Willmar Twin Cinemas
312 4th Street SW,
Willmar,
MN
56201
312 4th Street SW,
Willmar,
MN
56201
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Additional Info
Functions: Furniture Showroom
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: New Willmar Theater, Wilmar Theater
Nearby Theaters
Opened on September 21, 1936 with Joan Crawford in “The Gorgeous Hussey” as the 1,000 seat New Willmar Theater. The Willmar Theater was located in the downtown area between a Woolworth store and a hotel. The outside ticket booth along with the entrance was sheltered by an overhang that had a marquee on each end. "Willmar" was spelled out on a large verticle sign that was taller than the theater building.
It was twinned on June 4, 1971 and renamed Willmar Twin Cinemas. It was closed on April 16, 1981 with an un-named adult movie playing in screen 1 and Christopher Walken in “Dogs of War” in screen 2.
It has become a furniture showroom.
Contributed by
Billy Holcomb / Don Lewis / Billy Smith
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
From the mid 1950s, a photo postcard view of the Willmar Theater and downtown Willmar.
It was a Associated Amusement Company, with Oscar Woempner and William Frank owners.This in 1956.
The New Willmar Theatre opened in 1937. Seating was listed at 1,000.
The Willmar Theatre was twinned in 1971, but it does not appear to have been a conventional twinning. The June 28 Boxoffice item about it said that “[t]he Willmar will be open nightly with two shows, one in the main theatre and one in the new mini-auditorium.” The Willmar Cinema Twins debuted on June 3.
I’ve been unable to find out when this theater closed, but it was still open in 1977, as it was one of the theaters that hosted the run of the original “Star Wars” that year, opening in this house on August 11. Since at least 2010, and probably earlier, the building has housed offices of Divine House, a privately operated social services agency which now owns the building.
Became the Willmar Cinema Twin Theatres 1 & 2 on June 4, 1971 in a naming contest won by Mrs. Clarence Von Zee.
Closed on April 16, 1981 with an unnamed adult film in Screen 1 and “The Dogs Of War” in Screen 2.
The New Willmar Theatre opened its doors on September 21, 1936 with Joan Crawford in “The Gorgeous Hussy” along with an unnamed Mickey Mouse cartoon, a live 25-piece orchestral performance performed by members of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, and a ceremonial speech by manager M.H. Carey.