State Theatre

805 Hennepin Avenue,
Minneapolis, MN 55402

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Showing 1 - 25 of 32 comments

rivest266
rivest266 on January 15, 2017 at 2:36 pm

February 5th, 1921 grand opening ad in the photo section.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 24, 2015 at 7:14 pm

1942 & 1970 photos added.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on May 20, 2015 at 11:15 pm

Added several photos via the Old Minneapolis Facebook page. Credited individually where possible.

Logan5
Logan5 on October 5, 2014 at 7:38 pm

The State Theatre’s marquee appears very briefly during a montage sequence in the 1996 Christmas-themed Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Jingle All The Way”.

Aparofan
Aparofan on March 22, 2009 at 8:43 am

Here’s a 1997 shot of the State.

View link

KJB2012
KJB2012 on August 15, 2007 at 5:04 pm

I see you have listed the architectural firm of Liebenberg & Kaplen. While it is correct that Pridmore was the architect, I don’t believe he was working with the Liebenberg & Kaplan firm.

BrooklynJim
BrooklynJim on September 19, 2006 at 3:15 pm

Kudos, ken mc. Your sharp 1953 photo embodies most of the details – and the exact State marquee – as the 1954 view I’d described back on 7/3. Eventually, I hope to have the technical means to link the one from my book, plus a whole lot more from NY to CA. Thx for providing this pic for us in the meantime!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 16, 2006 at 6:12 pm

Here is a 1930 photo. A Marx Brothers movie is playing:
http://tinyurl.com/hety6

BrooklynJim
BrooklynJim on July 3, 2006 at 10:54 am

If there’s anyone out there in CT Land who can access the archival photo files of the Minneapolis Public Library Historical Collection, there’s an excellent daytime photo of the State Theater, c. 1954. The photo had appeared on page 95 of Alan R. Lind’s book, “Twin City Rapid Transit Pictorial” (Transport History Press, 1984), but the first edition was limited to only 3,000 copies and is long out-of-print.

In this panoramic shot, a trolley is heading toward the photographer on Hennepin at 9th St., and a city bus is going in the opposite direction. The State, shown on the right with a different marquee design than previously displayed in earlier years by others, was running “Arrow in the Dust” at the time, starring Sterling Hayden and Coleen Gray. Lots of other local buildings are also shown in the photo.

I lack the technical capability to scan the book’s photo and link it to this page. Hopefully, one of you folks can locate that pic and post it for the enjoyment of all. Good luck!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on June 14, 2006 at 6:25 pm

This site states, inaccurately I believe, that the State was called the Minnesota in 1929. According to CT, there was a Minnesota Theater at another address:
http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/history/ae2.asp

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on January 22, 2006 at 4:57 pm

An early evening view:
View link
A well lit marquee:
View link

Patsy
Patsy on October 23, 2005 at 8:14 am

Beautiful photo and marquee!

Patsy
Patsy on September 22, 2005 at 7:55 am

More great photos. Keep them comin' on all the CT links! Thanks!

Patsy
Patsy on March 11, 2005 at 10:45 pm

Sorry…just noticed that the location of each theatre photo is given…I just didn’t scroll down far enough to read it!

Patsy
Patsy on March 11, 2005 at 10:38 pm

I just looked under VA and couldn’t find the Virginia Center. How would it be listed and where in the State is it? Thanks.

Patsy
Patsy on March 11, 2005 at 10:35 pm

I just went through the ‘rest of’ the photos on that site and WOW! Especially the Virginia Center in Richmond, but then again it’s an atmospheric and they always ‘speak’ volumes! I didn’t count, but there must have been over 20 photos on that one site, alone! Thanks. Too bad it didn’t list location in most cases.

Patsy
Patsy on March 11, 2005 at 10:29 pm

lostmemory: THIS is quite the photo and thanks for sharing it! The detail in the photo is really quite impressive!

Patsy
Patsy on March 10, 2005 at 5:08 pm

Great photo, but don’t know any of the actors pictured…sure someone will enlighten us though.

RobertR
RobertR on March 10, 2005 at 4:10 pm

Is that Myrna Loy?

teecee
teecee on March 10, 2005 at 3:36 pm

Look at these happy people at a premiere back in 1952:
View link

Patsy
Patsy on March 10, 2005 at 3:12 pm

TC: Great photo taken in the 20’s of a theatre that is still with us! Amen!

teecee
teecee on March 10, 2005 at 2:50 pm

Here’s a construction photo:
View link

kbaichtal
kbaichtal on March 10, 2005 at 2:45 pm

Hehe that brings back a memory… I remember the whole time the State was getting redone, and the mall around it was still under construction, there were dozens of plaster workers camped out in the surrounding unoccupied shop space. You could walk past on the street and see them pouring ornate moldings and such for the restoration of the theatre. Not something one gets to watch very often! And there was crumbled gold foil all over the floor in that outer lobby. That and loads and loads of white dust.