Magic Theater
22-24 S. 8th Street,
Fort Dodge,
IA
50501
22-24 S. 8th Street,
Fort Dodge,
IA
50501
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Constructed and opened in 1908, this was a very compact theater, quite shallow in proportion to its width. It was a two story concrete block structure with a wooden stage tower at the rear. A balcony was provided, and in the cramped confines, it ran right up to the stage.
The Magic Theater remained in operation on the 1916 map. It was still open in 1919, but that section of the block has been a parking lot for many years.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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The Magic Theatre was mentioned in the January 1, 1910 issue of The Nickelodeon. It’s manager, who boasted the alliterative name J. Jolly Jones, Jr., had installed a new motion picture machine and planned numerous other improvements to the house. Multiple mentions of the Magic appeared in December, 1909 issues of The New York Dramatic Mirror, one of which noted that Mr. Jones’s predecessor had sold his interest in the house and resigned his position after about a year, moving to St. Joseph, Missouri, to take over management of the Star theatre there.
The Magic was listed with 500 seats in the 1912 Polk Iowa Gazetteer, and is one of three houses listed. It was still listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, but no seating capacity was given. The latest mention of the Magic I’ve found is in the May 3, 1919 issue of The Billboard.
So looks like a 1908 opening? Thanks for that.
Moving Picture World of September 26, 1908 confirms construction of the Magic Theatre that year, but also reveals that, despite the large stage, it was also a movie house from the beginning: “Ft. Dodge, Ia. The Magic Theater, on South Eighth street, is practically complete and will open to the general public in a few days with the latest and best moving pictures.”
The Magic appears to have undergone remodeling or perhaps repairs in 1911. The July 21 issue of the Marshalltown, Iowa Evening Times-Republican reported that two masons working on the Magic Theatre in Fort Dodge had been injured when the 22-foot high scaffolding on which they were standing gave way. A number of concrete blocks also fell, but fortunately none struck anyone.
A puzzling claim appears in an article in the October 30, 1909 issue of Show World, which referred to Fort Dodge as Iowa’s largest “theaterless town.” Professional wrestler Frank Gotch of Humboldt Iowa was considering the construction of a playhouse at Fort Dodge as an investment. I’ve found no follow-up items to indicate if Mr. Gotch carried out his plans or not, but as the item was dated a year after the opening of the Magic, I wonder why it said that Fort Dodge had no theater? Could it be that the Magic’s stage was only added sometime after the house opened with movies in 1908?