Princess Theatre
229 SW Adams Street,
Peoria,
IL
61602
229 SW Adams Street,
Peoria,
IL
61602
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The Princess Theatre opened in another location as one of Peoria’s first nickelodeons. Seaver Amusement Co. improved the presentation when it built the new Princess Theatre in 1908. Dee Robinson moved it programmatically to three acts of vaudeville and two, one-reel films between those live performances.
By the 1920s, vaudeville profit margins were thin so the Princess was remodeled with a new pipe organ in 1925 shifting to full-time movies. It received sound to remain commercially viable. It was remodeled getting a streamline moderne sign and other amenitites in the 1930s.
Kerasotes operated it into the TV age and sublet it to an independent for its final months. Its final films were largely exploitation films and discount double features on a grind policy. The Princess was abdicated on March 19, 1954 with a shoppers' special of “The Stars are Singing” and “Tropic Zone” churning from 11a to 11p.
The Becker family acquired / salvaged the Princess Theatre’s pipe organ at its closure and prior to its 1957 demolition for the $3 million Central Illinois Light Company (CILCO) building. It was still in usage in their home in the 1960s.
The Princess Theatre was mentioned in the April 2, 1910, issue of The Billboard. I also found it in the October 7, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World, which said that the house had discontinued vaudeville and would begin a policy of feature films. The July 4, 1925, issue of MPW had this item:
A 1914 photo of the original entrance of the Princess Theatre can be seen here.Here’s a great shot of the Princess:
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The Princess in my time (l942 until it closed in 1954) was always a 2nd-run downtown theater. I find it hard to believe that it only seated 550, as it seemed larger. It had a large balcony, which you could feel shake when anyone of any size walked up or down the steps!