Bert Wheeler of Wheeler and Woolsey made his first vaudeville appearance at the Lyric Theatre in Hackensack under the dancing act of Bert and Betty Wheeler. The Fabian Theatre Circuit took on the Lyric in 1926. But the theatre didn’t convert to sound and tried to hold on with live plays, events and vaudeville from 1928 until closing early in 1930.
In 1930, the Lyric was converted into two retail stores with office space above. The building housing the former Lyric was sold at auction for just $500 at a sheriff’s auction on March 13, 1935.
Launched as the United Theatre on December 25, 1917. C.V.R. Bogart was the architect. It became the Eureka Theatre relaunching March 10, 1919 with the film, “Out of the Fog.” Audiences were impressed by the Hope Jones Unite Wurlitzer organ and Simplex projection. The theatre appears to have closed June 10, 1950 after showings of “Destination Tokyo” and “God is My Co-Pilot.” The venue was retrofitted for office space use.
Architect Hector Hamilton called this a Roman-styled theatre. It launched with a $30,000 Marr and Colton Three-Manual organ. The 1,400-seat theatre’s grand opening was April 29, 1928 with the film, “Their Hour.”
Opened May 6, 1926 with “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” Architects David and William E. Lehman called it an 18th Century Chatham styled building. The million dollar theater had a $60,000 Moeller Four-Manual Console Organ designed by Robert Hope-Jones.
Appears to have closed after a September 5, 1987 Arnold triple feature of Commando, Predator and Raw Deal. The Dickinson chain decided not open for the 1988 season.
Opened as the Delharco Theatre on August 19, 1929 in the Lindeham Building with the film, “Lucky Boy.” It was likely a 20-year lease. The venue relaunched just months later as the Jayhawk Theatre, February 10, 1930. Movie listings stop in November of 1949 with assorted live events into 1953. The building was sold and the neighboring Gamble’s store retrofitted the space moved doubling its store size beginning in April of 1955.
Convention Hall was built in 1906 with a seating capacity of 2000 and said to be the largest stage in the state. On April 1, 1921, owner Joe Yeager took on the hall converting it to the Grand Theatre. John E. Kreger was the house artist. In 1930, the Strand and the Grand converted to Western Electric sound.
May 10, 1916 was the grand opening of the Strand launching with, “The Crippled Hand.” Appears to have completed its run July 4, 1966. A 1967 article says the space was converted for retail use.
The Rialto Theatre opened in May 28, 1921 with Tom Mix in “The Texan.” It had a Hope Jones Wurlitzer organ at its opening. But it went to a more compact Johnson organ when the Wurlitzer proved to be too large for the venue. The theatre got a $1,500 refresh in 1926 and was rechristened as the New Oakdale Theatre launching March 27, 1926. Fred Lahm bought the theatre in 1928.
On November 1, 1928, the venue became the Strand Theatre as it had both new operators and converted to talkies with a Russell Photophore sound system. Lahm switched the Strand to an RCA Photophone sound system on June 19, 1930.
Harvey Amusement bought the location from Lahm in June of 1936 as the venue was renamed the Oakdale Theatre on June 2, 1936. It was sold several times including to the Blumenfeld Theatre Circuit. Blumenfeld sold it in 1951 to Maurice A. Lathrop. In 1952, Lathrop converted the auditorium to a wider screen.
In June of 1963, the Oakdale Theatre was closed as unsafe. New operators reopened the venue in October of 1963. The theatre was closed on June 24, 1967 permanently. In 1968, the theatre was razed for a new bank.
The opening gala at the Walnut Wood Holiday Cinema 1 & 2 was held on November 30, 1979. The official grand opening was held on December 1, 1979 with the films, “The Villain,” and “Hot Stuff.” It was located in what was originally known as the Walnut Wood Shopping Center. The theatre appears to have opened and closed eight different times under a variety of operators. The architect of the theatre was John Elphick and launched with 476 seats (224 Cinema I and 252 in Cinema II).
Under new owners, the theatre relaunched as the Oakdale Cinema 1 and 2 on May 27, 1981 known as the Oakdale Cinemas. In 1982, the Walnut Wood Shopping Center signage was removed as the plaza became known as the Oakdale Plaza. Though the theatre retained its original Walnut Wood Cinema attractor, the operation became known as the Oakdale Plaza Cinema 1 & 2. The owners of the cinema went bankrupt and the theatre closed in the Spring of 1983.
The theatre had a grand re-opening May 27, 1983 under new operators. The cinema closed again at the end of its lease on September 28, 1986. But the theatre would relaunch on October 24, 1986 under new operators. Those operators closed the theatre on September 30, 1997. On February 13, 1998, the cinema reopened under new operators. The cinema closed on September 8, 1999.
The cinema re-emerged as noted above operating from July 16, 2004 to its next closing on September 4, 2005. Then the theatre was opened from 2007 to closing in 2013.
The Liberty Theatre launched May 26, 1919 with “The Silver King” in the Doran Building. Manager L.H. Hutton then repositioned his Grand Theatre for part-time operation. Regular films stopped on February 19, 1956 with Edward G. Robinson in “Illegal” although events are scheduled thereafter. In 1963, the theatre had become the live music venue, The Rhythm Room.
The Roxy opened July 14, 1935 with Al Jolson in “Go Into Your Dance.” The theatre was twinned. It closed and was briefly reopened in January and February of 2012 as the Roxy Club, a live venue. It was offered for sale for $185,000 and from the real estate ads was significantly altered for its next use.
It was named posthumously for the head of the Liberty Theatre chain, J. Claude Keller. The theatre was destroyed June 27, 1957 in the devastating Hurricane Audrey that claimed 500 lives.
The Bijou opened in this location on May 20, 1907 with the films, “Julia at the Barracks” and “Young Tramps.” The theatre moved from 117 East Second Street where it had operated prior. Two years later, on May 17, 1909, new operators called the theatre the Yale Theatre. On July 10, 1909, the Yale closed. New operators took on the location and refreshed the interior and exterior of the venue.
On September 29, 1909, those new operators opened the theatre under the name of the Crystal Theatre. In 1929, the Crystal switched to Vitaphone for sound films. Listings are soon discontinued. On February 7, 1935, the theatre changed names to the Plaza Theatre after a $25,000 makeover under Fox Circuit ownership relaunching with the film, “Rumba.”
The Tauy Theatre opened January 22, 1941. It was named for John Tecumseh “Tauy” Jones, an early pioneer in the area who was an interpreter for the Pottawatomie Indians and became one of their leaders. The name was selected in a contest in which local people submitted potential names for the new theatre. A statute in Tauy’s name is on the city’s courthouse grounds.
The Tauy closed due to a fire on December 5, 1959 after the last film shown: “Odds Against Tomorrow.” Repairs scheduled didn’t occur. The location was retrofitted for a catalog store that launched there in 1962. The theatre was never known as the “Tony” or the “Tany.”
The building housing this theatre dated back to August 3, 1887 as the Masonic Lodge building. It then served as the Ellsworth Opera House. As a film venue, the Golden Belt Theatre and skating rink opened on October 13, 1915. Its original name is for Ellsworth’s place in the wheat belt and associated Golden Belt Railroad line and the Golden Belt auto route that was created in 1910/1 running through Ellsworth.
Late in 1929, Sherman Wiggins converted to Western Electric Sound who likely was convinced by Western Electric’s business ally, Bell Telephone, to change the name of the theatre to the Golden Bell for the sound era. The theatre would get a major refresh in 1947. Under new operators, the venue’s name was shortened to the Bell Theatre closing in 1974. It became a lounge in 1980. Just short of its 100th anniversary, a fire destroyed the building on October 19, 1983, which was being readied for a renovated club space.
The State Theatre is located at 617 Broadway Street. It was the second State Theatre in town. It launched April 6, 1949 with “Father Was a Fullback.” The current theatre has 302 seats.
The first State Theatre was at 519 Broadway opening in 1928 closing 20 years later. It was the one with 378 seats.
The official website with showtimes for the current State Theatre can be found at its Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/State-Theatre-Larned-Kansas-273849419335/
The local paper says the Hollywood Theatre was opened in the Bluhm Building on April 10, 1942. Keith La Vake refurbished the former Hollywood Theatre location and reused the Wausau Theatre moniker in its new location beginning on August 31, 1960 in its grand opening with “Bambi.”
In 1978, Rogers Cinema took over the location operating it as a one-screen operation for a brief period. The location became the Rogers Cinema on February 23, 1979 until its second screen was ready and becoming the Rogers Cinema I & II on March 9, 1979.
The Stuart Theatre launched January 1, 1920 with 1,197 seats and a Bartola pipe organ to entertain the crowds. Roy Cummings Entertainment Circuit’s French-themed theater was a crowd pleaser. But when the Saxe Circuit bought the venue in 1926, they hired architects Openhamer and Opal to do a major renovation of the theatre.
Relaunching as the Wausau Theatre, the movie “Sparrows” was the opening feature on September 4, 1926 and was the film’s first showing after its premiere at Grauman’s Egyptian theatre in Hollywood. Audiences were said to approve of the Golden Voiced Barton Theatre Organ.
Under Fox operation in 1929, the theatre switched to Western Electric sound technology to show talkies. After the second twenty year lease was up, Fox walked away from the location and it closing with “From the Terrace” on July 28, 1960. The theatre became the new home of the relocated F.W. Woolworth five and dime variety store.
Keith La Vake refurbished the former Hollywood Theatre location and reused the Wausau Theatre moniker in its new location beginning on August 31, 1960 in its grand opening with “Bambi.”
Opened in 1907, the Wausau completed a 10-year lease closing late in 1917, the proprietors moved to the West side of the business district as the Lyric Theatre in January of 1918.
It looks like it opened in 1912 and showed films until 1968. In 1930, it converted to RCA Photophone to show talking pictures. 1954, it converted to widescreen for CinemaScope presentations. Then it had live events. It was demolished in 1977.
Bert Wheeler of Wheeler and Woolsey made his first vaudeville appearance at the Lyric Theatre in Hackensack under the dancing act of Bert and Betty Wheeler. The Fabian Theatre Circuit took on the Lyric in 1926. But the theatre didn’t convert to sound and tried to hold on with live plays, events and vaudeville from 1928 until closing early in 1930.
In 1930, the Lyric was converted into two retail stores with office space above. The building housing the former Lyric was sold at auction for just $500 at a sheriff’s auction on March 13, 1935.
Launched as the United Theatre on December 25, 1917. C.V.R. Bogart was the architect. It became the Eureka Theatre relaunching March 10, 1919 with the film, “Out of the Fog.” Audiences were impressed by the Hope Jones Unite Wurlitzer organ and Simplex projection. The theatre appears to have closed June 10, 1950 after showings of “Destination Tokyo” and “God is My Co-Pilot.” The venue was retrofitted for office space use.
Architect Hector Hamilton called this a Roman-styled theatre. It launched with a $30,000 Marr and Colton Three-Manual organ. The 1,400-seat theatre’s grand opening was April 29, 1928 with the film, “Their Hour.”
Opened May 6, 1926 with “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” Architects David and William E. Lehman called it an 18th Century Chatham styled building. The million dollar theater had a $60,000 Moeller Four-Manual Console Organ designed by Robert Hope-Jones.
Closed on September 28, 2018. Box office phone was disconnected.
Appears to have closed after a September 5, 1987 Arnold triple feature of Commando, Predator and Raw Deal. The Dickinson chain decided not open for the 1988 season.
Opened as the Delharco Theatre on August 19, 1929 in the Lindeham Building with the film, “Lucky Boy.” It was likely a 20-year lease. The venue relaunched just months later as the Jayhawk Theatre, February 10, 1930. Movie listings stop in November of 1949 with assorted live events into 1953. The building was sold and the neighboring Gamble’s store retrofitted the space moved doubling its store size beginning in April of 1955.
Convention Hall was built in 1906 with a seating capacity of 2000 and said to be the largest stage in the state. On April 1, 1921, owner Joe Yeager took on the hall converting it to the Grand Theatre. John E. Kreger was the house artist. In 1930, the Strand and the Grand converted to Western Electric sound.
May 10, 1916 was the grand opening of the Strand launching with, “The Crippled Hand.” Appears to have completed its run July 4, 1966. A 1967 article says the space was converted for retail use.
The Rialto Theatre opened in May 28, 1921 with Tom Mix in “The Texan.” It had a Hope Jones Wurlitzer organ at its opening. But it went to a more compact Johnson organ when the Wurlitzer proved to be too large for the venue. The theatre got a $1,500 refresh in 1926 and was rechristened as the New Oakdale Theatre launching March 27, 1926. Fred Lahm bought the theatre in 1928.
On November 1, 1928, the venue became the Strand Theatre as it had both new operators and converted to talkies with a Russell Photophore sound system. Lahm switched the Strand to an RCA Photophone sound system on June 19, 1930.
Harvey Amusement bought the location from Lahm in June of 1936 as the venue was renamed the Oakdale Theatre on June 2, 1936. It was sold several times including to the Blumenfeld Theatre Circuit. Blumenfeld sold it in 1951 to Maurice A. Lathrop. In 1952, Lathrop converted the auditorium to a wider screen.
In June of 1963, the Oakdale Theatre was closed as unsafe. New operators reopened the venue in October of 1963. The theatre was closed on June 24, 1967 permanently. In 1968, the theatre was razed for a new bank.
The opening gala at the Walnut Wood Holiday Cinema 1 & 2 was held on November 30, 1979. The official grand opening was held on December 1, 1979 with the films, “The Villain,” and “Hot Stuff.” It was located in what was originally known as the Walnut Wood Shopping Center. The theatre appears to have opened and closed eight different times under a variety of operators. The architect of the theatre was John Elphick and launched with 476 seats (224 Cinema I and 252 in Cinema II).
Under new owners, the theatre relaunched as the Oakdale Cinema 1 and 2 on May 27, 1981 known as the Oakdale Cinemas. In 1982, the Walnut Wood Shopping Center signage was removed as the plaza became known as the Oakdale Plaza. Though the theatre retained its original Walnut Wood Cinema attractor, the operation became known as the Oakdale Plaza Cinema 1 & 2. The owners of the cinema went bankrupt and the theatre closed in the Spring of 1983.
The theatre had a grand re-opening May 27, 1983 under new operators. The cinema closed again at the end of its lease on September 28, 1986. But the theatre would relaunch on October 24, 1986 under new operators. Those operators closed the theatre on September 30, 1997. On February 13, 1998, the cinema reopened under new operators. The cinema closed on September 8, 1999.
The cinema re-emerged as noted above operating from July 16, 2004 to its next closing on September 4, 2005. Then the theatre was opened from 2007 to closing in 2013.
The Liberty Theatre launched May 26, 1919 with “The Silver King” in the Doran Building. Manager L.H. Hutton then repositioned his Grand Theatre for part-time operation. Regular films stopped on February 19, 1956 with Edward G. Robinson in “Illegal” although events are scheduled thereafter. In 1963, the theatre had become the live music venue, The Rhythm Room.
The Roxy opened July 14, 1935 with Al Jolson in “Go Into Your Dance.” The theatre was twinned. It closed and was briefly reopened in January and February of 2012 as the Roxy Club, a live venue. It was offered for sale for $185,000 and from the real estate ads was significantly altered for its next use.
The Starlite Drive-In grand opening ad from June 20, 1950 with, “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” is in photos.
It was named posthumously for the head of the Liberty Theatre chain, J. Claude Keller. The theatre was destroyed June 27, 1957 in the devastating Hurricane Audrey that claimed 500 lives.
The Bijou opened in this location on May 20, 1907 with the films, “Julia at the Barracks” and “Young Tramps.” The theatre moved from 117 East Second Street where it had operated prior. Two years later, on May 17, 1909, new operators called the theatre the Yale Theatre. On July 10, 1909, the Yale closed. New operators took on the location and refreshed the interior and exterior of the venue.
On September 29, 1909, those new operators opened the theatre under the name of the Crystal Theatre. In 1929, the Crystal switched to Vitaphone for sound films. Listings are soon discontinued. On February 7, 1935, the theatre changed names to the Plaza Theatre after a $25,000 makeover under Fox Circuit ownership relaunching with the film, “Rumba.”
The Tauy Theatre opened January 22, 1941. It was named for John Tecumseh “Tauy” Jones, an early pioneer in the area who was an interpreter for the Pottawatomie Indians and became one of their leaders. The name was selected in a contest in which local people submitted potential names for the new theatre. A statute in Tauy’s name is on the city’s courthouse grounds.
The Tauy closed due to a fire on December 5, 1959 after the last film shown: “Odds Against Tomorrow.” Repairs scheduled didn’t occur. The location was retrofitted for a catalog store that launched there in 1962. The theatre was never known as the “Tony” or the “Tany.”
Correction: opening date was October 4, 1909 (my error; sorry)
The building housing this theatre dated back to August 3, 1887 as the Masonic Lodge building. It then served as the Ellsworth Opera House. As a film venue, the Golden Belt Theatre and skating rink opened on October 13, 1915. Its original name is for Ellsworth’s place in the wheat belt and associated Golden Belt Railroad line and the Golden Belt auto route that was created in 1910/1 running through Ellsworth.
Late in 1929, Sherman Wiggins converted to Western Electric Sound who likely was convinced by Western Electric’s business ally, Bell Telephone, to change the name of the theatre to the Golden Bell for the sound era. The theatre would get a major refresh in 1947. Under new operators, the venue’s name was shortened to the Bell Theatre closing in 1974. It became a lounge in 1980. Just short of its 100th anniversary, a fire destroyed the building on October 19, 1983, which was being readied for a renovated club space.
Opened as the Twilight Theatre on August 26, 1919 with “Don’t Change Your Husband.”
The State Theatre is located at 617 Broadway Street. It was the second State Theatre in town. It launched April 6, 1949 with “Father Was a Fullback.” The current theatre has 302 seats.
The first State Theatre was at 519 Broadway opening in 1928 closing 20 years later. It was the one with 378 seats.
The official website with showtimes for the current State Theatre can be found at its Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/State-Theatre-Larned-Kansas-273849419335/
The local paper says the Hollywood Theatre was opened in the Bluhm Building on April 10, 1942. Keith La Vake refurbished the former Hollywood Theatre location and reused the Wausau Theatre moniker in its new location beginning on August 31, 1960 in its grand opening with “Bambi.”
In 1978, Rogers Cinema took over the location operating it as a one-screen operation for a brief period. The location became the Rogers Cinema on February 23, 1979 until its second screen was ready and becoming the Rogers Cinema I & II on March 9, 1979.
The Stuart Theatre launched January 1, 1920 with 1,197 seats and a Bartola pipe organ to entertain the crowds. Roy Cummings Entertainment Circuit’s French-themed theater was a crowd pleaser. But when the Saxe Circuit bought the venue in 1926, they hired architects Openhamer and Opal to do a major renovation of the theatre.
Relaunching as the Wausau Theatre, the movie “Sparrows” was the opening feature on September 4, 1926 and was the film’s first showing after its premiere at Grauman’s Egyptian theatre in Hollywood. Audiences were said to approve of the Golden Voiced Barton Theatre Organ.
Under Fox operation in 1929, the theatre switched to Western Electric sound technology to show talkies. After the second twenty year lease was up, Fox walked away from the location and it closing with “From the Terrace” on July 28, 1960. The theatre became the new home of the relocated F.W. Woolworth five and dime variety store.
Keith La Vake refurbished the former Hollywood Theatre location and reused the Wausau Theatre moniker in its new location beginning on August 31, 1960 in its grand opening with “Bambi.”
Opened in 1907, the Wausau completed a 10-year lease closing late in 1917, the proprietors moved to the West side of the business district as the Lyric Theatre in January of 1918.
It looks like it opened in 1912 and showed films until 1968. In 1930, it converted to RCA Photophone to show talking pictures. 1954, it converted to widescreen for CinemaScope presentations. Then it had live events. It was demolished in 1977.