Dodge Theater Building

1929

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

1. Dodge Theater Building Marker

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From the National Register Nomination prepared by Christy Davis, 5/19/2009:
This two-story building was built in 1930 as a theater in the ornate style of Italian Renaissance, similar to the post office. The brick building has ornate terra-cotta

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 18, 2022

2. Dodge Theater Building

The historical marker is near the left edge of the facade. The marque is gone and the former lobby entrance on the right is boarded up.

detailing and a clay-tile roof. The building has a shallow hip roof with red clay tile and is distinguished by an ornate terra-cotta cornice with a colored tile frieze. The facade is further distinguished by quoined corners and arched stone window surrounds with ornate terra-cotta detailing in arches above upper windows. The south facade is comprised of three distinct sections: the west end bay and the east three end bays are defined by quoining and the arched surrounds at upper windows. The storefront next to the historic theater marquee on the west end has been altered. A single door with arched stone surround provides access to the upper floor next to the theater on the east end of the south facade.

The historic address for the Dodge Theater, constructed 1929-1930, was 106 Walnut. Although the entrance to the Dodge Theater was at 106 Walnut, the theater itself occupies the northwest corner of this half of the block. The southwest corner of the theater building houses a large store space. Together, the Lora Locke Hotel, Ford County Courthouse, and Dodge Theater combined to form the “Million Dollar Block.”

In 1939, the Dodge Theater

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hosted the world premier of the movie “Dodge City” after town boosters launched a campaign to convince the studio. Among the stars who came to Dodge City were Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Claire Windsor, John Garfield, Jane Wyman, and Alan Hale. 50,000 fans met the stars' special train when it arrived at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Depot on April 1, 1939.

(by Anna King)  Excerpt:  The Dodge Theatre wasn’t quite finished when it opened on October 18, 1929. Silent films were still being shown in Dodge at that time but this theater boasted Western Electric sound equipment which cost around $15,000. Talkie features The Love Doctor and a Laurel and Hardy comedy called A Perfect Day were shown in addition to a newsreel with “natural sound” said to be the first in the city. Globe publisher Jess Denious delivered a dedication speech to a packed house.

A cooling plant was installed in 1933 which drew water out of a well and iced it. The chilled air was then circulated throughout the building by blower fans. Those were apparently too loud so a new system was installed in June of 1934 which relied on six tons of ice to be delivered from Kansas Power Company every day. In the Spring of 1935, the theater began using that cooling system to filter the air so patrons could get a bit of relief from the dust storms while they watched the shows.

The Dodge was closed for the last time in the Fall of 1997. Mike and Mindy Burkhart began an extremely expensive restoration project at that time and were able to reopen on June 20, 1998 with a showing of Dodge City, of course. The building was listed for sale in early 2000 but the theater was still used for club meetings and other events. The Burkharts sold the entire building in 2010 after an auction failed to get past the first bid. Buyers Tony Woydziak, Ernie Breeding and Steve Vilaysing reportedly paid $30,000 sort of on a lark. Finding a real buyer was essential. Meanwhile, the minty marquee was in danger of decapitating someone on the sidewalk below and was removed in January of 2013. Any time you walk by, you will see ladders and building materials awaiting installation but the building is mostly empty. A small chapel is located in the former jewelry store.

Excerpt:  The old Dodge Theatre is an architecturally ornate movie house, complete with a balcony. It opened in 1929 and was once known as the Fox Dodge Theater. The Dodge Theatre’s claim to fame is that it held the premiere of the Errol Flynn movie “Dodge City” in 1939. It closed in the late-1990’s after it had been renovated and reopened a few years prior.