New Illini Theatre

dallasmovietheaters on June 9, 2019 at 5:13 am

The LeClaire (no spaces) Theatre closed April 27, 1952 at the end of a 30-year lease. After being vacant for 20 months, the nearby Illini Theatre – hoping to go to widescreen – closed on December 18, 1953. The Illini moved its operation to the former LeClaire operating as the New Illini Theatre there from its launch on December 25, 1953 with “Here Come the Girls” on its curved panoramic screen to closing on January 12, 1957.

The vacant property’s demolition project started Oct 1, 1973 and was completed Dec 12, 1973.

dallasmovietheaters on August 6, 2016 at 5:21 am

The theatre launched February 24, 1923 with the film, “Jazzmania.” A $22,000Hope Jones organ was there at the opening.

lincman on September 2, 2007 at 6:27 pm

the Leclaire theater was next door to the Leclaire Hotel(Now a senior residential housing)..and the Illini Theater was further down 5th ave. and later became a Drug Store…when Downtown Moline was busy before everything went to outlying Malls..I used to go to them when I was a Kid in 1940s-50s…..also used to be a Small Theater called the Paradise which lasted until the 1970s…owned by the Brotman Brothers who owned a few other small Theaters in the Quad Cities…