Community Theatre

The village of Brimfield had a silent-era movie house whose cost shocked the film industry - $30,000. That was way above average for a town with fewer than 600 residents in 1919. But Brimfield clearly took its movies seriously. Brimfield had gotten the movie habit thanks to farmer and farm implement dealer Harry E. Chichester and his family.

Chichester brought films to the Brimfield Opera House that was situated above one of the village’s two hardware stores in downtown Brimfield. When the local hardware store switched gears from having a “gentleman’s agreement” with its second-floor opera house tenant to demanding a written lease with real rental money at the first of each month, it became a thing. A big thing.

It was clear that Brimfield needed to honor the Paramount contract but couldn’t make money with the lease proffered in 1917. According to all reports of the day, the “entire town” was “angry” at the hardware store at a time when the country was at War. A plan was announced to create a Community Center that would honor the Brimfield soldiers killed during World War I and provide a theatre to play the Paramount films. 265 citizens pledged $25 to $100 in stock - enough to get architectural plans and actually build a $20,000 (turned $25k turned $30k) Community Center. It contained a 1,500 seat auditorium (!) good for basketball and sort of good for movies and live shows.

The architectural plans were unveiled, displayed, and the money rolled in. The building was constructed in 1918 and 1919. The features included a skating rink and later bowling alley in the basement. The main floor contained the 1,500 seat gym/auditorium. Upper floors had meeting, club room, and banquet rooms for low-cost to no-cost rentals. And the coolest feature by far was the public restrooms with modern plumbing - larger than many city theaters' lounges. Great for patrons and rural residents without modern plumbing. But the restroom wasn’t without cost - a ten-ticket usage booklet was $2.

Later, a space was carved out for the public library. But most of all, it contained a bronze plaque to commemorate those lost in the area during World War I. The project goal was to be completed by the end of the War - one of the few times that falling behind a schedule was welcomed with World War I ending in 1918.

The Community Theatre launched with its dedication on April 21, 1919 with the patriotic documentary film, “America’s Answer” directed by Edwin F. Glenn. The community’s effort to built the center was picked up by national wire services and was a source of pride. That first day netted $3,000 dollars - 10% of the cost of the building. A good start.

Despite the notoriety, many live bookings were skeptical of contracts from Brimfield - a village few had heard of in the trade. One such story told in the press was a 1921 booking that required the presenters to provide a $25 deposit as many a stock company agreed to come to town and didn’t show. In this instance, the stock show booker demanded a $25 deposit in return as insurance that their little theater wouldn’t burn down in the interim. Message received. The deposits were dropped and the act showed up as agreed to.

The cavernous Community Building Auditorium was no place for movies and a change was made carving out a more acceptable 200-seat movie theatre called the Community Theatre. The Paramount contract was honored as well as a variety of other films and live acts, graduation ceremonies and the like. And exhibition improved when a second projector was added making eliminating the reel change delays. But its movie days were essentially over when the cost of installing sound was too much. The venue continued silent film exhibition into 1930. This forced folks to go all the way to Elmwood to watch sound films - an 8.5 mile journey or 20 miles to Peoria. The town wasn’t angry enough about this to do anything about it and the Elmwood Palace became a regular advertiser in the Brimfield newspaper.

The Community Theatre space within the Community Building continued with very sporadic live events. And two attempts to rekindle it as a movie theater were made by - essentially - traveling show operators in 1935 and 1937. E.R. Will of Peoria was the last to show some sound film playdates in 1937 there. But the moment had passed and the theatre went into disuse.

The Community Building passed into private ownership purchased in 1941 by Mr. and Mrs. Morton Swalt and it is believed that the Community Theatre was torn out at their 1941 refresh - perhaps the building’s last - which brought a modern roller skating rink to the main floor - a marked improvement over the original facility. The meeting / club room/ banquet area became their living area. A report in 1950 purports that the Swalts sold the Community Center Building and it was demolished in favor of a new American Legion Building. That seems reasonable though one would have hoped the building’s demise would have made the town a bit angrier.

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