With the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood premiere mixed with the home-town folksiness of a county fair, droves of Iolans turned out for a party Friday.
The occasion?
Members of the Iola Theatre Association turned on the lights for the building’s marquee, an exact replica of the original from when the movie house first opened its doors in 1931.
The crowd was greeted with storybook weather conditions as they were serenaded by both the Iola High School and Allen Community College jazz bands.
John and Jana Taylor of Simply Soiree handed out free bags of popcorn. Gabe and Myra Gleason served an assortment of tasty treats from their gelato cart and Sharky’s had a drink stand set up.
Jim Hall, Merriam, and whose grandparents were from Iola, served as master of ceremonies. Hall gave a vivid glimpse of what it would have been like when the old theater first opened its doors 95 years ago.
“While America was grappling with the Great Depression, the people of Iola were lining up right here on South Washington Avenue for a glimpse of something miraculous,” Hall said. “When the doors of the new Iola Theater swung open that night, it wasn’t just a building. It was an escape. It was a palace of dreams built right in the heart of Kansas.”
The theater was built by Ira Kelley, a local entrepreneur and namesake for Iola’s old Kelley Hotel in addition to a garage and a second hotel in town.
It was certainly a sight to behold, an environment designed so patrons felt like royalty, Hall said. All for the price of a nickel.
“In an era of dust and hardship, the new Iola theater offered 900 seats of pure unadulterated luxury,” he said. “The furnishings were a masterclass in art deco elegance.”
THROUGH the years, the building served as a backdrop for Iolans of all ages.
It was the setting for first dates, Saturday matinees, tears and laughter alike, Hall noted.
Several in the crowd recalled their first memories of the theater.
Gregg and Roxanne Hutton attended movies there as youngsters.
Gregg Hutton described the weekly Saturday afternoon flicks.
Roxanne’s first “real” movie experience was seeing “Jaws.”
Leslie Crane recalled standing in line to watch “Star Wars” when the film was first released in 1977.
