Ivory Theatre

7712 Ivory Avenue,
St. Louis, MO 63111

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Additional Info

Functions: Workshop

Nearby Theaters

1920 image courtesy of John Sarkis.

The Ivory Theatre was located in deep south St. Louis and was a neighborhood theatre. It opened in July 1916 and was still open in 1931, but had closed by 1934. It serves as a type of warehouse for a while and is now a bakery. It was told to me by the current owner that early in it’s life a couple first met there and later thought enough of the theatre to be married there.

Contributed by James Grebe

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on March 30, 2009 at 4:51 am

According to this link

http://www.ivorytheatre.com/

Is about a block away. I assume the New Ivory? The church looking building could be the Saint Boniface Rectory. Link here:

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2X44

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on March 30, 2009 at 4:54 am

Actually, the Rectory is between the old church and the Ivory, according my Googling…

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on March 30, 2009 at 9:14 am

Boy this is getting more confusing. According to the photos at the 2nd link I provided, the old church, which is no longer a church, is or will be the Ivory Theater. There’s even some not so good pictures of the interior.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on March 30, 2009 at 10:12 am

Last photos are from September 2007 plus this note at the end:

Opening night is thwarted by court injunction

So who knows what that means….

JAlex
JAlex on February 23, 2010 at 12:59 pm

The (old/original) Ivory opened in June 1916. The closing date has yet to be definitively determined, but the structure was converted into an A&P grocery store in 1938.

JAlex
JAlex on February 23, 2010 at 1:01 pm

In 1927 the seating capacity was listed as 835.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on June 1, 2012 at 2:06 pm

Here is a brief article about the opening of the Ivory Theatre from the July 8, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World:

“NEW ST. LOUIS THEATER. The Ivory Theater Opens With Smashing Big Program.

“By A. H. Giebler, 236 Vanole Bldg., St Louis, Mo., Special Correspondent.

“ST LOUIS, Mo.—The Ivory theater, which has just opened its doors to the public at 7712 Ivory street, gave a smashing big program of pictures on opening night, and had an excellent orchestra to accompany the pictures. The Ivory is a new house operated under the management of the Ivory Amusement Company, with E. J. Paule at the head of the enterprise. Mr. Paule was formerly a councilman of St. Louis, and on opening day the lobby of the theater was filled to overflowing with floral offerings from his many friends and business associates.

“The Ivory is a model and up-to-date theater in every respect. The seating capacity is 850 and the two new Power’s 6-A machines and other furnishings of the house are of the most modern and approved designs. The Ivory has been playing to good audiences ever since opening day, and is a very attractive addition to the neighborhood.”

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on January 11, 2016 at 8:36 pm

1920 image added courtesy of John Sarkis.

Aaron_DeClue
Aaron_DeClue on June 15, 2017 at 10:20 pm

What is now called the “Ivory Theatre” has nothing to do with the old one. The new one is in the former church at the corner of Ivory and Schirmer. The old one is being used as a bakery space currently, and is two buildings south of the above mentioned intersection. Between Feraro’s Jersey Style Pizza and a residence.

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