Movie Theaters In Atchison
The Royal, The Crystal, The Orpheum, The Fox, The Frontier Drive-In

Tales From Old Atchison
by Jack Hayslett

The story of Atchison's history of movie houses intrigues me. WHERE were they? WHEN did they open? WHO worked there? WHAT were some of the very special movies that came to Atchison? WHO worked at these theaters? WHAT were some of the best remembered experiences at one of our local big-screen theaters? WHERE were these 'shows'? WHEN did they open? WHY did they disappear from Atchison? HOW did we ever grow up without television? These questions, and more, in this story of the movies we all loved to see over   and over and....

THE MADRID THEATER
It was my visit to Dr. Steve Sitek's office that inspired me to write this column. His office is located on the site of the old MADRID Theater, very old when I watched movies there in the late '40's and in the '50's.  My mother, Doris Mae McCray, had worked at the theater during her high school years as a box office ticket seller, somewhere around 1937.  I do wish we'd talked much more about the Madrid. If we did, I've forgotten it.

The Madrid was reconstructed as offices sometime during the 50's. I took a tour with my doctor, and   discovered that the original foundation was still there. The sloping floor of the theater was leveled to the street level, but the stone wall can still be seen. There are no signs of anything theatrical, but I got the eerie feeling that I had been there before.  Although no evidence exists today, I recalled the many rats chewing at my feet while I watched the double or triple features. The seats were all wooden, and the whole row would rock and teeter whenever someone moved. It was part of the fun.

I don't remember a balcony at the Madrid, but there was a staircase from the basement up to the first floor, still there today. It's old enough to be original. Due to the sloping floor line, the basement would have been only four feet deep at the screen end. Charles Killgore, Atchison, served as one of many projectionists at the old Madrid theater. He has many memories of films and occurrences during the time he worked there before and during WW II.  His friend, Bill Stout, used to hangout at the Madrid with him, Charles said.

The Madrid was the 'cheap' movie place in Atchison, only 14 cents for us little tikes. This was mostly due to the theater showing second time around movies, usually shown earlier at the Orpheum, Royal or Fox.  "We'd get films that were badly spliced again and again," the former Madrid employee said. "The highly flammable celluloid caught fire on occasion, but a fire 'frame' saved all but that one frame," he added.

The Madrid was open 7 days a week. Killgore remembers that on Armistice Day, the theater closed down because the owners worried that some moviegoer might tear up the screen. Mr. Killgore described his job as a 'dead-end job' because he was unable to be a union member, and he had none of the union benefits other   projectionists had. It was another cost cutter for the movie house.  It was Bing Crosby's "Going My Way" that Charlie best remembers. However they did use the Globe to get more customers, as the newspaper offered a free ticket for every 3-day want ad paid for. Roy Dunnuck and his wife owned the theater, probably opened in February of 1932 according to ads (or the lack thereof) in the Globe. They sold the building in the 1950's to Dr.Donovan.

THE CRYSTAL THEATER
The 710 Commercial Street theater was originally the CRYSTAL Theater which had vaudeville and other live shows in addition to and along with the first moving picture shows. So far the earliest mention of the theater is about 1913, but it was likely earlier. The final Crystal mention in the Globe files was in August of 1930. A Saturday column was entitled 'At the Theaters" and the theater was not mentioned thereafter. Some people recall the Crystal as being called the "Bucket of Blood" at an earlier time, suggesting to me that is was might have been a saloon with a wild cast on stage to entertain. Or???

THE OLD ROYAL
The original ROYAL Theater, located at the same place as the new Royal Theater, 612-14 Commercial, had its beginning early in the Century, too. In 1911, Atchison projectionist Irl McClellan had his start at age 15. By 1921 he was the chief projectionist for Lee Gunnison at the Royal. UNIVERSAL PICTURES bought the Royal around 1925. In 1929 McClellan went to work for the Orpheum, and had been with that house ever since. He moved to the Fox upon its opening. James and Robert were the two sons of the McClellans.

THE ORPHEUM
The ORPHEUM Theater, 711 Commercial Street, opened some time between 1913 and 1916, and McClellan became projectionist at the Orpheum in 1929. In 1931, FOX took over the Orpheum and the theater advertised as the Fox ORPHEUM. When Fox Midwest took over, the Orpheum would become their Fox Midwest 'B' feature theater in Atchison, charging 45 cents for adults and 14 cents for children. The Orpheum ran until April 27, 1959, when it closed its doors forever. The building until recently housed a cleaners and the former Wharf club.

THE FOX THEATER
In 1947, about a year and a half before the opening of the new theater, the old Royal theater was leveled, and construction started on the grand new Fox. Two days before its grand opening, the Globe OK Line (those quotes and sayings we always find below the Globe banner) said,  "Atchison is calling attention to the opening of it's new theater, the Fox. The old town is getting foxy in many ways."

The FOX Theater, earlier the Fox ROYAL, officially opened on January 27, 1949. A world premier of the movie "The Sun Looks Up," included Hollywood stars live on stage. It was, and still is, the only movie ever premiered in Atchison. The film starred Miss Jeanette MacDonald, Lloyd Nolan, Percy Kilbride, Claude Jarman, Jr. and of   course Lassie.  Were you there? Or, did you participate in the "Talent Quest" for future movie stars, held weekly with prizes and promises The structure itself incorporated every modern innovation in motion picture theater construction.

Fox Midwest owned the Fox, as well as the Orpheum, and put in a dazzling new Fox Theater, absolutely the last word in theater design. Steel, concrete and brick with terra cotta made the building virtually fireproof. Identical to the RCA sound system used in Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the RCA sound system produced a natural tone to human voices, and amplified all musical tones without distortion.

One of the most beautiful interior appointments was the gigantic cloverleaf above the seats at the rear which hid the lights. In the beautiful foyer were terraced floors that featured a modern concession stand dispensing Coke, ice cream bars, popcorn or candy. Cashiers, doormen and usherettes were outfitted in new blue military style uniforms. Wasn't that grand?

On opening night, before each feature, was a stage show featuring Brenda Joyce, Hollywood star, 'Ginger Denning of radio's famed Denning Sisters and Leighton Nobel and his nationally popular 15-piece band. Atchison's own Jack Moorhead was master of ceremonies. A Junior at KU, he worked to promote the Red Cross and War Bonds. Tickets for the opening cost $1.50. Prices reverted to 60 cents for adults and 14 cents for kids the 2nd day. Willis Shaeffer was the manager of both the Fox and the Orpheum. During the previous year, Shaeffer had won first place in a national contest for his work in theater exploitation. He was prominent in civic affairs, including his work for the Rotary Club, Masons and Elks. He had two sons, Judd and Steve.

Clarence Bigelow, at age 44, was the chief projectionist at the new Fox. He had worked at the Crystal Theater in 1926, and in 1928 he transferred to the Orpheum where he projected the first 'talkie' picture in Atchison. It was quite a task in those days to keep the lips in time with the soundtrack. Mr. & Mrs. Bigelow had 3   daughters, Joan, Sally and Sandra. Anyone still around?

Ralph Uhrmester, 19, became full time doorman at the new Fox. He earlier had worked at the Royal and Orpheum. Ralph is reported to have known the name of every customer, and he always asked each "How did you like the picture?"

Jimmy Harris, a Maur Hill student, was the new relief doorman. He was an usher at the old Royal.

Celine Seeger, attractive 19 year old secretary-cashier at the Orpheum, was a MSSA graduate in 1947 when she started working as a  relief concession operator two years earlier. She continued in that responsible bookkeeping capacity at the new Fox. The pleasant smile and pleasant voice at the new concession stand belonged to Agnes Seeger.  A MSSA student, she knows so many people that she was able to anticipate their needs for candy, gum or popcorn.   Rita Hicks, 17 year old AHS Senior, was the new relief cashier and usherette at the Fox, having spent the previous two years at the Orpheum.

In 1950 Jack Maes took over as manager of the two Fox-Midwest theaters. Perhaps you saw your very first 3-D movie at the Fox. I was one of those who loved to wear the green and red glasses used to give a very lifelike three dimensional image that was comparable to today's holograms. Well, maybe not. I still read 3-D books, watch 3-D videos and play around with a 3-D solid geometry textbook that has special drawings. Other stories online on 3-D movies, the predecessor of Cinemascope and the descendant of Stereo Picture Card viewers.

The 'NEW" ROYAL
After later owners of the Fox found movie attendance too little to sustain the shows that were out (a $450 movie rental was for only 12 moviegoers one week), they tried a Saturday night country music opry, with only mild success. The music was great, but the audience was often too small to pay the show cast. The owner/managers kept the show going at their own expense to provide entertainment for everyone.

The Frontier Drive-In (in east Atchison) opened on Saturday, May 6, 1950. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was the feature and first presentation at Atchison's first outdoor theater. Laurel and Hardy and cartoons were on the same bill. "Finally the Frontier, Atchison's own Drive-In Theater opens tomorrow, Saturday, May 6; the   gate opens at 6:30 PM," said a Globe advertisement. "Come dressed as you are, leave the baby sitter at   home. The largest screen in Northeast Kansas or Northwest Missouri. Brilliant fireworks display at 8:00," the ad continued. The opening show featured Andy Divine, cowboy star, who was a graduate of St. Benedict's College here in Atchison.

The ORPHEUM THEATER during its vaudeville and early movie days' had "Little" Mary Pickford in Atchison for this early silent film, or was it a live stage performance?

"BUCKET OF BLOOD". was the name given to the Madrid, famous for dirt, rickety seats and lots of rats gnawing at your toes. There was the "A" theater with first run movies (Fox), the "B" feature Orpheum and the "C" movie house, the Madrid.

Quite a history for Atchison.

Original article can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/atchisonenquirer/theaters.html

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