The Grand Theatre was the replacement for the burned Opera House Theatre that had been gutted by an April 27, 1939 blaze. Though that left the opera house’s exterior intact, new architectural plans were drawn up for a streamline moderne moviehouse.
The Grand opened Feb. 2, 1940. The venue survived into the 1980s. It lost its lease to the property owner - a local bank - which terminated the lease for demolition and the subsequent creation of a drive-through banking facility. The Grand Theatre closed November 28, 1981 with “Halloween 2: The Nightmare Isn’t Over.” Argumentatively, it was over.
Harvey Frederick opened the Woods Theater on July 25, 1948. The venue opened with 485 seats and projectionist Donald McKenzie in the booth. The equipment was installed by Gallagher Films of Green Bay. The Woods operated seasonally for summer tourists and year-round for some periods.
Its apparent final week showed a theater scuffling. February 2, 1974 it featured “Enter the Dragon.” February 3d and 4th, it featured the double feature of X-rated titles, “Teenage Mother” and “Teenage Sex Report.” Feb. 5th, it featured a four-wall presentation of “Call of the Wild.” There were no further listings likely ending its run eclectically.
December 31, 1920 grand opening ad posted with Norma Talmadge in “The Branded Woman.” The Park was the first cinema in town to convert to talkies on December 3, 1928 with a sound synch version of “Wings.”
The Park Cinema closed on December 29, 1983 with “Christine” and a bad boiler. The Park Theatre was torched on September 13, 1988 leading to its demolition.
The Milford Cinema was run by the Henn family from 1972 to 2020. They began as franchisees for the fledgling United General Theaters Circuit which quickly went out of business and on to fraud charges in court. But the Milford Cinema soldiered on.
Following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it had turned to new operators as a non-profit operation under its new name: the Milford Independent Cinema (MIC). MIC announced its closure on January 31, 2026. What a run!
Formerly the Value Cinemas - Brookfield. A year after its launch, Marcus Theatres took on the venue. It operated as a sub-run discount house through showtimes of April 14, 2002. The next day it began retrofitting for the University of Phoenix.
The new-build Pix Theater was announced nameless in 1939. It stirred a bit of controversy for displacing an 1844 building associated with early Waukesha furniture and cabinetry. (The stuff above about the Empire Theatre doesn’t belong in this entry.)
The Pix launched on May 17, 1940 with “Edison, The Man.” Bathed in era-appropriate green and cream porcelain, the theater’s exterior and lobby were in line with deco / streamline moderne movie houses - this one complete with stainless steel box office. The auditorium was also porcelain though in cream and brown color scheme. Its neighbors were attached jewelry store and drug store.
The long-running Pix completed motion picture service 56 years later as a discount, sub-run dollar house with Brad Pitt in “Seven” on January 21, 1996.
August 24, 1914 was the opening date for the Auditorium Theatre with the live play, “Seven Keys to Baldplate.” Waukesha repositioned it as a movie house in 1917 and closed the Unique Theatre. Fox Midwesco took over the Auditorium and Park in 1928 adding sound to the Park and letting the Auditorium drift with live events.
In 1930, Fox Theatres converted the Audi to sound becoming the Avon Theatre after a major refresh. It opened with Richard Dix in “Shooting Straight” on August 30, 1930. Standard Theatres of Milwaukee circuit took on the venue operating with films until dropping it in the Spring of 1953. They came back in the Fall of 1953 showing art films into 1954.
After Standard moved on, the Carroll Players staged live plays beginning in 1954 at the Avon until 1956. The theatre was gutted complete with a salvage sale as it was demolished in 1957.
The Unique Theatre launched in 1908. Waukesha Amusement discontinued the Unique on July 14, 1917 and converted the building to retail in 1918 after its roof collapsed.
Architect : The theatre was architected by Herbert J. Grassold and Elmer A. Johnson of Grassold, Johnson, Wagner & Isley, Inc. Rolland Ruby’s Ruby Island Shopping Center architet was Rasche Schroeder Spransy & Associates (which later morphed to Schroeder & Holt Architects).
Prudential Theatres venue cost $350,000 and was a two-level approach calling for 600 seats - 234 in the balcony and 366 on the main floor. A second auditorium also seating 600 was possible in an expansion.
Closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement. It was demolished for a new retail building for Kohl’s Food Store.
Merrill Amusement opened the Isle Theatre on June 7, 1927 with “Casey at the Bat” starring Wallace Beery. Raymond E. Quandy took on the venue installing sound on May 16, 1930 staring with “Oh, Yeah” to remain viable. The new Aqua Theatre was a new-build, streamline moderne structure that took three months to build by operator Quandy. Nu-wood paneling and coats of plaster gave the venue its look in August of 1937.
The theatre closed at the end of its 20-year lease. But it reopened on April 16, 1960 under new operator Lucille Fowler and her small circuit of theaters for Fowler Enterprises Inc. She died on December 2, 1971 and the Aqua was soon closed.
As noted above, the Fort Tepee (thee e’s - not four) Outdoor Theatre operated at 3769 O'Neil Rd, Eagle River, WI 54521. This drive-in was some two minutes away from the Eagle Outdoor Theatre (530 Highway 45) in the summer vacation spot of Clearwater Lake and adjacent to that body of water.
The Fort Tepee Outdoor Theatre was launched by Joe Cozzuol on May 30, 1970 with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” He also operated the Towne Theatre in New Holstein. The Tepee closed for the season in on August 27, 1978 with Judith Armbrüster in “Varsity Playthings” and Gaby Heinecke in “Overnight Models.” In November of 1978, a windstorm knocked over the drive-in tower. Cozzuol changed “Closed for the Season” to “Gone With the Wind” and “Hurricane Alley” as a lasting tribute to the now former FTOT. That signage has since been removed.
The White Tower Outdoor Theatre launched on June 30, 1960 with “Giant of Marathon” supported by “Girls Town.” By the end of the season it was called the 45 Outdoor Theater. When it reopened for its second season on May 27, 1961, it was called the Eagle River Outdoor Theater. When it opened for the 1975 season under new operator, Steve Lind it was renamed as the Eagle Outdoor Theater (dropping “River”). Operator Lind closed for the season on September 4, 1988 with “Big” and “License to Drive.” The Eagle Outdoor Theater did not open for its 30th season. (BTW: it was never called the Eagle River Drive-In.)
This opened as the Broad Street Theatre on September 19, 1917 with Keith Vaudeville and a feature film. It was shortened to the Broad Theatre within one month. The venue added sound to remain commerically viable. Atlantic Theatres Circuit added a streamline moderne house, the Grove, in town in 1940 closing here for a major streamline moderne refresh.
Although discontinued as a movie house in the 1950s, its presence was felt for 50 years including annual Santa visits. But here it was unceremoniously razed in October of 1968.
NOTE: The “related websites” link at right is bad and should be removed.
And the link from the entry and in comments is also a broken link.
The venue’s address was at 251 North Broadway in the Pennsville Shopping Center. The building and property were officially condemned in February of 2022 (long) after the building was ravaged by interlopers. The Penn Theatre opened on February 9, 1966 with Sean Connery in “Thunderball” the day after a benefit screening with the mayor in attendance.
The Pennsville Shopping Center had opened theatre-less in 1960 with a W.T. Grant, Acme Foods, Penn Drug, Penn Bowl, and others. In June of 1965, announced that Frank Theatres Circuit would be adding the property in an outparcel opposite the Penn Bowl. Samuel Frank and and Mayor Joshua Vincent were on hand at the benefit opening on February 8, 1966. It was a suburban luxury era theater which took advantage of a large, free parking lot and comfortable for the era seating.
To remain competitive, the building was twinned in 1978 operating as the Penn Twin Theatre. The Penn Twin closed in 1995 completing its 30-year leasing agreement.
In 1997, Motion Picture Entertainment Circuit took on the venue. Its plan was to refresh the two auditoriums and create an expanded mutliplex. The company narrowly missed its December 1997 target opening August 12, 1999 with “Runaway Bride” and “Deep Blue Sea.” At this relaunch, the venue had been reseated and equipped with Dolby audio to keep the presentation as contemporary as possible. It was now operating as the Premier Cinema - Pennsville and the planned expansion to a multiplex never took place.
Premier left following the showtimes of February 27, 2005. But on May 6, 2005, and despite long odds (twin theaters were out of vogue about 20 or 25 years earlier), the cinema continued. Under new - and the venue’s final - operators it was renamed as the Pennsville Cinema (singular though still a twin). It opened May 6, 2005 with “Sahara” and “Kingdom of Heaven.” The Pennsville Cinema closed permanently on October 8, 2006 with “School for Scoundrels” and “The Guardian.”
The property was optimistically offered for lease in 2006 and 2007 but an interior fire in November of 2007 ended any thought of continuing the cinema or salvaging the building. It sat dormant and was headed toward a date with the wrecking ball after, as noted, being vandalized constantly and condemned by the city.
Atlantic Theatres Inc. circuit launched the Grove Theatre on August 16, 1940 as a streamline moderne alternative to its existing Broad Theatre. The Broad was closed that night for a major streamline moderne refresh.
The theatre completed two 20-year leasing agreements. But the venue scuffled in the 1970s. It first became the FunHouse, a “Hooray Cinema” concept tried out in several local and aging movie houses. That started June 27, 1973 with “Scorpio” playing a discount run. That ended nine months later on March 12, 1974 with a discount double feature chopsocky/blaxploitation pairing “That Man Bolt” and “Trick Baby.” Hooray.
On September 11, 1974, the Grove reopened as the Earle Theatre playing repertory shows here with “Sound of Music.” When that failed to draw customers, they went X-rated fare which met with local displeasure. The Earle made it just two months closing November 17, 1974 with “Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat” and “Heavy Traffic.” Its entry certainly should remain the Grove Theatre.
The Dukedun Theatre was built in 1925 at a cost of $18,000 and architects were Stebbins & Walters of Weslaco, Texas. The theater scuffled in its transition to sound. Its first attempt was in 1931 and the $7,500 job doesn’t appear to have been a resounding success. Robert L. Vogler was the architect for that remodel for sound. In 1933, it was wired with Western Electric sound by new operator E.F. Stein under its new Bijou Theatre nameplate. That led to a lawsuit with the landlords of the building who placed a lien on the sound equipment for failure to pay rent toward that leasing agreement.
Percy Bond build the new Lorex Theatre “#2” opening in October of 1946. The post-war structure replaced the original Lorex Theatre which was converted into a retail location of an Allen Brown Variety Store.
Opened by Claude Ezell and Associates Inc. / Ezell & Underwood
The Grand Theatre was the replacement for the burned Opera House Theatre that had been gutted by an April 27, 1939 blaze. Though that left the opera house’s exterior intact, new architectural plans were drawn up for a streamline moderne moviehouse.
The Grand opened Feb. 2, 1940. The venue survived into the 1980s. It lost its lease to the property owner - a local bank - which terminated the lease for demolition and the subsequent creation of a drive-through banking facility. The Grand Theatre closed November 28, 1981 with “Halloween 2: The Nightmare Isn’t Over.” Argumentatively, it was over.
Harvey Frederick opened the Woods Theater on July 25, 1948. The venue opened with 485 seats and projectionist Donald McKenzie in the booth. The equipment was installed by Gallagher Films of Green Bay. The Woods operated seasonally for summer tourists and year-round for some periods.
Its apparent final week showed a theater scuffling. February 2, 1974 it featured “Enter the Dragon.” February 3d and 4th, it featured the double feature of X-rated titles, “Teenage Mother” and “Teenage Sex Report.” Feb. 5th, it featured a four-wall presentation of “Call of the Wild.” There were no further listings likely ending its run eclectically.
December 31, 1920 grand opening ad posted with Norma Talmadge in “The Branded Woman.” The Park was the first cinema in town to convert to talkies on December 3, 1928 with a sound synch version of “Wings.”
The Park Cinema closed on December 29, 1983 with “Christine” and a bad boiler. The Park Theatre was torched on September 13, 1988 leading to its demolition.
The Milford Cinema was run by the Henn family from 1972 to 2020. They began as franchisees for the fledgling United General Theaters Circuit which quickly went out of business and on to fraud charges in court. But the Milford Cinema soldiered on.
Following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it had turned to new operators as a non-profit operation under its new name: the Milford Independent Cinema (MIC). MIC announced its closure on January 31, 2026. What a run!
The Milford Cinema opened on June 21, 1972 with George Peppard in “The Groundstar Conspiracy” with the United General logo on the attractor
Architect - Peter Thomas of Cleveland. The cinema size was listed at 1,200. I would guess it was reduced to 1,150 after the split.
Formerly the Value Cinemas - Brookfield. A year after its launch, Marcus Theatres took on the venue. It operated as a sub-run discount house through showtimes of April 14, 2002. The next day it began retrofitting for the University of Phoenix.
The new-build Pix Theater was announced nameless in 1939. It stirred a bit of controversy for displacing an 1844 building associated with early Waukesha furniture and cabinetry. (The stuff above about the Empire Theatre doesn’t belong in this entry.)
The Pix launched on May 17, 1940 with “Edison, The Man.” Bathed in era-appropriate green and cream porcelain, the theater’s exterior and lobby were in line with deco / streamline moderne movie houses - this one complete with stainless steel box office. The auditorium was also porcelain though in cream and brown color scheme. Its neighbors were attached jewelry store and drug store.
The long-running Pix completed motion picture service 56 years later as a discount, sub-run dollar house with Brad Pitt in “Seven” on January 21, 1996.
The appeared to have exited on September 22, 1984 with “Angel,” “Children of the Corn,” and “Spring Break.”
August 24, 1914 was the opening date for the Auditorium Theatre with the live play, “Seven Keys to Baldplate.” Waukesha repositioned it as a movie house in 1917 and closed the Unique Theatre. Fox Midwesco took over the Auditorium and Park in 1928 adding sound to the Park and letting the Auditorium drift with live events.
In 1930, Fox Theatres converted the Audi to sound becoming the Avon Theatre after a major refresh. It opened with Richard Dix in “Shooting Straight” on August 30, 1930. Standard Theatres of Milwaukee circuit took on the venue operating with films until dropping it in the Spring of 1953. They came back in the Fall of 1953 showing art films into 1954.
After Standard moved on, the Carroll Players staged live plays beginning in 1954 at the Avon until 1956. The theatre was gutted complete with a salvage sale as it was demolished in 1957.
The Unique Theatre launched in 1908. Waukesha Amusement discontinued the Unique on July 14, 1917 and converted the building to retail in 1918 after its roof collapsed.
UA Circuit took on the venue in 1969. Here in 1977, they refresh and hold a grand reopening.
Architect : The theatre was architected by Herbert J. Grassold and Elmer A. Johnson of Grassold, Johnson, Wagner & Isley, Inc. Rolland Ruby’s Ruby Island Shopping Center architet was Rasche Schroeder Spransy & Associates (which later morphed to Schroeder & Holt Architects).
Prudential Theatres venue cost $350,000 and was a two-level approach calling for 600 seats - 234 in the balcony and 366 on the main floor. A second auditorium also seating 600 was possible in an expansion.
Closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement. It was demolished for a new retail building for Kohl’s Food Store.
Merrill Amusement opened the Isle Theatre on June 7, 1927 with “Casey at the Bat” starring Wallace Beery. Raymond E. Quandy took on the venue installing sound on May 16, 1930 staring with “Oh, Yeah” to remain viable. The new Aqua Theatre was a new-build, streamline moderne structure that took three months to build by operator Quandy. Nu-wood paneling and coats of plaster gave the venue its look in August of 1937.
The theatre closed at the end of its 20-year lease. But it reopened on April 16, 1960 under new operator Lucille Fowler and her small circuit of theaters for Fowler Enterprises Inc. She died on December 2, 1971 and the Aqua was soon closed.
As noted above, the Fort Tepee (thee e’s - not four) Outdoor Theatre operated at 3769 O'Neil Rd, Eagle River, WI 54521. This drive-in was some two minutes away from the Eagle Outdoor Theatre (530 Highway 45) in the summer vacation spot of Clearwater Lake and adjacent to that body of water.
The Fort Tepee Outdoor Theatre was launched by Joe Cozzuol on May 30, 1970 with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” He also operated the Towne Theatre in New Holstein. The Tepee closed for the season in on August 27, 1978 with Judith Armbrüster in “Varsity Playthings” and Gaby Heinecke in “Overnight Models.” In November of 1978, a windstorm knocked over the drive-in tower. Cozzuol changed “Closed for the Season” to “Gone With the Wind” and “Hurricane Alley” as a lasting tribute to the now former FTOT. That signage has since been removed.
The White Tower Outdoor Theatre launched on June 30, 1960 with “Giant of Marathon” supported by “Girls Town.” By the end of the season it was called the 45 Outdoor Theater. When it reopened for its second season on May 27, 1961, it was called the Eagle River Outdoor Theater. When it opened for the 1975 season under new operator, Steve Lind it was renamed as the Eagle Outdoor Theater (dropping “River”). Operator Lind closed for the season on September 4, 1988 with “Big” and “License to Drive.” The Eagle Outdoor Theater did not open for its 30th season. (BTW: it was never called the Eagle River Drive-In.)
Opened in June of 1964
Opened July 19, 1928 with Mary Pickford in “My Best Girl.”
A week prior to closure, the cinema reached an agreement with the landlord to remain open.
This opened as the Broad Street Theatre on September 19, 1917 with Keith Vaudeville and a feature film. It was shortened to the Broad Theatre within one month. The venue added sound to remain commerically viable. Atlantic Theatres Circuit added a streamline moderne house, the Grove, in town in 1940 closing here for a major streamline moderne refresh.
Although discontinued as a movie house in the 1950s, its presence was felt for 50 years including annual Santa visits. But here it was unceremoniously razed in October of 1968.
NOTE: The “related websites” link at right is bad and should be removed.
And the link from the entry and in comments is also a broken link.
The venue’s address was at 251 North Broadway in the Pennsville Shopping Center. The building and property were officially condemned in February of 2022 (long) after the building was ravaged by interlopers. The Penn Theatre opened on February 9, 1966 with Sean Connery in “Thunderball” the day after a benefit screening with the mayor in attendance.
The Pennsville Shopping Center had opened theatre-less in 1960 with a W.T. Grant, Acme Foods, Penn Drug, Penn Bowl, and others. In June of 1965, announced that Frank Theatres Circuit would be adding the property in an outparcel opposite the Penn Bowl. Samuel Frank and and Mayor Joshua Vincent were on hand at the benefit opening on February 8, 1966. It was a suburban luxury era theater which took advantage of a large, free parking lot and comfortable for the era seating.
To remain competitive, the building was twinned in 1978 operating as the Penn Twin Theatre. The Penn Twin closed in 1995 completing its 30-year leasing agreement.
In 1997, Motion Picture Entertainment Circuit took on the venue. Its plan was to refresh the two auditoriums and create an expanded mutliplex. The company narrowly missed its December 1997 target opening August 12, 1999 with “Runaway Bride” and “Deep Blue Sea.” At this relaunch, the venue had been reseated and equipped with Dolby audio to keep the presentation as contemporary as possible. It was now operating as the Premier Cinema - Pennsville and the planned expansion to a multiplex never took place.
Premier left following the showtimes of February 27, 2005. But on May 6, 2005, and despite long odds (twin theaters were out of vogue about 20 or 25 years earlier), the cinema continued. Under new - and the venue’s final - operators it was renamed as the Pennsville Cinema (singular though still a twin). It opened May 6, 2005 with “Sahara” and “Kingdom of Heaven.” The Pennsville Cinema closed permanently on October 8, 2006 with “School for Scoundrels” and “The Guardian.”
The property was optimistically offered for lease in 2006 and 2007 but an interior fire in November of 2007 ended any thought of continuing the cinema or salvaging the building. It sat dormant and was headed toward a date with the wrecking ball after, as noted, being vandalized constantly and condemned by the city.
Atlantic Theatres Inc. circuit launched the Grove Theatre on August 16, 1940 as a streamline moderne alternative to its existing Broad Theatre. The Broad was closed that night for a major streamline moderne refresh.
The theatre completed two 20-year leasing agreements. But the venue scuffled in the 1970s. It first became the FunHouse, a “Hooray Cinema” concept tried out in several local and aging movie houses. That started June 27, 1973 with “Scorpio” playing a discount run. That ended nine months later on March 12, 1974 with a discount double feature chopsocky/blaxploitation pairing “That Man Bolt” and “Trick Baby.” Hooray.
On September 11, 1974, the Grove reopened as the Earle Theatre playing repertory shows here with “Sound of Music.” When that failed to draw customers, they went X-rated fare which met with local displeasure. The Earle made it just two months closing November 17, 1974 with “Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat” and “Heavy Traffic.” Its entry certainly should remain the Grove Theatre.
The Dukedun Theatre was built in 1925 at a cost of $18,000 and architects were Stebbins & Walters of Weslaco, Texas. The theater scuffled in its transition to sound. Its first attempt was in 1931 and the $7,500 job doesn’t appear to have been a resounding success. Robert L. Vogler was the architect for that remodel for sound. In 1933, it was wired with Western Electric sound by new operator E.F. Stein under its new Bijou Theatre nameplate. That led to a lawsuit with the landlords of the building who placed a lien on the sound equipment for failure to pay rent toward that leasing agreement.
Percy Bond build the new Lorex Theatre “#2” opening in October of 1946. The post-war structure replaced the original Lorex Theatre which was converted into a retail location of an Allen Brown Variety Store.