New Plaza Theatre
305 N. Main Street,
Brookfield,
MO
64628
305 N. Main Street,
Brookfield,
MO
64628
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Mrs. Allen Glore and Henry I. Smiley launched the Royal Theatre on January 17, 1927 with “The King of the Turf” in an existing commercial building in downtown. Glore sold the Royal Theatre in October 15, 1927 and it would soon reopen as the Plaza Theatre two weeks later by Alva A. Sharer. The venue was rewired for sound on May 19, 1930 with RCA Photophone sound with Will Rogers in “They Had to See Paris" and renamed as the New Plaza Theatre (with sound).
Fox, which operated the DeGraw, took over the competing New Plaza on Halloween 1931 as the Fox Plaza Theatre with “The Concentratin' Kid” supported by “The Indians Are Coming: Chapter 1.” They promoted it as a family discount operation but they likely wanted to root out competition. That seems to be borne out as the Fox Plaza closed weeks later on December 4, 1931. The vacant building suffered a roofline fire and was repaired and retrofitted as a retail store. (It was said to have been home to JC Penney.) On March 16, 2022, the building and its neighboring structure burned to the ground in a spectacular final act.
The Plaza Theatre opened its doors on October 31, 1927 with the Duncan Sisters in “Topsy And Eva” and the Lupino Lane comedy “A Half-Pint Hero”.