State Theatre
14 Silver Street,
Waterville,
ME
04901
14 Silver Street,
Waterville,
ME
04901
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Daytz Theatre Enterprises Corp., Lockwood & Gordon Enterprises
Functions: Restaurant
Previous Names: Silver Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Opened about 1913 as the Silver Theatre, the name was changed to State Theatre sometime after 1941. By 1957 it was operated by Daytz Theatre Enterprises Corp. It lasted at least until around 1969/1970 and after closing, was renovated into the Steve’s Restaurant.
Contributed by
Ron Salters
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for this theater when it was the State. It’s Card # 459. Address is Silver St. There is an exterior photo taken Feb 16, 1941. Condition is Good. The report says it opened in 1932, was showing MGM films, and had 600 seats. I have found street addreses for both 11 Silver St, and 14 Silver St.
In the 1942-43 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac, the State Theater in Waterville is listed under the Lockwood & Gordon circuit of Boston. They also ran the Opera House in Waterville at that time.
The Silver Theatre page at the Cinema Data Project gives the address as 14 Silver Street. I’ve found multiple sources for the address 14 Silver Street, but none for 11 Silver.
Also, we’ve got the sequence of names backwards. I’ve found multiple references to the Silver Theatre in the 1910s and the mid-1920s. Cinema Data has a reference to the State Theatre in the 1956 FDY. The house must have opened as the Silver Theatre and was renamed State Theatre sometime prior to 1941.
This Facebook page has a photo of the house as the State Theatre, the marquee advertising the 1946 film The Return of Monte Cristo, and a recent photo as the Cancun Mexican Restaurant. The current Google Street View showing the building as Steve’s Grill & Pub is obsolete.
I got a quick impression that it was State first, then Silver. Joe Vogel, thanks for finding that it’s the other way around. (I’m flyin' blind here, with all these Maine theaters!) It would be nice if there was a Maine-iac fan of theater buildings here in Cinema Treasures who could help us out with first-hand knowledge.
The State Theatre remained open until 1969/70. It was the only theatre in town for a couple of years after the Haines theatre burned down. It was also a Lockwood & Gordon Theatre. When Cinema 1 & 2 opened in 1968, the State began showing double features & second-runs. In 1969-70 it ran a lot of softcorn porn and weekend kiddie matinees. After it closed it became “Steve’s Restaurant” (still open as of 2016]– , not the Silver Street Tavern which is a few doors down. When Lockwood & Gordon’s Cinema 1 & 2 expanded to 4 screens in 1971/72….the State closed soon afterwards. Charles Champine was the district manager for both theatres as well as for the Saco Drive In, Portland Twin Drive In, Lewiston & Auburn Drive Ins, Skowhegan Drive In and Strand Theatre Skowhegan. Also the Farmington State Theatre and the Winslow Drive In Theatre.