Lyndel Theatre
131 N. 4th Street,
Barlow,
KY
42024
131 N. 4th Street,
Barlow,
KY
42024
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The Barlow Theatre opened in 1924. It closed briefly in 1929 unable to convert to sound. But on April 9, 1930, the Barlow reopened with talkies and Bebe Daniels in “When Love Comes Along.” The sound system moved from sound on disc to sound on film in 1933. New owners, the Harlan Brothers, promised no more of those scratchy discs. Howard “Dutch” Franks is the new owner of the Barlow Theatre in 1936 and he thought so much of the Harlan Bros.‘ sound system in place that he took it out and went with all new sound equipment.
Morran Lyndel Fondaw took over the venue and, after a streamline makeover, reopened the Barlow Theatre as the New Lyndel Theatre on November 19, 1937 with “Annapolis Salute” supported by the musical short, “Prairie Swingaroo” and the comedy short, “Odd News.” Fondaw went off to war in the Army in October of 1942 after the largest crowd was on hand to say goodbye to him on October 5, 1942 with the film, “True to the Navy.” Fondaw was discharged in December of 1945 at the Fort Knox Separation Center. After a clean-up, he reopened the Lyndel Theatre on March 8, 1946 with “Tars and Spars.” Fondaw closed his Lyndel Theatre on May 7, 1955 with “White Christmas.”
The Lyndel Theatre remained vacant nearly three years when C.D. Jones reopened the venue on January 24, 1958 apparently as a co-op deal with the town’s local merchants. The theatre was down to just 260 seats at its relaunch (previous owner Fondaw had sold the lion’s share of seats in 1955). The opening film was “Untamed Youth” supported by the Daffy Duck cartoon, “Dime to Retire.” The closing film was just two weeks later as the town stayed away from “Jet Pilot” which crash landed on February 10, 1958. It was converted into the First General Baptist Church of Barlow later in the year. It became a repair garage that was demolished in 2023.
First listed in the FDY in 1938, the Lyndel Theatre had 250 seats. In the 1939 FDY it had jumped up to 650 seats. This Facebook post says the house was run by Morran Lyndel Fondaw into the 1960s.
The MOVIE THEATERS website lists the Lyndel Theater as being open from about 1940 to 1955 with 410 seats. The address is Main St. It also lists a Barlow Theater open in 1935, which may be the same theater.