Fox Cape Theatre
213 Broadway Street,
Cape Girardeau,
MO
63701
213 Broadway Street,
Cape Girardeau,
MO
63701
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The Park Theatre opened on September 3, 1914. It was built and owned by The Naeter Brothers. It was the largest and most lavish theatre ever built in Cape until that time. The new theatre seated 600. Up to this time theatres were built in vacant storefronts. At the time the Park Theatre was built it was built as a purpose-built theatre. It was said that only two theatres in were larger and better and they were located in St. Louis. There were none in KC to compare to the Park Theatre.
The Park Theatre stood alone as a movie house until 1915 when the ornate Orpheum Theatre was built and opened. Shortly after opening, the Orpheum Theatre was purchased by Mike Doyle and the Park Theatre, which was already owned by Doyle by then, went undisturbed as the movie houses in Cape. Things changed in 1921 when the new Broadway Theatre was built and opened.
The owner of the Broadway gained control of the Park Theatre and Orpheum Theatre, and the Park Theatre was closed for a couple years. He then reopened the Park Theatre as a sub-run house and presented movies at popular prices with the Broadway Theatre and Orpheum Theatre remaining the first run houses in Cape.
The Park Theatre was purchased by Fox West Theatres in 1929 and it was renamed Fox Cape Theatre. It was closed in 1949 when it was purchased by the Salvation Army. It was demolished in the 1980’s.
Contributed by
Chuck
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The Naeter Bros. had Park Theater constructed in 1914 at 213 Broadway. It was sold to E.M. Doyle and J.H. Strain in 1917. Fox West Theaters bought it in 1929, renaming it the Fox Cape Theater. It closed in 1931. The Salvation Army purchased the building in 1949. It was razed in the 1980s. (ca 1919)