THE PARK THEATER

St. Louis Park had an actual movie palace, as elegant as the ones downtown. The Park Theater, originally to be called the Center Theater, opened at 4835 Minnetonka Blvd. on May 10, 1939. The Minneapolis Tribune reported that opening ceremonies includes a color guard by the American Legion and fireworks between shows. The first movie shown was “Yes My Darling Daughter” with Priscilla Lane and Jeffery Lynn. A little Crosley car was employed to shuttle patrons from the parking lot to the theater.

An authentic movie palace, it featured a modern decor (“art moderne” – “The Theater of Tomorrow”) and opulent appointments. It seated 1,102 patrons, with a balcony where smoking was allowed. Seats were staggered to ensure maximum sightlines. At the end of every other row was a double seat, apparently for those not on their first date. The entrance opened to a circular lobby, into a spacious foyer. The lounge was decorated with “surrealistic” wallpaper. The basic color was metallic gray, with “aluminite” walls. The rest of the color scheme was red, green, and yellow, with indirect lighting. A Mrs. Clow of the American Institute of Decorators created the interior. The building featured one of the first uses of fluorescent lighting. Seats were covered with bright red mohair. It was one of the first theaters in the Twin Cities to allow smoking.

The land was purchased from farmer Simon Kruse. Of the 27 acres purchased, 10-15 acres were donated for Carpenter Park, which later became the site of the St. Louis Park City Hall.

Personnel included the architect, Perry E. Crosier; the builder, M.E. Greenberg Construction Co.; and the owner, the Minnesota Amusement Co., Harold D. Field, President. Field was the son of M.L. Finkelstein, who owned several theaters in Minneapolis. The manager and part owner was Harold Kaplan, who had managed four Minneapolis theaters in the past and also operated the Texa-Tonka Liquor Store. When Kaplan died on June 15, 1956 at age 48, he was described as “St. Louis Park’s #1 Citizen” by the Dispatch.

The building also included five stores on the ground floor and five office sites on the second floor. Tenants included a recording studio, doctors' offices, Suburban Electric (owned by Earl Ainsworth), a hardware store, barbershop, and the Bird Cage Cafe, which featured real birds.

In 1952, the property line of the theater had to be moved back 3 ½ ft. due to widening of Minnetonka Blvd.

In 1953, the theater closed as it sued the Minnesota Amusement Co. and eight major movie production companies for fixing “runs and time clearances.” The Hollywood Theater in Minneapolis was also a party to the suit.

In 1958 there was a major redecoration effort. The goal was to make the moviegoer feel NOT at home, but in an elegant night club. It was at this time that 70 mm projection equipment was added – only the second in town after the Academy Theater downtown.

In the late 1950’s there were a couple of plans for the adjacent land south of the Theater, bounded by Highway 7, W. 31st Street, Ottawa, and Carpenter Park. In 1958, Field, Max Winter, and Cedric Adams, Jr. proposed to build a restaurant on the site. In 1959, a request was made by Harold Field, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Harold Field, Sr., and Norman Moshu, the proposed builder, to build a St. Louis Park Theater Company, perhaps on par with the Guthrie. They requested the zoning to be changed from commercial to unrestricted, with a mind to build up to six stories. To no avail: an apartment building was built on that site in 1961.

In 1963, Ted Mann of Mann Theaters took over the Park Theater. He also owned the Mann Southtown, Downtown Mann, Academy, Orpheum, Uptown, Downtown World, and Suburban World Theaters. Under his watch, most of these theaters went into disrepair.

In 1965, Mann remodeled the Park Theater for the conversion to Cinerama, in order to compete with the Cooper. The theater closed on November 28, 1965. Plans were to install “rocket-type” seats, and to move the projection booth from the balcony to the main floor. The Architect was Gingold-Pink, Minneapolis.

During the remodeling process the theater was picketed by the Motion Picture Machine Operators Union, 219 (AFL). The Union’s lawyer said that the dispute was over vacation pay. Work was temporarily halted during the strike. When the theater reopened, the first movie shown under the new format was “Battle of the Bulge.”

On June 1, 1977, the theater began showing the movie “Star Wars,” a movie that bore seeing more than once. In fact, the theater kept showing it until January 1979. The theater closed for good in 1980.

The theater building still exists today with stores and offices. But as of 2006, remnants of its former glory are all around, from the original light fixture in the lobby, torn and tattered but original carpeting and wall treatments in the foyer, projection room, sweeping stairs to the balcony, original tile in the bathroom, , and two foyer doors that usher you into… nothing, since the auditorium itself was removed for a parking lot.

2006


For more on the Park Theater, see Something in the Water.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.