There are two Mary Lou Theatres throughout its history.
The Mary Lou Theatre on 115 North Jefferson Avenue opened its doors by the Hayob Brothers (George H. & Leo J. Hayob) on June 16, 1949 with Jack Carson and Doris Day in “My Dream Is Yours” along with a cartoon and a novelty, as a replacement of the older Mary Lou Theatre on 159 West North Street (which was renamed the North Street Theatre that same day and it’ll have its own Cinema Treasures page soon).
The newer and second Mary Lou Theatre on Jefferson Avenue was built at a former site of a dealership garage known as the Rieman Motor Company which that dealership was relocated to 68 West Morgan Street at the time of the theater’s construction.
The second Mary Lou Theatre featured a Streamline Modern design with a capacity of 795 seats, then-latest RCA 2-way sound system, and was constructed along stadium lines or known as “station type houses”. The entirety of the 795 seats were Haywood-Wakefield chairs which were spring operated self rising seats. The aisles are four feet wide and the ramps from the foyer up into the theater are 6½ft wide. The seats are set 34in apart.
When a patron enters the Jefferson Avenue Mary Lou Theatre, it features the following: To the left is the arranged concession stand that the patrons can be served from the lobby or the foyer or on the street. The street outlet for the concession will be identical in appearance with the box office which is situated on the north side of the front entrance. Proceeding from the lobby the patron goes into the foyer which is 10x55½ft and going down four steps from the foyer he enters the lounge which is 27x18ft. Off of the lounge at each side are restrooms for both genders. To the right of the lobby is the manager’s office as well as the front furnace and air conditioning room located to the right of the lobby.
There are three sets of double-doors from the street into the lobby and another three sets of double doors from the lobby into the foyer. At each end of the foyer there is an outside exit, the south exit opening on the alley and the north exit on a sidewalk which will run the entire length of the building on the north side. Despite the theater completely fireproof, it is best to use it for emergencies. The stage is 40x18ft which provides ample space for stage presentations and first-run A features. It also includes hearing aid equipment which is tied into the regular reproduction units. There is a full basement under the stage which has a heating plant.
Construction of the theater was first planned in August 1947 and began construction in June 1948. Robert O Boller and Dietz Lusk Jr. are the architects of the Jefferson Avenue Mary Lou Theatre. Boller was the one who also did the North Street Mary Lou Theatre alongside his brother Carl. The newer Mary Lou features black light units which illuminate the walls of the Old Tavern and Missouri Valley College. These black lights consist of mercury vapor arcs which generate ultra violet rays. These rays are beyond the visible spectrum and the units are equipped with filters which prevent any visible light from escaping. All wiring through the theater is enclosed in conduit pipe running through the attic and under the concrete floors providing the best in safety. Approximately 3,000ft of conduit of various sizes have been used in making the installations. It is almost enough wire to extend a length of 15 miles that has been installed on the job. Control panels of lighting are located in the office, booth, and back stage. To provide convenience in the operation of stage, lighting 3-way controls were installed to take care of the stage flood lights and both automatically-operated stage curtains. Fluorescent lighting will predominate throughout the theater in all cove wall installations and in all shadow boxes or poster cases. All the ceiling lights in the auditorium are recessed and faced with concentric louvres for control of the light to prevent glare. The stage flood lights are each mounted on a swivel arm for the purpose of adjustment if needed. These lights are concealed in vertical light recesses at each side of the spandrel walls in front of the auditorium. These are 12 of these lights in each recess with 3-circuit controls and all these spotlights are equipped with roundels of five different colors which provide much flexibility in selecting colors fitting in with the various seasons of the year.
There are 12 different electrical circuits controlling the marquee, and the entire front of the theater over the structural glass is Streamline Modern illuminated with neon lighting. The marquee features the cursive colored concrete letters “Mary Lou” 4ft high across the top on each side. The marquee has a 3-line flashed opal glass attraction board which will be used 10-inch Bevelite letters of red plastic material. The ceiling under the marquee contains a total of 54 receptacles for 25-watt bulbs which with the three 150-watt recessed entrance flood lights will illuminate the sparkling sidewalk.
The newer Mary Lou Theatre did not last very long at all, and on October 24, 1964, the Mary Lou Theatre ended its life with Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra”, leaving the Auditorium Theatre the only indoor movie house in Marshall.
The Parkside Drive-In actually opened on August 2, 1949 with Glenn Ford in “The Return Of October” along with a couple of cartoons and a newsreel. It was first operated by Charles Ralph Thomas and managed by John Lindsey.
On May 4, 1950, both the 37x50ft screen and the east side of the original 56ft tower were blown off by heavy winds. Lindsey said that the east section of the tower and attached screen were the first to blow away, and the entire tower had rocked and swayed two and three feet in the wind. The gale was of sufficient strength to uproot wooden poles sunk in concrete to a length of 8ft. Just after the first slab of the tower had gone, the entire top section of the structure including the huge “Drive-In” sign were blown down. The wind continued to blow sections of the corrugated metal sheeting of the tower away at intervals, some swirling across the highway. Both Lindsey and Thomas saw the tower section falling on the telephone cable and began stopping cars to warn them of any danger. A telephone service unit soon arrived with red warning flags which were also placed at both approaches of the drive-in. Several cars were passing at the time of the theater’s original tower was damaged, but none were hit by any of it. The theater reopened several weeks later after both a new screen and screen tower were built.
The Key’s Auditorium Theatre opened its doors on January 15, 1915 with a live presentation of Henry W. Savage’s “Every Woman”. It originally housed 1,000 seats when it opened. The original stage measures 60x30x16ft with the auditorium measuring 115x70ft. The theater’s name was shorten to just Auditorium Theatre in 1926 after being taken over by Ray Higgins who also installed Vitaphone and Movietone sound in June 1929.
In December 1930, the theater was renamed the Fox Auditorium Theatre under the ownership of Fox Midwest Theatres and the manager of Frank J. Celoud (later Steve Souttar since 1946). The Fox name lasted until November 1960 when the Fox name was dropped following the National Theatres chain taking over both the Auditorium Theatre and the Mary Lou Theatre led by George H. Hayob, and was renamed back the Auditorium Theatre.
The Cass County Drive-In opened its gates on August 11, 1950 with Yvonne De Carlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” along with a live band performance conducted by Jack Kroesen and a special square dancing event on its large patio led by radio stars from Kansas City station KMBC-AM 980 (now KMBZ-AM) before showing. Otherwise, it was unknown if any short subjects were added.
The original screen was destroyed by high winds in April 1971, and was repaired the following year.
The original Ellington Drive-In name only lasted for a very short period of time since its opening. It was renamed the Highway 21 Drive-In by the following month.
The actual opening date is August 25, 1949 with Abbott and Costello in “Buck Privates” along with a few short subjects. It was owned by Clyde Lesson and originally housed 250 cars with Western Electric sound and Simplex 35mm projection.
The Starlet Drive-In opened its gates on April 30, 1953 with Louis Heyward in “Captain Pirate” along with an unnamed cartoon, featuring a 55x48ft screen and an original capacity of 240 cars. It was first operated by Commonwealth and managed by George Willhoite.
The 66 Drive-In opened with Jack Carson in “Two Guys From Texas” along with the Looney Tunes cartoon “A Horse Fly Fleas” and a short entitled “Saddle Up”.
Construction of the theater started on July 11, 1949 by W.D. Bradford and V.F. Naramore who are also owners of the Roxy Theatre. Dickinson Theatres opened the theater on September 22 of the same year. Some of the original installations include RCA sound and a steel screen which was listed as one of the largest in Missouri at the time.
The 300-car Airway Drive-In opened its gates on May 22, 1953 with a one-day showing of Ronald Reagan in “Tropic Zone” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unnamed comedy, featuring an original wooden/steel 48x72ft tower. It was first operated by C.W. Locke who also operated the Time Theatre.
The St. Charles Drive-In opened its gates on July 11, 1951 with Margret Sheridan in “The Thing” (unknown if extras were added), and was renamed the Plaza Drive-In on March 13, 1959.
Despite opening successfully, two protectors from the Projection Operators Union made an appearance in protest of the employment of a non-union projection operator at the establishment on grand opening day. The two picketed the theater throughout the entire show and there is no trouble ensued. More pickets continued within the following week and they want the projectionist in the theater to get kicked in the pants. The spokesman for the corporation who operated the drive-in said that he explained that plans to operate the drive-in without a union projectionist were formed months ago. But the union said that it h is understood that as many as eight men have joined although a maximum of three operators are required in St. Charles. He does understand that the projectionists have their rights to join the union bit do not have a contract with any of the theater owners, including the drive-in’s first manager, Ms. Ethel Somborn. According to her, she believes that the organizers are letting the contract slide in order to force the drive-in to capitulate first and thus force the other theaters to conform. The union scale is said to be an estimate $156 a week while operators in St. Charles draw about $65 presently. They replied that members of the corporation cannot meet the higher salary but they desire to keep out of trouble as they are not going union until the other local theaters such as the Strand Theatre to do so. They promised that they never been approached by anyone with an offer to sit down and talk the same thing over and over again. Theaters including the Strand made it first and they think they should’ve be the first to settle the matter.
The Plaza Drive-In closed for the final time on September 30, 1983 after a 29-day run of “Private School” and “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”.
The Roxy opened on February 15, 1940 with Joe E. Brown in “Beware Spooks” along with an unknown cartoon, an Andy Clyde comedy, and a Ted Fio Rito scopitone. It was closed in 1952.
The first one started life as the Lyric Theatre on November 5, 1910, and was renamed the Strand Theatre on September 19, 1918. The older Strand closed in mid-1926 when it was relocated to a newer and larger building and reopened around the same time by Robert Stempel.
The Strand Theatre was renamed the St. Charles Cinema on November 23, 1968, reopening with Doris Day’s “With Six You Get Egg Roll” and Jerry Lewis’s “Big Mouth”.
This didn’t last long. In May 1971, the theater was briefly renamed the St. Charles Art Cinema running mostly R-rated and X-rated movies (yes there are some normal titles in there). It didn’t do as much of a success, and closed the following month in late-June 1971. The theater reopened as a live performance house under the name “The Factory” in 1972.
The Princess Theatre opened its doors in September 1915 and was located inside the Blaine building. The theater was renamed three times in its history. First it was renamed the Piedmont Theatre in Spring 1932, then it was renamed the Jefferis Theatre on August 28, 1940, and finally it was renamed the Melinda Theatre on January 1, 1958.
The theater closed in 1961 and the former theater became an office.
The actual opening date is May 19, 1953 with Sterling Hayden in “Kansas Pacific” along with an unnamed Popeye cartoon and an unknown comedy reel. It was first operated by Walter Wangler and owned by Mr. and Mrs. A. B. (Jeff) Jefferis who are also owners of the Jefferis Theatre.
This started life as Malco Twin, and opened its doors as a 420-seat twin-screener in December 1969. It was tripled in the 1980s and was renamed Malco Trio.
The Kinney Opera House opened in late-January 1894. It had several names throughout its earlier days. It was once known as the Kinney Theatre before briefly renaming it the New Theatre in 1917. It officially became the Majestic Theatre in 1918.
The Majestic Theatre was gutted in the Spring of 1940 and was quickly modernized to Al Hauetter of Kansas City, Missouri’s design. The theater reopened as the Time Theatre on September 4, 1940 with Melvin Douglas in “He Stayed For Breakfast” along with a newsreel and several shorts (one of which is the patriotic short “The Flag Speaks”).
The Time Theatre is still open in the late-1960s, although its closing date was not known yet at this time.
The Memphis Theatre opened on January 2, 1941 with Shirley Temple in “Young People” and Laurel and Hardy in “Saps At Sea” (unknown if extras added). It was first operated by Ms. Alice Johnson of Bonaparte, Iowa.
The Uptown Theatre opened its doors on August 29, 1936 with a one-day showing of Lionel Barrymore in “The Voice Of Bugle Ann” along with a special performance by the city’s high school band, comedian Edgar Jones appearing in-person, and special addresses by then-Mayor B.J. Thomas. Otherwise, no extra short subjects were added.
NOTE: The theater never opened in 1930. That info belongs to the Dickinson (later Chief) Theatre.
This was taken several days before the theater closed its doors for the final time. And yes, this was the final attraction shown on the marquee.
There are two Mary Lou Theatres throughout its history.
The Mary Lou Theatre on 115 North Jefferson Avenue opened its doors by the Hayob Brothers (George H. & Leo J. Hayob) on June 16, 1949 with Jack Carson and Doris Day in “My Dream Is Yours” along with a cartoon and a novelty, as a replacement of the older Mary Lou Theatre on 159 West North Street (which was renamed the North Street Theatre that same day and it’ll have its own Cinema Treasures page soon).
The newer and second Mary Lou Theatre on Jefferson Avenue was built at a former site of a dealership garage known as the Rieman Motor Company which that dealership was relocated to 68 West Morgan Street at the time of the theater’s construction.
The second Mary Lou Theatre featured a Streamline Modern design with a capacity of 795 seats, then-latest RCA 2-way sound system, and was constructed along stadium lines or known as “station type houses”. The entirety of the 795 seats were Haywood-Wakefield chairs which were spring operated self rising seats. The aisles are four feet wide and the ramps from the foyer up into the theater are 6½ft wide. The seats are set 34in apart.
When a patron enters the Jefferson Avenue Mary Lou Theatre, it features the following: To the left is the arranged concession stand that the patrons can be served from the lobby or the foyer or on the street. The street outlet for the concession will be identical in appearance with the box office which is situated on the north side of the front entrance. Proceeding from the lobby the patron goes into the foyer which is 10x55½ft and going down four steps from the foyer he enters the lounge which is 27x18ft. Off of the lounge at each side are restrooms for both genders. To the right of the lobby is the manager’s office as well as the front furnace and air conditioning room located to the right of the lobby.
There are three sets of double-doors from the street into the lobby and another three sets of double doors from the lobby into the foyer. At each end of the foyer there is an outside exit, the south exit opening on the alley and the north exit on a sidewalk which will run the entire length of the building on the north side. Despite the theater completely fireproof, it is best to use it for emergencies. The stage is 40x18ft which provides ample space for stage presentations and first-run A features. It also includes hearing aid equipment which is tied into the regular reproduction units. There is a full basement under the stage which has a heating plant.
Construction of the theater was first planned in August 1947 and began construction in June 1948. Robert O Boller and Dietz Lusk Jr. are the architects of the Jefferson Avenue Mary Lou Theatre. Boller was the one who also did the North Street Mary Lou Theatre alongside his brother Carl. The newer Mary Lou features black light units which illuminate the walls of the Old Tavern and Missouri Valley College. These black lights consist of mercury vapor arcs which generate ultra violet rays. These rays are beyond the visible spectrum and the units are equipped with filters which prevent any visible light from escaping. All wiring through the theater is enclosed in conduit pipe running through the attic and under the concrete floors providing the best in safety. Approximately 3,000ft of conduit of various sizes have been used in making the installations. It is almost enough wire to extend a length of 15 miles that has been installed on the job. Control panels of lighting are located in the office, booth, and back stage. To provide convenience in the operation of stage, lighting 3-way controls were installed to take care of the stage flood lights and both automatically-operated stage curtains. Fluorescent lighting will predominate throughout the theater in all cove wall installations and in all shadow boxes or poster cases. All the ceiling lights in the auditorium are recessed and faced with concentric louvres for control of the light to prevent glare. The stage flood lights are each mounted on a swivel arm for the purpose of adjustment if needed. These lights are concealed in vertical light recesses at each side of the spandrel walls in front of the auditorium. These are 12 of these lights in each recess with 3-circuit controls and all these spotlights are equipped with roundels of five different colors which provide much flexibility in selecting colors fitting in with the various seasons of the year.
There are 12 different electrical circuits controlling the marquee, and the entire front of the theater over the structural glass is Streamline Modern illuminated with neon lighting. The marquee features the cursive colored concrete letters “Mary Lou” 4ft high across the top on each side. The marquee has a 3-line flashed opal glass attraction board which will be used 10-inch Bevelite letters of red plastic material. The ceiling under the marquee contains a total of 54 receptacles for 25-watt bulbs which with the three 150-watt recessed entrance flood lights will illuminate the sparkling sidewalk.
The newer Mary Lou Theatre did not last very long at all, and on October 24, 1964, the Mary Lou Theatre ended its life with Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra”, leaving the Auditorium Theatre the only indoor movie house in Marshall.
The Parkside Drive-In actually opened on August 2, 1949 with Glenn Ford in “The Return Of October” along with a couple of cartoons and a newsreel. It was first operated by Charles Ralph Thomas and managed by John Lindsey.
On May 4, 1950, both the 37x50ft screen and the east side of the original 56ft tower were blown off by heavy winds. Lindsey said that the east section of the tower and attached screen were the first to blow away, and the entire tower had rocked and swayed two and three feet in the wind. The gale was of sufficient strength to uproot wooden poles sunk in concrete to a length of 8ft. Just after the first slab of the tower had gone, the entire top section of the structure including the huge “Drive-In” sign were blown down. The wind continued to blow sections of the corrugated metal sheeting of the tower away at intervals, some swirling across the highway. Both Lindsey and Thomas saw the tower section falling on the telephone cable and began stopping cars to warn them of any danger. A telephone service unit soon arrived with red warning flags which were also placed at both approaches of the drive-in. Several cars were passing at the time of the theater’s original tower was damaged, but none were hit by any of it. The theater reopened several weeks later after both a new screen and screen tower were built.
The Parkside Drive-In closed in the mid-1980s.
The Key’s Auditorium Theatre opened its doors on January 15, 1915 with a live presentation of Henry W. Savage’s “Every Woman”. It originally housed 1,000 seats when it opened. The original stage measures 60x30x16ft with the auditorium measuring 115x70ft. The theater’s name was shorten to just Auditorium Theatre in 1926 after being taken over by Ray Higgins who also installed Vitaphone and Movietone sound in June 1929.
In December 1930, the theater was renamed the Fox Auditorium Theatre under the ownership of Fox Midwest Theatres and the manager of Frank J. Celoud (later Steve Souttar since 1946). The Fox name lasted until November 1960 when the Fox name was dropped following the National Theatres chain taking over both the Auditorium Theatre and the Mary Lou Theatre led by George H. Hayob, and was renamed back the Auditorium Theatre.
The Cass County Drive-In opened its gates on August 11, 1950 with Yvonne De Carlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” along with a live band performance conducted by Jack Kroesen and a special square dancing event on its large patio led by radio stars from Kansas City station KMBC-AM 980 (now KMBZ-AM) before showing. Otherwise, it was unknown if any short subjects were added.
The original screen was destroyed by high winds in April 1971, and was repaired the following year.
The original Ellington Drive-In name only lasted for a very short period of time since its opening. It was renamed the Highway 21 Drive-In by the following month.
The actual opening date is August 25, 1949 with Abbott and Costello in “Buck Privates” along with a few short subjects. It was owned by Clyde Lesson and originally housed 250 cars with Western Electric sound and Simplex 35mm projection.
The Starlet Drive-In opened its gates on April 30, 1953 with Louis Heyward in “Captain Pirate” along with an unnamed cartoon, featuring a 55x48ft screen and an original capacity of 240 cars. It was first operated by Commonwealth and managed by George Willhoite.
Opened on June 15, 1962 with Robert Mitchum in “Thunder Road” and Steve McQueen in “The Magnificent Seven” with no extra short subjects.
The 66 Drive-In opened with Jack Carson in “Two Guys From Texas” along with the Looney Tunes cartoon “A Horse Fly Fleas” and a short entitled “Saddle Up”.
Construction of the theater started on July 11, 1949 by W.D. Bradford and V.F. Naramore who are also owners of the Roxy Theatre. Dickinson Theatres opened the theater on September 22 of the same year. Some of the original installations include RCA sound and a steel screen which was listed as one of the largest in Missouri at the time.
This closed in the early-1980s. A 1983 aerial view shows the screen tower removed.
The 300-car Airway Drive-In opened its gates on May 22, 1953 with a one-day showing of Ronald Reagan in “Tropic Zone” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unnamed comedy, featuring an original wooden/steel 48x72ft tower. It was first operated by C.W. Locke who also operated the Time Theatre.
The St. Charles Drive-In opened its gates on July 11, 1951 with Margret Sheridan in “The Thing” (unknown if extras were added), and was renamed the Plaza Drive-In on March 13, 1959.
The Plaza Drive-In closed for the final time on September 30, 1983 after a 29-day run of “Private School” and “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”.
Opened on August 31, 1935, closed in the mid-1940s.
The Roxy opened on February 15, 1940 with Joe E. Brown in “Beware Spooks” along with an unknown cartoon, an Andy Clyde comedy, and a Ted Fio Rito scopitone. It was closed in 1952.
There are two Strand Theatres in St. Charles.
The first one started life as the Lyric Theatre on November 5, 1910, and was renamed the Strand Theatre on September 19, 1918. The older Strand closed in mid-1926 when it was relocated to a newer and larger building and reopened around the same time by Robert Stempel.
The Strand Theatre was renamed the St. Charles Cinema on November 23, 1968, reopening with Doris Day’s “With Six You Get Egg Roll” and Jerry Lewis’s “Big Mouth”.
This didn’t last long. In May 1971, the theater was briefly renamed the St. Charles Art Cinema running mostly R-rated and X-rated movies (yes there are some normal titles in there). It didn’t do as much of a success, and closed the following month in late-June 1971. The theater reopened as a live performance house under the name “The Factory” in 1972.
The Princess Theatre opened its doors in September 1915 and was located inside the Blaine building. The theater was renamed three times in its history. First it was renamed the Piedmont Theatre in Spring 1932, then it was renamed the Jefferis Theatre on August 28, 1940, and finally it was renamed the Melinda Theatre on January 1, 1958.
The theater closed in 1961 and the former theater became an office.
The actual opening date is May 19, 1953 with Sterling Hayden in “Kansas Pacific” along with an unnamed Popeye cartoon and an unknown comedy reel. It was first operated by Walter Wangler and owned by Mr. and Mrs. A. B. (Jeff) Jefferis who are also owners of the Jefferis Theatre.
This started life as Malco Twin, and opened its doors as a 420-seat twin-screener in December 1969. It was tripled in the 1980s and was renamed Malco Trio.
Ralph White opened the Roxy on July 6, 1949 with Wallace Beery in “Big Jack” with no extra short subjects.
Opened in 1921.
Once operated by Kerasotes.
The Kinney Opera House opened in late-January 1894. It had several names throughout its earlier days. It was once known as the Kinney Theatre before briefly renaming it the New Theatre in 1917. It officially became the Majestic Theatre in 1918.
The Majestic Theatre was gutted in the Spring of 1940 and was quickly modernized to Al Hauetter of Kansas City, Missouri’s design. The theater reopened as the Time Theatre on September 4, 1940 with Melvin Douglas in “He Stayed For Breakfast” along with a newsreel and several shorts (one of which is the patriotic short “The Flag Speaks”).
The Time Theatre is still open in the late-1960s, although its closing date was not known yet at this time.
The Memphis Theatre opened on January 2, 1941 with Shirley Temple in “Young People” and Laurel and Hardy in “Saps At Sea” (unknown if extras added). It was first operated by Ms. Alice Johnson of Bonaparte, Iowa.
The Uptown Theatre opened its doors on August 29, 1936 with a one-day showing of Lionel Barrymore in “The Voice Of Bugle Ann” along with a special performance by the city’s high school band, comedian Edgar Jones appearing in-person, and special addresses by then-Mayor B.J. Thomas. Otherwise, no extra short subjects were added.