Middleton Theatre
2111 Parmentor Street,
Middleton,
WI
53562
2111 Parmentor Street,
Middleton,
WI
53562
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Myles E. Belongia
Firms: Peacock & Belongia
Styles: Quonset Hut
Nearby Theaters
The Middleton Theatre was opened in November 1946.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Status should be changed to Closed/Demolished.
This theater was located at 2111 Parmenter Street, Middleton WI. That site now has an apartment building located on it. According to a local historian, the theater closed sometime in the mid-80’s. It served as a 99 cent discount house at the end. She remembers it as being hot in the summer and cold in the winter, due to its metal construction.
After closing, the building was donated to a local church, whose members disassembled it and moved it away. Some of the seats went to the American Players Theater in Spring Green, WI.
The Middleton Theatre was a quonset structure designed by architect Myles Belongia, of the firm Peacock & Belongia. The firm designed the prototypes for the quonset theaters erected during the postwar period by Poblocki & Sons, a Milwaukee signage company that branched out into theater construction.
An article about the Middleton, with photos theater during and after construction, appeared in Boxoffice of March 29, 1947. Boxoffice of November 9, 1946, said that the Middleton Theatre had opened the previous Wednesday. It was first operated by a regional circuit, M&E Theatres.
I thought I would update the link to the article: http://www.boxofficemagazine.com/the_vault/issue_page?issue_id=1947-3-29&page_no=164
I remember going to this theater as a kid in the 80’s. As Trolleyguy mentioned, it was 99 cents and they usually played movies that had already run their course at the major chain theaters. I specifically remember seeing Spies Like Us (‘85) and The Three Amigos ('86) there. And despite it being only 99 cents I remember my mom sneaking popcorn in a big purse because she didn’t want to pay for the “high priced” concessions. :)
Quite honestly it’s not a big loss that the place is gone. It had basically become an obscurity by then. Worn out seats, a small screen, bad sound and it had such a little slope to it you’d always have someone blocking the screen. It looked more an old military aircraft hanger then a nostalgic theater. Still it’s a little sad that Middleton’s only theater was lost and 99 cents was even a good deal back that.