This is from the “Theatres Under Construction” column of Film Daily, December 16, 1938: “NORTH CAROLINA Wake Forest — Collegiate, 302 seats, White St.; Builder: T. C. Hester; Architect: C. C. Whitacre; Cost: $10,000; Operator: C. C. Whitacre.”
Imp was the name given for this house by an item in the November 4, 1922 Moving Picture World. The item was about the opening of the new State Theatre, and said that the State Amusement Co. also controlled the Penn and Imp Theatres. I think there’s enough evidence of its use to justify adding Imp Theatre as an aka for this house.
The November 4, 1922 issue of Moving Picture World said that the formal opening of the new State Theatre in Uniontown had been held on October 30. The item noted that the state Amusement Company also controlled the Penn and Imp (an aka for the Imperial) Theatres. The State had been 18 months in building.
The November 4, 1922 issue of Moving Picture World had this announcement: “F. E. O'Neil, of McMinnville, Oregon, opened a new theatre in that city September 15, and has been maintaining record attendance for his district since the opening. O'Neil’s new theatre is called ‘The Lark.’”
The Bedford Theatre opened in 1920 as the Richelieu Theatre. The Richelieu is last listed in the FDY in 1929, with 500 seats. The Bedford was first listed in 1930, without a seating capacity, but in 1931 it was listed with 440 seats. The renaming must have taken place sometime in 1929.
The October 9, 1920 Moving Picture World said that the Richelieu had opened on September 27. It was owned by Charles Richelieu, who would sell the house to Harry R. Cromwell in 1923, as reported in the July 27 issue of the Bedford Gazette. In 1925 he would build the similar but somewhat larger Richelieu Theatre in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, which was later renamed the Plaza Theatre.
The Bellefonte house was designed by architect Anna Wagner Keichline, and the Bedford Richelieu is of similar style, so it might be that she designed it as well, but I haven’t been able to confirm this.
Harry Cromwell operated the Bedford and Pitt Theatres until his death in April, 1951. His widow, Grace Cromwell, then operated the houses until selling them in November that year to B. J. Redfoot, owner of the Arcadia Theatre in Windber. The Bedford had been operating only on weekends for some time, though the Pitt was open every day. All this was reported in the November 24, 1951 issue of Boxoffice, which said that Redfoot planned changes of policy for the houses, but had not yet revealed what the new policies would be.
The January 14, 1937 issue of Film Daily had this item: “Clear Lake, Ia.—C. E. Carragher is remodeling and re-equipping his Park Theater.” Charles Carragher (sometimes misspelled as Caragher) was listed in Polk directories as early as 1918 as manager of the Electric Theatre in Clear Lake.
A December 25, 1915 Moving Picture World item datelined Clear Lake said that “C. E. Carragher, of Rudd, Iowa, who recently took over the Palm theater, is planning to make a number of improvements.”
An item in the local paper in November, 1916, said that D.C. Branson had sold the Electric Theatre to C. Carragher.
An item datelined Clear Lake in the April 9, 1927 issue of The Billboard says that “[t]he Park Theatre [is] to undergo alterations and improvements, C. E. Carragher is owner and manager.”
The 250-seat Park is the only theater listed at Clear Lake in the 1926 FDY, but then it vanishes in the next three editions, with 1927 and 1928 listing a 250-seat Electric Theatre and a house called the Garden with no capacity given, and the 1929 edition lists a 250-seat Uptown Theatre and the Palm Theatre, with no capacity given. In 1930, the Park is back, the only house in town, and listed as wired for sound. The Uptown rejoins the Park in 1931, but is listed as silent. After that, it’s only the Park through 1936.
Clear Lake is not listed in 1937 or 1938, and I have no 1939 edition, but in 1940 the 500-seat Lake is listed along with the 250-seat Park, which was closed. A local newspaper item in 1945 announced the grand opening of the Park Theatre, but I haven’t checked FDYs to see if it was listed as closed between 1940 and then.
A house called the Electric Theatre was in operation at Clear Lake by 1914 (listed in the American Motion Picture Directory) and still in operation in 1926 (mentioned in the July 15 issue of Film Daily even though not listed in that year’s FDY.) The AMPD listed in on “Main St.” I’ve also found the Palm mentioned in 1915 and 1918 and the Uptown mentioned in 1927. the earliest theater name I’ve found associated with Clear Lake is the Star, mentioned twice in 1907.
Moving pictures apparently began at the Perkins in 1908, as noted in this item from the May 7 issue of The Holton Recorder that year: “The Perkins theatre management has installed a moving picture machine of the latest make and will give popular exhibitions in the theatre at the price of 10 cents for adults and 6 cents for children. The moving picture craze is on in Holton, and the advantage of seeing them In the beautiful Perkins theatre will appeal to the public.”
At least in its early years the Gem appears to have operated seasonally. This is from the September 26, 1912 issue of The Holton Recorder: “The Gem picture house has been opened for the winter season. The house has been cleaned and renovated and will show fine [unreadable] of pictures this fall.”
Here is a 1921 item about the renaming of the Majestic, but it gives no reason why the particular name was requested: “At the request of the Erie Chamber of Commerce, James B. Clark, of the Rowland & Clark theatres will change the name of the Majestic Theatre, Erie, a house recently taken over by the Rowland & Clark interests, to the Perry Theatre.
“It is hoped to have the opening about October 1.”
Here is the brief item about the opening of Wheeling’s new Plaza Theatre that appeared in the September 3, 1921 issue of Moving Picture World: “The beautiful new Plaza Theatre, Wheeling, W. Va., which has been under construction for the past year, was opened Monday, August 1, with ‘Black Beauty’ as the attraction. The entire proceeds of the first day were divided equally between the Ohio Valley General and the North Wheeling Hospitals.
“The theatre is under the management of George Zeppos, general manager of the Rex Theatre Co., operating the Rex Theatre here, with Paul Leach, recently manager of the Elks Club, as house manager. Fred Campwell is director of the orchestra.”
The Plaza was designed by noted local architect Frederick Fisher Faris (advertising as F. F. Faris and usually called Fred Faris in published items.)
A July 10, 1926 Moving Picture World item about the project that would open as the Capitol Theatre in 1928 said that plans for the new house had already been prepared by Fred Faris. I’m not sure why the commission ended up being given to Faris’s principal local rival, Charles W. Bates. The Plaza was certainly a handsome building, as were Faris’s numerous other works.
It should be noted that the map we display does not show the actual location of the Empire Theatre. A redevelopment project in the 1970s led to the realignment and partial obliteration of several streets. The site of the Empire was between Beacon and Palos Verdes streets, a bit west of where the Portside Inn and Suites is now located. Two other theaters operated in the near vicinity; the Star at 5th and Beacon and the New Theatre at 5th and Palos Verdes.
The Music Trade Review of April 14, 1917 said that “[t]he Wm. L. Glockner Music Co. reports the sale of a Wurlitzer orchestra, Style Y-O, to the Empire Motion Picture Theatre, San Pedro, Cal.”
The only theaters listed at Burley in Polk’s 1914 Idaho gazetteer are a 400-seat house called the Diamond Theatre and a 200-seat house called the Good Luck Theatre. To provide a bit more confusion, the only theaters listed in Burley in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory are called the Elysium Theatre and the Modern Theatre, which was at Main and Oak streets.
Here is an article about the Star Theatre from the October 6, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World:
“Weiser, Idaho.—Considered by traveling film men one of the prettiest little moving picture theaters in the West, the Star at Weiser, Idaho, owned and operated by A. C. Gordon, has established a policy of showing only the best in photoplays that is in keeping with the high class character of the theater.
“The Weiser Star, was completed July 28 and opened with Baby Marie Osborne in ‘Told At Twilight.’ The general opening was had on July 30 when ‘Sleeping Fires,’ with Pauline Frederick, was the feature. The house was crowded on both days.
“The plans for the Star were drawn by a Salt Lake architect and special attention was directed toward real metropolitan features in the theater. The lighting, which is semi-indirect, is controlled by dimmers. There are no open side lights. The stage is of good size and equipped electrically and otherwise to handle vaudeville acts.”
“There are no steps in the theater and all inclines and aisles are fitted with cork carpets. The ceiling is decorated in plain cream color, the side walls being old rose with panel work. the auditorium seats 450.
“The projection is taken care of from a modern lamp room 10 by 14 in size, equipped with two Simplex machines and one Motiograph. The throw is 90 feet to a 10 by 16 screen.
“Manager-owner A. C. Gordon entered the picture field January 1, 1917, when he bought out the old Star theater, since closed, from Sullivan and Meek. He had in mind the building of his new house when he made the purchase and broke ground for it May 1.
“Mr. Gordon’s success is undoubtedly due to his study of the photoplay industry long before he became engaged in it. ‘I have been a subscriber for the "World’” for three years,‘ says Mr. Gordon, 'and you know that helps a fellow some.’“
The Columbia Theatre was demolished in 1908 to make way for the Pinney Theatre. I’m not sure it ever ran movies, though from 1896 many stage theaters did run programs of movies as special events, and touring vaudeville shows often had a reel of movies as part of their programs for many years. The only dedicated movie houses I’ve found reference to in Boise in 1908 were called the Crystal and the Dreamland.
Here is an item from the May 6, 1916 issue of Moving Picture World: “New Court Theater Company.
“Auburn, Ind.—The Court Theater Company has filed articles of incorporation and will operate, after remodeling, the Auburn opera house of this city. The summer months will see the installation of a new motion picture house in the theater.”
The 1907 Cahn guide lists the theater as Henry’s Opera House, which was also the name of its replacement, which opened nearby in 1917. The 1907 guide gives no seating capacity, but Gus Hill’s 1914 directory gives it as 800. This first iteration of Henry’s Opera House was probably built after 1892, the year when a previous opera house in Auburn was reported destroyed by fire.
Even after the new Henry Opera House opened, the Court Theatre continued to make use of its large stage. In 1957, the house even hosted a weekly radio show, as noted in this item from the October 19 issue of Cash Box: “AUBURN, IND.—Hoosier Hayride Enterprises of Auburn, Indiana, announced last week that a new series of country music stage shows to be known as the ‘Hoosier Hayride’ will be seen in the Tri-State area of Northern Indiana, Southern Michigan and Western Ohio beginning Oct. 26th and continuing each Saturday night thereafter.
“The shows will be staged directly from the Court Theater in Auburn, located just north of Fort Wayne.”
The show moved to the Wayne Theatre in Fort Wayne the following year.
The Electrodome (or whatever this house was first called) might have opened in 1916. The June 24 issue of Moving Picture World that year said that “July 1 is the date set for the opening of a new theater here. There is at present but one house in the city.”
But one house was listed at Belleville in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, and it was called the Rex.
In 1921, Belleville had a house called the Electric Theatre. The August 6 issue of MPW said that it had been destroyed by fire, but would probably be rebuilt.
One more theater name shows up in Belleville, noted in this item from the February 23, 1918 issue of MPW: “Belleville, Kan.—The White Way theater, of which Barton Davis has been manager for the past two years, has changed hands, and C. A. Chapin is now manager and proprietor.”
Our early history of this theater is a bit off. The obituary of John J. Kirk, published in the Cumberland Evening Times of May 2, 1913 said that he had “…for a time managed the Welland Theatre, a moving picture show in the building that formerly stood on the site of the Wertheimer Building in which the Victoria Theatre is now located.”
First, I’m pretty sure Welland is a typo for Weiland, which is a Cumberland theater name that comes up several times in publications from the period. The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists the Wieland Theatre, another misspelling, at 113 Baltimore St.. It also lists a Victoria Theatre, on Batto St. I believe Batto to be another typo, for Balto., a common abbreviation for Baltimore during that period. So the Wieland/Victoria is most likely a double listing of the same house under both names. There is no Empire Theatre listed in the directory. The photo showing the Empire vertical on the building probably dates from the later 1910s.
Newspaper items indicate that Mr. Kirk bought the Weiland in late 1907. The house was listed as the New Weiland Theatre in the August 3, 1907 issue of The Billboard, when it boasted of “[f]our good acts and motion pictures,” so it had vaudeville of some sort. I’m not sure that the 1913 obituary’s implication that the Victoria was a new theater on the site of the Weiland is accurate. Mr. Kirk might merely have had the place extensively remodeled.
The Liberty was bought by the operators of the Fort Cumberland Hotel in 1959 and demolished to provide parking for the hotel’s guests. An article in the October 29, 1959 issue of the Cumberland Evening Times said that the Liberty had been operated for a number of years by the Schine chain, but they had been required by the courts to divest themselves of it. It was last owned by the Wicomico Theater Corporation. In the 1920s the house had been the site of live events, including boxing matches, as well as silent movies. It ran its first sound movie in 1929.
This is from the “Theatres Under Construction” column of Film Daily, December 16, 1938: “NORTH CAROLINA Wake Forest — Collegiate, 302 seats, White St.; Builder: T. C. Hester; Architect: C. C. Whitacre; Cost: $10,000; Operator: C. C. Whitacre.”
Imp was the name given for this house by an item in the November 4, 1922 Moving Picture World. The item was about the opening of the new State Theatre, and said that the State Amusement Co. also controlled the Penn and Imp Theatres. I think there’s enough evidence of its use to justify adding Imp Theatre as an aka for this house.
The November 4, 1922 issue of Moving Picture World said that the formal opening of the new State Theatre in Uniontown had been held on October 30. The item noted that the state Amusement Company also controlled the Penn and Imp (an aka for the Imperial) Theatres. The State had been 18 months in building.
The November 4, 1922 issue of Moving Picture World had this announcement: “F. E. O'Neil, of McMinnville, Oregon, opened a new theatre in that city September 15, and has been maintaining record attendance for his district since the opening. O'Neil’s new theatre is called ‘The Lark.’”
The Bedford Theatre opened in 1920 as the Richelieu Theatre. The Richelieu is last listed in the FDY in 1929, with 500 seats. The Bedford was first listed in 1930, without a seating capacity, but in 1931 it was listed with 440 seats. The renaming must have taken place sometime in 1929.
The October 9, 1920 Moving Picture World said that the Richelieu had opened on September 27. It was owned by Charles Richelieu, who would sell the house to Harry R. Cromwell in 1923, as reported in the July 27 issue of the Bedford Gazette. In 1925 he would build the similar but somewhat larger Richelieu Theatre in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, which was later renamed the Plaza Theatre.
The Bellefonte house was designed by architect Anna Wagner Keichline, and the Bedford Richelieu is of similar style, so it might be that she designed it as well, but I haven’t been able to confirm this.
Harry Cromwell operated the Bedford and Pitt Theatres until his death in April, 1951. His widow, Grace Cromwell, then operated the houses until selling them in November that year to B. J. Redfoot, owner of the Arcadia Theatre in Windber. The Bedford had been operating only on weekends for some time, though the Pitt was open every day. All this was reported in the November 24, 1951 issue of Boxoffice, which said that Redfoot planned changes of policy for the houses, but had not yet revealed what the new policies would be.
The January 14, 1937 issue of Film Daily had this item: “Clear Lake, Ia.—C. E. Carragher is remodeling and re-equipping his Park Theater.” Charles Carragher (sometimes misspelled as Caragher) was listed in Polk directories as early as 1918 as manager of the Electric Theatre in Clear Lake.
A December 25, 1915 Moving Picture World item datelined Clear Lake said that “C. E. Carragher, of Rudd, Iowa, who recently took over the Palm theater, is planning to make a number of improvements.”
An item in the local paper in November, 1916, said that D.C. Branson had sold the Electric Theatre to C. Carragher.
An item datelined Clear Lake in the April 9, 1927 issue of The Billboard says that “[t]he Park Theatre [is] to undergo alterations and improvements, C. E. Carragher is owner and manager.”
The 250-seat Park is the only theater listed at Clear Lake in the 1926 FDY, but then it vanishes in the next three editions, with 1927 and 1928 listing a 250-seat Electric Theatre and a house called the Garden with no capacity given, and the 1929 edition lists a 250-seat Uptown Theatre and the Palm Theatre, with no capacity given. In 1930, the Park is back, the only house in town, and listed as wired for sound. The Uptown rejoins the Park in 1931, but is listed as silent. After that, it’s only the Park through 1936.
Clear Lake is not listed in 1937 or 1938, and I have no 1939 edition, but in 1940 the 500-seat Lake is listed along with the 250-seat Park, which was closed. A local newspaper item in 1945 announced the grand opening of the Park Theatre, but I haven’t checked FDYs to see if it was listed as closed between 1940 and then.
A house called the Electric Theatre was in operation at Clear Lake by 1914 (listed in the American Motion Picture Directory) and still in operation in 1926 (mentioned in the July 15 issue of Film Daily even though not listed in that year’s FDY.) The AMPD listed in on “Main St.” I’ve also found the Palm mentioned in 1915 and 1918 and the Uptown mentioned in 1927. the earliest theater name I’ve found associated with Clear Lake is the Star, mentioned twice in 1907.
Moving pictures apparently began at the Perkins in 1908, as noted in this item from the May 7 issue of The Holton Recorder that year: “The Perkins theatre management has installed a moving picture machine of the latest make and will give popular exhibitions in the theatre at the price of 10 cents for adults and 6 cents for children. The moving picture craze is on in Holton, and the advantage of seeing them In the beautiful Perkins theatre will appeal to the public.”
At least in its early years the Gem appears to have operated seasonally. This is from the September 26, 1912 issue of The Holton Recorder: “The Gem picture house has been opened for the winter season. The house has been cleaned and renovated and will show fine [unreadable] of pictures this fall.”
The new owners of the Garden Theatre responsible for the 1936 remodeling were the A. G. Constant circuit of Steubenville, Ohio.
Here is a 1921 item about the renaming of the Majestic, but it gives no reason why the particular name was requested: “At the request of the Erie Chamber of Commerce, James B. Clark, of the Rowland & Clark theatres will change the name of the Majestic Theatre, Erie, a house recently taken over by the Rowland & Clark interests, to the Perry Theatre.
“It is hoped to have the opening about October 1.”
Here is the brief item about the opening of Wheeling’s new Plaza Theatre that appeared in the September 3, 1921 issue of Moving Picture World: “The beautiful new Plaza Theatre, Wheeling, W. Va., which has been under construction for the past year, was opened Monday, August 1, with ‘Black Beauty’ as the attraction. The entire proceeds of the first day were divided equally between the Ohio Valley General and the North Wheeling Hospitals.
“The theatre is under the management of George Zeppos, general manager of the Rex Theatre Co., operating the Rex Theatre here, with Paul Leach, recently manager of the Elks Club, as house manager. Fred Campwell is director of the orchestra.”
The Plaza was designed by noted local architect Frederick Fisher Faris (advertising as F. F. Faris and usually called Fred Faris in published items.)
A July 10, 1926 Moving Picture World item about the project that would open as the Capitol Theatre in 1928 said that plans for the new house had already been prepared by Fred Faris. I’m not sure why the commission ended up being given to Faris’s principal local rival, Charles W. Bates. The Plaza was certainly a handsome building, as were Faris’s numerous other works.
It should be noted that the map we display does not show the actual location of the Empire Theatre. A redevelopment project in the 1970s led to the realignment and partial obliteration of several streets. The site of the Empire was between Beacon and Palos Verdes streets, a bit west of where the Portside Inn and Suites is now located. Two other theaters operated in the near vicinity; the Star at 5th and Beacon and the New Theatre at 5th and Palos Verdes.
The Music Trade Review of April 14, 1917 said that “[t]he Wm. L. Glockner Music Co. reports the sale of a Wurlitzer orchestra, Style Y-O, to the Empire Motion Picture Theatre, San Pedro, Cal.”
The only theaters listed at Burley in Polk’s 1914 Idaho gazetteer are a 400-seat house called the Diamond Theatre and a 200-seat house called the Good Luck Theatre. To provide a bit more confusion, the only theaters listed in Burley in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory are called the Elysium Theatre and the Modern Theatre, which was at Main and Oak streets.
Polk’s 1914 Idaho gazetteer lists a 200-seat Amazon Theatre at Bonners Ferry. Also listed was a 200 seat house called the Utopia Theatre.
Polk’s 1914 Idaho gazetteer lists the Orpheum Theatre at Blackfoot with 250 seats.
Polk’s 1914 Idaho gazetteer lists the Isis Theatre at Blackfoot with 350 seats.
Polk’s 1914 Idaho gazetteer lists a 300-seat Star Theatre at Ashton.
The Knights of Pythias castle was built in 1904.
Here is an article about the Star Theatre from the October 6, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World:
The Columbia Theatre was demolished in 1908 to make way for the Pinney Theatre. I’m not sure it ever ran movies, though from 1896 many stage theaters did run programs of movies as special events, and touring vaudeville shows often had a reel of movies as part of their programs for many years. The only dedicated movie houses I’ve found reference to in Boise in 1908 were called the Crystal and the Dreamland.
Here is an item from the May 6, 1916 issue of Moving Picture World: “New Court Theater Company.
“Auburn, Ind.—The Court Theater Company has filed articles of incorporation and will operate, after remodeling, the Auburn opera house of this city. The summer months will see the installation of a new motion picture house in the theater.”
The 1907 Cahn guide lists the theater as Henry’s Opera House, which was also the name of its replacement, which opened nearby in 1917. The 1907 guide gives no seating capacity, but Gus Hill’s 1914 directory gives it as 800. This first iteration of Henry’s Opera House was probably built after 1892, the year when a previous opera house in Auburn was reported destroyed by fire.
Even after the new Henry Opera House opened, the Court Theatre continued to make use of its large stage. In 1957, the house even hosted a weekly radio show, as noted in this item from the October 19 issue of Cash Box: “AUBURN, IND.—Hoosier Hayride Enterprises of Auburn, Indiana, announced last week that a new series of country music stage shows to be known as the ‘Hoosier Hayride’ will be seen in the Tri-State area of Northern Indiana, Southern Michigan and Western Ohio beginning Oct. 26th and continuing each Saturday night thereafter.
“The shows will be staged directly from the Court Theater in Auburn, located just north of Fort Wayne.”
The show moved to the Wayne Theatre in Fort Wayne the following year.
The Electrodome (or whatever this house was first called) might have opened in 1916. The June 24 issue of Moving Picture World that year said that “July 1 is the date set for the opening of a new theater here. There is at present but one house in the city.”
But one house was listed at Belleville in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, and it was called the Rex.
In 1921, Belleville had a house called the Electric Theatre. The August 6 issue of MPW said that it had been destroyed by fire, but would probably be rebuilt.
One more theater name shows up in Belleville, noted in this item from the February 23, 1918 issue of MPW: “Belleville, Kan.—The White Way theater, of which Barton Davis has been manager for the past two years, has changed hands, and C. A. Chapin is now manager and proprietor.”
Our early history of this theater is a bit off. The obituary of John J. Kirk, published in the Cumberland Evening Times of May 2, 1913 said that he had “…for a time managed the Welland Theatre, a moving picture show in the building that formerly stood on the site of the Wertheimer Building in which the Victoria Theatre is now located.”
First, I’m pretty sure Welland is a typo for Weiland, which is a Cumberland theater name that comes up several times in publications from the period. The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists the Wieland Theatre, another misspelling, at 113 Baltimore St.. It also lists a Victoria Theatre, on Batto St. I believe Batto to be another typo, for Balto., a common abbreviation for Baltimore during that period. So the Wieland/Victoria is most likely a double listing of the same house under both names. There is no Empire Theatre listed in the directory. The photo showing the Empire vertical on the building probably dates from the later 1910s.
Newspaper items indicate that Mr. Kirk bought the Weiland in late 1907. The house was listed as the New Weiland Theatre in the August 3, 1907 issue of The Billboard, when it boasted of “[f]our good acts and motion pictures,” so it had vaudeville of some sort. I’m not sure that the 1913 obituary’s implication that the Victoria was a new theater on the site of the Weiland is accurate. Mr. Kirk might merely have had the place extensively remodeled.
The Liberty was bought by the operators of the Fort Cumberland Hotel in 1959 and demolished to provide parking for the hotel’s guests. An article in the October 29, 1959 issue of the Cumberland Evening Times said that the Liberty had been operated for a number of years by the Schine chain, but they had been required by the courts to divest themselves of it. It was last owned by the Wicomico Theater Corporation. In the 1920s the house had been the site of live events, including boxing matches, as well as silent movies. It ran its first sound movie in 1929.