.jpg)
Once again, with the rebirth of the State Theater, we can do just that!
Over the past century Ely has been home to four different movie theaters. The first was in the building that previously housed the Ely Bowling Center.
In 1895, the local Temperance Society constructed a building for its members, one that had a wide variety of offerings: a library, a gymnastic club, a lecture hall (with a stage) that seated 500.
Offered were light opera, theater productions, musicals, concerts and a brass band. The women members were also very involved with the local suffragette movement. Its aim was to offer alternatives to the temptation of “strong drink” to the young, often single, men most of whom were miners.
Activities began to dwindle as families and churches eventually came to the frontier town, and silent movies took their place. First came silent movies. Still called the Opera House when it later became a movie theater although the date of the changeover is not certain. We do know it was an active movie theater in the 1920s.
In 1897, the Elco Theater opened on Chapman Street. It began as a vaudeville theater, then showed silent movies, and ended with the “talkies.” It accommodated 350 patrons. The Elco closed in the late 1930s and was torn down in 1944, leaving the lot to stand empty for many years.
It was eventually replaced by the Masonic Building. That more recently has been home to Heavy Metal Sports and a pool hall.
Some of our oldest senior citizens may still be able to recall being admitted to a movie there with an empty Arco Coffee can. Others recall sneaking in the alley door. A number of the original theater seats are located in the Historical Society museum at Minnesota North College, Vermilion Campus.
There have been reports of a Bijou Theater in Ely around 1908, but no evidence to verify this.
Other semi-private small movie theaters operated in those early years, one of which is said to have been in the back room of what is now Mary’s Spinning Wheel.
The Swanson brothers operated the movie theater in the Opera House. In 1935 they announced plans for a new movie theater building on Sheridan Street. Built by local contractor John Rautio, it was proposed to be called the Rio. It opened as the State Theater on October 15, 1935, with the movie “My American Wife” starring Francis Lederer and Ann Southern.
The building was designed in the Art Deco style typical of the 1930s. There were 350 seats.
Plans originally called for a rather elaborate set of cast sculptures which were not used, most likely due to the hard times brought on by the Depression. Going to the movies during this era, however, remained one of the main forms of local entertainment.
The Ott family, doing business as The Alley “A” Realty, has recently taken on the impressive renovation of the State Theater.
This has included exterior brick and stone restoration, re-roofing, an entirely new infrastructure, renovation of the entire interior including seating, and more.
Those costs have already exceeded $2 million, far more than the original cost of the building - even with the change in the value of the dollar. During the renovation, challenging problems arose with the ledge rock being removed to create a lower level.
At the present the theater has two theater spaces: the main theater and the smaller Greenstone Theater.
Although the Ely Theater building still stands on the 100 block of Chapman Street, it shows no signs now of having been a movie theater. It was built by the Baehr Brothers of Bemidji, MN.
Construction was to have started in 1928 but the Depression also postponed it until 1935.
The Ely Theater finally opened in 1936. It seated 900 with two retail shops, six apartments, 15 offices, and a mezzanine level with an enclosed “crying room” for unhappy youngsters. Rowdy children were quickly removed by uniformed ushers during performances.
Double feature matinees were regularly shown on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For many years the cost of admittance for children up to age 11 was nine cents (with a penny left for a caramel).
So as the late Stanley Kunstel put it: “On Saturdays every kid was 11!” Popcorn was a dime.
Even today’s Baby Boomers can still recall the Saturday afternoon westerns featuring Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, the Lone Ranger, Tonto, Gene Autry, Andy Devine, Hopalong Cassidy, Cisco Kid, Diablo, Tom Mix, Sky King, Rocky Lane, John Wayne and others.
Gone, except on videos and DVDs, are the likes of Mae West, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Tyrone Power, Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Helen Hayes, Lionel Barrymore, Elvis, King Kong and oh so many more!
Elyites also got news of the World War I and the Korean Conflict from MovieTone News in a way that radio broadcast could never reproduce. Movie going was a big social event. Theaters were also community meeting places.
Something like this now happens at the supermarket.
You may note that there is a theater ticket superimposed on the picture of the Ely theater.
During the Depression a drawing for $100 was held once a month.
The Otto Ranta family was able to realize their dream of buying a lakeshore lot on Burntside when their number was drawn. It would not have happened otherwise.
A display of pictures and playbills from all four of Ely’s theaters is located at the Ely-Winton Historical Society at the Minnesota North College, Vermilion Campus. It will be there throughout August and September. Call the Historical Society at 218.365.3226 for hours.
