Orpheum Theater

Our page for the other Orpheum at 301 Collinsville says that it was originally called the Lyric and was renamed the Orpheum in 1929 and closed in 1936. This theater’s description says that it was called the Lyric in 1924 and renamed the New Orpheum in 1929. They can’t both have been called the Lyric at the same time and then renamed the Orpheum at the same time. Something is wrong in one or both descriptions, but I can’t figure out exactly what.

The 1912 City Directory has the Lyric Theatre at 301-303 Collinsville and the Majestic at 242 Collinsville. I haven’t found any later city directories for East St. Louis.

The Lyric Theatre at 301-303 Collinsville Avenue was opened by Harry G. Redmon who opened several East St. Louis movie houses. So popular was the Lyric Theatre that Redmon opened the much larger Majestic Theatre in 1915. Redmon took the film bookings and also his Lyric Orchestra led by John Livaudais. Joe Erber took on the Lyric. He was a veteran talent booker and showman Joe Erber whose career lasted decades. He then moved the Lyric to the Majestic Theatre building.

Erber hired as one of the Lyric’s managers one Laurence Richardson Jossenberger – aka Larry Richardson. Richardson would go from theatre manager in East St. Louis to Hollywood performer. He would appear in more than 50 Century Comedy shorts as Larry Rich. He appears to have failed at getting a starring role and would go on to the vaudeville circuit with his wife, a former Mack Sennett performer. Erber sold the theatre to Arco Amusement which converted the Lyric Theatre to Vitaphone sound in 1928.

But the conversion may have been too much as the theatre closed in February 1929 when creditors forced the closure of both the Lyric and the Avenue. The Lyric was purchased at the asset disposition of the Arco Amusement Company. It was reopened soon thereafter in 1929 as the New Orpheum Theatre which has another ten years of operation in which Erber was associated. It closed and has since been demolished.