Steele Theatre
S. Walnut Street,
Steele,
MO
63877
S. Walnut Street,
Steele,
MO
63877
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The Steele Theatre was opened by 1922 when it had 300 seats. It was destroyed by a fire on May 8, 1945 which broke out in an adjacent restaurant followed by an explosion. It was rebuilt with an increased seating capacity for 450, only to be destroyed by another fire on January 25, 1963.
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Ken McIntyre
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The Steele Theatre dates back to the 1920’s. Seating at that time was 300. It was remodeled in 1944 and seating was listed at 450. It was still listed as open in the late-1950’s. The theatre was located on South Walnut Street.
Boxoffice, Feb. 4, 1963: “The Steele Theatre, Steele, Mo., burned early January 25. The fire also destroyed a house in the rear of the theatre and cut off power and phone lines over a wide area for several hours. The theatre, on Highway 61, was built 40 years ago. It was owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Clarence McCollum. The fire loss to the theatre was set at $50,000.”
The Steele Theatre (opened as early as 1922) was destroyed by a fire twice. First on May 8, 1945 and the other on January 25, 1963.
The first fire occurred during V-C, the near-death of World War II, in the early morning hours at approximately 2:15 AM on May 8, 1945. The first fire was actually an explosion at Jack’s Cafe, next door to the theater, costing an estimate $20,000 in damage on the building and equipment (owned and operated by A.D. Fielder). Departments from Steele and Caruthersville responded to the call. Fielder said that the machinery at the projection booth was repairable, saying that it had minor damage. Fielder would later purchased the lot from T.C. Beasley who planned to rebuilt the theater. The Steele Theatre reopened a couple of months later with an upgraded capacity to 450.
The second fire occurred on January 25, 1963 at approximately the 3:00 AM hour caused by an electricity failure, which also destroyed the house of Mrs. Anne Broker behind the theater. The electric power of the theater suddenly went out at 3:40 PM. This cost an estimate $50,000 in destructible damage, and the power was restored 6 hours and 5 minutes later. Other departments from Hayti and Blytheville AFB responded to the scene but were badly handicapped by the shortage of water.
Uploaded an image of a page from the Steele Enterprise from August 24, 1951 on which an ad for the Steele Theatre appears. Note: there is also an ad for a SEMO Theatre. Have to look into that.