Additional history credit Jenny at the Musser Public Library. (accompanied circa 1910 photo added to gallery)
“The building was located on the corner of East Second and Walnut streets. It sat right next to Trinity Episcopal Church, which you can see in this photograph. Building of The Grand Opera House started in the spring of 1900 and finished in the fall of 1901. It had a seating capacity of 1,100 with eight private boxes and plush opera chairs. By 1945, the building was no longer used for lavish theater productions but instead was the home of two cafes, a barber shop, and several professional offices. The second floor had two apartment flats. The rest of the building was used for storage. On March 10, 1945 a fire of undetermined origin broke out and gutted the building. Two firefighters suffered burns but no one else was injured.”
From Little Known Stories of Muscatine, courtesy Musser Public Library:
The evening of December 26, 1900, was a big occasion in Muscatine, perhaps the most costly and best attended social event ever held in the Port City. On that evening more than 1,200 men, women, and children were present to witness the opening of Muscatine’s brand-new theatre, the Grand Opera House. The seats were ten dollars each, making the box office receipts for the night somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000. The show was a rather mediocre opus, somewhat typical of the late 1890 and 1900 stage offerings. Its name was “Shore Acres”…..There seemed to be a general feeling that at ten dollars per ticket, a more imposing theatrical offering might have been selected. However, the price of ten dollars per seat had not been fixed because of the quality of the show; it was just a method of financing the erection of the building.“ On March 10, 1945 the building was destroyed by fire.
There apparently was a second Fraser Theatre at this location, opened circa 1949 based on photos I just added, and one that already existed in the gallery. Intersection was the same in the description the photo had.
In 1921 what became the Aladdin Theater was built at 411 Main Street. It’s original name was Maute’s Grand Theater. Same people owned both The Lamp and The Aladdin.
Address is 222 Main Street.
Per the Downtown Irwin Facebook page:
HISTORY NUGGET: before the Lamp Theater ( b. 1937 ) there was The Grand Theater in the same location. This map is 1914 when they were called “Moving Pictures”. (map in gallery)
The JAM Productions Facebook page has dozens of photos of ongoing renovations in the link below. Today they posted 8 photos of old balcony seats removal and the installation of 820 new seats on that level.
Posted in gallery as well.
(I recall some of the old seats had Granada stenciled on their backs at past shows.)
The photos on this page belong to the State Theatre which has it’s own page on CT below.
As far as I can find Crothersville only had a State Theatre and a Grand Theatre.
Address is 105 E. Main Street and it is still standing. It closed in 1959, became Leo’s Laundry in the 70s, a pool hall in the 80s and later an athletic club.
It was most recently Redneck Computers.
As of 2021 a furniture business was slated to go into it.
That is not a duplicate listing.
Kingston had two drive-ins, confirmed by locals.
The Kingston Drive-In and the 66 Drive-In later Mustang Drive-In.
If you look at the newspaper image you posted on the Kingston’s page on 12/21/21, it has print ads for both the Kingston and the 66 Drive-In on the same page.
The Kingston Drive-in was already open when the 66 Drive-In opened.
The Kingston ad is above the 66 ad in your link below.
The 66/Mustang related images should be removed from the Kingston’s page and re-posted on this one.
OK, full history here credit Patrick Morris, supersedes everything above.
The Placade Playhouse was built circa 1912 at 1048 Fourth Avenue and was the first of four theater buildings to be constructed in the 1000 block of Fourth Avenue. An additional photograph of the building that was contributed by GB Berry is shown in the first comment. Both of these pictures were taken circa 1912 – 1914. Note that private residences were still located on each side of the theater. The Placade had become the home of the ” New Hippodrome” circa 1914 (after 2 -3 years) when the Hippodrome moved from 1042 Third Avenue. The picture of the New Hippodrome is shown in the second comment below. Note the pair of double square columns on each end of the building. This picture was taken circa 1921 – 1926 after the Motor Sales building was constructed at 1032 Fourth Avenue. In the meantime the Orpheum Theater was built circa 1916 at 1019 Fourth Ave. Circa 1923, the Placade / Hippodrome/ building became the State Theater which was in operation until the circa 1960.
Circa 1926, the Strand Theater moved into the building at 1037 Fourth Ave. across the street from the State Theater. Circa 1927, the Motor Sales building at 1032 Fourth Ave. became the location for the Palace Theater. Circa 1933, the Strand at 1037 became the Roxie. The Roxie was closed after a fire in 1952, but the building was repaired and used later for other businesses.
Additional history credit Jenny at the Musser Public Library. (accompanied circa 1910 photo added to gallery)
“The building was located on the corner of East Second and Walnut streets. It sat right next to Trinity Episcopal Church, which you can see in this photograph. Building of The Grand Opera House started in the spring of 1900 and finished in the fall of 1901. It had a seating capacity of 1,100 with eight private boxes and plush opera chairs. By 1945, the building was no longer used for lavish theater productions but instead was the home of two cafes, a barber shop, and several professional offices. The second floor had two apartment flats. The rest of the building was used for storage. On March 10, 1945 a fire of undetermined origin broke out and gutted the building. Two firefighters suffered burns but no one else was injured.”
From Little Known Stories of Muscatine, courtesy Musser Public Library:
The evening of December 26, 1900, was a big occasion in Muscatine, perhaps the most costly and best attended social event ever held in the Port City. On that evening more than 1,200 men, women, and children were present to witness the opening of Muscatine’s brand-new theatre, the Grand Opera House. The seats were ten dollars each, making the box office receipts for the night somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000. The show was a rather mediocre opus, somewhat typical of the late 1890 and 1900 stage offerings. Its name was “Shore Acres”…..There seemed to be a general feeling that at ten dollars per ticket, a more imposing theatrical offering might have been selected. However, the price of ten dollars per seat had not been fixed because of the quality of the show; it was just a method of financing the erection of the building.“ On March 10, 1945 the building was destroyed by fire.
1956 was the last listing found by the Musser Public Library.
1940s facade.
http://www.umvphotoarchive.org/digital/collection/muspl/id/1959?fbclid=IwAR2KidO7s8_rRPGi0g9kxYbfUaTc45_DlbjQWDVmxNi76TvYjfMNTqEB928
1950 photo credit Joe+Jeanette Archie, enlargeable within Flickr link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarchie/3998463514?fbclid=IwAR3YXT7VQglVYS2k4YffKKHkuMcncj8d7zw1h1cE7eV_6KRl5uUzqSKOZuA
1955 photo credit Joe+Jeanette Archie, enlargeable within Flickr link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarchie/3549327067/in/photostream/
Address was 4505 Victoria Quay, Port Alberni, BC V9Y 6G2, Canada. Capelli Hair Design is on that site today per locals.
There apparently was a second Fraser Theatre at this location, opened circa 1949 based on photos I just added, and one that already existed in the gallery. Intersection was the same in the description the photo had.
Additionally, the address is 417 Main Street, and the building still exists today as Shidle Masonic Lodge.
Via the Downtown Irwin Facebook page:
In 1921 what became the Aladdin Theater was built at 411 Main Street. It’s original name was Maute’s Grand Theater. Same people owned both The Lamp and The Aladdin.
So the two pages may need merging.
Address is 222 Main Street. Per the Downtown Irwin Facebook page: HISTORY NUGGET: before the Lamp Theater ( b. 1937 ) there was The Grand Theater in the same location. This map is 1914 when they were called “Moving Pictures”. (map in gallery)
September 1944
Landers Theatre; Springfield, MO. March, 1968. Image is from the Rafferty Collection, MSU Digital Archives.
1963 grand opening.
Mocked up for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in 2018/2019.
The JAM Productions Facebook page has dozens of photos of ongoing renovations in the link below. Today they posted 8 photos of old balcony seats removal and the installation of 820 new seats on that level. Posted in gallery as well. (I recall some of the old seats had Granada stenciled on their backs at past shows.)
https://www.facebook.com/jamusa/
The photos on this page belong to the State Theatre which has it’s own page on CT below. As far as I can find Crothersville only had a State Theatre and a Grand Theatre.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/65642
Address is 105 E. Main Street and it is still standing. It closed in 1959, became Leo’s Laundry in the 70s, a pool hall in the 80s and later an athletic club. It was most recently Redneck Computers. As of 2021 a furniture business was slated to go into it.
This advertises the opening of the “66” Drive-in. It also contains an ad for the Kingston Drive-In just above the “66” Drive-In opening ad.
This ad is for the Mustang Drive-In, not the Kingston Drive-In.
That is not a duplicate listing. Kingston had two drive-ins, confirmed by locals. The Kingston Drive-In and the 66 Drive-In later Mustang Drive-In. If you look at the newspaper image you posted on the Kingston’s page on 12/21/21, it has print ads for both the Kingston and the 66 Drive-In on the same page. The Kingston Drive-in was already open when the 66 Drive-In opened. The Kingston ad is above the 66 ad in your link below. The 66/Mustang related images should be removed from the Kingston’s page and re-posted on this one.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2885/photos/361227
The “66” Drive-In name was based on the year it opened.
When looking for current Google street view, use 643 Main Street not Lower.
Confirmed 3/24/22 via Delta Gateway Museum:
“I’ve learned from a local resident that this photo is, in fact, the actual Princess Theater building (which was later Shibley’s). Just FYI.”
Admins, I added a page for Mustang Drive-In, originally “66” Drive-In, as the link in Nearby Theaters does not work.
OK, full history here credit Patrick Morris, supersedes everything above.
The Placade Playhouse was built circa 1912 at 1048 Fourth Avenue and was the first of four theater buildings to be constructed in the 1000 block of Fourth Avenue. An additional photograph of the building that was contributed by GB Berry is shown in the first comment. Both of these pictures were taken circa 1912 – 1914. Note that private residences were still located on each side of the theater. The Placade had become the home of the ” New Hippodrome” circa 1914 (after 2 -3 years) when the Hippodrome moved from 1042 Third Avenue. The picture of the New Hippodrome is shown in the second comment below. Note the pair of double square columns on each end of the building. This picture was taken circa 1921 – 1926 after the Motor Sales building was constructed at 1032 Fourth Avenue. In the meantime the Orpheum Theater was built circa 1916 at 1019 Fourth Ave. Circa 1923, the Placade / Hippodrome/ building became the State Theater which was in operation until the circa 1960.
Circa 1926, the Strand Theater moved into the building at 1037 Fourth Ave. across the street from the State Theater. Circa 1927, the Motor Sales building at 1032 Fourth Ave. became the location for the Palace Theater. Circa 1933, the Strand at 1037 became the Roxie. The Roxie was closed after a fire in 1952, but the building was repaired and used later for other businesses.