The Idle Hour appears to close for good on September 7, 1952. Classified ads run with the theater for sale. It’s converted to Wolf Brothers Furniture and Appliances. A February 23, 1977 fire destroyed the former Idle Hour turned Wolf Brothers Furniture Store. It was demolished thereafter joining the parking lot brigade.
Lawrence Bueche Sr. launched the Woodlawn Theatre in 1923 at 3619 Harrison Avenue. Converting to sound, Bueche sold the theatre late in 1931 to J. Ebersole Crawford with Don McNatt running the theater. It officially changed names to the Cheviot Theatre in 1936. In 1940, the neighboring Elite Department Store folded at 3627 Harrison Avenue. It’s likely that the building was incorporated into the Cheviot which would soon use the 3627 Harrison address.
In 1947, the first FM station broadcast from the top if the Cheviot. Under Marcus Theatre Circuit in 1945, Chicago architect Erwin Fredericks was hired to modernize it.
The theater teetered in the television age closing for the summers in the 1950s. Harry Yutze of the Westwood managed the theater. In 1953, S&S Amusements took on the theatre going briefly with adult films in 1956 which drew considerable protest from special interest groups. The theater switches back to subrun double features and appears to close up shop in 1957. The theater joined the parking lot brigade when the building was purchased, razed and turned into a 175-car parking lot in 1959.
Over at the former Moore’s Opera House turned Wonderland Musée turned Wonderland Theatre turned Bijou, its final operator — Fred Buchanan worked in “Kinidrome” short films with vaudeville. He had already done this successfully at Ingersoll Park in his Ingersoll theatre. It was the Bijou and Ingersoll where Iowans saw their first motion pictures. When “The Great Train Robbery” became the most requested act on the vaudeville card, Buchanan knew he had a winner.
When the Bijou Theatre moved to this new location at 612 Locust Street, the Kinidrome was permanently installed and the theatre advertised the film being played by title – a first for the medium in Des Moines.
The Bijou Theatre was set to become the Nickelama to move exclusively to motion pictures in 1906. That name became the Nickeldom in 1906 exclusively playing motion pictures and the rest was moving picture history. Thomas A. Brown who was running motion pictures in Cedar Rapids came in to run the Nickeldom and by all accounts it was a huge hit raising prices to a dime.
Possibly due both to a confusing name (Nickeldom – movies costing a dime) and to ownership change , the theatre changed names to the Unique in 1908. And the Unique also did well early on. But as new, more vibrant theaters competed effectively against the Unique and existing larger theaters switched to heavier mixes of motion pictures, the Unique struggled and ultimately returned to nickel pricing. Abraham H. Blank bought the foundering theatre in 1920 razing it to place the Strand multipurpose building containing the new Strand Theatre in its spot.
Opened on July 22, 1907 and had motion pictures from the outset as part of the vaudeville show mix using Powers' Cameragraph. The Lyric made the transition to sound. In 1954, it was equipped for CinemaScope. But at that point, the theatre struggled mightily in the television age trying to stay relevant.
Operators changed frequently in the TV era from John Graham who installed CinemaScope to Earl Manbeck Jr. and John Doud who came on in 1959 and closed up shop to Paul Henning who re-opened the theater in 1961 to James Harding and Ronald Noyes who took over for Henning to Herbert McCraw to Joseph Stone and Steve Cervi in 1964 to Glenn Mallory — the apparent final operator.
As the theater approached its 60th anniversary in 1967, the Lyric was showing Adult films. Police seized the double feature adult films of “The Uninvited” and “Daniella by Night.” The city stripped Mallory of his license. The next ads for the theater bill it as a costume shop located in “the old Lyric Theatre” likely making adult films under the management of Glenn Mallory as the Lyric’s swansong.
The Bijou/Nickeldom/Unique was torn down. This Strand entry should begin on February 1, 1921 and end in late Fall 1953 when the theatre is sold to Frankel’s which converts the theater to a retail store. The theatre building was architected by Proudfoot, Bird, and Rowan. The first Strand was at 415 Eighth Street and has no entry at present. And the Bijou/Nickeldom/Unique can be found under Nickeldom. The first Bijou is under its own name.
Abraham H. Bank opened the Casino Theatre on Opened December 5, 1912. On Feb 24, 1948, the Casino Theatre burned down ending its cinema treasure status.
Architected by Wetherell & Harrison, the Forest had a July 14, 1937 soft launch and an opening to the public on July 21, 1937 with “Wake Up and Live” and “13th Man.” E.M. Gabbert, owner of the Varsity and Avalon Theatres opened the Forest with 580 seats and a very austere $20,000 budget. Gabbert believed in neighborhood theaters and this one performed well until the TV age changed fortunes.
The Forest closed August 8, 1954 after a country concert followed by tax lien story and classified ad selling all contents. Last shows appear to be July 31, 1954 with “Drums” and “Four Feathers” before becoming a community center in the 21st Century.
William Foster opened as the Grand Theatre in 1907 which replaced the Grand Opera which burned in March of 1906. The Grand became the Berchel on August 27, 1911. Des Moines would get another Grand Theatre at Sixth and Grand in 1914. The Berchel was mostly a legit theater but played silent films as well. It closed for a major remodeling in Spring of 1925 and reopening in late Fall 1926. The theater never converted to sound though had some sound effect films toward the end of its run. It was torn down in October of 1931.
Opened as the Radium Theatre on May 30, 1907, the theatre went out of business within three months reopening on Thanksgiving of 1907 as the rebranded Family Theatre. Harry Hiersteiner ran the Family as an independent for 37 of the 46 years facing stiff competition from the major circuits.
But the TV age was unkind to the Locust Street theatres as the Garden/Rocket, Strand and Family closed consecutively. The final show for the Family was “Venus in Peek-a-Boo” September 13, 1953. Two months later, the struggling Grand Theatre would burn to the ground as Des Moines pre-palace era movie theaters continued their rapid descent.
This was technically the third Grand in Des Moines preceded by the Grand Opera House that burned down in 1906 and was replaced by the Grand Theater which became the Berchel Theatre. This Grand opened in 1914. The Grand burned down just as the second twenty-year lease was expiring and business failing.
Norman T. Vorse architected the Garden for Abraham H. Blank The Garden opened May 2, 1914 with “Goodness Gracious” in the old Odd Fellows building. The $100,000 theatre’s multi-colored terra cotta design was distinctive and the 900-pipe, $15,000 William Schuelke organ entertained the opening crowd. Arthur Hays was the organist and also conducted the Garden Orchestra.
Tri-States changed the Garden to the Rocket April 14, 1949. It dropped the struggling theater in 1951. It soldiered on independently until closing with a tax lien in June of 1953.
Built in 1912, the Amuzu lasted until the end of 1952 likely doing two 20 year leases. On April 6, 1930, the theater got Photophone sound equipment to enter the talking picture era.
The Rialto Theatre opened April 19, 1918 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “A Man’s Man”. It was designed by local architectural firm Kraetsch & Kraetsch with the Younker Bros. known for their Younker’s Department Stores doing the interior design along with A. Jasinski. Though Wm. Knudson was the contractor, Winkle Terra Cotta of St. Louis provided the distinctively tinted terra cotta front.
S. Nelson Roper opened at the Robert Morton Symphony Orchestral Organ. Pathé and Goldwyn films were block booked at the Rialto, nicknamed “The Temple of the Silent Art.” With abundant competition from the Strand, Des Moines and others, the “temple” quickly was outmoded and outmarketed.
On January 1, 1922, the Rialto rebranded from the “Temple of the Silent Art” to the “House of Proven Successes: The Finest for the Least” or a sub-run house. The Rialto would continue to struggle unable to complete its ten-year lease. The Rialto Theatre was closed February 14, 1926 with Natacha Rambova in “When Love Grows Cold”. It has since been demolished.
Fred H. Rike opened the Feature Theatre on December 20, 1915 at 214 North Kentucky St.in McKinney. The Brockman Brothers – Tom S. and Roy L. – took over the struggling theatre and after a quick remodel in June of 1916 reopened it as the Queen Theatre on Jun 17, 1916. In 1922, the Brockmans took the Queen equipment and signage to Frisco to open the Queen Theatre there. The Brockmans sold the Queen to E.L. Black or his brother. Black sold it to John T. Northcutt. Northcutt then sold it to E.L. Black in 1927. Black sold it again – but when the stock market collapsed – the new owners seemed to flounder so Black got it back. The theater appears to fulfill a ten-year lease and close.
Robboehm – Not really dangling as I can’t add pictures or continue threads on theaters not in the database. The Queen of Frisco isn’t in the CT-DB today (I can’t add theaters); so I did the best that I could for you – just added a picture of the E.L. Black run Frisco Theatre here in the McKinney entry. The Brockmans sold the Queen to John T. Northcutt. Northcutt then sold it to E.L. Black in 1927. Black sold it – but when the stock market collapsed – the new owners seemed to flounder so Black got it back. Sorry to dangle.
The Jerry Lewis Cinema was called that for less than one year changing names to the Westgate Cinema in March of 1973 when the Lewis brand was cratering. Later, the Westgate Cinema was operated by William B. Boren’s fledgling circuit consisting of the Eastgate Cinema in Garland, the Wilshire Showcase I & II in Euless, Cineworld 4 and Lancaster Showcase in Fort Worth and two theaters in Blackwell, OK.
Last show was October 9, 1963. Fire closed the theatre which became eyesore and partially demo’d October 1964 then completed after controversy in December 1966.
This theater was the Arcade Theatre by Mr. and Mrs. E. Black. It was purchased by the operators of the neighboring Texas Theatre and nearby Pope Theatre. In 1936, it was remodeled and renamed the State Theatre. The State went out of business on December 29, 1951 sith a double feature of “The Mysterious Rider” and “Flying Disc Man.”
Architected by Lang & Witchell with opening date of June 16, 1913 (or June 14, 1913 – which was advertised but apparently delayed) on North Kentucky Street on the West side of the square. Three people managed the Pope in its run: L.D. Perkins, Charles Kimble and Roy Brockton, Sr.
On June 5, 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Shipman Bullard remodeled the Pope Theatre and reopened it as the Rio Theatre. The theater struggled in the TV era taken over by its last owner, C.D. Barnes. A minor fire early in 1956 caused minor damage fire and a fire on April 18, 1956 appears to end the Rio Theater’s operation despite the building holding up well to the blaze. The building stood vacant for seven years before being razed in 1963.
The short-lived Columbia Air Dome which, along with the Columbia Theatre, were both purchased by Charles Kimball — operator of the Pope Theatre, the Happy Hour Theatre and Happy Hour Airdome. The Columbia Theatre became the Interurban station stop on North Kentucky in downtown late in 1914 after being demolished. Both Columbia operations' equipment was sent to Farmersville, TX.
Fred H. Rike opened the Feature Theatre on December 20, 1915 at 214 North Kentucky St. The Brockman Brothers – Tom S. and Roy L. – took over the struggling theatre and after a quick remodel in June of 1916 reopened it as the Queen Theatre on Jun 17, 1916. In 1922, the Brockmans took the Queen equipment and signage to Frisco to open the Queen Theatre there ending the Queen’s run in Fall of 1922.
The Idle Hour appears to close for good on September 7, 1952. Classified ads run with the theater for sale. It’s converted to Wolf Brothers Furniture and Appliances. A February 23, 1977 fire destroyed the former Idle Hour turned Wolf Brothers Furniture Store. It was demolished thereafter joining the parking lot brigade.
Lawrence Bueche Sr. launched the Woodlawn Theatre in 1923 at 3619 Harrison Avenue. Converting to sound, Bueche sold the theatre late in 1931 to J. Ebersole Crawford with Don McNatt running the theater. It officially changed names to the Cheviot Theatre in 1936. In 1940, the neighboring Elite Department Store folded at 3627 Harrison Avenue. It’s likely that the building was incorporated into the Cheviot which would soon use the 3627 Harrison address.
In 1947, the first FM station broadcast from the top if the Cheviot. Under Marcus Theatre Circuit in 1945, Chicago architect Erwin Fredericks was hired to modernize it.
The theater teetered in the television age closing for the summers in the 1950s. Harry Yutze of the Westwood managed the theater. In 1953, S&S Amusements took on the theatre going briefly with adult films in 1956 which drew considerable protest from special interest groups. The theater switches back to subrun double features and appears to close up shop in 1957. The theater joined the parking lot brigade when the building was purchased, razed and turned into a 175-car parking lot in 1959.
Over at the former Moore’s Opera House turned Wonderland Musée turned Wonderland Theatre turned Bijou, its final operator — Fred Buchanan worked in “Kinidrome” short films with vaudeville. He had already done this successfully at Ingersoll Park in his Ingersoll theatre. It was the Bijou and Ingersoll where Iowans saw their first motion pictures. When “The Great Train Robbery” became the most requested act on the vaudeville card, Buchanan knew he had a winner.
When the Bijou Theatre moved to this new location at 612 Locust Street, the Kinidrome was permanently installed and the theatre advertised the film being played by title – a first for the medium in Des Moines.
The Bijou Theatre was set to become the Nickelama to move exclusively to motion pictures in 1906. That name became the Nickeldom in 1906 exclusively playing motion pictures and the rest was moving picture history. Thomas A. Brown who was running motion pictures in Cedar Rapids came in to run the Nickeldom and by all accounts it was a huge hit raising prices to a dime.
Possibly due both to a confusing name (Nickeldom – movies costing a dime) and to ownership change , the theatre changed names to the Unique in 1908. And the Unique also did well early on. But as new, more vibrant theaters competed effectively against the Unique and existing larger theaters switched to heavier mixes of motion pictures, the Unique struggled and ultimately returned to nickel pricing. Abraham H. Blank bought the foundering theatre in 1920 razing it to place the Strand multipurpose building containing the new Strand Theatre in its spot.
Opened on July 22, 1907 and had motion pictures from the outset as part of the vaudeville show mix using Powers' Cameragraph. The Lyric made the transition to sound. In 1954, it was equipped for CinemaScope. But at that point, the theatre struggled mightily in the television age trying to stay relevant.
Operators changed frequently in the TV era from John Graham who installed CinemaScope to Earl Manbeck Jr. and John Doud who came on in 1959 and closed up shop to Paul Henning who re-opened the theater in 1961 to James Harding and Ronald Noyes who took over for Henning to Herbert McCraw to Joseph Stone and Steve Cervi in 1964 to Glenn Mallory — the apparent final operator.
As the theater approached its 60th anniversary in 1967, the Lyric was showing Adult films. Police seized the double feature adult films of “The Uninvited” and “Daniella by Night.” The city stripped Mallory of his license. The next ads for the theater bill it as a costume shop located in “the old Lyric Theatre” likely making adult films under the management of Glenn Mallory as the Lyric’s swansong.
The Bijou/Nickeldom/Unique was torn down. This Strand entry should begin on February 1, 1921 and end in late Fall 1953 when the theatre is sold to Frankel’s which converts the theater to a retail store. The theatre building was architected by Proudfoot, Bird, and Rowan. The first Strand was at 415 Eighth Street and has no entry at present. And the Bijou/Nickeldom/Unique can be found under Nickeldom. The first Bijou is under its own name.
Likely closed in 1968. AKA the Challenge Theatre albeit briefly.
Abraham H. Bank opened the Casino Theatre on Opened December 5, 1912. On Feb 24, 1948, the Casino Theatre burned down ending its cinema treasure status.
Architected by Wetherell & Harrison, the Forest had a July 14, 1937 soft launch and an opening to the public on July 21, 1937 with “Wake Up and Live” and “13th Man.” E.M. Gabbert, owner of the Varsity and Avalon Theatres opened the Forest with 580 seats and a very austere $20,000 budget. Gabbert believed in neighborhood theaters and this one performed well until the TV age changed fortunes.
The Forest closed August 8, 1954 after a country concert followed by tax lien story and classified ad selling all contents. Last shows appear to be July 31, 1954 with “Drums” and “Four Feathers” before becoming a community center in the 21st Century.
William Foster opened as the Grand Theatre in 1907 which replaced the Grand Opera which burned in March of 1906. The Grand became the Berchel on August 27, 1911. Des Moines would get another Grand Theatre at Sixth and Grand in 1914. The Berchel was mostly a legit theater but played silent films as well. It closed for a major remodeling in Spring of 1925 and reopening in late Fall 1926. The theater never converted to sound though had some sound effect films toward the end of its run. It was torn down in October of 1931.
Opened as the Radium Theatre on May 30, 1907, the theatre went out of business within three months reopening on Thanksgiving of 1907 as the rebranded Family Theatre. Harry Hiersteiner ran the Family as an independent for 37 of the 46 years facing stiff competition from the major circuits.
But the TV age was unkind to the Locust Street theatres as the Garden/Rocket, Strand and Family closed consecutively. The final show for the Family was “Venus in Peek-a-Boo” September 13, 1953. Two months later, the struggling Grand Theatre would burn to the ground as Des Moines pre-palace era movie theaters continued their rapid descent.
This was technically the third Grand in Des Moines preceded by the Grand Opera House that burned down in 1906 and was replaced by the Grand Theater which became the Berchel Theatre. This Grand opened in 1914. The Grand burned down just as the second twenty-year lease was expiring and business failing.
Norman T. Vorse architected the Garden for Abraham H. Blank The Garden opened May 2, 1914 with “Goodness Gracious” in the old Odd Fellows building. The $100,000 theatre’s multi-colored terra cotta design was distinctive and the 900-pipe, $15,000 William Schuelke organ entertained the opening crowd. Arthur Hays was the organist and also conducted the Garden Orchestra.
Tri-States changed the Garden to the Rocket April 14, 1949. It dropped the struggling theater in 1951. It soldiered on independently until closing with a tax lien in June of 1953.
Built in 1912, the Amuzu lasted until the end of 1952 likely doing two 20 year leases. On April 6, 1930, the theater got Photophone sound equipment to enter the talking picture era.
The Rialto Theatre opened April 19, 1918 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “A Man’s Man”. It was designed by local architectural firm Kraetsch & Kraetsch with the Younker Bros. known for their Younker’s Department Stores doing the interior design along with A. Jasinski. Though Wm. Knudson was the contractor, Winkle Terra Cotta of St. Louis provided the distinctively tinted terra cotta front.
S. Nelson Roper opened at the Robert Morton Symphony Orchestral Organ. Pathé and Goldwyn films were block booked at the Rialto, nicknamed “The Temple of the Silent Art.” With abundant competition from the Strand, Des Moines and others, the “temple” quickly was outmoded and outmarketed.
On January 1, 1922, the Rialto rebranded from the “Temple of the Silent Art” to the “House of Proven Successes: The Finest for the Least” or a sub-run house. The Rialto would continue to struggle unable to complete its ten-year lease. The Rialto Theatre was closed February 14, 1926 with Natacha Rambova in “When Love Grows Cold”. It has since been demolished.
Fred H. Rike opened the Feature Theatre on December 20, 1915 at 214 North Kentucky St.in McKinney. The Brockman Brothers – Tom S. and Roy L. – took over the struggling theatre and after a quick remodel in June of 1916 reopened it as the Queen Theatre on Jun 17, 1916. In 1922, the Brockmans took the Queen equipment and signage to Frisco to open the Queen Theatre there. The Brockmans sold the Queen to E.L. Black or his brother. Black sold it to John T. Northcutt. Northcutt then sold it to E.L. Black in 1927. Black sold it again – but when the stock market collapsed – the new owners seemed to flounder so Black got it back. The theater appears to fulfill a ten-year lease and close.
Robboehm: I think I’m an idiot! I had no idea I could add a theatre.
Robboehm – Not really dangling as I can’t add pictures or continue threads on theaters not in the database. The Queen of Frisco isn’t in the CT-DB today (I can’t add theaters); so I did the best that I could for you – just added a picture of the E.L. Black run Frisco Theatre here in the McKinney entry. The Brockmans sold the Queen to John T. Northcutt. Northcutt then sold it to E.L. Black in 1927. Black sold it – but when the stock market collapsed – the new owners seemed to flounder so Black got it back. Sorry to dangle.
The Jerry Lewis Cinema was called that for less than one year changing names to the Westgate Cinema in March of 1973 when the Lewis brand was cratering. Later, the Westgate Cinema was operated by William B. Boren’s fledgling circuit consisting of the Eastgate Cinema in Garland, the Wilshire Showcase I & II in Euless, Cineworld 4 and Lancaster Showcase in Fort Worth and two theaters in Blackwell, OK.
Last show was October 9, 1963. Fire closed the theatre which became eyesore and partially demo’d October 1964 then completed after controversy in December 1966.
This theater was the Arcade Theatre by Mr. and Mrs. E. Black. It was purchased by the operators of the neighboring Texas Theatre and nearby Pope Theatre. In 1936, it was remodeled and renamed the State Theatre. The State went out of business on December 29, 1951 sith a double feature of “The Mysterious Rider” and “Flying Disc Man.”
Architected by Lang & Witchell with opening date of June 16, 1913 (or June 14, 1913 – which was advertised but apparently delayed) on North Kentucky Street on the West side of the square. Three people managed the Pope in its run: L.D. Perkins, Charles Kimble and Roy Brockton, Sr.
On June 5, 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Shipman Bullard remodeled the Pope Theatre and reopened it as the Rio Theatre. The theater struggled in the TV era taken over by its last owner, C.D. Barnes. A minor fire early in 1956 caused minor damage fire and a fire on April 18, 1956 appears to end the Rio Theater’s operation despite the building holding up well to the blaze. The building stood vacant for seven years before being razed in 1963.
The short-lived Columbia Air Dome which, along with the Columbia Theatre, were both purchased by Charles Kimball — operator of the Pope Theatre, the Happy Hour Theatre and Happy Hour Airdome. The Columbia Theatre became the Interurban station stop on North Kentucky in downtown late in 1914 after being demolished. Both Columbia operations' equipment was sent to Farmersville, TX.
Silent-era theater run by R&R and Roy L. Brockman that opened in 1917 and closed in 1928. Demolished in 1928 for the long-running. Ritz Theatre
Fred H. Rike opened the Feature Theatre on December 20, 1915 at 214 North Kentucky St. The Brockman Brothers – Tom S. and Roy L. – took over the struggling theatre and after a quick remodel in June of 1916 reopened it as the Queen Theatre on Jun 17, 1916. In 1922, the Brockmans took the Queen equipment and signage to Frisco to open the Queen Theatre there ending the Queen’s run in Fall of 1922.
Architected by Lang & Witchell