Murphy Theatre
Wilmington, OH Photo courtesy Mark Hackett
The Murphy Theatre is one of those downtown landmarks that's impossible to overlook. With its tall vertical sign and glowing marquee, it still looks every bit like the centerpiece of Main Street and makes you wonder how many Saturday nights have started beneath those lights.
The theater opened in 1918 as a gift to Wilmington from Charles Webb Murphy, the former owner of the Chicago Cubs. It was an ambitious project for a town this size, seating nearly a thousand people and bringing big-city entertainment to a small Ohio community. A fire in the 1930s threatened its future, but the Murphy survived and continued welcoming audiences for generations.
Unlike many neighborhood theaters, this one never lost its purpose. Today it still hosts movies, concerts, and live performances, proving that some old theaters are more than historic buildings—they're still gathering places.
UPDATE: The Murphy Theatre continues entertaining audiences beneath its classic marquee in downtown Wilmington. 07-26
Sterling Theatre
Sterling, IL Photo courtesy Don Gardner
There's something about the Sterling Theatre that makes you slow down for a second look. Maybe it's the colorful Art Moderne facade, or maybe it's that tall vertical sign with its simple "Sterling" lettering reaching toward the sky. Either way, it has the kind of presence that reminds you when downtown movie theaters were built to stand out from everything around them.
This theater has already lived through more than most. It first opened in 1924 as a vaudeville and movie house before a disastrous fire swept through the building in 1943. Instead of disappearing, it came back the following year with an entirely new Art Moderne look. The clean lines, glass block tower, and vertical marquee gave the theater a fresh personality while still keeping it firmly rooted on Main Street.
Like so many neighborhood theaters, the Sterling eventually faced hard times and even went dark for a few years. Fortunately, local supporters refused to let it become just another empty downtown building. The theater was restored, the lights came back on, and the old marquee once again became part of the evening streetscape.
Sterling Theatre
Sterling, IL Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan
It's encouraging to find places like this still showing movies instead of collecting dust. The Sterling isn't the biggest or flashiest theater around, but it's exactly the kind of place that makes wandering through small-town downtowns worthwhile. Every city seems to have one building that quietly reminds you of better days, and in Sterling, this is it.
UPDATE: The Sterling Theatre continues showing first-run movies beneath its restored Art Moderne facade and classic vertical sign. 07-26
A soft pastel color scheme gives the Drexel Theatre a different look than most old movie houses. Instead of flashing neon or towering marquees, this one has a quieter personality. The colorful glass block marquee and streamlined Art Deco styling are understated, but they still manage to catch your eye along Main Street.
It didn't begin life as a theater. Around 1900 the building was a neighborhood grocery store before being transformed into a movie house in 1937. The Drexel opened on Christmas Day that year and has been showing films ever since. During the 1970s it became known as one of central Ohio's favorite art theaters, even hosting a lengthy run of Fiddler on the Roofthat kept audiences coming back week after week.
Unlike so many neighborhood theaters, the Drexel never disappeared. Today it continues operating as an independent nonprofit cinema, and its distinctive glass block marquee remains one of the most recognizable theater signs in the Columbus area.
UPDATE: The Drexel Theatre is still showing independent, classic, and first-run films beneath its restored marquee. 07-26
Elmo Theatre
St. Elmo, IL Photo courtesy Don Gardner
Traveling old U.S. 40 through southern Illinois, it's hard not to notice the Elmo Theatre. Even though movies stopped playing here decades ago, its distinctive marquee still grabs your attention. With its curved Art Deco styling, it almost looks more like the entrance to a vintage amusement park than a small-town movie theater.
The current theater opened in 1941 after the original building was destroyed by fire the year before. For nearly four decades it served the community before the final show played in 1979.
Fortunately, the building avoided the wrecking ball. Today it has been repurposed for commercial use, and the unique marquee still gives travelers along old Route 40 a glimpse of the days when a night at the movies was one of small-town America's favorite pastimes.
UPDATE: The Elmo Theatre building survives as a repurposed commercial property, and its distinctive marquee remains one of the highlights along historic U.S. 40. 07-26
Senate Theatre
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Jay Lin
The Senate Theatre is one of Detroit's greatest preservation success stories. Opening in 1926 as a neighborhood movie house, it survived years of neglect thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers who refused to let another classic theater disappear.
Purchased by the Detroit Theater Organ Society in 1961 for just $1,000, the building was painstakingly restored and brought back to life. Today it's home to the magnificent Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ, one of the largest ever built, which once again accompanies silent films, concerts, and special events.
It's always a pleasure to find an old theater that's still doing what it was built to do. The Senate isn't just preserved—it's alive, giving new generations a chance to experience a little of the magic of the movie palace era.
UPDATE: The volunteer-run Senate Theatre continues hosting classic films, concerts, and performances centered around its legendary Mighty Wurlitzer organ. 07-26
Court Theatre (Abandoned) Auburn, IN Photo courtesy Jay Lin
The Court Theatre is boarded up but appears to be operational.
Very nice marquee, a throwback to an earlier time. Many thanks to Jay Lin for info.
Originally opening in 1916, the theater received a dramatic makeover in 1928 under architect Alvin Strauss, transforming it into an atmospheric theater just as movie palaces were reaching their peak. That same year, the stage even served as the public debut of the Auburn Automobile Company's new Cord L-29, a fitting event in a city known as the "Automobile Capital of the World."
The Court closed in 1963 and spent many years sitting quietly along Cedar Street. Sadly, time eventually caught up with the building, and the deteriorated auditorium was demolished, leaving only the front portion of the structure standing.
UPDATE: Only the front portion of the Court Theatre survives today after the deteriorated auditorium was demolished. 07-26
Murphy Theatre
Sterling Theatre
Sterling Theatre
Drexel Theatre
Elmo Theatre
Senate Theatre
Court Theatre (Abandoned)
