Leonard Theatre

The Leonard Theatre was a silent movie house that operated at 419-423 Leonard Street NW just a block away from the Royal Theatre. The Royal Theatre made the transition to sound while the Leonard (formerly Beecher’s West Leonard and Poisson Theatre) remained open for less than 20 years.

Beecher’s West Leonard Vaudette opened as a neighborhood movie house in 1911. On December 12 1915, operator John Warrensdorp was one of 17 theater operators charged with violating Grand Rapids' Blue Laws prohibiting Sunday operation of the venues. Motorcycle enthusiast and businessman Joseph H. Poisson purchased the vaudette from Beecher for $8,000 in 1916. It was renamed the Poisson Theatre.

Poisson sublet the venue in 1917 to Oscar E. Varneau. Poisson and Varneau would operate both it and the Royal Theater which had opened just a block away in 1914. When Poisson retired from the theater business in 1925, the venue was renamed the Leonard Theater. Its first advertised show was “Covered Wagon” on April 25, 1925.

The Leonard Theatre closed following the screening of Buck Jones in “Chain Lightning” supported by a comedy short and a Felix, the Cat cartoon on February 12, 1928. The Royal Theatre and Leonard Theatre merged into one operation as the cost of transitioning to sound had to be a major concern. The Royal Leonard Theater operation was informal and dropped altogether when the Royal Theatre got a new sign in 1929 making no mention of the Leonard Theatre. Varneau, meanwhile, would turn his attention to the Wealthy Theatre which along with the Royal Theatre had been wired for sound films.

The former Beecher / Poisson / Leonard Theater building was remodeled by Poisson in December of 1928 becoming a retail store. The building was torn down in urban renewal of the 1970’s and its former spot was vacant for a lengthy period until taken for use as a gas station.

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