The Illini Theatre opened on March 10, 1924. The Illini converted to sound. It was given a major renovation under its third operator in 1930 becoming the Sterling Theatre before burning down in July of 1943. A new-build Sterling Theatre on the same lot proved to be a winner staying in business into the 21st Century.
George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks operated the Grand Theatre across the street in the venerable Galt & Tracy Block that housed the Academy of Music . The Grand had opened in 1914 and became undersized for its needs. Meanwhile, the Academy of Music was flagging as live event venues in small-sized towns and medium-sized cities had been under financial pressure since World War I. Additionally, second floor opera houses were in quick descent as their safety was often questionable at best. A ground floor option combining live events and film was decided upon.
In 1923, Greenough and Weeks built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 10, 1924 right across the street from their baby Grand and behind the Greyhound Bus terminal. The Illini Theatre replaced John Hoppler and Son’s Oakland Automobile Agency (which scooted over to 414 Locust and, in 1926, added the GM lower-cost Pontiac to the Oakland line). The Illini would also share its entry with the Greyhound Bus depot. Local organist Mary Celeste Ward was at the console of the venue’s $12,000 Bartola pipe organ on the March 10, 1924 opening show. (The organ was said to have been produced for Barton by the Wangerin Organ Company in Milwaukee.)
Three months after launching the Illini, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. Max and Herman Louis Gumbiner’s Gumbiner Bros. Enterprises, a Chicago-based theatre circuit, took on the Illini effective January 1, 1926. On October 30, 1929, Vitaphone was in and organist Nova Morehouse was let go.
In 1930, the Illini Theatre got a major refresh and was renamed the Sterling Theatre and was under the auspices of Lucas Circuit (Sterling Theatre Company) which also operated the Lincoln Theatre. The Sterling relaunch occurred on October 9, 1930 with “Follow Thru” supported by vaudeville. The Circuit decided to reinstitute live organ music and searched for a player. They hired Mary Celeste Ward, the original organist who - after a brief radio organist job in radio at Iowa City’s WSUI - returned on October 11, 1930 and played virtually every night at the Sterling Theatre thereafter including June 1, 1942’s film line-up before dying on her way home after that show. The original Sterling Theatre was destroyed a year later by fire on July 9, 1943 in what appears in photos to be a projection booth explosion.
The Sterling’s operators, J.C. Kantos and Franklin Ford, got permission from the War Production Board on December 15, 1943 to rebuild in the same spot. The pair signed Dixon-based architect John R. McClane and he delivered a new 1,020 seat New Sterling Theatre. The streamline moderne house launched on September 28, 1944 and had a very successful run into the 21st Century.
The Belvidere-Marengo or Bel-Mar Drive-In completed its 20-year leasing agreement on October 21, 1973 and went out in style with a triple-feature: “Crypt of the Living Dead” and “Fearless Fighter” supported by “Hercules & The Captive Women.” (And, yes, it was still open in 1957 if that was in question.)
Hate to be a contrarian but there was no Academy Theatre in Sterling’s history. Robert T. LaGrille opened the Grand Theatre in the Galt & Tracy block in 1914 at 314 Locust to show moving pictures. Final operators of the Grand were George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks. In 1923, they built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 1O, 1924 right across the street. (It would be renamed the Sterling Theatre in 1930 and has its own Cinema Treasure listing.) Three months later, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. The space was used as a produce stand. In 1929 and 1930, the space was gutted and floor leveled for retail purposes.
The upper floor Academy of Music had opened on December 4, 1878 with a traveling concert by the Marie Roze-Mapleson (she the singer and he the director). The first films were shown there in 1897, the first fire caused by the films was in 1898 with a 1901 fire almost destroying the building. In the silent era, larger “road show” movies were shown in the upper floor Opera House and advertised as occurring at the Academy of Music including D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” and “Intolerance.” Second-floor opera houses were in steep decline due to safety concerns and the lack of a need for opera houses as their profitability had waned during World War I in smaller cities and towns.
The Academy of Music’s opera house space on the second floor was converted to a Dance Hall opening December 9, 1925 effectively ending the Academy as it was created. Events at the hall were advertised as transpiring at the Academy of Music until its final event in 1931. Sears moved in in 1940. The third floor space not captured by the Dance Hall or the Sears retail store that followed apparently remains or remained into the 21st Century. The lettering of the Academy was removed by Sears and restored decades later.
The theatre was closed to correct fire safety issues. While making those repairs, it burned down May 17, 1925 ending its run. Its final show was April 20, 1925 with Reginald Denny.
Totally guessing here but the town definitely had the Mt. Carroll Opera House built in the late 19th Century and switching almost completely full-time to movies. Since the venue obviously wasn’t built for films or having a much-needed fireproof projection booth, it was replaced.
So the town had the Majestic Theatre and it had the Carroll Theatre. Based on the reportage, it looks like the Mt. Carroll Opera House played films into 1920. A new Mt. Carroll Theatre space was created for the silent era and marketed as the Mt. Carroll Theatre in 1920 but becoming the sound-era Majestic Theatre in 1930.
The Marchesi Bros. upgraded the venue to sound on film in 1939 and likely gave it a streamline refresh in the same building in 1940 becoming the Carroll Theatre. The Carroll Theatre closed suddenly on May 11, 1960 at the end of a second, 20-year leasing agreement. The final film was “Suddenly Last Summer.” The venue was then converted that summer for bowling alley-centric purposes.
Harry A. Prawat of South Bend, Indiana, launched the Roxy Theatre in 1934. Butterfield Circuit, which had formerly entered into a JOA with Sturgis' dominant New Strand Theatre (though undoubtedly bankrolling its construction and conversion to sound), purchased the Roxy in November of 1935 from Prawat to end the competition. Butterfield could use it fulltime or part-time in overflow and peak periods.
Butterfield appears to have operated the Roxy to its closure at the expiry of a 20-year leasing agreement in 1954. Competition from television and the creation of a competing, seasonal drive-in ended any thoughts of a leasing renewal.
You can leave the Bryan Krefft contribution as is above. A deeper dive appears to show this address was the former site of Newman’s Theatre - likely the Crystal. But the original site of the Strand was over at the J.F. Walton-built, multi-use building opening on November 25, 1915. Monier & Grubb opened the original Strand Theatre which launched with vaudeville on Thanksgiving and seated 600 in the Walton Block.
In 1919, the Strand was taken over by Carl C. Newman of Newman’s Theatre undoubtedly the Crystal prior. He had come from Charlotte, Michigan’s Arcade Theatre owned by Charlotte Newman until her death shortly after childbirth in 1917. Newman operated what became Newman’s Theatre as well as the Strand with the Strand switching to full-time movies. As the Strand was reaching the expiry of its 10-year lease, the movie house had proved to be a major hit.
Newman decided to demolish the 1912-built, 333-seat venue. With plans drawn up by architect Ernest S. Batterson, it would become the site of the larger, 1,000-seat New Strand Theatre. Contractor Frank L. Shoemaker delivered the venue on time. Newman added sound to remain viable. The former Strand location at the Walton Block became a long-running JC Penney Store. There were formal discussions with Butterfield in 1925 likely explaining how Newman had the vision and wherewithal to make such a bold play.
The New Strand would add sound to remain viable - again likely with Butterfield bankrolling the cost of the effort. Newman finally announced a formal JOA with Butterfield Theatrical Syndicate at the 10-year mark in 1935 with Butterfield Circuit soon taking it over and dropping “New” from its moniker.
Butterfield switched the Strand to widescreen projection to remain viable. They would move on from the venue but the Strand proved to be a mainstay operating for 100 years in this location and 110 combining its previous iteration. The Strand closed on December 31, 2025 with “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” and Anaconda. It was listed for sale on a realtor’s website.
That appears to be a cleaner timeline though leaves a few gaps, as well.
Fred Good opened the art deco La-Nar Theatre (hyphenated) on June 8, 1937 with Joe. E. Brown in “When’s Your Birthday?” The venue celebrated its 18th birthday in style installing widescreen projection to project CInemaScope films starting with “Jupiter’s Darling."
Apparently, the response was not as good as hoped. So Good retired in 1955 traveling to Florida only to die en route. George and Elsie Croft relit the La-Nar in 1956. George ran the booth and Elsie the box office. The venue celebrated its 30th birthday on June 8, 1967 and closed permanently the next day at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement.
Opened with the Ralph Ince directed “A Man’s Home” supported by a Mack Sennett comedy on January 18, 1922. East Peoria Mayor Jesse Hall delivered the opening remarks.
Charles Burden of the local produce and grocery store, Burden’s Cash Store, opened Burden’s Opera House in 1898 at 102 Main Street on the building’s second floor. Movies were shown as early as December of 1904 by traveling moving picture show operators. In May of 1912, he installed projectors showing movies twice a week. He and wife Catherine Conroy moved to Portland selling the venue to new operators. By 1923, the Opera House was operating as a full-time movie house closing in January of 1928 likely at the end of a 30-year lease.
The venue reopened in a ground floor, converted retail structure now known as the Tampico Theatre in 1928 at 121 South Main Street. It closed in June of 1930 apparently not equipped for sound. After being used for live events, it eventually made a transition to sound films and definitely sound on film technology in 1934. It closed after a February 27, 1938 fire damaged the building. It was redecorated for its reboot over three months later by then-owner J.A. Dauntler. A film explosion in February of 1946 again closed the venue. The townspeople created the Tampico Theatre Corporation to salvage and repair the theatre. It relaunched on August 2, 1946 after a refresh.
The Tampico received an upgrade by Asael Tonkinson in 1950. The Tampico Theatre Corporation’s stewardship of the venue ended on October 11, 1958 after a showing of “Restless Breed” in a dissolution followed by an auction of its Simplex projectors, a Manley 47 popper, 240 seats, and more in early 1959. In 1962, the venue was converted by Robert E. Schmitt to the Schmitt Furniture & Appliance Store. This building burned down in a September 30, 1979 fire. The original Burden Opera House carried on as a produce retail location but was later demolished.
The New Town Theatre was opened by Marchesi Bros. after as a streamline moderne moviehouse on March 25, 1937 at 212 Washington Street. The previous Prophet Theatre closed after the Jan. 1, 1937 showtimes. Vitrolite glass front with black and ivory captured the era and new seats reduced count to 350. It was housed in the venerable Odd Fellows Lodge building. Ivan Whitver was in charge. This was formerly Shloe’s Hall showing silent movies, the Dreamland Hall / Dreamland Hall Theatre also with movies in the silent era, and Sinnissippi Hall (live events).
The other former venue in town was the Prophet Theatre at 351 Washington which as the sound era name for Prophet’s Auditorium Theater which opened in the 1920s. Joseph J. Dauntler refreshed the venue reopening as the Prophet Theatre on July 8, 1930 with disc-based sound. In 1933, Western Electric sound replaced the previous system. The Marchesis modernization was said to be a new construction in some reports - likely just in planning - but definitely opening in the existing Odd Fellows Building in all other reports at 212 Wash.
The Town reached its 30th Anniversary with its new look under Mrs. Vesta Visitow’s watch. But a year later, it had a rough night when the venue was gutted by fire on January 6, 1968. The final film to play was Cornell Wilde on January 5th with “Beach Red.” The scheduled film the night of the fire was destroyed prior to showtimes: “A Rough Night in Jericho.” The building was razed about a month later.
The Bijou Theatre opened with refined vaudeville on November 26, 1906. The venue struggled to open -its third lessee opened on that night after the first two operators couldn’t hit an opener. the Bijou went out of business on January, 18, 1912.
Hanlon Brothers opened the Superba February 6, 1905 with live stage fare. Nichols and Angel repositioned it as the New Electric Superba Theatre with movies on January 9, 1908 on a 10-year leasing agreement. Nichols sold it to Tomas Watson in 1918. Watson’s Superba closed on June 26, 1928 with “Jaws of Steel” at the end of its 10-year leasing agreement. It closed as a silent moviehouse. It was torn down for an S.S. Kresge’s five and dime variety store.
The Alhambra Theatre’s Aug. 10, 1914 grand opening ad and the August 4, 1915 changeover to Strand under new operators are both in photos. The venue converted to sound to remain commercially viable.
The Strand was “temporarily” closed after the February 28, 1939 showing of Richard Arlen in “Silent Barriers” with all seats a dime. The closure proved permanent. The theatre was gutted for a renovation becoming a retail store, Robinson’s Women’s Wear, on November 13, 1939.
The Patio Theater opened on March 6, 1930 “Sunny Side Up.” The theatre lastest to the end of its second 20-year leasing period closing permanently on January 1, 1970 with “Don’t Drink the Water” and “A Bullet for the General.” The building was sold the next day to the local Farm Bureau.
The Warren Theatre by Marchesi Bros. Circuit opens here on September 28, 1938 with “Carefree” replacing the long-running Auditorium Theatre. The Marchesis closed the venue following the November 4, 1957 showing of “Shootout at the O.K. Corral.” The operators cited financial difficulty as it needed an additional 500 tickets sold per month to break even - challenging in a town of just under 1,500 residents.
The local merchants were ready to reopen the venue with Herman Krippendorf in charge. But on March 3, 1958 the building was gutted by fire ending the comeback hopes. The building was repaired and became a retail location of Royal Blue chain in 1959.
The Illini Theatre opened on March 10, 1924. The Illini converted to sound. It was given a major renovation under its third operator in 1930 becoming the Sterling Theatre before burning down in July of 1943. A new-build Sterling Theatre on the same lot proved to be a winner staying in business into the 21st Century.
George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks operated the Grand Theatre across the street in the venerable Galt & Tracy Block that housed the Academy of Music . The Grand had opened in 1914 and became undersized for its needs. Meanwhile, the Academy of Music was flagging as live event venues in small-sized towns and medium-sized cities had been under financial pressure since World War I. Additionally, second floor opera houses were in quick descent as their safety was often questionable at best. A ground floor option combining live events and film was decided upon.
In 1923, Greenough and Weeks built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 10, 1924 right across the street from their baby Grand and behind the Greyhound Bus terminal. The Illini Theatre replaced John Hoppler and Son’s Oakland Automobile Agency (which scooted over to 414 Locust and, in 1926, added the GM lower-cost Pontiac to the Oakland line). The Illini would also share its entry with the Greyhound Bus depot. Local organist Mary Celeste Ward was at the console of the venue’s $12,000 Bartola pipe organ on the March 10, 1924 opening show. (The organ was said to have been produced for Barton by the Wangerin Organ Company in Milwaukee.)
Three months after launching the Illini, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. Max and Herman Louis Gumbiner’s Gumbiner Bros. Enterprises, a Chicago-based theatre circuit, took on the Illini effective January 1, 1926. On October 30, 1929, Vitaphone was in and organist Nova Morehouse was let go.
In 1930, the Illini Theatre got a major refresh and was renamed the Sterling Theatre and was under the auspices of Lucas Circuit (Sterling Theatre Company) which also operated the Lincoln Theatre. The Sterling relaunch occurred on October 9, 1930 with “Follow Thru” supported by vaudeville. The Circuit decided to reinstitute live organ music and searched for a player. They hired Mary Celeste Ward, the original organist who - after a brief radio organist job in radio at Iowa City’s WSUI - returned on October 11, 1930 and played virtually every night at the Sterling Theatre thereafter including June 1, 1942’s film line-up before dying on her way home after that show. The original Sterling Theatre was destroyed a year later by fire on July 9, 1943 in what appears in photos to be a projection booth explosion.
The Sterling’s operators, J.C. Kantos and Franklin Ford, got permission from the War Production Board on December 15, 1943 to rebuild in the same spot. The pair signed Dixon-based architect John R. McClane and he delivered a new 1,020 seat New Sterling Theatre. The streamline moderne house launched on September 28, 1944 and had a very successful run into the 21st Century.
The Belvidere-Marengo or Bel-Mar Drive-In completed its 20-year leasing agreement on October 21, 1973 and went out in style with a triple-feature: “Crypt of the Living Dead” and “Fearless Fighter” supported by “Hercules & The Captive Women.” (And, yes, it was still open in 1957 if that was in question.)
Hate to be a contrarian but there was no Academy Theatre in Sterling’s history. Robert T. LaGrille opened the Grand Theatre in the Galt & Tracy block in 1914 at 314 Locust to show moving pictures. Final operators of the Grand were George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks. In 1923, they built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 1O, 1924 right across the street. (It would be renamed the Sterling Theatre in 1930 and has its own Cinema Treasure listing.) Three months later, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. The space was used as a produce stand. In 1929 and 1930, the space was gutted and floor leveled for retail purposes.
The upper floor Academy of Music had opened on December 4, 1878 with a traveling concert by the Marie Roze-Mapleson (she the singer and he the director). The first films were shown there in 1897, the first fire caused by the films was in 1898 with a 1901 fire almost destroying the building. In the silent era, larger “road show” movies were shown in the upper floor Opera House and advertised as occurring at the Academy of Music including D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” and “Intolerance.” Second-floor opera houses were in steep decline due to safety concerns and the lack of a need for opera houses as their profitability had waned during World War I in smaller cities and towns.
The Academy of Music’s opera house space on the second floor was converted to a Dance Hall opening December 9, 1925 effectively ending the Academy as it was created. Events at the hall were advertised as transpiring at the Academy of Music until its final event in 1931. Sears moved in in 1940. The third floor space not captured by the Dance Hall or the Sears retail store that followed apparently remains or remained into the 21st Century. The lettering of the Academy was removed by Sears and restored decades later.
The theatre was closed to correct fire safety issues. While making those repairs, it burned down May 17, 1925 ending its run. Its final show was April 20, 1925 with Reginald Denny.
Reached the end of its 25-year leasing agreement announcing closure of April 23, 2026.
Changeover from Lyric to Polo on August 14, 1924 along with “a new coat of paint” according to reports.
Totally guessing here but the town definitely had the Mt. Carroll Opera House built in the late 19th Century and switching almost completely full-time to movies. Since the venue obviously wasn’t built for films or having a much-needed fireproof projection booth, it was replaced.
So the town had the Majestic Theatre and it had the Carroll Theatre. Based on the reportage, it looks like the Mt. Carroll Opera House played films into 1920. A new Mt. Carroll Theatre space was created for the silent era and marketed as the Mt. Carroll Theatre in 1920 but becoming the sound-era Majestic Theatre in 1930.
The Marchesi Bros. upgraded the venue to sound on film in 1939 and likely gave it a streamline refresh in the same building in 1940 becoming the Carroll Theatre. The Carroll Theatre closed suddenly on May 11, 1960 at the end of a second, 20-year leasing agreement. The final film was “Suddenly Last Summer.” The venue was then converted that summer for bowling alley-centric purposes.
aka W.B. Drive-In and W-B Drive-In
Harry A. Prawat of South Bend, Indiana, launched the Roxy Theatre in 1934. Butterfield Circuit, which had formerly entered into a JOA with Sturgis' dominant New Strand Theatre (though undoubtedly bankrolling its construction and conversion to sound), purchased the Roxy in November of 1935 from Prawat to end the competition. Butterfield could use it fulltime or part-time in overflow and peak periods.
Butterfield appears to have operated the Roxy to its closure at the expiry of a 20-year leasing agreement in 1954. Competition from television and the creation of a competing, seasonal drive-in ended any thoughts of a leasing renewal.
You can leave the Bryan Krefft contribution as is above. A deeper dive appears to show this address was the former site of Newman’s Theatre - likely the Crystal. But the original site of the Strand was over at the J.F. Walton-built, multi-use building opening on November 25, 1915. Monier & Grubb opened the original Strand Theatre which launched with vaudeville on Thanksgiving and seated 600 in the Walton Block.
In 1919, the Strand was taken over by Carl C. Newman of Newman’s Theatre undoubtedly the Crystal prior. He had come from Charlotte, Michigan’s Arcade Theatre owned by Charlotte Newman until her death shortly after childbirth in 1917. Newman operated what became Newman’s Theatre as well as the Strand with the Strand switching to full-time movies. As the Strand was reaching the expiry of its 10-year lease, the movie house had proved to be a major hit.
Newman decided to demolish the 1912-built, 333-seat venue. With plans drawn up by architect Ernest S. Batterson, it would become the site of the larger, 1,000-seat New Strand Theatre. Contractor Frank L. Shoemaker delivered the venue on time. Newman added sound to remain viable. The former Strand location at the Walton Block became a long-running JC Penney Store. There were formal discussions with Butterfield in 1925 likely explaining how Newman had the vision and wherewithal to make such a bold play.
The New Strand would add sound to remain viable - again likely with Butterfield bankrolling the cost of the effort. Newman finally announced a formal JOA with Butterfield Theatrical Syndicate at the 10-year mark in 1935 with Butterfield Circuit soon taking it over and dropping “New” from its moniker.
Butterfield switched the Strand to widescreen projection to remain viable. They would move on from the venue but the Strand proved to be a mainstay operating for 100 years in this location and 110 combining its previous iteration. The Strand closed on December 31, 2025 with “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” and Anaconda. It was listed for sale on a realtor’s website.
That appears to be a cleaner timeline though leaves a few gaps, as well.
Fred Good opened the art deco La-Nar Theatre (hyphenated) on June 8, 1937 with Joe. E. Brown in “When’s Your Birthday?” The venue celebrated its 18th birthday in style installing widescreen projection to project CInemaScope films starting with “Jupiter’s Darling."
Apparently, the response was not as good as hoped. So Good retired in 1955 traveling to Florida only to die en route. George and Elsie Croft relit the La-Nar in 1956. George ran the booth and Elsie the box office. The venue celebrated its 30th birthday on June 8, 1967 and closed permanently the next day at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement.
July 28, 1942 shot of the Times Theatre grand opening in photos with “The Wife Takes a Flyer” playing on the big screen
Opened with the Ralph Ince directed “A Man’s Home” supported by a Mack Sennett comedy on January 18, 1922. East Peoria Mayor Jesse Hall delivered the opening remarks.
The Lyons opened on November 5, 1947 by Henry Leriger.
Closed October 3, 2003 as the modern Clinton 8 was replacing it.
The Capitol Theatre launched on December 7, 1928.
Capacity - 382 cars
Charles Burden of the local produce and grocery store, Burden’s Cash Store, opened Burden’s Opera House in 1898 at 102 Main Street on the building’s second floor. Movies were shown as early as December of 1904 by traveling moving picture show operators. In May of 1912, he installed projectors showing movies twice a week. He and wife Catherine Conroy moved to Portland selling the venue to new operators. By 1923, the Opera House was operating as a full-time movie house closing in January of 1928 likely at the end of a 30-year lease.
The venue reopened in a ground floor, converted retail structure now known as the Tampico Theatre in 1928 at 121 South Main Street. It closed in June of 1930 apparently not equipped for sound. After being used for live events, it eventually made a transition to sound films and definitely sound on film technology in 1934. It closed after a February 27, 1938 fire damaged the building. It was redecorated for its reboot over three months later by then-owner J.A. Dauntler. A film explosion in February of 1946 again closed the venue. The townspeople created the Tampico Theatre Corporation to salvage and repair the theatre. It relaunched on August 2, 1946 after a refresh.
The Tampico received an upgrade by Asael Tonkinson in 1950. The Tampico Theatre Corporation’s stewardship of the venue ended on October 11, 1958 after a showing of “Restless Breed” in a dissolution followed by an auction of its Simplex projectors, a Manley 47 popper, 240 seats, and more in early 1959. In 1962, the venue was converted by Robert E. Schmitt to the Schmitt Furniture & Appliance Store. This building burned down in a September 30, 1979 fire. The original Burden Opera House carried on as a produce retail location but was later demolished.
The New Town Theatre was opened by Marchesi Bros. after as a streamline moderne moviehouse on March 25, 1937 at 212 Washington Street. The previous Prophet Theatre closed after the Jan. 1, 1937 showtimes. Vitrolite glass front with black and ivory captured the era and new seats reduced count to 350. It was housed in the venerable Odd Fellows Lodge building. Ivan Whitver was in charge. This was formerly Shloe’s Hall showing silent movies, the Dreamland Hall / Dreamland Hall Theatre also with movies in the silent era, and Sinnissippi Hall (live events).
The other former venue in town was the Prophet Theatre at 351 Washington which as the sound era name for Prophet’s Auditorium Theater which opened in the 1920s. Joseph J. Dauntler refreshed the venue reopening as the Prophet Theatre on July 8, 1930 with disc-based sound. In 1933, Western Electric sound replaced the previous system. The Marchesis modernization was said to be a new construction in some reports - likely just in planning - but definitely opening in the existing Odd Fellows Building in all other reports at 212 Wash.
The Town reached its 30th Anniversary with its new look under Mrs. Vesta Visitow’s watch. But a year later, it had a rough night when the venue was gutted by fire on January 6, 1968. The final film to play was Cornell Wilde on January 5th with “Beach Red.” The scheduled film the night of the fire was destroyed prior to showtimes: “A Rough Night in Jericho.” The building was razed about a month later.
The Bijou Theatre opened with refined vaudeville on November 26, 1906. The venue struggled to open -its third lessee opened on that night after the first two operators couldn’t hit an opener. the Bijou went out of business on January, 18, 1912.
Hanlon Brothers opened the Superba February 6, 1905 with live stage fare. Nichols and Angel repositioned it as the New Electric Superba Theatre with movies on January 9, 1908 on a 10-year leasing agreement. Nichols sold it to Tomas Watson in 1918. Watson’s Superba closed on June 26, 1928 with “Jaws of Steel” at the end of its 10-year leasing agreement. It closed as a silent moviehouse. It was torn down for an S.S. Kresge’s five and dime variety store.
The Alhambra Theatre’s Aug. 10, 1914 grand opening ad and the August 4, 1915 changeover to Strand under new operators are both in photos. The venue converted to sound to remain commercially viable.
The Strand was “temporarily” closed after the February 28, 1939 showing of Richard Arlen in “Silent Barriers” with all seats a dime. The closure proved permanent. The theatre was gutted for a renovation becoming a retail store, Robinson’s Women’s Wear, on November 13, 1939.
Operated by Plitt Theatres from May 31, 1974 forward
The Patio Theater opened on March 6, 1930 “Sunny Side Up.” The theatre lastest to the end of its second 20-year leasing period closing permanently on January 1, 1970 with “Don’t Drink the Water” and “A Bullet for the General.” The building was sold the next day to the local Farm Bureau.
The Warren Theatre by Marchesi Bros. Circuit opens here on September 28, 1938 with “Carefree” replacing the long-running Auditorium Theatre. The Marchesis closed the venue following the November 4, 1957 showing of “Shootout at the O.K. Corral.” The operators cited financial difficulty as it needed an additional 500 tickets sold per month to break even - challenging in a town of just under 1,500 residents.
The local merchants were ready to reopen the venue with Herman Krippendorf in charge. But on March 3, 1958 the building was gutted by fire ending the comeback hopes. The building was repaired and became a retail location of Royal Blue chain in 1959.