Cozy Theatre

References to the Cozy Theatre can be traced back to at least 1924 from stories in the Twin Falls Daily News. It is most likely the same theatre, which was referred to in a 1913 article that said the Maze Theatre had been purchased by Charles Kalina and would be remodeled into a new theatre. A later article said that Mr. Kalina ran the Cozy Theatre for about four years.

The Cozy Theatre was closed during the 1940’s, as a news article in the Times-News referred to it as the ‘old Cozy Theatre’. It was later taken over by Harris-Voeller Theatres who ran the Ramona Theatre, which was located directly across the street. Its newspaper ad on January 1, 1956 read: ‘This theatre will be closed during January’. February came and there were still no newspaper advertisements for the Cozy Theatre. It appears that it never opened again, leaving only the Ramona Theatre and the Moon Glo Drive-In as Buhl’s only theatres. The building is the second store front south of the alley, home in 2011 to the Body Works.

Recent comments (view all 3 comments)

Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois on April 25, 2011 at 2:54 pm

FUNCTION:

GYM

It’s a Body Works for Humans not Autos.

Harris-Voller Theatres of Burley, Idaho, I.G. Harris, President-General Manager, had over 15 theaters in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.

More info and photos always welcome.

Joe Vogel on November 1, 2017 at 11:19 pm

The August 2, 1913, issue of The Moving Picture World said that the editors had received from W. J. Sergei of the Rex Theatre, Buhl, Idaho, a copy of the first issue of the theater’s program, The Rex News.

Polk’s 1914 Idaho directory lists the Rex Theatre in Buhl followed by (Chas J. Kalina, Willard J. Sergei), so they must have been partners in the operation.

By 1916, Sergei was managing the Orpheum Theatre in Burley, Idaho, and an item about him in the May 6 issue of The Moving Picture World said that he had been “…with a house that went on the rocks through the desire of the owner to play vaudeville, too….” If that house was the Rex, its failure was temporary, as it was mentioned in the August 17, 1918, issue of MPW.

Joe Vogel on May 5, 2022 at 8:21 am

The May 24, 1913 issue of San Francisco Dramatic Review had this item: “Construction work has been started on the new Rex Theatre in Buhl, Idaho, by W. J. Siegel and Charles Kalina. The Theatre will be 50x120 feet, with boxes and gallery.”