Carroll Theatre
206 N. Main Street,
Mount Carroll,
IL
61053
206 N. Main Street,
Mount Carroll,
IL
61053
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Marchesi Brothers Theaters
Functions: Bowling Alley
Nearby Theaters
The date on the top of the façade of the building states 1917. The Carroll Theatre was opened in 1947. It was operated by the Marchesi Brothers from Amboy. It was closed in the 1960’s. The building has a new extension in front of the façade and is in use as a bowling alley.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
According to my dad, who was in grade school at the time this theater shut down, one of the last movies to play at this theater was Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”.
So it may be closed around 1960 or 1961.
Boxoffice, May 4, 1940: “This week has been set by Marchesi Brothers as opening date for the Carroll now under construction.”
Totally guessing here but the town definitely had the Mt. Carroll Opera House built in the late 19th Century and switching almost completely full-time to movies. Since the venue obviously wasn’t built for films or having a much-needed fireproof projection booth, it was replaced.
So the town had the Majestic Theatre and it had the Carroll Theatre. Based on the reportage, it looks like the Mt. Carroll Opera House played films into 1920. A new Mt. Carroll Theatre space was created for the silent era and marketed as the Mt. Carroll Theatre in 1920 but becoming the sound-era Majestic Theatre in 1930.
The Marchesi Bros. upgraded the venue to sound on film in 1939 and likely gave it a streamline refresh in the same building in 1940 becoming the Carroll Theatre. The Carroll Theatre closed suddenly on May 11, 1960 at the end of a second, 20-year leasing agreement. The final film was “Suddenly Last Summer.” The venue was then converted that summer for bowling alley-centric purposes.