Kerr Theatre

The “New” Ideal Theatre launched February 28, 1920 with D.W. Griffith’s “Hearts of the World.” It replaced the original Davis Opera House turned Olympia Theatre turned Ideal Theatre which was deemed too diminutive as the town had grown around 20% since the Opera House was constructed. But the Ideal Theatre turned out to be a temporary name when A.L. Smith took over changing its name to the Empress Theatre with Mildred Harris (a.k.a. Mrs. Charlie Chaplin) in “When a Girl Loves” supported by the Century Comedy short, “The Lion Man”.

Jode R. Wilson took over the Empress Theatre in April of 1921 renaming as the Strand Theatre on April 30, 1921. T.M. Culwell took over the venue followed by Dudley Tucker. Next owner Paul Gottee kept the Strand Theatre silent selling it to Leo Upchruch on April 23, 1930. On May 3, 1930, he changed the theatre’s name to Paramount Theatre showing talkies using a synchronized disc which apparently was an underachiever. The theatre closed in the early-Summer of 1930.

C.E. Burgess next took over the operation changing its name to the Bison Theatre on October 24, 1930 with Irene Dunne in “Leathernecking” and sporting a new sound-on-film system with improved projection. On June 11, 1931, stars Art Mix and Dolores Booth for a special screening of “The Old Oregon Trail”.

R.S. Kerr took on the venue giving it a Streamline Moderne style makeover as the Kerr Theatre. The Kerr Theatre opened March 24, 1937 with Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray in “Swing High, Swing Low”. Big news occurred when two youths held up the theatre and held Mrs. Price Hunt at knife point until she handed the box office till of $70 in November of 1948. Television proved to be a challenge and not long after the Arbuckle Drive-In open, the Kerr Theatre closed. It has since been converted into a real estate office and has since been demolished.

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