Clark Theatre

The Auditorium Theatre was built as a second-floor opera house in 1902 to house the local post office on its main floor. The Opera House project was announced in March of 1902 just under $10,000 - raised locally by residents. For reasons not clear, it opened as the Auditorium Theatre. The first show was September 23, 1903 with the opera “Fra Diavolo.” The floor was flat - not uncommon for a second floor opera house / auditorium - but not ideal for patrons. It did allow for dances which were common in the space.

On April 8, 1907, Manager J.L. Hesse hired Ben Huntley’s traveling picture show to play films there. By 1912, films were the prominent feature at the Auditorium Theatre. At some point, the theatre was moved to the main floor. Edison Talking Pictures were presented on April 29, 1914. The true sound era opened on May 10, 1930 there with “Children of Pleasure” supported by “talking news” and comedy short. A much improved, sound on film sound system was added by new operators Jack Nordman and Glenn Hurd in September of 1932 - although their reign was short.

Times were tough and the City basically operated the theater to keep it going in March 1933 under the New Deal Theatre Committee - still as the Auditorium Theatre. Local organizations were the only ones permitted to sell popcorn and candy to help them out financially. An existing ledger showed that gross ticket sales were generally less than $10 a night. Film rental contracts ($7) and employee costs generally ate the majority of the box office take. The City hired the Auditorium Show Company to run it in September of 1935. That didn’t last long.

Dr. Harry Fields, dentist, soon took it on individually with a naming contest. Somehow, Up-n-Up Theatre won indicating that the theatre was still upstairs. (Blue Dome Theatre came in second.) On November 25, 1937, Mrs. Frank Peogeman took over the theatre was apparently not amused by the venue’s name. It became the Amuzu Theatre playing “Lost Horizon”.

C.V. Hunerburg took it on less than a year later. The theatre moved downstairs (if it hadn’t already) with sloped floors, new screen and new projectors as the Clark Theatre on September 24, 1938 with Margaret Sullivan as “The Shopworn Angel” supported by Virginia Grey in “Snow Gets In Your Eyes”. L.J. Meethause took on the venue in 1947 closing it early in 1955. In September of 1955, the City hired Lola and Dave Clark to give it one last try launching October 1, 1955 with “Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki”. It closed permanently on January 28, 1956 with “The Shrike” supported by a cartoon as run by projectionist Bill Bailey. The former theater burned down on July 28, 1983 and was replaced by the Pioneer Park.

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