Princess Theatre
1135 E. Prairie Street,
Decatur,
IL
62521
1135 E. Prairie Street,
Decatur,
IL
62521
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The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory lists the Corner Theatre at 300 N. Water Street. Was there more than one house called the Corner? 1135 E. Prairie is a mostly residential neighborhood, though there is some commercial land on the corners (appropriately.)
There definitely appears to have been more than one Decatur house called the Princess Theatre. The May, 1911 issue of Motography had this item: “The Royal Theater of Decatur has been purchased by R. W. Trotter and B. K. Stafford, who will continue to operate the same under the name of the Princess.”
From the 1915-12-03 issue of the Monticello Bulletin:
NO SON-IN-LAW WANTED. The Presbyterian minister and’ wife of Maroa, Mr. and Mrs. Miller, are making trouble for their daughter and her husband who were recently married in Monticello through the innocent assistance of the county clerk and the Christian minister. The irate father of the bride came to our city, after the ceremony was performed, to stop the bans, but “Too late, too late,” was his cry. He then traced the happy pair to the Princess theater in Decatur, and sternly demanded that his daughter return to the parental roof and leave her newly chosen provider. She protested, but his Scotch Presbyterian blood was up, and he bundled his daughter into an auto, first knocking the young man out of the seat beside her (he clung to his bride, however, and the old gentleman had to let him ride to Maroa.) When they arrived there the parson took his offspring into the house and told the bridegroom to GIT, notwithstanding his oft repeated admonition, “Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Since that time the young couple have not met, and the minister is defendant in a $25,000 suit for damages, as he groans, “All is vanity, and vexation, for my daughter is previously troubled of a devil.”
This opened on January 23rd, 1915. It was the old Corner theatre according to the ad that can be found in the photo section for this theatre.