Tucker Theater
211 N. Kansas Avenue,
Liberal,
KS
67901
211 N. Kansas Avenue,
Liberal,
KS
67901
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Midwest Amusement Corp.
Architects: Carl Boller, Robert O. Boller
Firms: Boller Brothers
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Photoplay Theater
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Originally the 300-seat Photoplay Theater. It was remodeled and enlarged to the plans of architectural firm Boller Brothers of Kansas City. This modern show house was created for $60,000 and opened on September 28, 1921. The beautiful brick structure was thoroughly modern and up-to-date in every respect.
The theater had a large foyer and lobby, modern dressing rooms, ample balcony, and a stage large enough to accommodate any show from one of the big circuits. Also included were two Powers projectors and a ventilating and heating system (both of which were quite novel at the time).
The programs put on at this theatre where all first run and of the highest possible merit. Prices were often below those at similiar show houses with the same grade of picture.
The Tucker Theater still stands today, at 211 N. Kansas Avenue, but is no longer a theater.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
There is a picture of the former theater’s current bland and undistinguished facade at CinemaTour.
Still listed as open in the 1956 Yearbook, with 854 seats. From the photos, looks like it made it to 1971, with that ghastly slipcover being part of a horrible remodel.
The 1947 Yearbook lists this as part of the Fox Midwest chain, along with the Plaza, the only other theater in town. I assume fans of Republic, MGM or Paramount had to go elsewhere.
From the October 22, 1921 issue of Moving Picture World: “Henry Tucker opened the new Tucker Theatre at Liberal, Kans., September 28. His new house seats 900. The policy of the theatre will be to play tab shows and feature pictures. It is said that the Tucker is one of the nicest film houses in this territory.”
But it turns out that the Tucker may not have been an entirely new theater. Here is what the October 8 issue of the same journal had said: “Henry Tucker, of the Photoplay Theatre at Liberal, Kas., in re-modeling the house and will re-name it the Tucker.”
CinemaTour’s page for the Photoplay says it was demolished to make way for the Tucker, and it must have been pretty close to it, as the 1921 Cahn guide lists The Photoplay with only 300 seats, and the Tucker had over three times the capacity. If anything remained of the old theater it was probably no more than a wall.