Carver Theatre
1310 Dr Martin Luther King Drive,
St. Louis,
MO
63106
1310 Dr Martin Luther King Drive,
St. Louis,
MO
63106
1 person
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Additional Info
Architects: Jack Shawcross
Previous Names: Palace Theatre, Globe Theatre
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An independent theatre that was just on the outskirts of downtown St. Louis on what was originally named Franklin Street. The Palace Theatre was opened in June 1910 as a vaudeville theatre. It was a very plain theatre with simple decoration. By 1912 it was screening movies. During World War I it operated as a Yiddish vaudeville theatre. Movies returned for African-American use only. One of the first “Negro” theatres in St.Louis it was renamed Globe Theatre in 1932 and closed in 1943,
It became the Carver Theatre on February 19, 1944 screening Robert Preston in “Pacific Blackout” & Dennis O'Keefe in “Moonlite Masquerade”. It was closed on October 9, 1955. It was demolished in 1956 and an office block was built on the site. This too has since been demolished.
Contributed by
Charles Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The February 4, 1950, issue of Boxoffice said that the Carver Theatre in St. Louis was to be remodeled. The plans were by architect Jack Shawcross.
Originally known as the Palace Theatre, the first mention of the house I found was in February 1911 when theatre became part of the O.T. Crawford circuit…an affiliation lasting one year.
Theatre renamed Globe in 1932.
Renamed Carver in 1944. Theatre operated until late 1955. Structure demolished in early 1956.
The Palace Theater opened by John H. Tielkemeyter in June of 1910 with vaudeville. By 1912, it was a movie house run by O.T. Crawford. Sold to Franklin Amusement, Yiddish vaudeville takes place there during World War I in addition to films. Things are a bit confusing in 1924 as the neighborhood’s composition was such that Franklin Amusement sublet the venue to Jesse S. Horowitz.
On February 29, 1924, the Palace reopens with an all-inclusive policy allowing integrated audiences. Based on the lawsuit that followed, it’s assumed that this transition was unsuccessful in part because Horowitz claimed that clashes were common between White and African American audiences requiring police presence. Horowitz identified Edward P. Laurent and the Little Theater Corporation to run the venue which they did officially as the New Palace Theatre. Their policy in June of 1924 separated audiences with 502 lower floor seats exclusively for White audiences and the 250 balcony seats were for African American audiences.
The Palace audience composition lawsuit in July of 1924 came from lease-holder Franklin Amusement saying that the subleasing agreement allowed for an integrated, “mixed colored and white” or all-African American audience composition. Franklin claimed that an all-White seating area lower floor policy drew audiences away from its Majestic Theatre just three blocks away. Horowitz claimed that the separate seating area was within the mixed audience clause of the leasing agreement. Hyman Komm’s lawsuit on behalf of his Franklin Amusement was tossed.
The most successful Palace event of the 1920s was when Ethel Waters appeared there for a week beginning May 4, 1924. But the venue would definitely makes its mark playing movies. The Palace would install Vitaphone sound under new operators on May 16, 1930 to remain viable. However, the sound mustn’t have been success as the theater veered back to more live events. In 1932, it’s rebranded as the Globe Theater and they bring in Bessie Smith and Her Gang in person August 4-6, 1932. New operators appear on January 27, 1933 installing new RCA sound on film technology and veering the theater back to films. Its policy is as a sub-run grind house policy. The Globe lasted 11 years closing in April of 1943.
The venue reopened under new management as the Carver Theatre on February 19, 1944 with “Pacific Blackout” and “Moonlight Masquerade”. It closed permanently on October 9, 1955. Monsanto Chemical purchased the building demolishing it in March of 1956 in favor of an office building. The entire business area there has been removed.