Bonny Theatre
S. Jefferson Street,
Washburn,
IL
61570
S. Jefferson Street,
Washburn,
IL
61570
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This venue opened at 124 North Jefferson on February 23, 1947 and its grand opening ad with “Canyon Passage” is in photos. On December 3, 1948, it became the Bonny Theatre and the crossover ad with “The River Lady” and “The Devil’s Playground” is in photos. It concluded film exhibition on February 14, 1954 with “Easy to Love.” It was offered for sale and had a couple of Country Western live jamboree shows until coming back on a three-day operational schedule.
New operator John M. Weber reopened it on January 29, 1955 with “Rocketman” and “Princess of the Nile.” He had a longer than expected run making it six weeks and closing permanently on March 14, 1955 with “The Last Time I Saw Paris.” Weber cited lack of patronage for its closure. The building became home to Swede Crank Plumbing a year later and has since been razed.
This item appeared in the January 10, 1947 issue of Film Daily: “Washburn, Ill.— A. Terria will open the Washburn Theater with National Theatre Supply equipment.” The 350-seat Washburn Theatre is the only house listed at Washburn, Illinois, in the 1950 FDY. The listing is the same in 1951 and 1952. I have no access to more recent editions. I suppose Bonny Theatre might have been a brief renaming, or maybe the FDY just missed the change.