THE WAUPACA COUNTY POST

January 5, 1995

 

WHEN THEN WAS NOW

By Wayne A. Guyant

 

            Before the days of the Palace, Waupaca, State and Rosa theatres, there were other regular movie houses on Waupaca’s Main Street.

            These were the Electric, Gem, Lyric and the Colonial theatres.  They also had to compete with tent shows, such as the Liberty Moving Picture Company. One occasion, on a Saturday night, May 29, 1909, under the canvas on the lot behind J.E. Cristy’s store, they carried their own electric light plant.  Admission was 15 and 25 cents.

            In the Waupaca Republican Post, February 25, 1909, was the following ad for the Electric Theatre:  “We carry 14 reels of film each week.  We have installed a 860 Edison Triumph phonograph for musical programs.  We do not take up your time with announcing breakdowns.  -  Bert Quimby.”

            The location of the Electric Theatre was the building presently occupied by Uni Travel at 104 North Main Street.

            From one of the local Waupaca newspapers on April 7, 1910: “C. Gmeiner has remodeled the former room occupied by the Electric Theatre and re-christened it the Lyric.”

            March 31, 1910, news item:  “The beautiful, brand new Lyric Theatre will open Saturday, April 2, 1910, with a matinee at 2:30 in the afternoon.  The general opening will be at 7:30 in the evening with the best moving pictures and illustrated songs that money can buy.  It is one of the prettiest and cleanest little playhouses in the city.  It is owned by a Waupaca man and is managed by Ben Peterson of this city.  We want you and your friends to make up a party and honor us with your presence.  Admission 5 cents.”

            The Waupaca Record Leader, Jan. 7, 1914:  “The Lyric Theatre will be open to the public Saturday night.  It has been remodeled, repainted, reseated with opera chairs, relighted with brackets and indirect lighting.   Everything clean and pleasant with an exceptional good program.”

            One night in early September 1916, there was a fire in the Lyric Theatre.  A film reel caught fire causing great excitement among 200 men, women and children.  But no serious panic occurred, and the theatre was emptied in less than two minutes.  The fire was confined entirely to the operator’s booth, which was fireproof, being lined with steel.  A carbon had dropped on the film causing a flash up, burning the operator’s arm.

            Smoke and gas filled the theatre and for a moment things looked serious, but at no time were the spectators in real danger.  The exit in the rear led down two stairways, which were lighted with lamps and could be plainly seen.

            An occurrence that could have easily turned into a tragedy was prevented due to the coolness of the many, especially Mrs. George Skinner, who, leaving her seat, went to the piano where she started playing popular tunes until the last person had left the theatre.  This gave courage and confidence to the children who immediately calmed down when seeing her so unconcerned.

            The only damage that was done was to the movie machine and several reels of film.  After that, special precautions were taken to have only one reel of film in the booth at a time.

            William J. Olson, who had operated the Ideal Restaurant and ice cream parlor for 14 years, closed his place of business in November 1917.  The building in which the Ideal Restaurant had been located was sold to Charles Cohen, proprietor of the Lyric Theatre.  Cohen closed the movie house in January 1918, opening on only Saturday and Sunday nights to give carpenters an opportunity to make improvements in the room that had been the Ideal Restaurant. The seating capacity would then be increased to 300.

            It seems as if the Lyric Theatre remodeled and improved the interior every few years.  In the spring of 1918, the Lyric again opened after extensive remodeling by carpenters, plasterers and decorators and the seating was enlarged.  The film operator now worked out of a fire-proof cage which was on the right hand side of the entrance doors.

            Penney’s new Palace Theatre opened for the first time on October 4, 1920, so apparently the Lyric now had to meet its competition.  In the Waupaca County Post, the Lyric had a new and more impressive ad: “New Waupaca Lyric Theatre now open, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights, continuous performance, 7:30 to 11 p.m.  Admission 10 and 15 cents.”

            The last ad that I found for the Lyric was for October 22, 1921.  Was this the last showing on the screen at the Lyric Theatre?

            Occupants that followed the Lyric Theatre before Uni Travel at 104 North Main were S. Klein, who had a fruit store; Al Klein, his son, who had a dress shop, and Sears, which opened there in 1948.

            There was another theater, the Colonial, which lasted a short time.  Located at 209 North Main Street, it ran in 1914-15.  This is the present location of Kirby Sales.  Some of us will remember shopping here at the Market Basket.

            The Waupaca Post, November 9, 1915, reported:  “The Colonial Theatre, well-known playhouse to exhibit every evening High Standard Vaudeville Plays.  Misses Ollie Odell and Jennie C. Olson ran the Colonial Theatre from May 25, 1914 to November 4, 1915, when they sold out to J.A. Dowding and H.F. Cran of Chicago.  The new management controls four theaters in the central part of the state.  Admission 5 and 15 cents.”

            The program for Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1915 was “Business is Business,” in six extraordinary acts.  Admission 5 and 15 cents.

            Oftentimes after reading “When Then Was Now,” someone has called or written and related to me some additional interesting fact about a certain story.  I just received a letter in Mr. Tom Holly’s Christmas card in regards to the Charles Ogden case and the Mead murder.

            After Tom Holly’s Navy service he started his apprenticeship with his father, Roy Holly, in 1946.  He remembers the ashes of Charles Ogden being at the funeral home.

            In his junior year at the Waupaca High School, Miss Kurkowski was his history teacher, and he did a thesis on the Mead murder, and in doing so he had the opportunity to visit Grandma Ovrom, who was the young girl who worked at the hotel where Mr. Mead took his meals.  When he did not show up for a couple of meals, she became concerned and went next door to the bank.  Standing on a box looking in a small back window, she saw Mr. Mead’s body in a pool of blood.

            Mr. Mead’s skull was held for evidence for many years at the old Waupaca County Courthouse; when the new Courthouse was built, Tom Holly said he picked up the skull at the Clerk of Court’s office and placed it in a small infant burial case, and Clerk of Courts George Jorgensen met him at the cemetery for the burial.