Aqua Theatre

205 Front Street,
Minocqua, WI 54548

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Delft Theaters Inc.

Functions: Restaurant

Previous Names: Isle Theatre

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1957 street dance photo courtesy Don Knippel.

The Isle Theatre was opened by 1927. It had become the Aqua Theatre by 1939 and still operating in 1943. Later in the 1940’s it was damaged in a fire.

Repairs were carried out and it was still open showing films in 1970, but had closed by 1971 or 1972. It was vacant for a while, and by 1973 it was converted into a pizza restaurant.

Contributed by David Zornig

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 27, 2020 at 2:45 pm

Per Fred Fritz Hennig regarding the fire: “I was there in the audience when it started. The Movie featured 19-year-old Jane Russell in a loose peasant dress. The Movie, Howard Hughes' ‘The Outlaw,’ was made in the early ‘40s but not released until years later – a long story. It was said that Jane was so hot that when she bent over Jesse, giving the audience an ample down blouse look, it set the movie on fire. Actually, the movie was printed on old film stock which was highly flammable. The projectionist was in a hurry to change reels, dropped a hot carbon arc rod on a roll of the old film, and up it went! Lots of fire and nasty smelling smoke. There were weird flame patterns in the auditorium until the projection room window shields automatically dropped down. No one was hurt and the audience didn’t panic, the men perhaps savoring the last pleasurable scene on the screen.”

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 27, 2020 at 4:32 pm

Address is 205 Front Street.
Building currently houses Alexander’s Pizza, and the marquee overhang is still in use but covered with signage.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 29, 2020 at 7:42 am

Was possibly called Isle Theatre in 1928, owned by Raymond Quady in 1930. Ticket image added.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 9, 2021 at 5:31 am

Still In Operation Since 1970.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on December 9, 2021 at 7:09 am

Has been a pizza restaurant since 1973. Vacant prior to then.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 10, 2021 at 12:23 pm

So the Aqua was closed sometime in either 1971 or 1972. This was first known as the Isle Theatre sometime as early as 1927.

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