Orpheum Theater Center

220 East Main Street,
Marshalltown, IA 50158

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Orpheum Theater Center (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Fridley Theatres, RKO

Architects: Al Svensson

Firms: Svensson & Edstrom

Previous Names: RKO Orpheum Theatre, Orpheum Theatre

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News About This Theater

Orpheum Theater, Marshalltown, IA

The Orpheum Theatre was the first theatre built by RKO following World War II. It opened June 22, 1949 with Ruth Warrick and Gabby Hayes as featured guests and with 915 original seats. The theatre was constructed to replace the Capitol Theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1946.

Marshalltown is the birthplace of film stars Jean Seberg and Mary Beth Hurt. And because of this connection, in 1957, the theatre was host to the US premiere of Jean Seberg’s “Saint Joan”.

The theatre was closed by its previous operator, Fridley’s, in favor of their nearby multiplex. Concerned local residents have formed a non-profit to save the Orpheum Theatre.

The group purchased the theatre and transformed it into a multi-purpose community facility. It shows films, has lecture and symposium spaces, and features a stage & screen museum (which is located in the vacated rear area created during the theatre’s late-1970’s twin conversion). Renovation began in 2008 with completion in the summer of 2010. It was closed by 2021.

Contributed by Jay Carollo & Nancy Adams-castle

Recent comments (view all 12 comments)

HowieT
HowieT on December 5, 2003 at 7:30 pm

Fantastic!
You folks will be very successful.
If you need any consulting and/or film buying expertise
please email me!
Howard

tomdelay
tomdelay on September 18, 2005 at 8:49 pm

The Marshalltown Capitol Theatre (paragraph 1 above) once contained a Robert Morton pipe organ that went to a radio station. Eventually, the organ was purchased by the late Hollywood musican Edwin Lemar “Buddy” Cole as his first residence/studio recording organ. Years later this organ was added to the Wurlitzer from the Los Angeles United Artists Theatre as an even large recording studio instrument.

jaybird8100
jaybird8100 on August 5, 2007 at 8:54 pm

The Marshalltown RKO Orpheum Theatre has been deeded to Iowa Valley Community College District for their downtown center for education of performing arts, radio & tv broadcasting and will still feature a movie theatre in at least part of the theatre building. The Orpheum Centre Board is working in conjunction with IVCCD.

ticktock11
ticktock11 on April 6, 2008 at 9:05 pm

This was an atmospheric?

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 19, 2009 at 11:42 pm

Here is article posted today about renovation efforts:
http://tinyurl.com/aqyd2o

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 5, 2009 at 2:02 am

This is great. looks like another one not getting the wrecking ball.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on December 12, 2010 at 8:26 am

This article mentions the renovations that have been made to the Orpheum: View link

The theater is now known as the Orpheum Theater Center and is administered by the Iowa Valley Community College District; the official webpage is here: http://www.iavalley.edu/orpheum/index.html Movies are occasionally shown. There is a picture of the theater on the page above and another on the site’s history page.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on November 16, 2014 at 8:40 pm

This page from Showmen’s Trade Review of August 20, 1949, features five photos of the RKO Orpheum Theatre in Marshalltown.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on April 13, 2016 at 11:54 pm

Updated website link: https://mcc.iavalley.edu/about-mcc/campusfacilities/orpheum-theater/

rivest266
rivest266 on December 20, 2021 at 12:03 am

This has closed or stopped showing movies as no showtimes can be found for this cinema.

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