Chief Theater
122 E. Main Street,
Coldwater,
KS
67029
122 E. Main Street,
Coldwater,
KS
67029
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Paul E. Gossett
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Pike TheatreGossett Theater, Comanche Theater
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
620.582.2705
Nearby Theaters
The Pike Theatre was opened by 1927. By 1928 it had been renamed Gossett Theatre. It was renamed Comanche Theatre in 1941. In 1947 it was renamed Chief Theater when it was decorated in a Native American theme with colorful murals in the lobby and auditorium which have been preserved to this day.
It was operated and restored by the Chamber of Commerce, the Chief Theater featured current release movies every weekend, projected by a new state-of-the-art projection system. It had closed by 2021 but reopened screening first run movies on Friday and Saturdays.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
Also known as the Gossett and listed on the National Register:
Chief Theater (added 2005 – Building – #05000010)
Also known as Gossett Theater
122 E. Main St., Coldwater
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Gossett, Paul E., Howard, Thomas H.
Architectural Style: Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Other
Area of Significance: Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater
New pictures in the photos section. Looks like a new paint job for the marquee between the 2007 photo and the 2015 shots.
According to the March 26, 1952 issue of Variety, that’s about when Sol Frank sold the Chief as part of a deal to buy the Hillcrest Drive-In in Beatrice NE.
Appears to be closed as showtimes are nowhere to be seen.
I’m happy to report the Chief Theatre is open and showing 1st run movies every Fri and Sat. Seating capacity on the main floor is 140 plus another 60 in the balcony. Seats on the main floor are beautifully upholstered while the balcony retains the original wooden seats. A generous grant has permitted new washrooms to be installed, an enlarged concession stand installation and some new neon lighting and repair of existing neon. The Chief is fully digital but has retained the original carbon arc projectors. The original projection boot is still intact. In past years the projectionist would put a strip of film above the projector and if it caught fire he had just seconds to leave the booth before the steel fire door would close to contain the fire. The Chief is run by all volunteers. Many thanks to Roy for detailed and informative tour.
Uses FB as their website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Chief-Theater-100057226429524/
Surprisingly short on dates in the entry. The KHRI entry for this building says it was built in 1928. It was originally the Gossett. The 1935 map shows this building as one story, only 18 feet tall. I’m not sure when/if it was expanded (looks taller to me, but…?) Listed as the Gossett through 1940, it became the Comanche in 1941. It was renamed the Chief in 1947.
KHRI entry here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=033-1070-00005
It notes that R.E. McGaully designed the ‘new’ interior.
Not to throw Cold Water (hah!) on the data from the KHRI, but the 1926 through 1929 Yearbooks list a Pike theater with the same 350 seats as the later Gossett/Comanche/Chief. The 1930 Yearbook lists a Covsett (which is obvious nonsense), the Gossett with 350 seats and Royaltone sound, and a Pleasant Hour with no capacity, but Movie-Phone sound. I suspect the original theater which became the Gossett was the old Pike, which was constructed sometime after 1923 (as it does not appear on that Sanborn). At some later point, even though the capacity is unchanged, I believe it may have been remodeled into a two story building.