Funny enough, the building itself was by Liebenberg & Kaplan’s rival, Perry E. Crosier – who designed cinemas as well! Just confirmed this through an ad at the end of the December 1940 issue of Northwest Architect.
Opened on Friday, July 23, 1954 with “Taza, Son of Cochise”, a 3D Western directed by Douglas Sirk starring Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush. After declining attendance and revenue, compounded by the seasonal weather, the drive-in finally closed by Minneapolis-based Midco Theatres on Sunday, August 3, 1986, appropriately showing a Rodney Dangerfield double-feature (“I get no respect”) of “Back to School” (1986) and “Easy Money (1983). The iconic sign deteriorated from lack of upkeep, and was finally torn down by property owner Ivan Brouwer (not preserved?) on Friday, July 14, 1989.
Original architect, Duluth-based Hugo W. Wold (cited in his obit after his untimely death in 1944, age 47, after taking ill while campaigning for state legislature).
Bids for the project were requested by Liebenberg & Kaplan in January 1937; owner was listed as Brainerd Theater Co., per the Docomomo US MN Registry. The Minneapolis firm were specialists in cinema design.
The marquee and tower are now completely gone, the building is now a boring brown. The architect, per the Docomomo US MN Registry, was Perry E. Crosier, prodigious architect of area cinemas.
Contemporary article in The Redwood Gazette (May 6, 1937) has a sketch and indicates this may have been new construction, at least partly? The lede is “The work of wrecking the former Lobdell buildings on Second street to make room for the new ‘Falls’ theatre began Friday.” The rest of the article mentions things that would be indicative of new construction, like it being “as near fireproof as it is possible to build a theatre.”
The current building on the site actually dates to 1994.
Funny enough, the building itself was by Liebenberg & Kaplan’s rival, Perry E. Crosier – who designed cinemas as well! Just confirmed this through an ad at the end of the December 1940 issue of Northwest Architect.
Opened on Friday, July 23, 1954 with “Taza, Son of Cochise”, a 3D Western directed by Douglas Sirk starring Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush. After declining attendance and revenue, compounded by the seasonal weather, the drive-in finally closed by Minneapolis-based Midco Theatres on Sunday, August 3, 1986, appropriately showing a Rodney Dangerfield double-feature (“I get no respect”) of “Back to School” (1986) and “Easy Money (1983). The iconic sign deteriorated from lack of upkeep, and was finally torn down by property owner Ivan Brouwer (not preserved?) on Friday, July 14, 1989.
Original architect, Duluth-based Hugo W. Wold (cited in his obit after his untimely death in 1944, age 47, after taking ill while campaigning for state legislature).
Bids for the project were requested by Liebenberg & Kaplan in January 1937; owner was listed as Brainerd Theater Co., per the Docomomo US MN Registry. The Minneapolis firm were specialists in cinema design.
The 1936 remodel was by Liebenberg & Kaplan, Minneapolis-based architects of many cinemas in the region.
Per the Docomomo US MN Registry, the cinema remodel/design was by Perry E. Crosier (Minneapolis), prodigious architect of area cinemas.
The marquee and tower are now completely gone, the building is now a boring brown. The architect, per the Docomomo US MN Registry, was Perry E. Crosier, prodigious architect of area cinemas.
Per the Docomomo US MN Registry, the architect was Perry E. Crosier, prodigious cinema designer based out of Minneapolis.
Close: The current land is not the car dealership, it’s just south: TRIA Physical Therapy at Park Nicollet Clinic Prior Lake.
Contemporary article in The Redwood Gazette (May 6, 1937) has a sketch and indicates this may have been new construction, at least partly? The lede is “The work of wrecking the former Lobdell buildings on Second street to make room for the new ‘Falls’ theatre began Friday.” The rest of the article mentions things that would be indicative of new construction, like it being “as near fireproof as it is possible to build a theatre.”
Theater architect:
Perry E. Crosier, Minneapolis-based theater architect of some renown in the region in that era.
However: “the remained of the building was designed locally.” [no names specified]
Source:
“1 2-3 Acres of Space on 4 floors of Bachcall Building,” The Post-Crescent, January 28, 1942, page 21.