Ben Zerr opened this theatre on Thanksgiving Day 1911. From 1913 to 1916 it was known as the Schuylkill Avenue Picture House. Until 1929, it was known as the Schuylkill Avenue Theatre. After being a short-lived farmers market, it was known as the Gospel Tabernacle. It got a final shot at movies equipped for sound as the Rio Theatre in 1936 possibly closing in 1939.
From March 19, 1918, the theatre was given the patriotic Liberty Theatre moniker which it retained for about a year. On March 6, 1919, the theatre reverted to its original namesake of the Rex Theatre.
The New Victor Theatre (pictured) opened March 5, 1909 at this address. It was Carr & Schad’s second location for the operation. From 1907 to early 1909, they operated the original Victor Theatre nearby at 734 Penn Street. In 1909, local interest was greater than the old Victor could handle so they moved into this facility. But the days of such diminutive theatres was already closing and in early 1916, Carr & Schad announced a 2,200 seat Penn Theatre. The New Victor was the odd venue out and it was retrofitted in 1918 to hold Kurtz Co. store. The Penn didn’t actually open but the genesis of the project was what became the State Theatre in the next decade.
A new-build theatre for motion pictures, Ben Zerr launched the Crescent Motion Picture House in Reading on December 14, 1910 with “The Golden Supper” and “The Man and the Law”
The Bijou Theatre launched February 1, 1900 with Hartzell’s Circus Royal performing on the stage. On February 28, 1910, it became the Palace Theatre.
After becoming the Arcadia Theatre, its claim to fame was Reading’s first converted to sound location with Warner Bros. Vitaphone system on February 21, 1927 with “Don Juan.” The audiences were greater than expected and the Vitaphone system would be moved to the larger Strand Theatre the following year; the Arcadia was demolished to make an even bigger venue in the Astor Theatre.
Carr & Schad Circuit launched the Strand Theatre on February 21, 1920 with “The Valley of the Giants” along with Charlie Chaplin’s “A Day’s Pleasure.” Audiences were wowed by the 3-manual Mohler pipe organ. In July of 1928, the Arcadia’s Vitaphone sound system was moved to the Strand to accommodate the larger than anticipated crowds for talkies.
The Tri-States Drive-In Theatre opened May 21, 1951. On October 12, 1956, operator Irving Hulst added an outdoor auditorium for year-round operation. On its tenth anniversary, Hulst added a go cart track.
The operator of the Melba Theater closed up shop and created this modern cinema adjoining his existing Sunset Drive-In. The Century I Theatre launched on March 14, 1980 with “The Black Hole.” Regular church services were held there as well. The Century I closed in June of 1999. It reopened December 28, 2000 as the Showtime Cinema closing in 2003. It became the Phoenix Theatre in 2004.
The Ingalls' Opera House was at 205 North 2nd St. and was transformed into a recreation center and then a farm implement store in the 1940s. The Crystal / Greene Theatre was at a different location listed above.
The Greene Theatre’s last day was October 21, 1955 with “Man Without a Star.”
The Grand Theatre became the Family Theatre on August 25, 1915 with “The Shooting of Dan McGrew.” In August of 1918, the Family became the Garden Theatre.
The Garden Theatre conducted a name change contest announcing on January 21, 1922 the switch to the Rialto Theatre. The Rialto ceased showing movies on August 19, 1928 opting not to convert to sound and doing limited live events.
Under new operators, a five year lease was signed and the theatre was relaunched as the Royal Theatre on February 24, 1929. Silent presentations didn’t draw crowds and the Royal closed in August of 1929.
It became a church in 1932 through September of 1935. On September 25, 1935 it relaunched as the Capitol Theatre with “One More Night of Love.” The Capitol closed at the end of May of 1938.
On Christmas Day, 1938, it relaunched as the Iowa Theatre. The theatre closed July 4, 1961 with Glenn Ford in “The Americano” & Judy Canova in “The WAC from Walla Walla”.
The long-standing Odd Fellows building was purchased in 1927 for theatrical use. The venue was now steel enforced and launched December 15, 1927 with “Alias, the Lone Wolf” as the Mack Theatre. On April 6, 1932, the theatre became the Elwood Theatre.
The last film at the Elwood Theatre was “American Werewolf in London” on December 3, 1981. Scheduled showings of “Carbon Copy” starting the next day were not shown as the theatre closed abruptly.
After standing empty for several years, the Elmwood auditorium was gutted and twinned. The Elmwood Twin Cinema brought movies back to the city. The auditoriums were labeled Cinema East and Cinema West. The venue launched November 21, 1984 with “Gremlins” and “Ghostbusters.” But indifference was the reaction as the theatre closed March 15, 1988 with “Critical Condition”, “The Golden Child” and “Lady and the Tramp”.
The building was used for live theatre in 1990 before falling into disuse again. On June 17, 2000, the roof collapsed taking part of the side wall without injuries. The building was demolished later that year.
Note: The Lyric Theatre was located across the street at 1529 Main according to the local newspapers and not here. The Classic Theatre was also on the opposite side of the street.
To clarify the theatre timeline: the Liberty Theatre had its grand opening on March 13, 1911 (this venue). Salt Lake’s original Gem Theatre had its grand opening at 318 South State Street on September 28, 1907 but was an early casualty in the store show era.
The Liberty became the Gem Theatre on November 2, 1919 with “Broken Blossoms.” After closing following WW2, the Gem was reopened on August 31, 1951. It appears to have closed in November of 1967. A year later it was demolished.
The Zakoor Brothers (Richard and George) opened the Princess playing Edison films in the early Nickelodeon era. Chatham residents appreciated slapstick comedies and the Zakoors had to modernize fairly quickly to accommodate the patrons. They transformed the Princess in 1911 to a 520-seat modern theatre with mirrored screen. It was a success.
Canadian Paramount Circuit took on the Princess Theatre still managed by the Zakoors creating a new Princess Theatre at the same site and reusing the same signage launching in December of 1920. Canadian Paramount operation then transformed to Famous Players Circuit.
Under Famous Players, the theater had a major fire in 1926. The Princess was rebuilt in 1926 with William Dineen of Famous Players handling the new interior. Famous Players also operated the Griffin Theatre in Chatham in the silent era. The Capitol replaced the Griffin while the Princess gravitated to sound with both theaters now managed by A.P. Drohan. The Princess likely closed in 1939 under the Hanson Theatre Corporation Circuit.
This venue served as the second home to the Alhambra Theatre launching December 24, 1913. In 1938, the Vogue Theatre of 1914 moved to the Alhambra’s spot around 1938. Next up was the Royal Princess Theatre on December 15, 1960 until 1963. It finished as Elwood’s State Theatre launching December 27, 1964 and ceasing in February of 1965. A demolition photo from 1973 may be the end of the line for the building.
The operators of the Majestic Theatre in Klamath Falls appear to have moved to the Sparks Theatre in this building. The Sparks Theter re-launched in October 26, 1912 as the Star Theatre.
Wallace E. Hance was the architect of the Polonia Theatre which launched March 1, 1915 likely on a five-year lease. In 1920, the Polonia closed to expand to a 1,000 seat house reopening on December 23, 1920.
Less than two years later, the Polonia was auctioned off by the sheriff’s department in October of 1922. The new owners rebranded as the Avenue Theatre on January 20, 1923. Carrying the roots of the Polonia nameplate, Polish language films were shown when the the theatre transitioned to sound.
Mrs. John B. Spahn won a $5 cash prize in a 1936 contest to rename the theatre which went for a streamlined makeover. It relaunched November 2, 1936 as her suggested Ace Theatre. The Ace Theatre was shuttered for a laundry list of code violations on January 4, 1963.
In 1963, Topkia Construction was brought in to refresh and correct code issues to the theatre. It relaunched in its final state as the Capri Art Theatre on February 15, 1963. The city passed a dubious ordinance which put the onus on the operator to validate the non-offensive nature of the films shown which led the operator to cease operations on February 28, 1970.
The theatre was purchased at auction for $5,000 and demolished for a proposed auto-bank in February of 1973.
The Theato lasted until 1916 which is a good run for a theatre of that era. The parent company for Howell Graham’s operation, the Mountain City Amusement Company which operated the Theato, Alhambra, Colonial and Crescent in Chattanooga went bankrupt in 1916 and the theaters were dispersed.
There were two Madison Theatres – one in the silent era and one in the sound era. This entry is the silent-era Madison which began as the Grand Theatre.
J.E. Sherwood and F.J. McWilliams launched the silent era Grand Theatre at 204-6 State Street in 1910 after their neighboring Fair-Play Theatre (208-212 State Street) had success. The Fair-Play (sometimes Fairplay) was discontinued during World War I. Sherwood and McWilliams sold the Grand to F.W. Fischer of Fischer Paramount Circuit in 1922.
Fischer tasked architect Philip Dean to refresh the theatre under a working name of Fischer’s New Madison Theatre shortened to Madison Theatre at opening. The theatre relaunched with its new moniker with “My American Wife” on March 8, 1923. Audiences were impressed with the now 900 seat theatre which featured a pipe organ on hydraulic lift.
But times changed quickly in downtown Madison especially with the neighboring New Orpheum and Capitol opening in 1927 and 1928. Fischer would drop the Madison Theatre never converting to sound in 1928. The Madison would be gutted for a retail furrier store in 1929. Its nameplate would be re-used for an existing theatre, the Garrick at 113-5 Minona now Martin Luther King.
Ben Zerr opened this theatre on Thanksgiving Day 1911. From 1913 to 1916 it was known as the Schuylkill Avenue Picture House. Until 1929, it was known as the Schuylkill Avenue Theatre. After being a short-lived farmers market, it was known as the Gospel Tabernacle. It got a final shot at movies equipped for sound as the Rio Theatre in 1936 possibly closing in 1939.
From March 19, 1918, the theatre was given the patriotic Liberty Theatre moniker which it retained for about a year. On March 6, 1919, the theatre reverted to its original namesake of the Rex Theatre.
The New Victor Theatre (pictured) opened March 5, 1909 at this address. It was Carr & Schad’s second location for the operation. From 1907 to early 1909, they operated the original Victor Theatre nearby at 734 Penn Street. In 1909, local interest was greater than the old Victor could handle so they moved into this facility. But the days of such diminutive theatres was already closing and in early 1916, Carr & Schad announced a 2,200 seat Penn Theatre. The New Victor was the odd venue out and it was retrofitted in 1918 to hold Kurtz Co. store. The Penn didn’t actually open but the genesis of the project was what became the State Theatre in the next decade.
The Majestic closed in 1918 and was converted to an auto repair garage in 1919.
A new-build theatre for motion pictures, Ben Zerr launched the Crescent Motion Picture House in Reading on December 14, 1910 with “The Golden Supper” and “The Man and the Law”
The Bijou Theatre launched February 1, 1900 with Hartzell’s Circus Royal performing on the stage. On February 28, 1910, it became the Palace Theatre.
After becoming the Arcadia Theatre, its claim to fame was Reading’s first converted to sound location with Warner Bros. Vitaphone system on February 21, 1927 with “Don Juan.” The audiences were greater than expected and the Vitaphone system would be moved to the larger Strand Theatre the following year; the Arcadia was demolished to make an even bigger venue in the Astor Theatre.
Carr & Schad Circuit launched the Strand Theatre on February 21, 1920 with “The Valley of the Giants” along with Charlie Chaplin’s “A Day’s Pleasure.” Audiences were wowed by the 3-manual Mohler pipe organ. In July of 1928, the Arcadia’s Vitaphone sound system was moved to the Strand to accommodate the larger than anticipated crowds for talkies.
Comerford Theatres launched the Ritz Theatre June 5, 1936. Charles Haubert took on the theatre remodeling it it 1941.
The Tri-States Drive-In Theatre opened May 21, 1951. On October 12, 1956, operator Irving Hulst added an outdoor auditorium for year-round operation. On its tenth anniversary, Hulst added a go cart track.
It’s a different writer – and publisher of the local newspaper – Amos Ingalls.
The operator of the Melba Theater closed up shop and created this modern cinema adjoining his existing Sunset Drive-In. The Century I Theatre launched on March 14, 1980 with “The Black Hole.” Regular church services were held there as well. The Century I closed in June of 1999. It reopened December 28, 2000 as the Showtime Cinema closing in 2003. It became the Phoenix Theatre in 2004.
The State Theatre appears to have closed January 3, 1967 with “The Swinger” as ads are discontinued thereafter but that’s only a guess.
The Ingalls' Opera House was at 205 North 2nd St. and was transformed into a recreation center and then a farm implement store in the 1940s. The Crystal / Greene Theatre was at a different location listed above.
The Greene Theatre’s last day was October 21, 1955 with “Man Without a Star.”
The Grand Theatre became the Family Theatre on August 25, 1915 with “The Shooting of Dan McGrew.” In August of 1918, the Family became the Garden Theatre.
The Garden Theatre conducted a name change contest announcing on January 21, 1922 the switch to the Rialto Theatre. The Rialto ceased showing movies on August 19, 1928 opting not to convert to sound and doing limited live events.
Under new operators, a five year lease was signed and the theatre was relaunched as the Royal Theatre on February 24, 1929. Silent presentations didn’t draw crowds and the Royal closed in August of 1929.
It became a church in 1932 through September of 1935. On September 25, 1935 it relaunched as the Capitol Theatre with “One More Night of Love.” The Capitol closed at the end of May of 1938.
On Christmas Day, 1938, it relaunched as the Iowa Theatre. The theatre closed July 4, 1961 with Glenn Ford in “The Americano” & Judy Canova in “The WAC from Walla Walla”.
Previous – Royal Theatre
Other use – Church
The Iowa Theatre replaced the silent-era Lyric Theatre in Sheldon opening in 1929.
The actual timeline is much closer to this:
The long-standing Odd Fellows building was purchased in 1927 for theatrical use. The venue was now steel enforced and launched December 15, 1927 with “Alias, the Lone Wolf” as the Mack Theatre. On April 6, 1932, the theatre became the Elwood Theatre.
The last film at the Elwood Theatre was “American Werewolf in London” on December 3, 1981. Scheduled showings of “Carbon Copy” starting the next day were not shown as the theatre closed abruptly.
After standing empty for several years, the Elmwood auditorium was gutted and twinned. The Elmwood Twin Cinema brought movies back to the city. The auditoriums were labeled Cinema East and Cinema West. The venue launched November 21, 1984 with “Gremlins” and “Ghostbusters.” But indifference was the reaction as the theatre closed March 15, 1988 with “Critical Condition”, “The Golden Child” and “Lady and the Tramp”.
The building was used for live theatre in 1990 before falling into disuse again. On June 17, 2000, the roof collapsed taking part of the side wall without injuries. The building was demolished later that year.
Note: The Lyric Theatre was located across the street at 1529 Main according to the local newspapers and not here. The Classic Theatre was also on the opposite side of the street.
To clarify the theatre timeline: the Liberty Theatre had its grand opening on March 13, 1911 (this venue). Salt Lake’s original Gem Theatre had its grand opening at 318 South State Street on September 28, 1907 but was an early casualty in the store show era.
The Liberty became the Gem Theatre on November 2, 1919 with “Broken Blossoms.” After closing following WW2, the Gem was reopened on August 31, 1951. It appears to have closed in November of 1967. A year later it was demolished.
The Zakoor Brothers (Richard and George) opened the Princess playing Edison films in the early Nickelodeon era. Chatham residents appreciated slapstick comedies and the Zakoors had to modernize fairly quickly to accommodate the patrons. They transformed the Princess in 1911 to a 520-seat modern theatre with mirrored screen. It was a success.
Canadian Paramount Circuit took on the Princess Theatre still managed by the Zakoors creating a new Princess Theatre at the same site and reusing the same signage launching in December of 1920. Canadian Paramount operation then transformed to Famous Players Circuit.
Under Famous Players, the theater had a major fire in 1926. The Princess was rebuilt in 1926 with William Dineen of Famous Players handling the new interior. Famous Players also operated the Griffin Theatre in Chatham in the silent era. The Capitol replaced the Griffin while the Princess gravitated to sound with both theaters now managed by A.P. Drohan. The Princess likely closed in 1939 under the Hanson Theatre Corporation Circuit.
This venue served as the second home to the Alhambra Theatre launching December 24, 1913. In 1938, the Vogue Theatre of 1914 moved to the Alhambra’s spot around 1938. Next up was the Royal Princess Theatre on December 15, 1960 until 1963. It finished as Elwood’s State Theatre launching December 27, 1964 and ceasing in February of 1965. A demolition photo from 1973 may be the end of the line for the building.
The operators of the Majestic Theatre in Klamath Falls appear to have moved to the Sparks Theatre in this building. The Sparks Theter re-launched in October 26, 1912 as the Star Theatre.
Just to flesh out some information:
Wallace E. Hance was the architect of the Polonia Theatre which launched March 1, 1915 likely on a five-year lease. In 1920, the Polonia closed to expand to a 1,000 seat house reopening on December 23, 1920.
Less than two years later, the Polonia was auctioned off by the sheriff’s department in October of 1922. The new owners rebranded as the Avenue Theatre on January 20, 1923. Carrying the roots of the Polonia nameplate, Polish language films were shown when the the theatre transitioned to sound.
Mrs. John B. Spahn won a $5 cash prize in a 1936 contest to rename the theatre which went for a streamlined makeover. It relaunched November 2, 1936 as her suggested Ace Theatre. The Ace Theatre was shuttered for a laundry list of code violations on January 4, 1963.
In 1963, Topkia Construction was brought in to refresh and correct code issues to the theatre. It relaunched in its final state as the Capri Art Theatre on February 15, 1963. The city passed a dubious ordinance which put the onus on the operator to validate the non-offensive nature of the films shown which led the operator to cease operations on February 28, 1970.
The theatre was purchased at auction for $5,000 and demolished for a proposed auto-bank in February of 1973.
The original Alaska was a 250 seat theatre operated by People’s Amusement Company.
The Theato lasted until 1916 which is a good run for a theatre of that era. The parent company for Howell Graham’s operation, the Mountain City Amusement Company which operated the Theato, Alhambra, Colonial and Crescent in Chattanooga went bankrupt in 1916 and the theaters were dispersed.
There were two Madison Theatres – one in the silent era and one in the sound era. This entry is the silent-era Madison which began as the Grand Theatre.
J.E. Sherwood and F.J. McWilliams launched the silent era Grand Theatre at 204-6 State Street in 1910 after their neighboring Fair-Play Theatre (208-212 State Street) had success. The Fair-Play (sometimes Fairplay) was discontinued during World War I. Sherwood and McWilliams sold the Grand to F.W. Fischer of Fischer Paramount Circuit in 1922.
Fischer tasked architect Philip Dean to refresh the theatre under a working name of Fischer’s New Madison Theatre shortened to Madison Theatre at opening. The theatre relaunched with its new moniker with “My American Wife” on March 8, 1923. Audiences were impressed with the now 900 seat theatre which featured a pipe organ on hydraulic lift.
But times changed quickly in downtown Madison especially with the neighboring New Orpheum and Capitol opening in 1927 and 1928. Fischer would drop the Madison Theatre never converting to sound in 1928. The Madison would be gutted for a retail furrier store in 1929. Its nameplate would be re-used for an existing theatre, the Garrick at 113-5 Minona now Martin Luther King.
Final day of operation on December 31, 1973 with “Paper Moon” & “Play it Again, Sam”. At 50 cents, it was a bargain.