Glen Theatre

1415 S. Main Street,
Joplin, MO 64804

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rivest266
rivest266 on August 7, 2013 at 3:30 pm

This opened as the Glen on November 17th, 1949 and as an adult cinema called Glen Art on February 3rd, 1967. Both grand opening ads have been uploaded in the photo section for this theatre.

Lisa10198
Lisa10198 on January 16, 2012 at 1:09 pm

http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/moneta1311374988 Jim Nutz built this theater. Please see the following article about him, and a home he built at 417 E. 23rd that stands tall despite total devastation from the tornado all around it. He was quite the designer/contractor.

Marcel
Marcel on August 15, 2011 at 8:25 pm

Very true. I was there last week. Awful sad.

Norman Plant
Norman Plant on August 15, 2011 at 4:18 am

I just went by this theater today. It missed the path of the tornado by five blocks. Once you pass 20th street on Main there is complete and utter destruction.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 24, 2011 at 11:34 pm

Rereading my comment of Jan 4, 2009, I think the opening date of September, 1947, I cited from Boxoffice must have been a typo. The introduction says that The Show was operating during the depression, and the building in the photo A. Ratcliffe linked to is certainly of a style more characteristic of the 1930s than the late 1940s. Most likely the house opened in 1937, not 1947.

I’ve been unable to discover whether or not the building survived the tornado that struck Joplin last Sunday evening. One map of the tornado’s path shows its northern edge crossing Main Street near 13th Street, a short distance north of the Glen’s location. The former Wasson and Electric theater buildings are within a block of the Glen, so they would also have been in danger, as would the former Royal Theatre’s building, assuming it hadn’t already been demolished.

Clearmoon
Clearmoon on August 24, 2009 at 10:38 pm

Anyone have pics of this theatre when it was still operating?

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 5, 2009 at 4:56 am

The August 13, 1949, issue of Boxoffice Magazine announced that the Dickinson Circuit would take over the Show Theatre on September 1. It also said that the Show had originally opened in September, 1947. Dickinson intended to remodel the house and give it a new name. It was to be operated as a first-run theater. Seating capacity was given as 876.

aratcliffe
aratcliffe on September 30, 2007 at 6:12 am

A shot of the Glen, from early 2005:

View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 17, 2007 at 12:23 am

Here is a 1951 ad from the Joplin Globe:
http://tinyurl.com/2lcrxw

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 31, 2006 at 3:21 pm

“Royal Wedding” with Fred Astaire was playing at the Glen in September 1951:

GLEN THEATER
Talented young Jane Powell follows through after her stellar
hit with Fred Astaire in “Royal Wedding” with a brilliant per-
formance in “Rich, Young and Pretty” playing at the Glen theater.
The scintillating cast includes such screen luminaries as Danielle
Darrieux, Wendell Corey, singer Vic Damone and Una Merkel.

The other Joplin theaters at the time were the Fox, Orpheum, Paramount, Tri-State Drive-In, Electric, Civic, Larsen, Rex,
66 Drive-In and Edgewood Drive-In.