Mitchell’s Orpheum Theatre
Theatre Beginnings
Back before motion pictures even had sound, the Orpheum Theatre was opened in Mitchell, Indiana in September 1914. A few pictures of it can be seen below.
Picture credit of the Orpheum Theatre in Mitchell, Indiana: https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/20411
Picture credit of the Orpheum Theatre in Mitchell, Indiana: https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/20411
The following is transcribed from a September 24, 1914 article in The Mitchell Commercial about the opening with the original clip attached to this posting since it's now in the public domain:
New Orpheum Opened.
Police Necessary to Hold Back the Crowd in the Evening.
Menlo E. Moore's new Orpheum moving picture theatre was opened Thursday afternoon and quite a number were present to see the new building, but the big rush did not come until Thursday evening, when it was necessary to use two policemen to keep the crowd from jamming. No more would be admitted than could be comfortably seated, and the theatre seats 280, but the trouble was to stop the crowd when this number had gone in. All evening people stood on the walk waiting to get through the door. Many were here from Bedford and Menlo, who with his brother Lowell, had come down from Chicago to be at the opening, was well pleased with the patronage.
This is probably the finest moving picture theatre in state. There are larger ones, but none finer, and had not Mitchell been Menlo's home town we would not have such a building.
The policy of this theatre will be to put on three special shows each week, for which ten cents will be charged, the other three will be five cents. On Tuesday night of each week will be shown war pictures, and this we suppose will continue as long as the war lasts.
This building occupies one of the best corners in Mitchell, is elaborate in every detail, is comfortably seated with opera chairs, is practically fire proof and would be a credit to a much larger city than this. Mitchell is proud of such a building, and Mr. Moore can well be proud of it.
This is the original story that appeared in The Mitchell Commercial.
Tickets from the theatre from an eBay seller.
About Menlo Moore
A picture of Menlo Moore from the Mitchell Opera House website.
Menlo Moore, that opened the theatre, was very well known and also a leading vaudeville, motion picture, and theatrical producer in the United States. He had quite a life, and he even went on trial for shooting and killing another man. You can learn more about the trial, and his career, from the Mitchell Opera House website. He also was the grandson of the Bank of Mitchell founder. Menlo’s burial information in the Mitchell City Cemetery is available on the Find a Grave website.
Later Theater History
According to a February 6, 1983 article in Bloomington's Herald-Times, the Orpheum closed in 1968, and was later torn down to make way for a parking lot. According to the Cinema Treasures website, the address of the original theater was 714 W. Main Street in Mitchell. Also according to that February 6, 1983 Herald Times article, a new Orpheum Theatre was opened just one block west of the spot of the original on Main Street in 1983. One of the men that opened it was Bill Jenkins, who also worked in the projection booth at the original theater. He partnered with John Arnold, projectionist at the Palace Theatre in Bedford, and Bob Evans, part owner of Bedford's Cinema I, II, and III. According to a January 31, 1986 The Herald-Telephone story, the new Orpheum Theatre was purchased by Hoosier Cinemas Inc., and reopened as Hoosier Cinema.
According to Indiana Memory, this picture of the theater was taken in 1974.
