Plaza Theater
319 First Avenue E,
Dyersville,
IA
52040
319 First Avenue E,
Dyersville,
IA
52040
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The April 6, 1918 issue of Moving Picture World mentions “J. E. Lippert, of the Plaza theater, Dyersville….” The name Lippert had appeared in that journal before, in the April 17, 1909 issue, which said “Henry and Anthony Lippert have opened a five and ten-cent theater in the Lippert Building.” I’ve been unable to discover if the house opened in 1909 was in fact the Plaza or a different theater. The only theater listed at Dyersville in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory was the Cozy, but that publication’s listings were frequently incomplete.
The November 7, 1925 issue of Motion Picture News said that H. Lippert was remodeling the Plaza, and had spent $1,500 on new equipment from Exhibitors Supply Company of Des Moines.
The Plaza theatre was a landmark in Dyersville, Iowa since 1915.
Much of the movie “Field Of Dreams” (1989) was filmed near Dyersville and in the town of Galena, Illinois, which “doubled” for the town of Chisholm, Minnesota.
In the film, the Ray Kinsella character (played by Kevin Costner) sees a PLAZA theatre marquee displaying “The Godfather” while taking a late night walk. That scene was filmed outside the former Stanley Theatre at 113 S. Main Street, Galena, IL 61036. The Stanley had long since been closed by the time “Field of Dreams” was being filmed, so a “temporary” marquee was applied to that building in Galena. Interestingly, the PLAZA marquee in the film looks to be identical to the Plaza marquee in Dyersville!
By 1997, the Plaza theatre (and hotel) in downtown Dyersville was slated for demolition. A deal was negotiated and the 1955 period façade of the Plaza (including the marquee, ticket booth and doors) was rescued from the destruction of the downtown site, refurbished and re-installed nearly two miles away as the new entrance to the Plaza Antique Mall at 1235 16th Avenue Court SE, Dyersville, IA 52040.
The front façade panels are made of porcelainized steel and fitted together with some precision. One account says that over half a mile of wiring, 280 light bulbs, and 500 man-hours went into saving the Plaza theatre façade!