Beverly Theater
7740 Olive Boulevard,
St. Louis,
MO
63131
7740 Olive Boulevard,
St. Louis,
MO
63131
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Oliver William Steigemeyer
Functions: Banquet Hall, Restaurant
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Beverly Art Theater, Fine Arts Theater
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This was one of several theaters located in the northwestern part of St. Louis. It was run by Henry Holloway and opened October 6, 1937.
In the 1960’s, Mid America Theatres took over the theatre. It was remodeled and turned into an art house in February of 1964 and renamed the Fine Arts Theater on October 6, 1967. During the day time it would run family movies and the evenings would show X-rated movies. The movies became more hard-core towards the end. In 1984, a small chain, called People Theatre, operated the theater until 1986.
The theater still stands and has been converted into a Chinese restaurant and banquet hall.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
Oh, I see…so Mr. Halloway, the original owner, bequeathed (sp?) the theater to the Archdocese in his will. Of course, Mr. Halloway had no way of knowing what future owners of this theater were going to do. Makes sense now…thanks, JAlex! Was it the Archdiocese who eventually sold the theater?? I always thought there was no way the Archdiocese was going to approve of the films the Fine Arts was showing. Guess they couldn’t exercise the option to sell for whatever legal reason…
All ten of the religious & charitable groups I mentioned had an equal holding (10%) of the theatre. A newspaper report said each group was getting $66 a month under the lease for the theatre. The story broke in January 1984; the theatre property was sold to a local realtor that July.
Architect Oliver W. Stiegemeyer was born in 1891, and by 1910 was listed as a draftsman, working for August F. Haeussler from 1909-1910 and then for Duggan and Huff from 1910-1912, the firm which designed the CLIMAX Theatre in Milwaukee and the CHEROKEE Theatre in St. Louis. From 1913 to 1931 he was a partner with a Mr. Kennerly and together they did a home at 3424 Longfellow in St. Louis, and the Deco/Moderne DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois. His final office address was at 4412 Lindell Boulevard, where he retired in 1942. Stiegemeyer died in 1985.
Saw summer of 42 at the fine arts in 1972. Jennifer O'Neill. Stunning! It went downhill after that.
If I remember correctly, “Last Tango in Paris” played at the Fine Arts. I used to work for Mid-America Theatres and would sometimes join a group of managers in the screening room at their main office at the Holiday Drive-in. While the films shown at the Fine Arts were x-rated, they were not hardcore. Every Friday, some executives would screen x-rated films for future bookings at the Fine Arts. As the films were screened, the projectionist would have to mark sections of the films that were too hardcore for St.Louis and he would cut them out. Every projectionist who worked the screening room had their own reel of hardcore clips cut from the movies and never put back after they film was shipped out. The theatre used to keep the house lights turned up during the films to discourage any public displays.
Anyone know why the theater was named the Beverly?
October 6th, 1937 small grand opening ad in photo section.
October 6th, 1967 grand opening ad as Fine Arts in photo section.
I went to the Fine Arts many times back in the 1970s. It did not run hardcore pornos, but the French soft cores that were so popular, particularly with couples—The Story of O and Emmanuelle were very big and it was extremely romantic to go on a Friday or Saturday date night. And everyone was dressed to the nines! The Last Tango in Paris ran here for over half-a-year, the first few months on an advanced ticket sale and reserved seat basis. That was the first X-rated film I saw and I still think it is a classic. They also ran lots of French films that were PG and R. I saw Day For Night, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and Claude Lelouch’s And Now, My Love, which changed my life and inspired me to become a professional cameraman. Both of those were M or PG. It was a terrific cinema. I think of it very fondly.
I was the manager of this theater in the late 1960’s & very early 1970’s, as well as its Dist. Mgr. for some time after that while it was still owned by Mid America Theaters. I left just as it started to become known as an “X” rated movie house! I was transferred to The Brentwood Theater during the 37th week of its 54 week run of “Midnight Cowboy”! Lots of fond memories as manager at both of those theaters . Most all of the kids who worked there were absolutely great.