26 N. Delaware seems like a likely candidate, according to an architectural survey on the Missouri State Parks website: “According to Howard Simpson, this property was the Denton-Coleman Trust Co. in the 1920s and was acquired by Charles Fisk for use as a movie theatre and/or to eliminate competition from his existing movie theatre.” The name FISK is still visible below the cornice.
New owners are working to reopen the New Angola!
https://www.buffalotales.net/post/the-new-angola-theater-s-renovation-may-revitalize-a-southern-village
The Bijou was indeed located just west of the S&S Autos building, which was demolished sometime after 2023; the July 2023 Google Street View reveals that S&S was the building at far right in the photo posted by Chris1982. The Bijou and the small storefront between it and S&S have been gone since at least 2007.
Just for the heck of it, I’d like to posit that the Dade wasn’t actually demolished: If you look up the address on Google Street View and tilt it to the 3D view, you’ll see that the store-fixture business now at the above address has a bump-up a few yards back from the sidewalk, making it tall enough to have been a movie theater. The general architecture of the entire block–which appears to have been built as a single project–is very consistent with the streamline-moderne style popular in 1940 when the Dade was built (check out the curved corners). The taller volume at the back of the block–which is also part of the fixture business–looks even more consistent with movie-theater massing of that era, with a few windows added later, but I’ll concede that if that was indeed the auditorium, the lobby would have been ridiculously long.
The present Mothers Food & Liquor Store at this address certainly looks like the same building that burned in 2015. It was gutted and refaced, sure, but the giveaway is the curved walls on either side of the front door.
This one hasn’t been demolished…yet. The street name has changed to N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the address is still 3002. It doesn’t look like a theater anymore, but the triple-stripe-with-crossbar decorations remain on the second floor, recognizable from older photos of the Aurora.
The building still stands at 310 South 5th Street, though there’s no visible evidence of its former theatrical use. In the 2018 Google Street View, the cinema’s entrance has been turned into a barber shop.
Just for the record, in case anyone’s confused: This theater closed with the original 1976 “Sparkle” starring Irene Cara and Philip Michael Thomas (later to become bigger stars via “Fame” and “Miami Vice,” respectively). Jordin Sparks, who starred in the 2012 remake alluded to above, wasn’t even born yet. :)
Also, I just learned that before it was “Delta Cinema” it was called the Tyson Theater. I don’t have the opening date or anything, but I’ve seen in an old city directory that this was its name in 1960.
Even the tower is gone now. It was demolished in 2012.
26 N. Delaware seems like a likely candidate, according to an architectural survey on the Missouri State Parks website: “According to Howard Simpson, this property was the Denton-Coleman Trust Co. in the 1920s and was acquired by Charles Fisk for use as a movie theatre and/or to eliminate competition from his existing movie theatre.” The name FISK is still visible below the cornice.
This theater must have operated until at least 1987, as one of the photos shown here has “Good Morning Vietnam” on the marquee.
New owners are working to reopen the New Angola! https://www.buffalotales.net/post/the-new-angola-theater-s-renovation-may-revitalize-a-southern-village
Demolished by October 2020.
The Bijou was indeed located just west of the S&S Autos building, which was demolished sometime after 2023; the July 2023 Google Street View reveals that S&S was the building at far right in the photo posted by Chris1982. The Bijou and the small storefront between it and S&S have been gone since at least 2007.
Demolished in 2020.
Just for the heck of it, I’d like to posit that the Dade wasn’t actually demolished: If you look up the address on Google Street View and tilt it to the 3D view, you’ll see that the store-fixture business now at the above address has a bump-up a few yards back from the sidewalk, making it tall enough to have been a movie theater. The general architecture of the entire block–which appears to have been built as a single project–is very consistent with the streamline-moderne style popular in 1940 when the Dade was built (check out the curved corners). The taller volume at the back of the block–which is also part of the fixture business–looks even more consistent with movie-theater massing of that era, with a few windows added later, but I’ll concede that if that was indeed the auditorium, the lobby would have been ridiculously long.
A peek at Google Street View suggests this one should now be classified as “demolished.” It’s been a vacant lot since at least 2007.
Demolished some time between 2011 and 2023.
Looks like it’s the Druid City Music Hall now.
The present Mothers Food & Liquor Store at this address certainly looks like the same building that burned in 2015. It was gutted and refaced, sure, but the giveaway is the curved walls on either side of the front door.
This one hasn’t been demolished…yet. The street name has changed to N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but the address is still 3002. It doesn’t look like a theater anymore, but the triple-stripe-with-crossbar decorations remain on the second floor, recognizable from older photos of the Aurora.
As of 2023 it’s being used as a church.
Since 2018, it’s been presenting live entertainment as the CAA Theatre.
The building still stands at 310 South 5th Street, though there’s no visible evidence of its former theatrical use. In the 2018 Google Street View, the cinema’s entrance has been turned into a barber shop.
The marquee is gone now, but strangely enough more “dancing ladies” friezes have been added to the facade since the ‘80s!
As of 2022, the outlines of the ramps are still visible on Google Earth!
The building in the photo above is actually 48 East Main.
If you check Google Street View against the postcard picture, it appears that the theater occupied the space that’s now numbered 115 E. 2nd.
Demolished in 2014. There’s now a Starbucks on the site.
“Demolished” might not be quite the right designation, as the facade and many of the interior structural elements remain.
This is the same theater that’s also listed as the State Theater.
Just for the record, in case anyone’s confused: This theater closed with the original 1976 “Sparkle” starring Irene Cara and Philip Michael Thomas (later to become bigger stars via “Fame” and “Miami Vice,” respectively). Jordin Sparks, who starred in the 2012 remake alluded to above, wasn’t even born yet. :)
Also, I just learned that before it was “Delta Cinema” it was called the Tyson Theater. I don’t have the opening date or anything, but I’ve seen in an old city directory that this was its name in 1960.