Lewis & Clark Theatre
2598 Chambers Road,
St. Louis,
MO
63136
2598 Chambers Road,
St. Louis,
MO
63136
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July 21st, 1978, grand reopening ad posted.
Arthur Brothers Enterprises Circuit opened June 11, 1965 with “She.” But 12 years later, Arthur Circuit was in free fall and closed ten theaters late Summer of 1977 in financial reorganization. The Lewis & Clark was one such theater as property owner Civic Center Redevelopment Corp. said that $50,000 in unpaid rent was due on the Lewis & Clark and the Stadium I & II in downtown St. Louis. $200,000 in unpaid rent was found at other properties.
The Lewis & Clark divestiture took place when Civic found an immediate new operator in Mid-America Theatres. The new operator relaunched with a gala reopening on July 17, 1978 playing “Saturday Night Fever.” Mid-America decided not to extend past the 25-year leasing period closing with “Return of the Dragon” and “Game of Death” on August 30, 1980. From a mapping standpoint, the venue was at 9973 Lewis and Clark Blvd.
Once operated by Mid-America Theaters, and closed in 1980.
ptouchette81: I would like to offer a clarification on your comment pertaining to Barry Monush’s “Sound of Music” book. Simply, Mr. Monush was not the first to identify the detail you cite. For the record, I’ve prepared three retrospective articles on “The Sound of Music” — one in 2005 for its 40th anniversary, another in 2010 for its 45th anniversary and yet another in 2015 for its 50th anniversary. The 45th piece, by the way, was published here at Cinema Treasures. (A link in the right margin appears on every database entry page of any theater mentioned in the article, but apparently the link in the right margin under the News About This Theater heading isn’t easy to notice.)
Anyway, Mr. Monush used my research (with permission) as the blueprint for his roadshow engagements chapter. I must admit, though, I should add I was quite disappointed when instead of re-printing my work as it originally appeared he instead created a derivative work and worse he misspelled my name and erroneously cited the original publication source.
According to Barry Monush’s book “The Sound of Music FAQ,” the Lewis & Clark was one of two cinemas in the area (the other being the Ellisville Theater in Ellisville) that screened “The Sound of Music” starting in November 1966 after its 83-week roadshow engagement at The St. Louis Theatre (what is now Powell Hall) closed less than a month before.
June 11th, 1965 grand opening ad in photo section
Google Maps will fetch the address for the theater that Chuck gave, but only if you write the street name as Lewis and Clark. Apparently an ampersand confuses their software.
In the street view from Lewis and Clark Boulevard, the theater building is hidden by a long row of shops. You get a pretty good view of the theater across a parking lot from 2568 Chambers Road, if you use the zoom feature. It’s a rather plain and boxy Midcentury Modern structure, but it looks to be in pretty good shape, at least on the outside.
Isn’t this theatre located in Moline Acres (rather than Saint Louis)?
Checked the google aerial photos for 9977 Lewis & Clark Blvd, but I get an address for the main intersection (divided highways) of Lewis & Clark and Cambers. – no sign of any old buildings in the area. Is it possible the area was redeveloped recently?
Theatre reopened in February 1982 as a dollar house under independent management. A short career, however, with theatre closing that September.
Arthur/SLAC opened the theatre in June 1965 and operated until its financial difficulties in the Fall of 1977. Mid-America picked up the theatre and operated from July 1978 until the theatre’s closing in August 1980.
Drove past the place a zillion times…never went inside.