Mt. Union Theatre (Demolished)
Alliance, OH
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

The blocky lettering across the front gave the Mt. Union Theatre more of a schoolhouse look than a neighborhood movie house. Even the plain brick facade seemed to blend naturally into the nearby college campus, though the old marquee still hinted at its earlier days showing films.

The building began life as a Nash automobile dealership before being converted into a theater in 1939. After its commercial movie days ended, Mount Union College used the single-screen auditorium for films, lectures, and other campus functions.

For years it remained an unusual roadside reminder of the days when car dealerships and storefronts could be turned into neighborhood theaters.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, this place went up to the big theatre in the sky. The building was demolished in 2013. 09-17

UPDATE: The Mt. Union Theatre was demolished in March 2013 to make way for a new university building. Some of its seats were saved and donated to the Roxy Theatre in nearby Minerva. 07-26

Empire Theatre (Demolished)
Cincinnati, OH
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The colorful Art Deco front of the Empire Theatre must have brightened up Vine Street for decades. Even after the movies stopped, it was the kind of building you couldn't help but notice, with its bold facade hinting at a much livelier past.

The Empire opened in 1909 during the silent movie era, but the look seen here came later. A major Art Deco remodeling in the 1930s gave the theater its striking multicolored facade and streamlined style, transforming it into one of the neighborhood's more eye-catching movie houses.

UPDATE: The theatre was demolished in July 2003 and is home to a wonderful vacant lot. 07-06

The theater closed in the early 1960s and sat empty for years while Over-the-Rhine changed around it. There were hopes of bringing the old building back to life, but those plans ended when the roof collapsed in 2003. Soon afterward, the theater was demolished, leaving only old photographs to remember one of Cincinnati's more colorful neighborhood cinemas.

UPDATE: The Empire Theatre no longer stands. Its site on Vine Street has since been redeveloped. 07-26

Roseland Theatre
Pana, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The Roseland Theatre has the kind of streamlined Art Moderne styling that makes an old movie house look fast even when it's standing still. Its neon marquee has been welcoming moviegoers to downtown Pana since 1941, and it still gives the block a little extra life after dark.

Originally opened as Tanner's Roseland Theatre, this single-screen theater has remained a hometown favorite through decades of changing movie trends. While many small-town theaters have disappeared, the Roseland has managed to keep its doors open, continuing to serve as both a movie theater and a gathering place for the community.

It's encouraging to find a theater like this still doing what it was built to do. The Roseland feels like the kind of place where seeing a movie is still a night out instead of just another stop along the way.

UPDATE: In 2026, the City of Pana purchased the Roseland Theatre to help ensure the historic theater continues serving the community for years to come. 07-26

Roxy Theatre
Ottawa, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The Roxy Theatre has been lighting up downtown Ottawa for generations. Its classic marquee and bright neon sign still give LaSalle Street the kind of character that only an old movie theater can.

The building opened around 1910 as the Gayety Theatre, where vaudeville acts took the stage before movies became the main attraction. It was renamed the Roxy in the early 1930s and has continued entertaining local audiences ever since. Although it has grown from a single screen into a larger theater, it still feels right at home in the historic downtown.

UPDATE: The Roxy Theatre continues operating as VIP Roxy Cinemas, with its classic neon sign remaining a downtown landmark. 07-26