was created in an existing retail building launching February 8, 1913 with an hour of films for a dime. Sheilds, Duncan and Hoil gave the theatre a refresh and a new front relaunching the venue as the Sterling Theatre on August 20, 1915. The Elite converted to sound to stay current on April 22, 1929 with the Super Mellaphone Talking Picture equipment which synchronized a record to the film.
The Sterling moved to new digs beginning on September 20, 1944 in the former Barcus Clothing Company retail location. It relaunched as the New Sterling Theatre with “Buffalo Bill” in Technicolor. The theatre would be equipped with widescreen projection to present CinemaScope films. The Sterling closed on September 26, 1956.
A city council meeting took up the matter of finding a new operator in December of 1956 to success. The theatre reopened one last time on March 30, 1957 when the Blue Hill Improvement Association took on the operation. But the impact of television was too great and the Sterling closed for the final time on July 24, 1957 with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire in “Funny Face.” The Association promised to reopen after the hot summer months passed but a classified ad offering all of the equipment told a different story.
Duane Barnason bought the building converting it into a location for Barnason’s Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) Supermarket early in 1958.
The Brady Electric Theatre launched in the M.W.A. Hall on January 20, 1914 with motion pictures. The theatre closed as a silent operation in 1930. It was wired for sound upon relaunch in 1935.
Robinson & Allen opened the Home Theatre on January 9, 1908. in the Y.Z. Building. In 1924, the pair bought the Smokehouse Restaurant building to make the New Home Theatre. They opened the Home Theatre on March 25, 1925 with dog star Peter, the Great, in “The Silent Accuser” supported by a Lloyd Hamilton comedy short and live music from Lyle Reeh’s Orchestra. The theatre was still in operation in 1967.
John Decker launched the new-build Orpheum Theatre on July 1, 1916 on Broadway Street in downtown Bloomfield (in the building described above without the star). At that point, Bloomfield had three operating theaters with the (original) Star Theatre which played movies, the new Orpheum also playing movies and the Pospeshil Theatre / Opera House mostly programming live events.
By December of 1916, it was clear that all three venues couldn’t survive. Decker sold out the Orpheum to the Star’s Beckman and Yeagar. The Star was closed on December 14, 1916 but its signage was moved to the Orpheum becoming the New Star Theatre on December 28, 1916 and resuming soon after as the Star Theatre (dropping the “New”).
The original Star Theatre was repurposed as an auto garage in 1916. The Pospeshil Theatre / Opera House became the Bloomfield Opera House and added motion pictures to its mix in the 1920s.
The Parmele Opera House was built in the year 1900 and opened October 29, 1900 by C.C. and T.E. Parmele with a play starring Clay Clement. In 1901, it was advertised as the Parmele Theatre. G.G. Griffin, who had operated the Ritz Theatre since 1928, took on the Parmele on July 29, 1931 and held a renaming contest.
On August 10, 1931, the Parmele became the Platz Theatre – a nickname some had for Plattsmore. Griffin would close the theatre in 1935 – and would be on hand for the theater’s blaze in 1961. But M.F. Westerlund took on the closed Platz and gave it a streamlined moderne makeover relaunching as the Cass Theatre on February 9, 1936 with “Farmer Takes a Wife.”
On June 22, 1961, the Cass Theatre played “Gold of the Seven Saints” – its last film before the fire that ended operations. It also had the film, “Elmer Gantry” on the premises for June 25-27, 1961 screenings that never took place. On April 26, 1964, the Ritz Theatre in a classy move brought the film, “Elmer Gantry,” back to to town saying, “We had this picture (booked) when the Cass theatre burned!” People could finally see the film that was advertised but never played at the Cass.
Edward Novak launched the Star Theatre in September of 1915. Under operator A.R Pytlik, the Star converted to sound to present talkies beginning on November 24, 1929. Czech films were part of the film mix as there was a large group of Czech pioneers who had been in the town back to the late 1800s. In fact, the Star’s final offering was the Czech film, “Harmonika” shown on March 28, 1943. It closed thereafter.