Category Archives: Theaters

The potato matinee of 1925

Posted on March 30, 2015 by editor

The “potato matinee” of Christmas 1925 was the brainchild of longtime local theater manager Harry Thornton. It quickly went awry, the victim of its own success. Illinois State Journal editor/publisher J. Emil Smith, a friend of Thornton’s, heard the potato … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Children, Media, Prominent figures, Social life, Theaters | Leave a comment

Chatterton Opera House

Posted on October 30, 2013 by editor

The Chatterton Opera House at the southeast corner of Sixth and Jefferson streets was for nearly a half-century Springfield’s principal venue for stage entertainments of all kinds, and a major stop for national touring companies, recitalists, and speakers. The theater … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Buildings, Prominent figures, Spectacles, Theaters | 2 Comments

Robert Rudolph

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

Robert Rudolph (1824-68) was a master brewer who came into his fortune when he married Rosa Kun, the widow of Rudolph’s former employer, Andrew Kun, in 1864. Two years later, the Rudolphs built a lavish Italianate mansion at 511 W. … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Breweries, Business, Fever River, Industry, Prominent figures, Theaters | 2 Comments

Kerasotes Theatres

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

A candy-store-turned nickelodeon in Springfield was the starting point for what for a time was the sixth-largest theater chain in the U.S. Brothers Gus  (1873-1960)  and Louis Kerasotes, both Greek immigrants, converted Gus’s confectionery at 214 S. Sixth St. into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Arts and letters, Business, Prominent figures, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Orpheum Theatre

Posted on October 13, 2013 by editor

The Orpheum Theatre in the 100 block of North Fifth Street was Springfield’s preeminent movie palace from 1927 to 1965. It was demolished to make way for expansion by the Illinois National Bank. The theater, with a spectacular Art Deco … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Spectacles, Theaters | Tagged , | 2 Comments