SethG
commented about
Cine Lunaon
Mar 3, 2025 at 6:07 am
Now part of a local university. It’s in good shape, and now painted white. There are windows cut into the large doors on the left, so you can see the old tile entry for the theater. The building was modified (probably during the theater conversion), and the very top of the roofline is art-nouveauish.
Most of the old comments are rather useless, since they’re about other theaters. This building was constructed in 1937. It’s difficult to photograph since the street is so narrow. It was in good repair on our visit a few weeks ago, but it’s hard to tell what it’s used for.
SethG
commented about
Cine Roxyon
Mar 3, 2025 at 5:57 am
Just a reminder that the 2015 picture needs to be deleted. It is not the same building, and it isn’t even on the same street. The Roxy appears to be vacant and derelict from our visit a few weeks ago. Shutters cover the entrance, and there was no sign or anything.
There is no such thing as W Main St. In addition, a 137 address (which would be on the west SIDE of Main, which runs N-S) is impossible since that portion of the block is mostly taken up by the railway station. I’m not sure where this was supposed to be. If it did not open until 1921, it cannot have been the theater shown on the 1913 map, which I will provisionally list separately. The Main St portion of downtown is quite well preserved, so the ‘demolished’ status is dubious.
Ritz Park is a grassy area with a gazebo, at 133 Forsyth. That must have been the location. Ken’s picture link is dead, does anyone have a photo? The theater was demolished sometime before 2008.
The address makes no sense at all. The 300 block is purely residential. 126 is a possibility, the 100 block has several large vacant lots. This theater first appears in the 1937 listings, which confusingly show it operated by both the Central Amusement Co. and Lucas & Jenkins.
I went through this area around 2007. The structure was so ugly and undistinguished that I don’t think I’d have bothered with it even if I’d known what it was. It must have been remodeled sometime 1949 or later, and was a very severe box with very little flair. Looks like it was converted to offices after closure.
The Northeast Temple is shown on the 1904 Sanborn. The 1909 permit must have been issued for the theater conversion, as a store of some sort is shown on the first floor on the map. It’s not clear exactly how old the building was (the only older map of DC is from 1888, and leaves out almost all of Northeast), but it was a 4 story brick structure. It seems to have been replaced by the western portion of a large two story moderne structure, which may have been the Northeast Market, which is shown on the 1904 map as a one story brick structure on the corner.
The space to the east was an open-air theater for summer use. Not sure when that part closed. The self storage place was torn down years ago, and there is a giant apartment building here today.
Thanks, Joe. The 1925 listings have a Rex and Grand that I haven’t been able to place. Any idea where those were, or if they were a later name for one already listed?
As originally posted by Lou on the Mahaska listing:
(Oskaloosa Post Herald, Thursday, August 1, 1907) WILL OPEN TONIGHT.
Orient Electric Theatre Will Give Initial Entertainment.
Oskaloosa can boast of a metropolitan electric theatre. Messrs. Tucker, Boweu and Struble have had the Commercial restaurant room converted to a theatre, and with the latest moving picture machine and films will open their new “Orient” theatre this evening to the public. A pretty lobby has been built with a nice little box office. Above the lobby is the machine room from where the pictures are thrown on the big screen to the rear of the room. The audience part of theatre is cool and roomy. At present chairs will be used, but later opera chairs will be put in place. The room will seat several hundred people.
To give their patrons the best of everything the proprietors have secured Ed Reid of Des Moines as operator of the large moving picture machine. Mr. Reid is experienced and has been connected with the Colonial Theatre at Des Moines for some time. The latest moving pictures and illustrated program will form the program at present, but if business warrants, vaudeville acts will be put on later. Several hundred dollars have been expended in establishing the theatre, and the patronage of the public is ‘deserved.
The map marker is in the wrong place, but this block does not exist now. It would have been roughly on the east side of the northern section of the mall.
The Phoenix Block originally had addresses running 114-124. 114 was either remodeled or replaced. 120 has been completely butchered. 122 and 124 were torn down around 1980 for the bank drive through that is there now. 118 on the 1902 map is ‘Meat’. The 1910 map shows it as ‘Meats’ with a printing operation on the second floor.
This theater was part of the Phoenix Block, a large two story brick structure from 1873 that once ran from the alley on the west to the corner. The original appearance would have been close to the remaining sections at 116 and 118. The section at 120 has been the victim of a really butchered remodel. Both 122 and 124 were demolished by about 1980. Pictures from 1985 show the bank drive through.
The dates are a bit confused, but this was a grocery store in 1910, and had opened by 1917. There is only one theater (the Orient) listed for Oskaloosa in the 1914-15 American Motion Picture Directory, but at least one other theater (the Lyric) was open then, so the absence of a listing for whatever this was before becoming the Princess doesn’t mean much.
The Princess is still listed in 1952, the 1953 listings are useless, and it’s gone in 1954. It apparently became a cab company office and the local bus station.
The street name also needs to be corrected to High Ave W. This block no longer exists, since a massive portion of downtown (about 10-12 entire blocks) was replaced by a really depressing mall. The demolition must have been in preparation for that.
Now part of a local university. It’s in good shape, and now painted white. There are windows cut into the large doors on the left, so you can see the old tile entry for the theater. The building was modified (probably during the theater conversion), and the very top of the roofline is art-nouveauish.
Most of the old comments are rather useless, since they’re about other theaters. This building was constructed in 1937. It’s difficult to photograph since the street is so narrow. It was in good repair on our visit a few weeks ago, but it’s hard to tell what it’s used for.
Just a reminder that the 2015 picture needs to be deleted. It is not the same building, and it isn’t even on the same street. The Roxy appears to be vacant and derelict from our visit a few weeks ago. Shutters cover the entrance, and there was no sign or anything.
There is no such thing as W Main St. In addition, a 137 address (which would be on the west SIDE of Main, which runs N-S) is impossible since that portion of the block is mostly taken up by the railway station. I’m not sure where this was supposed to be. If it did not open until 1921, it cannot have been the theater shown on the 1913 map, which I will provisionally list separately. The Main St portion of downtown is quite well preserved, so the ‘demolished’ status is dubious.
Ritz Park is a grassy area with a gazebo, at 133 Forsyth. That must have been the location. Ken’s picture link is dead, does anyone have a photo? The theater was demolished sometime before 2008.
The address makes no sense at all. The 300 block is purely residential. 126 is a possibility, the 100 block has several large vacant lots. This theater first appears in the 1937 listings, which confusingly show it operated by both the Central Amusement Co. and Lucas & Jenkins.
Website is not even a website. Should link to their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/newsharoncapri/
This building does not appear on the 1911 map, which shows a two story tin-clad wooden pool hall here.
Still listed as the Sharon in 1955. I assume the Capri name came along with the schlocky ‘60s remodel.
I went through this area around 2007. The structure was so ugly and undistinguished that I don’t think I’d have bothered with it even if I’d known what it was. It must have been remodeled sometime 1949 or later, and was a very severe box with very little flair. Looks like it was converted to offices after closure.
The building may have lasted until the 1990s. I recall that area as being fairly seedy, but full of interesting old stuff.
The Northeast Temple is shown on the 1904 Sanborn. The 1909 permit must have been issued for the theater conversion, as a store of some sort is shown on the first floor on the map. It’s not clear exactly how old the building was (the only older map of DC is from 1888, and leaves out almost all of Northeast), but it was a 4 story brick structure. It seems to have been replaced by the western portion of a large two story moderne structure, which may have been the Northeast Market, which is shown on the 1904 map as a one story brick structure on the corner.
The space to the east was an open-air theater for summer use. Not sure when that part closed. The self storage place was torn down years ago, and there is a giant apartment building here today.
I figured one of those names was likely an aka for the opera house.
Fascinating stuff!
Thanks, Joe. The 1925 listings have a Rex and Grand that I haven’t been able to place. Any idea where those were, or if they were a later name for one already listed?
Thanks, Joe! The date makes sense as well.
I have created listings for all the early theaters Ron mentions at the end.
Also shown in the photo above is the Unique, a short-lived theater operating around 1910. It’s the photo shop right next door.
In the photo above, the second to last storefront before the alley was the Orpheum, an early theater that was operating in 1917.
As originally posted by Lou on the Mahaska listing: (Oskaloosa Post Herald, Thursday, August 1, 1907) WILL OPEN TONIGHT.
Orient Electric Theatre Will Give Initial Entertainment.
Oskaloosa can boast of a metropolitan electric theatre. Messrs. Tucker, Boweu and Struble have had the Commercial restaurant room converted to a theatre, and with the latest moving picture machine and films will open their new “Orient” theatre this evening to the public. A pretty lobby has been built with a nice little box office. Above the lobby is the machine room from where the pictures are thrown on the big screen to the rear of the room. The audience part of theatre is cool and roomy. At present chairs will be used, but later opera chairs will be put in place. The room will seat several hundred people.
To give their patrons the best of everything the proprietors have secured Ed Reid of Des Moines as operator of the large moving picture machine. Mr. Reid is experienced and has been connected with the Colonial Theatre at Des Moines for some time. The latest moving pictures and illustrated program will form the program at present, but if business warrants, vaudeville acts will be put on later. Several hundred dollars have been expended in establishing the theatre, and the patronage of the public is ‘deserved.
The map marker is in the wrong place, but this block does not exist now. It would have been roughly on the east side of the northern section of the mall.
This was the Lyric, based on information in the Princess listing.
The Phoenix Block originally had addresses running 114-124. 114 was either remodeled or replaced. 120 has been completely butchered. 122 and 124 were torn down around 1980 for the bank drive through that is there now. 118 on the 1902 map is ‘Meat’. The 1910 map shows it as ‘Meats’ with a printing operation on the second floor.
Hey, we tore down your nice historic theater, and 10 blocks of downtown to build an ugly mall, but here’s a cheap prefab shed you can watch movies in!
This theater was part of the Phoenix Block, a large two story brick structure from 1873 that once ran from the alley on the west to the corner. The original appearance would have been close to the remaining sections at 116 and 118. The section at 120 has been the victim of a really butchered remodel. Both 122 and 124 were demolished by about 1980. Pictures from 1985 show the bank drive through.
The dates are a bit confused, but this was a grocery store in 1910, and had opened by 1917. There is only one theater (the Orient) listed for Oskaloosa in the 1914-15 American Motion Picture Directory, but at least one other theater (the Lyric) was open then, so the absence of a listing for whatever this was before becoming the Princess doesn’t mean much.
The Princess is still listed in 1952, the 1953 listings are useless, and it’s gone in 1954. It apparently became a cab company office and the local bus station.
The street name also needs to be corrected to High Ave W. This block no longer exists, since a massive portion of downtown (about 10-12 entire blocks) was replaced by a really depressing mall. The demolition must have been in preparation for that.