Forgotten Movie Theaters Chippewa Falls - Lyric, Loop and Palace

Note:  This is week two of my series on the history of movie theaters in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin.  It is admittedly a topic of only local interest but the burden of a historian is not always a light one to carry....

Today three minor theaters.  

The Palace.

The address for this one comes from a 1917 City Directory, and ads can be found from 1915 onward.  I assume it was not present in this 1910 Sanborn map as it should be in the long narrow space marked Bazaar at 107 North Bridge.  In fact it does not make the "At the Playhouses" article in 1912. I'll spare you the complexities of street addresses jumping about over time, suffice it to say that the Bank shown at 111 North Bridge is a solid structure that has been in the same spot since the 1870's

The location today.  It is probably the same building, as it is almost certainly pre-1910.  Now it is a chiropractic office with no evidence of it's past function.

After the owner of the Rex Theater bought up most, and perhaps all, of his local competitors circa 1917 one does wonder what sense it made to keep them all open.  As one of the lesser houses in town I figured the Palace would have gone out early but it was still running as late as this 1922 advertisement.

The Lyric.

This is another theater whose location is given in the 1917 directory and which is described as part of the "At the Playhouses" article:

The Lyric seems like a fairly classy establishment, at least if you can take that away from their ads...

 In the case of the Lyric I can offer a fairly specific starting date.  An article in the Chippewa Herald Telegram from 12 October 1911 says that:  "Work was begun yesterday on the "Lyric" the new theater which will be built in the Taylor block.  The construction will be rushed as rapidly as possible and it is hoped that it will be ready for occupancy about Nov. 5."  

I'd place the Lyric at 211 North Bridge.  It seems a rather narrow frontage for the "Five Double Door Exits" mentioned in the ad, although I see two exits on the alley before the remodel.

 

Here we are in 2020.  The alley adjacent to the Lyric has been enclosed and the entire site is now part of a newer building that sells paint, carpet and home furnishings.

The Loop

I have very little on this one.  As you get closer to the modern era it actually gets harder to nail down details.  It was on North Bridge street, probably in one of the earlier theater locations.  Circa 1935 it was described thusly:  "..the shabbier was the Loop, a second run house."  At that time the first run house in town was the Rivoli (former Victor/Rex).  I think they also owned the Loop, but would have no need for it in a few years, when they opened a brand new theater in town....