Crystal Theatre

305 Hennepin Avenue,
Minneapolis, MN 55401

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 17, 2026 at 4:59 pm

Here is a bit more information about the Crystal’s licensing troubles in 1916, from the May 6 Issue of Moving Picture World that year: “Theater Loses License. Minneapolis, Minn. — Because Miss Constance Madison of the Humane Society said J. Barnet’s theater, the Crystal, had become a rendezvous for minors and disorderly characters, the city council has tied up the application for a renewal of the license. The Crystal has been operating all night and it also was claimed it worked to the detriment of the curfew law.”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 12, 2016 at 1:38 pm

Here is a bit of information about the Crystal Theatre from Movie Debut: Films in the Twin Cities 1894-1909 by Lucile M. Kane and John A. Dougherty:

“…the Crystal (Minneapolis) was outstanding. A plan rendered by Harry G. Carter, a veteran theater architect, called for the conversion of a two-story brick-veneer structure into theater with a seating capacity of 575 at a cost of $20,000. According to the Minneapolis Journal, the theater, which opened on August 28, 1909, measured 115 by 44 feet and was 29 feet high without a gallery or balcony. The interior colors were red, green, and gold. The ornate façade facing on Hennepin Avenue was decorated in white and gold.”
Kane and Dougherty’s article, a useful resource, was published in the Winter 1995 issue of the Minnesota Historical Society’s quarterly Minnesota History (PDF here) and includes a photo and a drawing of the Crystal, along with numerous other illustrations of early Twin Cities theaters.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 10, 2016 at 8:53 pm

The name of the theater is not given in this item from the May 13, 1916, issue of Motography, but the address is that of the Crystal:

“J. Barnet of St. Paul, proprietor of the only all-night moving picture theater in Minneapolis, has been denied a renewal of his license on complaint of the Minneapolis Humane Society that children were allowed in the place after curfew hours. The theater is located at 305 Hennepin avenue.”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 21, 2012 at 11:36 am

Here is an article about the Crystal Theatre in the December 15, 1910, issue of the Chicago-based trade journal The Nickelodeon.

rvarani
rvarani on April 2, 2010 at 6:45 pm

The Crystal was a grind house open daily from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm. All seats 25 cents. New double feature program every Friday and Sunday. New triple feature program every Tuesday. Spino cash was played every Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Still using Peerless Low Intensity Arc Lamps right up to the end.