Lido Theater
125 E. Elmore Street,
Manly,
IA
50456
125 E. Elmore Street,
Manly,
IA
50456
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The Lido Theater was opened in the late-1910’s, and continued until at least 1954.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Kenneth LeRoy Olson was born in Hale, Wisconsin on August 18, 1922 to Hanna and Almer Olson, one of their seven sons. They moved to Manly in 1929. Kenneth attended school until 1940, and worked at the Manly Creamery and the Lido Theatre after school hours. He married Shirley Marsh on September 1, 1940 in Osage. In 1942, Kenneth and his family, now including their two children Larry and Steve, moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he managed the Granada Theatre.
Kenneth Olson joined the Marines on December 26, 1943 and left the next day for Camp Pendleton and went into action overseas a year or so later.
On February 20, 1945, Marine Corporal Kenneth L. Olson died of wounds received in action at Iwo Jima. One mmonth later, his wife received the following telegram:
“Deeply regret to inform you that your husband, assistant cook Kenneth L. Olson USMCR died 20th February 1945 of wounds received in action at Iwo Jima Volcano Islands, in the performance of his duty and service of his country. The remains were buried at sea. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy.
A. Vandergriff, Gen. U.S.M. "
Still later, his wife received a letter from the Chaplain’s Office of the US Marines stating that “there never was anyone more highly respected and beloved” than Cpl. Olson.
He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Address is wrong, this is at 125 E Elmore St. About 2/3 of downtown is gone, but this is just hanging on. Looks like it was converted into a garage. Built sometime after 1914, but architecturally appears to be about that date.
Definitely open by the mid ‘20s. Before the marquee was installed, it had a metal canopy fringed with small glass panels.
Motion Picture Herald, May 1, 1954: “Two long-dark Iowa theatres have reopened … The Lido reopened Apr. 25 under the management of H. S. (Doc) Twedt, a former owner. Twedt, who also operated a hours in Britt where he now resides, has installed a new wide screen at the Lido.”
It’s hard to imagine what would be considered wide in such a narrow building.
The only theater listed at Manly in the 1926 FDY is a 200-seat house called the Rex. The 1933 edition lists a 200-seat Princess Theatre, which was closed. The Princess appears again in 1934 but is now open. I haven’t checked other editions yet, but Rex and Princess must have been aka’s for the Lido. The Lido is listed with 250 seats in the 1950 FDY.
The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists two houses at Manly, the Star and the Lyric. The Star is accounted for, but I don’t know if Lyric was just another aka for the Lido or not.
In the photo above, the Star was located in the narrow lighter colored building in the background.