I suspect the history is inaccurate. This is listed as open in the 1947 and 1956 Yearbook, so it was clearly open postwar. In 1947, both this theater and the Tucker were part of the Fox Midwest chain. In fact, I think the contributor may have been confused by this. The 1933 Yearbook lists the Tucker as closed, not the Plaza. The Tucker was a bit larger, and had a better location, but it was also older.
The 1947 Yearbook lists this as part of the Fox Midwest chain, along with the Plaza, the only other theater in town. I assume fans of Republic, MGM or Paramount had to go elsewhere.
Still listed as open in the 1956 Yearbook, with 854 seats. From the photos, looks like it made it to 1971, with that ghastly slipcover being part of a horrible remodel.
This theater is shown on the 1911 map, the earliest available. It’s hard to place this, but I’m pretty sure this has been effectively demolished. The 2020 Streetview shows a garage bay in this section, with the offices of the repair shop in 114. Both have a nasty cheap modern facade. If the marker on the map is correct, this may have been converted into an events space.
Converted to an ugly beige box with all openings bricked over. Currently seems to be a warehouse for a security company. Some deco detail still visible on the sides/roof.
What a mess! Jones seems a very odd location for the theater. The high school is the only part that shows up on any maps, and the rest of the area was presumably residential. 202 is of course now a parking lot. I suppose we could list that location separately, and then the one in the Opera House would be another listing?
I assumed it had closed to be replaced by the State, which opened soon after.
Anyhow, thanks for confirming the ID.
Going through the old report, they say the Edison was located in the the ground floor of the Opera House, and closed late in 1913. The 1914-15 AMPD lists it as open, and gives a definite address on Grant. Perhaps it moved? There is also a Grand mentioned as opening in late 1913. I’m not sure where that was, and it closed in 1917. There’s also the Garden City/Garden, again with no indication as to a location.
Sorry, street should be Main Ave. Google has it both right and wrong depending on the address. The historic name of the street was apparently ‘Boulevard’.
Dates are a bit off. This is still listed in the 1928 Yearbook. The building got a very strange 1950s (?) slipcover, and was a furniture store for many years. It seems to be closed now.
I’m also a little confused how the building next door could have been 108. Maybe they were renumbered at some point? The fire station would presumably be 100, and likely occupies the lots for 102-106. My photo of the theater entry clearly shows a very old ‘108’ affixed above a door to the left of the entry. It can’t be seen here, and may have led to an apartment above, or the projection booth.
Not sure why a theater of the same name and identical capacity would show up in 1939, but I would expect that the article was correct, and this would then have opened in 1947. I’m not sure how four years of operation qualifies as ‘many’. Perhaps it reopened at some point? The building to the south must have been the store. It was a little taller, but that same Western Plains style of flat fronted white plaster.
I suspect this was the building at 118-120 W 4th St (also called W Bressler St). It had a recessed double door on the 120 side. Seemed derelict in 2010. Still there in 2012, but now gone, although the one story storefronts to the west remain. Looked like your typical modest 1920-30 commercial structure.
This building was much expanded sometime after 2008. I didn’t bother with an unattractive newer theater like this on my 2010 visit, but the original theater section was on the right. The very blurry 2008 streetview gives some idea of the original appearance. The county parks department still lists the theater and bowling alley, but the FB links provided are dead. The bowling alley was definitely still open in late 2023 (based on a Google review).
I bet the original Lyric was the old ‘Electric’. It’s possible that the new Lyric was extensively remodeled or replaced (although the capacity is consistent both before and after 1941). There’s a 1928 map, but of course it’s not available online. The newer building does have those steel frame windows, which are about right for 1941. It is odd that the Lyric and Colby were right next to each other for so many years.
I suspect the history is inaccurate. This is listed as open in the 1947 and 1956 Yearbook, so it was clearly open postwar. In 1947, both this theater and the Tucker were part of the Fox Midwest chain. In fact, I think the contributor may have been confused by this. The 1933 Yearbook lists the Tucker as closed, not the Plaza. The Tucker was a bit larger, and had a better location, but it was also older.
The 1947 Yearbook lists this as part of the Fox Midwest chain, along with the Plaza, the only other theater in town. I assume fans of Republic, MGM or Paramount had to go elsewhere.
Still listed as open in the 1956 Yearbook, with 854 seats. From the photos, looks like it made it to 1971, with that ghastly slipcover being part of a horrible remodel.
This theater is shown on the 1911 map, the earliest available. It’s hard to place this, but I’m pretty sure this has been effectively demolished. The 2020 Streetview shows a garage bay in this section, with the offices of the repair shop in 114. Both have a nasty cheap modern facade. If the marker on the map is correct, this may have been converted into an events space.
I’ve added a Sanborn view.
Converted to an ugly beige box with all openings bricked over. Currently seems to be a warehouse for a security company. Some deco detail still visible on the sides/roof.
So is the AMPD wrong? Did the theater even exist at this point? Had it reopened briefly? This is very confusing.
What a mess! Jones seems a very odd location for the theater. The high school is the only part that shows up on any maps, and the rest of the area was presumably residential. 202 is of course now a parking lot. I suppose we could list that location separately, and then the one in the Opera House would be another listing?
I assumed it had closed to be replaced by the State, which opened soon after.
Anyhow, thanks for confirming the ID.
Going through the old report, they say the Edison was located in the the ground floor of the Opera House, and closed late in 1913. The 1914-15 AMPD lists it as open, and gives a definite address on Grant. Perhaps it moved? There is also a Grand mentioned as opening in late 1913. I’m not sure where that was, and it closed in 1917. There’s also the Garden City/Garden, again with no indication as to a location.
Despite being ‘suscribed’, I haven’t gotten notifications for a long time. I can’t be the only Firefox user, and I have no idea what the problem is.
Neither here nor there, but the opera house was torn down in the ‘50s. The present building is a J.C. Penney replacement from 1953.
I wonder if the Electric was the theater in the hotel. I haven’t found any indication that the opera house showed movies.
It appears the historic address may have been 210-212, but the replacement structure is 222.
A photo of the theater can be seen here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=055-1950-00884
Sorry again, the street’s name used to be Boulevard, not the type. No idea if it was Boulevard St or Boulevard Blvd, or what.
Should add some more information to the entry. Here’s the KHRI entry: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=055-1950-00890
Sorry, street should be Main Ave. Google has it both right and wrong depending on the address. The historic name of the street was apparently ‘Boulevard’.
Needs the status corrected and website added. Opened in 1921.
Dates are a bit off. This is still listed in the 1928 Yearbook. The building got a very strange 1950s (?) slipcover, and was a furniture store for many years. It seems to be closed now.
KHRI entry here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=039-4100-00004
I’m also a little confused how the building next door could have been 108. Maybe they were renumbered at some point? The fire station would presumably be 100, and likely occupies the lots for 102-106. My photo of the theater entry clearly shows a very old ‘108’ affixed above a door to the left of the entry. It can’t be seen here, and may have led to an apartment above, or the projection booth.
Not sure why a theater of the same name and identical capacity would show up in 1939, but I would expect that the article was correct, and this would then have opened in 1947. I’m not sure how four years of operation qualifies as ‘many’. Perhaps it reopened at some point? The building to the south must have been the store. It was a little taller, but that same Western Plains style of flat fronted white plaster.
The nasty false front was gone by 2010, but of course they also replaced the neon marquee with some cheap trash.
I suspect this was the building at 118-120 W 4th St (also called W Bressler St). It had a recessed double door on the 120 side. Seemed derelict in 2010. Still there in 2012, but now gone, although the one story storefronts to the west remain. Looked like your typical modest 1920-30 commercial structure.
Victim of a hideous dryvit brutalist makeover by some misbegotten criminal.
This building was much expanded sometime after 2008. I didn’t bother with an unattractive newer theater like this on my 2010 visit, but the original theater section was on the right. The very blurry 2008 streetview gives some idea of the original appearance. The county parks department still lists the theater and bowling alley, but the FB links provided are dead. The bowling alley was definitely still open in late 2023 (based on a Google review).
I bet the original Lyric was the old ‘Electric’. It’s possible that the new Lyric was extensively remodeled or replaced (although the capacity is consistent both before and after 1941). There’s a 1928 map, but of course it’s not available online. The newer building does have those steel frame windows, which are about right for 1941. It is odd that the Lyric and Colby were right next to each other for so many years.