Chief Theatre

217 N. Kansas Avenue,
Marceline, MO 64658

Unfavorite 1 person favorited this theater

Showing 3 comments

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on August 24, 2026 at 11:55 am

The takeover of this house by Dickinson must have been a last minute event. The June 7, 1930 issue of The Billboard had this item: “MARCELINE, Mo.-June 15 has been set as the opening date for the Cantwell Theater, now under construction in this city.” In reality, it opened five days after June 15 as the Dickinson theatre.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on February 9, 2024 at 1:39 pm

The Dickinson Theatre opened its doors on June 20, 1930 with William Powell in “The Benson Murder Case” along with Paramount News, Screen Song “The Prisoner’s Song”, and a short entitled “Home Edition” with sound installations by RCA Protophone.

It was renamed the Chief Theatre in mid-1936. The theater last had a capacity of 350 seats and closed in late-September 1939 following repairs, which literally became its final closing. During repair after World War II, the building was destroyed by a fire.

Dave Tavres
Dave Tavres on December 15, 2022 at 10:38 pm

The correct address is 217 N. Main Street USA.

209 was a car dealership, pool hall, and other businesses. This photo - https://www.marceline.us/map-of-marceline-history/ - shows the location of the theatre at 217.