Circle Theatre

4472 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive,
St. Louis, MO 63113

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dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on October 26, 2024 at 6:26 am

The Easton-Taylor Trust Building was built in in 1910 and 1911. It first housed the Easton-Taylor Hall used for a dance academy in 1911 and the Easton-Taylor Trust financial institution beginning July 8, 1911. The vaudeville theater appears to have opened in 1912 as the Easton Taylor Theater. By 1915, the Easton-Taylor is playing films under that name until September of 1925.

From 1926 to 1936, it becomes the Easton Theatre. In 1936, the Easton-Taylor Trust Building is sold outright. New lessee of the theater space, Henry Mabel, installed new projectors, sound, and a streamline moderne makeover. Mabel opened it refreshed as the Circle Theatre on Sep. 19, 1936 with “Private Number” and “Human Cargo.”

Aaron_DeClue
Aaron_DeClue on June 15, 2017 at 1:51 am

Here is an article on a robbery of a bank next door to the theatre on April 5, 1920. The robber hid in the theater from police and the Post Dispatch has a nice map of the theater layout drawn out.

http://kenzimmermanjr.com/easton-taylor-trust-robbery/

JAlex
JAlex on May 1, 2006 at 7:34 am

Original name was the EASTON-TAYLOR. Shortened to EASTON during the early-30s. Final name, CIRCLE, appeared in September 1936 when house began to be operated by the Kaimann chain.

Building permit issued in 1910. Capacity of the house was 580. Architect of record was W. P. McMahon.

In 1943 theatre became a Black-movie house.

House operated until December 1951, when the projectionists of Local 143-A went on strike at all Black-movie theatres. Strike was settled in a few weeks but Circle apparently didn’t reopen as no further ads appeared.