I remember that week in 1953 when the theater opened. The Manager Frank Phipps worked for Dickinson and lived in a little house next door south of the theater.
The theater was impressive and had an elegant facade like Tara from Gone With the Wind. The property was on the outskirts of some high priced properties and large estates and homes were being built.
I was friends with the Projectionist and would spend time in the booth
while he ran the movie.
It had very hot “arc lamps” and they were water cooled like a radiator
and always leaked. The booth was next to the Concession Stand so when the door was opened you could see in the booth.
The two projectors were SIMPLEX XLS with large arc lamps. The screen
seemed a mile away which presented a problem.
The theater was designed in 1952 and opened in 1953 a year before Cinemascope and a year later this large square screen was not wide enought for Cinemascope and the picture ran off the right and left edge
when they booked Cinemascope films.
Near the screen was a small KiddieLand with swings, a merry-go-round and other kid’s toys. Something for Everyone.
My grandparents wanted to see LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME a Cinemascope film
and I remember them setting in the car looking at a partial picture.
My favorite memory was watching RIDERS TO THE STAR a 1954 early
Cinecolor movie about exploring near orbit space. I loved the film and still do. When the film closed I took the large poster and still have
it. I also have the 35MM Projectors from the theater I acquired several years after the theater closed. They were transferred to the Fairway Theatre until it closed.
The Leawood Drive In was glamorous in design, it fit in the area and
when the land became valuable it was sold and sub-divided.
The rebuilt theater in 1938 did not have a balcony. It had the
projection booth, managers office and two restrooms on each side upstairs. It had a small stage in front of the screen with footlights . I believe it closed before converting to Cinemascope. The projectors were Model |K Motiographs with
cast iron bases and were removed in the 1950’s when it was sold to a Union Hall. The upright Marquee and original facade remained intact until it was gifted to the city. A sign company removed the old upright sign for scrap as they did many of the theater signs at the time.
We use the building for storage and as of this date it is for sale.
wade williams
The Colonial Theatre closed in the 1950’s and was sold to union for meetings. It was later given to the neighborhood as a community center and the box-office, upright sign and theatre doors were
removed. The auditorium floor was flattened for a basketball court and pool table area. It was sold to the Fine Arts theatre group who converted it to a sound stage and added a 100 seat theatre screening room. The film DETOUR ( 1990 ) was filmed on the stage. It was also used for post production and editing of the Paul Newman film MR. AND MRS BRIDGE. It currently is the warehouse for the Fine Arts Theatre Group.
Clay- What listing had the Mission or Aztec designed or remodelled by the Bowler Bros ? We would certainly like to verify this as the owner of the theatre.
The Glenwood Theatre was famous for it’s red coil spring rocket seats which were the most comfortable of any theatre seat. These seats were moved to the Englewood Theatre in 2003 and to the
Glenwood Arts Theatre along with many artifacts from the old Glenwood. The 40' street Marquee was re-designed and retro-fitted
and looks far better than it ever looked when it wa at the old site.
I remember that week in 1953 when the theater opened. The Manager Frank Phipps worked for Dickinson and lived in a little house next door south of the theater.
The theater was impressive and had an elegant facade like Tara from Gone With the Wind. The property was on the outskirts of some high priced properties and large estates and homes were being built.
I was friends with the Projectionist and would spend time in the booth while he ran the movie. It had very hot “arc lamps” and they were water cooled like a radiator and always leaked. The booth was next to the Concession Stand so when the door was opened you could see in the booth. The two projectors were SIMPLEX XLS with large arc lamps. The screen seemed a mile away which presented a problem.
The theater was designed in 1952 and opened in 1953 a year before Cinemascope and a year later this large square screen was not wide enought for Cinemascope and the picture ran off the right and left edge when they booked Cinemascope films.
Near the screen was a small KiddieLand with swings, a merry-go-round
and other kid’s toys. Something for Everyone.
My grandparents wanted to see LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME a Cinemascope film and I remember them setting in the car looking at a partial picture.
My favorite memory was watching RIDERS TO THE STAR a 1954 early Cinecolor movie about exploring near orbit space. I loved the film and still do. When the film closed I took the large poster and still have it. I also have the 35MM Projectors from the theater I acquired several years after the theater closed. They were transferred to the Fairway Theatre until it closed. The Leawood Drive In was glamorous in design, it fit in the area and when the land became valuable it was sold and sub-divided.
The rebuilt theater in 1938 did not have a balcony. It had the projection booth, managers office and two restrooms on each side upstairs. It had a small stage in front of the screen with footlights . I believe it closed before converting to Cinemascope. The projectors were Model |K Motiographs with cast iron bases and were removed in the 1950’s when it was sold to a Union Hall. The upright Marquee and original facade remained intact until it was gifted to the city. A sign company removed the old upright sign for scrap as they did many of the theater signs at the time. We use the building for storage and as of this date it is for sale. wade williams
The Colonial Theatre closed in the 1950’s and was sold to union for meetings. It was later given to the neighborhood as a community center and the box-office, upright sign and theatre doors were
removed. The auditorium floor was flattened for a basketball court and pool table area. It was sold to the Fine Arts theatre group who converted it to a sound stage and added a 100 seat theatre screening room. The film DETOUR ( 1990 ) was filmed on the stage. It was also used for post production and editing of the Paul Newman film MR. AND MRS BRIDGE. It currently is the warehouse for the Fine Arts Theatre Group.
Clay- What listing had the Mission or Aztec designed or remodelled by the Bowler Bros ? We would certainly like to verify this as the owner of the theatre.
The Glenwood Theatre was famous for it’s red coil spring rocket seats which were the most comfortable of any theatre seat. These seats were moved to the Englewood Theatre in 2003 and to the
Glenwood Arts Theatre along with many artifacts from the old Glenwood. The 40' street Marquee was re-designed and retro-fitted
and looks far better than it ever looked when it wa at the old site.