Grand Theatre (I)

The Grand Theatre started life as the Beardsley Opera House (which would eventually become known as the Beardsley Theatre a short time later), named after the owner L.M. Beardsley, and opened its doors on March 6, 1909 with a presentation of “The Flower and the Ranch”.

There is a lot of information about the Beardsley Theatre as of 1909, as it goes as follows:

The original auditorium features originally housed 850 seats (with 550 seats in the main section and 300 for the balcony), and in every seat from the pit to the gallery commands a full view of the 45x58ft stage with artistic scenery all done by Mr. Louis Rothman of Red Oak (who lived in York, Nebraska at the time), including a 28ft proscenium. The pitch of the floor in the circle and parquet being measured almost 4 inches to the row, so that nobody’s view will be seriously interfered with by those in the front. Out of all rows, only two rows in the back featured upholstered chairs which were the latest model at the time, and behind the three full rows of seats up in the balcony is a gallery. On each side of the center aisle down towards the front are four seats of a larger design and separated from the other seats in each row, calling it loge seats or stalls and are for the use of any who desire to pay a little more for better seats and have a little exclusiveness. There are ten exits behind the main entrance furnishes ample escape in case of any fire or emergency which is a very remote possibility by reason of the almost fireproof construction of the building as well as a fireproof asbestos curtain with Rothman’s Moorish paintings and several 100ft of hose connected with fire hydrants which connected with a 4in main beneath the house.

The main entrance is beneath the arch, where four wide doors open outward and give ample exit for the largest crowds within seconds. To the left if the lobby is the box office, and to the right is the ladies service room which is comfortably furnished and where a female attendant will be prepared to take care of all females who may need her services. There are also bathrooms arranged in the front of the house. The 60ft building is heated by 12 registers distributed about the house and perfect warmth being assured as well as good ventilation during the cold months. There are 500 to 600 incandescent lights including the top and foot lights on the stage. Over the auditorium featured four cluster lights and back over the gallery being the chandeliers but only had two lights. Around the balcony circle are 50 lights with each fitting out from a rosette below a lion’s head in relief, giving a unique effect. On stage, there are red, green, and white globes to give spinning desired effects and are all controlled from a switchboard at the right of the stage and one in front of the box office.

The lobby of the theatre featured a tiled floor and is finished in dark-stained wood. At each side of the front featured a stairway leading straight up to the gallery landing, the doors and stairs being wide and there being no occasion for congestion in panic. At the extreme rear up above and behind the back room is the office of Mr. Beardsley and the projection booth. The second and third floors of the front of the house are apartments and on each floor are four rooms in total, including bathrooms and closets. This was also where Beardsley and his wife’s house was located as well. The decorations of the house were also indeed done by Rothman himself. In the dome-like roof over the pit is a beautiful oval design of a figure of a nymph blowing a horn or bugle in her lips, symbolizing music. The colors are mixed in with blue and gold and other delicate tints, and there is a harmony of design and color throughout as well. The boxes are finished in dark woods and hung with dark red curtains. There are six scene seats with from nine to sixteen pieces in each set of the orchestra pit which makes possible all kinds of combinations for both the interior and exterior scenes, which were woodland, kitchen, parlor, chamber, etc., and a street drop towards the front. The wood scene featured a cut-out drop a few feet in front of the background scene which created a forest effect with the insects forming a complete bower and a realistic lake and hills at the back.

It was Beardsley’s ambition on planning to build an Opera House in 1904 but had to visit a lot of architects for building ideas. He didn’t receive the idea on time due to multiple failures and tasks, but in 1908, he finally received the idea after greeting Mr. Lockart and Mr. Hatswell which secured from them the lots upon on wishing to build.

The Beardsley Theatre was renamed the Grand Theatre on November 30, 1930 after extensive remodeling, but almost two years later comes an unexpected tragedy.

On the very early morning hours of April 12, 1932, the Grand Theatre was destroyed by a massive fire which cost an estimate $70,000 in damage, making it the most costly fire in Red Oak since 1902. The fire was first discovered by night watchman Charles Damuth at approximately 2:30 AM that morning, who was making his regular hourly rounds of the business district, until he smelled something burning. He thought that it was the people cooking at the Blue Front Cafe, but after he walked into the Grand Theatre, he saw some smoke coming out of a cornice. He ran over and called his fellow, officer Roxie Harmon of the Red Oak Police Department. Five minutes later, the Red Oak Fire Department arrived at the scene and began fighting the blaze. What’s shocking is that the fire alarm did not activate until after he called the police. In dense smoke, firefighters crashed through the front doors with the first hose line only to back away from a balcony which threatened to cave in at any minute at the time. A total of four hydrant hoses, carrying 90 pounds pressure, were pitted against the belching conflagration in addition to two lines from the ladder truck with 120 pounds pressure. Adjoining and near buildings were completely flooded with water as the firefighters attempted to hold the blaze within the one building. Not for more than two hours did the battle definitely away either way. The roof caved in with a cannon-like “boom” which showered sparks over a four-block area. It followed the balcony and projection booths which had toppled to the basement shortly after the firemen got organized. At 8:00 AM that morning, Chief C.A. Stephenson was still in his dirty night shirt and pajamas and heavily donned rubber boots giving the final orders for shoving in dangerous walls, erecting barricades and extinguishing smoldering seats and equipment. At 2:44 AM, the commercial and power lines were shut off to protect firemen from electrical dangers, but were restored at 4:20 AM, while the lighting system was renewed by 5:16 AM.

During the fight, three firemen received internal injuries during the heat of the battle. All three forced their way through the smoke and into the narrow alley along the north side of the theater, but when there with a stream of water they attempted to halt the blaze from jumping the gap onto the buildings on the south side of the square. With a sudden belch, the upper-fourth of the north wall toppled over onto the men three stories below, crashing and trapping on the three firefighters Luckily enough, all three survived despite with major/severe injuries. The three firefighters were later identified: John Freeman received a fractured collar bone, three broken rubs, cuts, and bruises over his entire body. Harold Breese received a possible broken foot, injured back and hips, and cuts and bruises, and Dale (Shorty) Wolford received injured legs, feet, and back.

Clarence Ray, the projectionist, responded that he cleaned the booth, put the celluloid films in their fireproof containers and straightened up other things before turning off the lights and going down stairs. His partner, Leland Dustin, brought in the signs, looked at the theater over and switched out the lights before they left. He replied that there was no fire at the time and he didn’t know why on earth he said that a fire started at the theater.

A newer and much smaller Grand Theatre would later open nearby on September 22, 1932 (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures).

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