The F.S. Toland Theatorium opened in the newly-built Turby Building on December 24, 1906 competing against Thackett’s Auditorium Theatre. W.T. Stockton took on the venue The “Royal” Moving Picture Show opening as November 11, 1908 in the existing Truby Building with Robert W. Paul’s “Magic Garden,” Frank Wilson as “The Pneumatic Policeman,” and likely “The Thieving Hand.” It shortened its name to the Royal Theatre and its last films were on August 18, 1910. It was used for a variety of purposes for the next year, including a short-term art gallery, a poultry show, and a lecture series. The theatre remained in use for non-theatrical purposes into 1911. It was converted to a Billiards Hall / Barber Shop / Cigar Store with the awesome name of The Mission in 1912
The Odeon Theatre opened with movies on February 22, 1908. It made it to the half-way point of a 30-year lease closing on Jan. 31, 1923 with Charles Richman in “My Friend the Devil.” It was used for some public speeches and live events into 1924.
The Jefferson Theatre closed on June 18, 1924 disappointing the Jefferson Sweet Shoppe next door - the venue’s de facto concessionaire. It had a ragtag programatic approach by that point - some films, some live events, and a lot of down time. The building was gutted by fire on September 5, 1924. The Sweet Shoppe - which conducted business under different operators - reopened at 405 West 8th Street. The walls of the Jefferson Building held on as best they could.
On November 5, 1924, a strong windstorm knocked over some of the remains of the Jefferson Building causing it to be razed two days later. As for the veracity of it resuming operations of a movie theater in 1929, call me incredibly dubious.
The New Columbia Theatre opened April 29, 1912 with films including Mildred Weston in “A Record Romance” and Lottie Briscoe in “A College Girl,” along with multiple vaudeville acts including a tight rope perf outside from the Columbia Building to the Pfiester Building. It was wired for sound to remain commercially viable.
In April of 1936, Moran & Isley’s Southwest Theatres Inc. took on the operation renaming it as the ISMO Theatre. Midwest Amusement took over the house from Southwest on March 5, 1939. They gave the venue a shocking streamline moderne makeover soon thereafter. Still listed as open in the trades in 1955, it is assumed it closed at the end of a 20-year lease in 1956 because, why not?
John Tackett’s Airdome “#2” opened June 1, 1910 with free films followed by a paid show the next night. The original Tackett’s Airdome “#1” was used for three summers in 1907, 1908, and 1909. It was the warm weather spot for Tackett’s Auditorium Theatre. The original was torn down in October of 1909. A new building was built in virtually the same spot - both at 8th and Maple. Tackett’s Airdome #2 was torn down and “carted away” after being used by non-profit organizations in the Summer of 1917 to make way for the New Tackett Theatre that opened February 27, 1919.
Polley & Cottrell of the Princess Theatre opened the Airdrome here at the corner of Seventh and Walnut for the staggering cost of $400 thanks in part to a brick veneer and metal fencing. Because Tackett’s Airdome finished first, this one went by the name of Princess Airdome to alleviate confusion. After some church services, it opened on June 23, 1910 with live acts including Great McGrath: The Upsidedown Man.
SethG is correct - the phone directory and the local newspaper has the Luxor next door to the Kentucky Building at 121 N. Maple and that building was definitely demolished - looking at the aerials - in the 1970s.
Just a minor note. This venue was always the “Rainbo” and never the Rainbow Theatre. And, in fact, Chester V. Fleming who opened the Rainbo on a 20-year leasing agreement, as well as the Luxor and the Park-Vu, opened a restaurant in town called the Rainbo Café after he left movie exhibition in 1956.
It was the Sky-Vu Drive-In - not the Sky Vue (and the competing ozoner was the Park-Vu - kind of a cheeky competitive situation in Nowata cinema exhibition history).
These things are very minor, but the two drive-ins that operated were named the Park-Vu and the Sky-Vu and they were competing with each other (both are slightly incorrect in the database but these inaccuracies are trivially semi-significant). Chester V. Fleming - who had operated theaters in Sand Springs and Tulsa - moved to Nowata in 1936 and operated the Luxor and the Rainbo theaters. C.D. Hicks and J.J. Bowden operated the competing and superior New Rex Theatre.
Fleming announced the building of the Nowata Drive-Inn Theatre in 1952 across from Nowata City Park (aka “Southside Park,” informally to locals) on Highway 169. Hicks and Bowden countered fast-tracking the Sky-Vu Drive-In to the East of the City on Highway 60. Cheekily, Fleming renamed his project as the Park-Vu Drive-In. So heading into the TV age, the town of Nowata - a football team roster short of 4,000 residents - would have three hard top and two very similarly-named ozoner theaters. Something had to give.
Hicks and Bowden’s Sky-Vu won the race launching August 11, 1952. Weeks later, Chester launched his Park-Vu Drive-In on September 1, 1952 with “Macao” and “Skirts Ahoy!” Reading some of the stories is fairly amusing. One very cold April night, 8 cars showed up to the Sky-Vu and just 5 to the Park-Vu so Chester had the Park-Vu closed directing the 5 to the competition.
I know the database claims a 1954 closure - but that also is slightly incorrect and yet semi-significantly germane. Fleming’s Rainbo was Nowata’s first TV-era movie house casualty closing for the Summer of 1953 with the reopening of the Park-Vu on March 30, 1953. That closure came with a promise of a remodeling in time for the Fall of 1953 reboot. That wisely never happened.
Fast forward to 1956 and there are still four theaters operational in town (!). And operational costs generally included upgrades to CinemaScope in the mid-1950s coupled with a marketplace comprised of many fewer paying patrons. In other words, there were two theaters too many in a town the size of Nowata. For the 1955 season, Hicks and Bowden’s Sky-Vu had made the conversion to a widescreen tower to present CinemaScope titles staking its claim as the superior operation with the Park-Vu not making the switch.
Effective July 1, 1956, Fleming exited the cinema exhibition market altogether with all of the leases - the Park-Vu, the Luxor (1940-1960), and the expiring former Rainbo (1936-1956) transferred to Hicks and Bowden. The last film for Fleming’s career was at the Park-Vu - Debra Paget as the “Princess of the Nile” late on June 30, 1956. Hicks and Bowden didn’t reopen the Park-Vu the next night… or ever. It was dismantled with the lease apparently transferred back to Fleming (undoubtedly with a non-compete understanding). Fleming sublet it becoming a trailer park that was still going in the 2020s and across from the re-named Jack Gordon Park.
Meanwhile, the Luxor would close on the last day of its lease on February 28, 1960 with the town finally at closer to its fighting weight of one hard top and one ozoner in the Sky-Vu and the Rex. Both venues ultimately closed and both demolished.
The entry suggests that the Handy was built hoping “vaudeville might return” which isn’t really accurate. The venue was built as a post-War movie house that could support a resurgence of the Chitlin' Circuit and what became its final wave. The Handy Theatre was more steeped in the postwar rise of African American nightclubs and extending the circuit into R&B and early rock ’n’ roll. That’s a different animal than building an 1,100 seat venue hoping for a return to the past of vaudeville; thus, the Handy is much more in the vein of the Regal Theater in Chicago, the Royal Theatre in St. Petersburg, or the Morton Theatre in Athens, Georgia among a whole lot of others. They were playing to an existing and - for a brief period of about ten years - a growing programmatic mission.
At the Handy, right from the jump, its May 11, 1947 grand opening featured the self-proclaimed Father of the Blues William Christopher W.C. Handy, in person… and Jean Rogers in the film, “Backlash” on the big screen (ad in photos). Later ads show this same programmatic mission where you could see on the same ticket Count Basie… and the film “The Big Frame”; Ray Charles… and the film, “Cavalry Scout”; and Moms Mabley… with the movie, “The Story of Seabiscuit.” Kind of strange looking back as the live acts could easily support the entire show. And that programming died off in the television era in almost every city. But the Handy was fairly unique in that it had the first African American exclusive music show live from its stage on WMCT hosted by Rufus Thomas.
At the 15 year opt out mark of its leasing agreement, the Handy closed in 1962. A new operator relit it in 1964 but the magic and the live music vibe was gone. The movies just couldn’t fill that big of a hall in 1964. So it closed quickly. The venue became the Showcase Lounge, a nightclub reducing cap to 500 patrons and the floor leveled. It had some disco mixed in during that run just past its 30th Anniversary.
Its final shot was when it became the short-lived Tri-Sport Club. When it sat vacant for years in the 1980s, the marquee had almost tragic-comically became a mishmash of all the previous names as the coats of paint became weatherbeaten almost reading like “W.C. Tri-Sporcase” or somesuch. The attempts to rekindle the venue were mired in too much time passing, too many substandard renovations, needed asbestos abatement, and undoubtedly a laundry list of below-code issues. It was mercy demolished in December of 2012 likely to rid it from taxing liabilities and further unsavory activity.
The Scenic Theatre opened along with the Nickeldome as the town’s first two moving picture parlors in 1908. Hand cranked one reelers with a single projector and songs between was pretty much the programming in both venues. The Nickeldome failed under two operators closing in a year in 1909. The Scenic started on the West Side of Main Street and moved across the street in improved conditions and getting the Paramount Studios film contract to block book its products.The Scenic would get competition from the 1893-opened Columbian Opera House which largely switched to movies during World War I under the operation of Johnson & Phillips in 1914 followed by L.W. Weedman and George Shell in 1915.
In January of 1917, the Kendall family took on the Scenic under the Kendall Theatre nameplate. The theatre had a continuous 54-year run by the Kendall family. It did close in 1930 for remodeling as it transitioned to Moviephone sound - an inferior but cost effective choice - (ad in photos) and an early type of air conditioning. In 1935, they switched to more conventional sound by Motiograph. The Opera House didn’t make the transition to sound and became a lightly used live operation on its way to obsolescence and razing.
The Kendall went widescreen beginning on January 27, 1956 with “Hit the Deck..” The theatre closed on December 17, 1969 ending the Kendall family’s operation. They sublet the venue to George Carroll who reopened it very briefly.
The New Royal Theatre / Royal Theater was at 113 E. Cherokee opening there by Roy E.Heffner on February 19, 1922 with “One Glorious Day” supported by “That Night” - it had moved from 208 N. Maple where it was known as Theatre Royale since 1916. The venue had a Wurlitzer Photoplayer to accompany the silent films.
The theatre scuffled in the Depression unable to convert to sound. Used primarily for non-commercial purposes, it was given a new floor modern sound system, and fireproof projection booth at its reboot on September 26, 1936 with “Walking Dead.” With the opening of the Rainbo, the Royal was used for overflow screenings toward the end of its run closing at the end of 1939.
The Esquire was a post-War African American movie house likely assisted by G.I. funding launching by Jim’s Enterprises on October 18, 1946 with “Frontier Gal.”
This venue became the New Park Theater received a shocking $100,000 makeover in 1948. The fresh by Walter Reade stripped away all of the venue’s original ornate features, losing its box seatings, and even removing its 1939 art deco elements from that update. It reopened on January 15, 1949 and the New Park Theatre. In the 1950s, it was retrofitted for widescreen to present CinemaScope features.
Very technically, this venue closed as the New Park Theater as noted on March 24, 1970 with “Cactus Flower.” It should be listed as New Park Theater and formerly Lyon’s Theatre (not Lyons).
The Florence opened on May 13, 1921 with Pauline Fredrick in “The Mistress of Shenstone.” The under-bridge structure was a multi-purpose addition to an existing building of which the Florence Theatre cost $120,000 to build. Purportedly, the name “Florence” was chosen to mesh with the Italian-centric venue’s clientele. Early ticket sales led to unwanted clientele. The 1,200-seat Florence Theatre was consistently robbed and lots of unsavory activity, to boot. The worst such case of robbery was its fifth in two years on September 23, 1925 when nitro blew a hole in the theatre causing $15,000 and a closed for repairs sign. The most brutal crime was that of patron Herman Kellerman who was gunned down exiting the theatre. That was said to be a gang-related hit in retaliation for the Johnny Spanish gang-related murder in which Kellerman was acquitted… but had a price on his head after leaving the courtroom, according to reports.
The Florence was wired for sound to remain competitive. It had a confectionery selling all forms of candy as the Florence’s de facto concession stand. The theatre booked Paramount Studio productions in a block booking arrangement. The Florence closed during the Depression - likely 1934 - with the neighborhood decidedly Asian. And Italian and English-language films just weren’t cutting it. The trade press purports that Toy Kin-Lee took on the venue renaming it as the New China Theatre in 1935 and then it was purportedly renamed as the New Canton Theatre in 1942. The latter mixed in live Chinese music and live plays, as well.
In 1950, Sun Sing Chinese Theatres Inc. took on the venue on a new leasing agreement with Kung Dee King ordering a major refresh that took seat count from 1,200 to under 1,000. It also came with a name change to the Sun Sing Theatre. In 1953, the venue played 3D films - notably The Gold Hunt / Fortune Hunters (Taojin ji) and A Woman’s Revenge (Yunü Qingchou). In 1954 the Sun Sing went widescreen to present 1.85:1 films with Kin-Lee apparently back operating the venue.
The venue thrived in the chopsocky era of the 1970s. It had its last wave of dollars with the Hong Kong New Wave lasting into the 1990s. It was the site of a major riot in October of 1976 in which - it was claimed in court - that there were more gang members than non-gang patrons. Seems highly possible. Based on nothing other than leasing, the theatre may have closed in 1995. The building was definitely demolished in 1998 but, when the walls collapsed during that project, three workers were trapped inside and injured.
A 1927 J. Mandor Matson architectural exterior sketch is in photos. The proposed name of “Badger” was rejected in favor the Plaza - likely because Community Theatres of Milwaukee took on the project in February just ahead of the opening. Its three manual $8,000 Barton pipe organ was played by local musician, Gladys Krueger on opening night of February 15, 1928.
It’s no great shakes, but the front wall of the old Colony Theatre was not incorporated into this new-build theatre. Also the entry’s text never once mentions the name of the theatre which is an odd choice. “It” was the McHenry Theatre, a new-build theatre that opened on February 9, 1955. In its twin operation, it was most often the McHenry Indoor Theatre 1 & 2 to distinguish it from the popular drive-in theatre. In the C-You operation, it was the McHenry Downtown Theatre for clarity of proximity. etc.
This venue opened as the Princess Theatre on September 1, 1911. John C. Miller moved to a new location reopening the Princess on April 1, 1914. This theatre remained dark from 1914 until reopening just for Saturday and Sunday screenings as the Strand Theatre on March 5, 1916. On August 6, 1916, that ended following Victor Moore in “Chimmie Fadden Out West.” It was closed until further notice.
This venue opened as the Princess Theatre on September 1, 1911. John C. Miller moved to a new location reopening the Princess on April 1, 1914. This theatre remained dark from 1914 until reopening just for Saturday and Sunday screenings as the Strand Theatre on March 5, 1916.
The F.S. Toland Theatorium opened in the newly-built Turby Building on December 24, 1906 competing against Thackett’s Auditorium Theatre. W.T. Stockton took on the venue The “Royal” Moving Picture Show opening as November 11, 1908 in the existing Truby Building with Robert W. Paul’s “Magic Garden,” Frank Wilson as “The Pneumatic Policeman,” and likely “The Thieving Hand.” It shortened its name to the Royal Theatre and its last films were on August 18, 1910. It was used for a variety of purposes for the next year, including a short-term art gallery, a poultry show, and a lecture series. The theatre remained in use for non-theatrical purposes into 1911. It was converted to a Billiards Hall / Barber Shop / Cigar Store with the awesome name of The Mission in 1912
The Odeon Theatre opened with movies on February 22, 1908. It made it to the half-way point of a 30-year lease closing on Jan. 31, 1923 with Charles Richman in “My Friend the Devil.” It was used for some public speeches and live events into 1924.
The Jefferson Theatre closed on June 18, 1924 disappointing the Jefferson Sweet Shoppe next door - the venue’s de facto concessionaire. It had a ragtag programatic approach by that point - some films, some live events, and a lot of down time. The building was gutted by fire on September 5, 1924. The Sweet Shoppe - which conducted business under different operators - reopened at 405 West 8th Street. The walls of the Jefferson Building held on as best they could.
On November 5, 1924, a strong windstorm knocked over some of the remains of the Jefferson Building causing it to be razed two days later. As for the veracity of it resuming operations of a movie theater in 1929, call me incredibly dubious.
The New Columbia Theatre opened April 29, 1912 with films including Mildred Weston in “A Record Romance” and Lottie Briscoe in “A College Girl,” along with multiple vaudeville acts including a tight rope perf outside from the Columbia Building to the Pfiester Building. It was wired for sound to remain commercially viable.
In April of 1936, Moran & Isley’s Southwest Theatres Inc. took on the operation renaming it as the ISMO Theatre. Midwest Amusement took over the house from Southwest on March 5, 1939. They gave the venue a shocking streamline moderne makeover soon thereafter. Still listed as open in the trades in 1955, it is assumed it closed at the end of a 20-year lease in 1956 because, why not?
John Tackett’s Airdome “#2” opened June 1, 1910 with free films followed by a paid show the next night. The original Tackett’s Airdome “#1” was used for three summers in 1907, 1908, and 1909. It was the warm weather spot for Tackett’s Auditorium Theatre. The original was torn down in October of 1909. A new building was built in virtually the same spot - both at 8th and Maple. Tackett’s Airdome #2 was torn down and “carted away” after being used by non-profit organizations in the Summer of 1917 to make way for the New Tackett Theatre that opened February 27, 1919.
Polley & Cottrell of the Princess Theatre opened the Airdrome here at the corner of Seventh and Walnut for the staggering cost of $400 thanks in part to a brick veneer and metal fencing. Because Tackett’s Airdome finished first, this one went by the name of Princess Airdome to alleviate confusion. After some church services, it opened on June 23, 1910 with live acts including Great McGrath: The Upsidedown Man.
SethG is correct - the phone directory and the local newspaper has the Luxor next door to the Kentucky Building at 121 N. Maple and that building was definitely demolished - looking at the aerials - in the 1970s.
Just a minor note. This venue was always the “Rainbo” and never the Rainbow Theatre. And, in fact, Chester V. Fleming who opened the Rainbo on a 20-year leasing agreement, as well as the Luxor and the Park-Vu, opened a restaurant in town called the Rainbo Café after he left movie exhibition in 1956.
It was the Sky-Vu Drive-In - not the Sky Vue (and the competing ozoner was the Park-Vu - kind of a cheeky competitive situation in Nowata cinema exhibition history).
These things are very minor, but the two drive-ins that operated were named the Park-Vu and the Sky-Vu and they were competing with each other (both are slightly incorrect in the database but these inaccuracies are trivially semi-significant). Chester V. Fleming - who had operated theaters in Sand Springs and Tulsa - moved to Nowata in 1936 and operated the Luxor and the Rainbo theaters. C.D. Hicks and J.J. Bowden operated the competing and superior New Rex Theatre.
Fleming announced the building of the Nowata Drive-Inn Theatre in 1952 across from Nowata City Park (aka “Southside Park,” informally to locals) on Highway 169. Hicks and Bowden countered fast-tracking the Sky-Vu Drive-In to the East of the City on Highway 60. Cheekily, Fleming renamed his project as the Park-Vu Drive-In. So heading into the TV age, the town of Nowata - a football team roster short of 4,000 residents - would have three hard top and two very similarly-named ozoner theaters. Something had to give.
Hicks and Bowden’s Sky-Vu won the race launching August 11, 1952. Weeks later, Chester launched his Park-Vu Drive-In on September 1, 1952 with “Macao” and “Skirts Ahoy!” Reading some of the stories is fairly amusing. One very cold April night, 8 cars showed up to the Sky-Vu and just 5 to the Park-Vu so Chester had the Park-Vu closed directing the 5 to the competition.
I know the database claims a 1954 closure - but that also is slightly incorrect and yet semi-significantly germane. Fleming’s Rainbo was Nowata’s first TV-era movie house casualty closing for the Summer of 1953 with the reopening of the Park-Vu on March 30, 1953. That closure came with a promise of a remodeling in time for the Fall of 1953 reboot. That wisely never happened.
Fast forward to 1956 and there are still four theaters operational in town (!). And operational costs generally included upgrades to CinemaScope in the mid-1950s coupled with a marketplace comprised of many fewer paying patrons. In other words, there were two theaters too many in a town the size of Nowata. For the 1955 season, Hicks and Bowden’s Sky-Vu had made the conversion to a widescreen tower to present CinemaScope titles staking its claim as the superior operation with the Park-Vu not making the switch.
Effective July 1, 1956, Fleming exited the cinema exhibition market altogether with all of the leases - the Park-Vu, the Luxor (1940-1960), and the expiring former Rainbo (1936-1956) transferred to Hicks and Bowden. The last film for Fleming’s career was at the Park-Vu - Debra Paget as the “Princess of the Nile” late on June 30, 1956. Hicks and Bowden didn’t reopen the Park-Vu the next night… or ever. It was dismantled with the lease apparently transferred back to Fleming (undoubtedly with a non-compete understanding). Fleming sublet it becoming a trailer park that was still going in the 2020s and across from the re-named Jack Gordon Park.
Meanwhile, the Luxor would close on the last day of its lease on February 28, 1960 with the town finally at closer to its fighting weight of one hard top and one ozoner in the Sky-Vu and the Rex. Both venues ultimately closed and both demolished.
The entry suggests that the Handy was built hoping “vaudeville might return” which isn’t really accurate. The venue was built as a post-War movie house that could support a resurgence of the Chitlin' Circuit and what became its final wave. The Handy Theatre was more steeped in the postwar rise of African American nightclubs and extending the circuit into R&B and early rock ’n’ roll. That’s a different animal than building an 1,100 seat venue hoping for a return to the past of vaudeville; thus, the Handy is much more in the vein of the Regal Theater in Chicago, the Royal Theatre in St. Petersburg, or the Morton Theatre in Athens, Georgia among a whole lot of others. They were playing to an existing and - for a brief period of about ten years - a growing programmatic mission.
At the Handy, right from the jump, its May 11, 1947 grand opening featured the self-proclaimed Father of the Blues William Christopher W.C. Handy, in person… and Jean Rogers in the film, “Backlash” on the big screen (ad in photos). Later ads show this same programmatic mission where you could see on the same ticket Count Basie… and the film “The Big Frame”; Ray Charles… and the film, “Cavalry Scout”; and Moms Mabley… with the movie, “The Story of Seabiscuit.” Kind of strange looking back as the live acts could easily support the entire show. And that programming died off in the television era in almost every city. But the Handy was fairly unique in that it had the first African American exclusive music show live from its stage on WMCT hosted by Rufus Thomas.
At the 15 year opt out mark of its leasing agreement, the Handy closed in 1962. A new operator relit it in 1964 but the magic and the live music vibe was gone. The movies just couldn’t fill that big of a hall in 1964. So it closed quickly. The venue became the Showcase Lounge, a nightclub reducing cap to 500 patrons and the floor leveled. It had some disco mixed in during that run just past its 30th Anniversary.
Its final shot was when it became the short-lived Tri-Sport Club. When it sat vacant for years in the 1980s, the marquee had almost tragic-comically became a mishmash of all the previous names as the coats of paint became weatherbeaten almost reading like “W.C. Tri-Sporcase” or somesuch. The attempts to rekindle the venue were mired in too much time passing, too many substandard renovations, needed asbestos abatement, and undoubtedly a laundry list of below-code issues. It was mercy demolished in December of 2012 likely to rid it from taxing liabilities and further unsavory activity.
The Scenic Theatre opened along with the Nickeldome as the town’s first two moving picture parlors in 1908. Hand cranked one reelers with a single projector and songs between was pretty much the programming in both venues. The Nickeldome failed under two operators closing in a year in 1909. The Scenic started on the West Side of Main Street and moved across the street in improved conditions and getting the Paramount Studios film contract to block book its products.The Scenic would get competition from the 1893-opened Columbian Opera House which largely switched to movies during World War I under the operation of Johnson & Phillips in 1914 followed by L.W. Weedman and George Shell in 1915.
In January of 1917, the Kendall family took on the Scenic under the Kendall Theatre nameplate. The theatre had a continuous 54-year run by the Kendall family. It did close in 1930 for remodeling as it transitioned to Moviephone sound - an inferior but cost effective choice - (ad in photos) and an early type of air conditioning. In 1935, they switched to more conventional sound by Motiograph. The Opera House didn’t make the transition to sound and became a lightly used live operation on its way to obsolescence and razing.
The Kendall went widescreen beginning on January 27, 1956 with “Hit the Deck..” The theatre closed on December 17, 1969 ending the Kendall family’s operation. They sublet the venue to George Carroll who reopened it very briefly.
The New Royal Theatre / Royal Theater was at 113 E. Cherokee opening there by Roy E.Heffner on February 19, 1922 with “One Glorious Day” supported by “That Night” - it had moved from 208 N. Maple where it was known as Theatre Royale since 1916. The venue had a Wurlitzer Photoplayer to accompany the silent films.
The theatre scuffled in the Depression unable to convert to sound. Used primarily for non-commercial purposes, it was given a new floor modern sound system, and fireproof projection booth at its reboot on September 26, 1936 with “Walking Dead.” With the opening of the Rainbo, the Royal was used for overflow screenings toward the end of its run closing at the end of 1939.
The Luxor closed at the end of its 20-year leasing agreement on February 28, 1960 with “The Alligator People” and “Return of the Fly.”
The Hi-Way 66 Drive-In Theatre opened on April 29, 1949 with Yvonne DeCarlo in “River Lady” supported by a sports newsreel and a cartoon.
The Esquire was a post-War African American movie house likely assisted by G.I. funding launching by Jim’s Enterprises on October 18, 1946 with “Frontier Gal.”
Correct: May 28, 1948
This venue became the New Park Theater received a shocking $100,000 makeover in 1948. The fresh by Walter Reade stripped away all of the venue’s original ornate features, losing its box seatings, and even removing its 1939 art deco elements from that update. It reopened on January 15, 1949 and the New Park Theatre. In the 1950s, it was retrofitted for widescreen to present CinemaScope features.
Very technically, this venue closed as the New Park Theater as noted on March 24, 1970 with “Cactus Flower.” It should be listed as New Park Theater and formerly Lyon’s Theatre (not Lyons).
The Florence opened on May 13, 1921 with Pauline Fredrick in “The Mistress of Shenstone.” The under-bridge structure was a multi-purpose addition to an existing building of which the Florence Theatre cost $120,000 to build. Purportedly, the name “Florence” was chosen to mesh with the Italian-centric venue’s clientele. Early ticket sales led to unwanted clientele. The 1,200-seat Florence Theatre was consistently robbed and lots of unsavory activity, to boot. The worst such case of robbery was its fifth in two years on September 23, 1925 when nitro blew a hole in the theatre causing $15,000 and a closed for repairs sign. The most brutal crime was that of patron Herman Kellerman who was gunned down exiting the theatre. That was said to be a gang-related hit in retaliation for the Johnny Spanish gang-related murder in which Kellerman was acquitted… but had a price on his head after leaving the courtroom, according to reports.
The Florence was wired for sound to remain competitive. It had a confectionery selling all forms of candy as the Florence’s de facto concession stand. The theatre booked Paramount Studio productions in a block booking arrangement. The Florence closed during the Depression - likely 1934 - with the neighborhood decidedly Asian. And Italian and English-language films just weren’t cutting it. The trade press purports that Toy Kin-Lee took on the venue renaming it as the New China Theatre in 1935 and then it was purportedly renamed as the New Canton Theatre in 1942. The latter mixed in live Chinese music and live plays, as well.
In 1950, Sun Sing Chinese Theatres Inc. took on the venue on a new leasing agreement with Kung Dee King ordering a major refresh that took seat count from 1,200 to under 1,000. It also came with a name change to the Sun Sing Theatre. In 1953, the venue played 3D films - notably The Gold Hunt / Fortune Hunters (Taojin ji) and A Woman’s Revenge (Yunü Qingchou). In 1954 the Sun Sing went widescreen to present 1.85:1 films with Kin-Lee apparently back operating the venue.
The venue thrived in the chopsocky era of the 1970s. It had its last wave of dollars with the Hong Kong New Wave lasting into the 1990s. It was the site of a major riot in October of 1976 in which - it was claimed in court - that there were more gang members than non-gang patrons. Seems highly possible. Based on nothing other than leasing, the theatre may have closed in 1995. The building was definitely demolished in 1998 but, when the walls collapsed during that project, three workers were trapped inside and injured.
A 1927 J. Mandor Matson architectural exterior sketch is in photos. The proposed name of “Badger” was rejected in favor the Plaza - likely because Community Theatres of Milwaukee took on the project in February just ahead of the opening. Its three manual $8,000 Barton pipe organ was played by local musician, Gladys Krueger on opening night of February 15, 1928.
It’s no great shakes, but the front wall of the old Colony Theatre was not incorporated into this new-build theatre. Also the entry’s text never once mentions the name of the theatre which is an odd choice. “It” was the McHenry Theatre, a new-build theatre that opened on February 9, 1955. In its twin operation, it was most often the McHenry Indoor Theatre 1 & 2 to distinguish it from the popular drive-in theatre. In the C-You operation, it was the McHenry Downtown Theatre for clarity of proximity. etc.
This venue opened as the Princess Theatre on September 1, 1911. John C. Miller moved to a new location reopening the Princess on April 1, 1914. This theatre remained dark from 1914 until reopening just for Saturday and Sunday screenings as the Strand Theatre on March 5, 1916. On August 6, 1916, that ended following Victor Moore in “Chimmie Fadden Out West.” It was closed until further notice.
… and on August 24, 1920 it transitioned from the Grand moniker to that of the Beverly Theatre with a new operator
This venue opened as the Princess Theatre on September 1, 1911. John C. Miller moved to a new location reopening the Princess on April 1, 1914. This theatre remained dark from 1914 until reopening just for Saturday and Sunday screenings as the Strand Theatre on March 5, 1916.
The Vaudette was replaced by the Hub Billiard Parlor that was opened July 2, 1913 by W.H. Shepherd.