Photo at 108 West George. Kepner-Dull Building. Now part of Tom Wetzel’s Antique Store block.
Movie Pictures Comes To Arcanum Phenakistiscope, kinetoscope ( I889 l ) and the nickelodeon ( 1905) all preceded the movie theatres we think of today. Nickelodeons coupled movies with sing-a-longs, vaudeville comics, dog acts and illustrated lectures. In 1907 the Chancellor brothers, William and Harry, brought movies to Arcanum. The first show consisted of a ten minute reel “Dick the Newsboy” and an illustrated slide program accompanied by a singer, Miss Helen Robbins, with the pianist being Mr. Charles Lowder. All this for the price of a nickel, thus the name nickelodeon. William and Harry Chancellor named their new enterprise Dreamland. It was located at 108 W. George St. The brothers claimed continuous service of the theatre from 1907 until it closed in 1953. Although between Oct . 28, 1909 and April 28, 1910 the theatre was known as C. R. Jobes Picture Show, operated by C. R. Jobes. This was during a time when the brothers and their mother, Amanda, lived in Florida. Not liking Florida they returned to take over the theatre. The admission was 5 cents until 1925 when it was increased to 25 & 50 cents for nights and l5 & 35 cents for matinees. During the depression, the average price of admission was 10 & l5 cents and 20 & 25 cents and by 1947 it was still only 16 and 3l cents.
Dreamland was remodeled in 1927 with additional seating, a new front and marquee along with a fireproof room for the two film projectors. The theatre reopened May 6, 1927 under a new name, The Ritz Theatre. With the introduction of “talkies” the Ritz underwent a change again in 1930 to install a sound system. Not only had the theatre itself been an important part of our community for so many years, so to were the Chancellor brothers. They supported the community giving benefit shows for various projects such as when money was needed for the Arcanum Fire Company to buy new equipment. Free kiddies movies at Christmas time was an annual event with Santa handing out treats. During the Centennial Celebration of 1950 they showed movies taken during the early period around 1914.
Although not in business long there was a theatre at 123 W. George St. (the present historical society building). Between Feb. ’07 and March ’07 it was called Casino Theatre. From March ’07 until Feb. ’08 the name was Electric Theatre. The proprietor was W. S. Zimmerrnan and Stanley Jones was the manager.
Many AWTHS members have fond memories of the Ritz Theatre, whether it was seeing a movie on Saturday night while their parents did the weekly shopping or sitting in the last row with their sweetie. “My sisters and I often walked downtown on the weekends to see the latest movie. I remember the black stove down front which was used to keep the theater warrn. Local advertisements shown on the screen looked like they had been written on a chalk board”, Joe Bailey recalls. “When I walked inside it was so dark I wasn’t sure who was there. I thought a part of Arcanum’s past ended when the theater closed”. The advertisements were actually written on glass plates, approximately 3×3 inches, and shown from a special projector. “I bought the glass plates at Roland Gilbert’s auction”, said Gene Rench, “and he had purchased them from HaWrry Chancellor’s sale. I bought as many as I could. A movie I remember seeing at the Ritz was Gone With The Wind.”
Knowing that Harry (J.R.) V. Sarver Jr. wanted the historical society to have the movie projector his children, Connie Loxley, Vickie Sarver, Terry Sarver and Tracy Sarver, donated this piece of history to AWTHS. Some of you may remember seeing it on display during Arcanum’s sesquicentennial celebration. “I don’t know how my dad got the projector” said Connie. “He began working at the theater when he was in high school and also ran the projector at school. My grandfather Harry V. Sarver Sr. and my uncle Cleo “Cy” Sarver both worked at the theater running the projector. Dad worked as an projectionist during his tour of duty in WWII. When dad went into the service both Harry Chancellor and Clayton Starr, High School principal, wrote to the captain of Dad’s unit recommending him for the job based on his experience. I still have the letter Dad’s captain sent him commending him for his service as projectionist in the war department theaters”. More may be learned about the Chancellor brothers and the history of the theatre in the book Arcanum, Ohio -Business History(1852 thru 1968) written by Anita Short.
Come in and visit AWTHS during Open Hours, the Frist Saturday Morning of each Month from 9-noon. Check out the old projector that stood down West George in the old Kepner (later Dull) building. And read or purchase about the building and theatre in the Arcanum Business book. We have previous posts about the Chancellor Brothers, as well, as they photographed some of Arcanum.
By the way, we have the old glass slides from Gene Rench if anyone knows how to make prints from the glass slides or wishes to investigate this project for AWTHS?
Please follow AWTHS blog guidelines. Photos part of AWTHS archives.