Route 66 Movie Theatre
24 S. Main Street,
Webb City,
MO
64870
24 S. Main Street,
Webb City,
MO
64870
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 8 comments
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 12, 1950: “Howard Larsen, manager and co-owner of the Civic and Junior theatres at Webb City, has purchased the Dickinson theater. The Dickinson now will be known as the Larsen theatre.”
The teaser ads called it “new,” and the Dickinson held its grand opening on March 3, 1946 in Webb City.
Webb City Dickinson grand opening ad 03 Mar 1946, Sun Joplin Globe (Joplin, Missouri) Newspapers.com
The 1950 Film Daily Year Book said that the Dickinson Theatre (466 seats) was on Main Street, as was the Junior (550).
According to the theatre website, “The building once served as the Newland Hotel before becoming a movie theater managed by Dickinson Theaters in 1945. After being sold it sat empty for many years but was restored by a local family music group in 1999. They renamed the theater the Route 66 Music Theatre with live music as the primary source of entertainment. It was sold and renovated in 2003, but the theater closed again after less than a year. However, the screen didn’t stay dark for long. It was purchased in 2005 by Nancy and Scott Hutson.”
Website: http://www.rt66movie.com/
A bit of history about this theatre here:
View link
“The theater was originally built as the Shapiro Shoe Store and in about 1952 was converted to the Dickinson Movie Theater. Dixie and Howard Larsen purchased the theater from Mr. Dickenson… Prior to being the Route 66 Movie Theater, the building was the Route 66 Music Theater which featured Branson-style music variety shows. In the 1950’s, the theater was known as the Larsen Theater.”
The Route 66 theatre marquee doesn’t have the a normal milk glass background. Since it was daylight when I saw the theatre, I wasn’t able to determine if the background is opaque or not. The marquee does list the current movies with normal lettering but whether this is visible at night is questionable.
Which may be misspelled. The ad spelled Larsen with an E and and not an O.
Advertised as the Larsen in 1951.
Here is an ad for the Dickinson theater in Webb City. I don'r believe this theater has been listed as of yet:
http://tinyurl.com/29f2qo