State Theatre
Bay City, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The State Theatre brings a little Mayan mystery to downtown Bay City. Opened as the Bijou in 1908, it started with vaudeville and burlesque before moving into movies. Looking at its elaborate marquee, you'd never guess how many names this Washington Avenue landmark has carried. 07-09
It became the Orpheum in 1920, then the Bay following a 1930 remodeling by noted theater architect C. Howard Crane. That transformation gave the interior its unusual Mayan-inspired Art Deco character. The State name arrived in 1957, adding another chapter to a building that has repeatedly changed with the entertainment business.
UPDATE: Financial problems forced a closure in 2024, but new owner Jordan Dice reopened the theater that October. Concerts, films, comedy, and community programs have returned, keeping this distinctive old movie house in the downtown entertainment lineup. 07-26
Temple Theatre
Saginaw, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Temple Theatre certainly lives up to its longtime nickname, the “Showplace of Northeastern Michigan.” Opened July 28, 1927, this Saginaw movie palace welcomed vaudeville performers and silent pictures beneath an elaborately decorated ceiling. The marquee was only the beginning of the show. 07-09
Built as part of the Elf Khurafeh Shrine complex, the Temple operated under the Butterfield theater chain. Its original Barton theater organ supplied music for silent films and remains one of its special attractions. After years of deterioration, the Shaheen family's restoration effort rescued the building, which reopened in November 2003.
UPDATE: The Temple continues hosting concerts, films, and symphony performances. Its street frontage has changed, with a digital marquee and a replacement vertical sign installed around 2018. The earlier lettering shown here is gone, but the restored auditorium remains the main attraction. 07-26
Des Plaines Theatre
Des Plaines, IL Photo courtesy Tammy
Terwelp
The Des Plaines Theatre has the kind of marquee that makes you stop before you've even checked what's playing. Opened August 9, 1925, it brought movies and vaudeville to downtown Des Plaines. When this view was taken, its future was uncertain, but fortunately the familiar sign was still hanging on. 11-09
Local saloon owner Barney Winkelmann built the theater on property that had held his home and barn. Nearly a century later, the city purchased the struggling landmark in 2018. A major renovation followed through a partnership involving the city, Rivers Casino, and Onesti Entertainment.
UPDATE: The restored theater reopened on October 31, 2021, and celebrated its centennial in 2025. Concerts, comedy, and other live shows now bring crowds beneath the marquee again. That's quite a change from a house and barn—and a welcome rescue for downtown Des Plaines. 07-26
New American Theater (Gone)
Rockford, IL Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan
The New American Theater didn't need a towering neon sign to earn its place in downtown Rockford. At 118 North Main Street, this former five-and-dime traded merchandise counters for stage productions. By this view, the original theater company had closed and the building had reopened as the 118 Center. 08-10
The company was founded by J.R. Sullivan in 1972 and moved into the former S.H. Kress store in 1986. The conversion created a roughly 282-seat playhouse, giving audiences a much different reason to visit a building where generations had shopped for everyday bargains.
After the company's closure, businessman Richard Nordlof purchased and improved the property to keep it from being lost. It became known as the Sullivan Center before Nordlof donated it to the Rockford Public Library in 2012. Fortunately, the stage came with the gift.
New American Theatre
Rockford, IL Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan
UPDATE: Here's a photo of now closed and former New American Theatre. The building used to be home to an old five and dime store. The place is now called the Sullivan Center. 07-11
UPDATE: The building continues as the library's Nordlof Center, hosting performances, films, concerts, and community programs. The New American Theater company is gone, but its former home still gives people a reason to head downtown for a show. That's a pretty good retirement plan for an old dime store. 07-26
Ohio Theatre
Madison, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The Ohio Theatre marquee brings a little Hollywood to Madison's Main Street. Indiana Jones was the attraction in this view, but this theater has a movie connection that goes well beyond the names on the readerboard. In December 1958, it hosted a premiere of Some Came Running, filmed around Madison with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Shirley MacLaine. 12-08
Built in 1938 after fire damaged the earlier Little Grand Theatre, the Ohio pairs a Colonial Revival exterior with an Art Deco interior. A sidewalk star commemorates its Hollywood moment. Another fire struck in June 2018 when a fallen power line ignited the roof, leaving volunteers with extensive repairs.
UPDATE: Movies, concerts, and events resumed in spring 2022. Restoration of the facade and marquee was completed in July 2024, although further interior rehabilitation remains ahead. Fortunately, the Ohio is welcoming audiences again while its volunteers keep working on the next chapter. 07-26
Prairie Cinema (Demolished)
Beloit, WI Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan
The Prairie Cinema wasn't a grand movie palace, but its roadside marquee still made you look for what was playing. By this view, the popcorn and projectors had given way to sporting goods and batting cages. That's quite a change of entertainment, even if both involved watching something fly across the room. 08-10
Opened around 1980 with three screens, the Prairie expanded to five during the 1990s and finished its moviegoing years under Carmike ownership. It closed in 1997, when the seats and projection equipment were removed. A lease signed in December 2009 brought another use to the roughly 13,000-square-foot building: The Bat Cave, combining sporting goods with indoor baseball and softball training.
UPDATE: The Prairie is long closed as a cinema. Demolition was reportedly scheduled for August 2025, but its completion has not been confirmed. The building's unusual progression from movies to batting practice remains a memorable chapter in Beloit's entertainment history. 07-26
State Theatre
Temple Theatre
Des Plaines Theatre
New American Theater (Gone)
New American Theatre
Ohio Theatre
Prairie Cinema (Demolished)
