Gem Theatre

My brother and I swept the floors at the GEM in about 1953 in exchange for free movies. I vivid recall seeing “War of the Worlds” there. Mr. Clyde Ball ran the place. It had a popcorn machine where you put in a dime, and popcorn dropped down into a bag you held. The access to the projection booth was through a ladder. I am guessing that the theater sat about 100 to 200 people… not sure about the actual number. I am pretty sure the price of admission was about ten cents in 1953 or so.

The Gem Theatre most likely opened its doors on October 9, 1935 with Jimmy Cagney in “The Irish In Us” (unknown if extras added), and closed on October 27, 1963 with Walt Disney’s “Moon Pilot”. The theater building was converted into a laundromat the following year.

• What’s very strange is that local merchants didn’t congratulate the theater until nine days AFTER its opening. This happened at the same time the Gem became an affiliate with “March Of Time” (beginning with Volume 1 Issue 7), which screened just before the showings of the following: Pat O'Brien’s “In Caliente” along with the Merrie Melodies cartoon “Along Flirtation Walk” and the comedy short “Husband’s Holiday” on October 18 of that same day.