Rainbo Theatre

Nate Bragg opened the new Majestic Theatre in downtown Blue Springs on October 17, 1930 with Bessie Love in “Chasing Rainbows”. The theatre was located in the former post office building and had Western Electric sound at its opening. The theatre went out of business on February 11, 1932 with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in “I Like Your Nerve”. Bragg took the projection equipment moving away from town.

A new operator was identified within months and Vern Manning rebranded the location as the Strand Theatre. It relaunched with Marlene Deitrich in “Shanghai Express” on June 15, 1932. Manning within a half year closed the location. George M. Thomas reopened the Strand Theatre on March 26, 1933 with Laurel and Hardy" in “Pack Up Your Troubles”. He also closed the venue.

Hennessey & Smith took on the venue on April 23, 1939 with double features as the new policy showing Irene Dunne in “Joy of Living” and Richard Fix in “Blind Alibi”.

F.J. “Chick” Calve and R.P “Bob” Brown of Denver took on the venue next renaming it the Rainbo Theatre. They opened after a remodel on March 13, 1939 with Gary Cooper in “Sergeant York.” Chick and Bob closed within a year. But the pair came back and reopened the Rainbo in 1941 before Chick and Bob bailed altogether on May 4, 1942.

On October 28, 1943, Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie O'Hearn and their two daughters took on the Rainbo under the Western Theatre Circuit with a renaming contest promising a $25 War Bond at the Thanksgiving show. Advertisements were discontinued after the November 24, 1943 Thanksgiving Eve showing of Wallace Ford in “Inside the Law” supported by a comedy short, a cartoon and newsreel.

Prices for that last show were only 5 cents a person so perhaps the O'Hearn’s thought better of the $25 prize and closed permanently. If they did continue operation, they did so without any advertisements or notices in the local paper - a long shot given the local paper’s expansive coverage of local events and happenings. Because the trade publication has no further information, we may never know what names were in consideration for the Blue Springs theatre.

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