By KAREN MADORIN
While researching Kelly Theater information in WaKeeney, I included background details.
James Keeney, a Chicago land speculator purchased the town site from the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1877. Working with business partner Albert Warren, the two surveyed the site in 1878. In 1879, they combined their names to title the newly founded community WaKeeney, promoting it as the “Queen City of the High Plains.”
Those familiar with a landscape divided by the significant 100th Meridian know this as a land of little rain, extreme temperatures, and harsh landscape. Native people migrated through seasonally to harvest buffalo but didn’t remain year-round. The Misters Keeney and Warren clearly possessed serious sales skills to turn their land speculation into Royal Habitat.
That said, a mere 34 years later, pre-WW I residents of WaKeeney and region could purchase tickets to watch movies in the Garden Theatre, owned by H.S. Givler, managed by CB Kelly.
By March 7, 1929, for a 25 to 50 cent admission fee, an audience sat in a dark theatre to watch "Airwings," a modern film with a synchronous score that included sounds of airplanes, machine guns, wind, and music. Keep in mind, this occurred prior to talking movies. The soundtrack ran separately from the movie.
On March 17, 1929, "Alias Jimmy Valentine", a William Haines all-talking picture was a “revelation to patrons of the Garden Theatre.”
Imagine conversations viewers shared after watching a film that included visuals and audio on the same reel. Folks attending the movies in WaKeeney, KS, must have thought they did live in the Queen City of the High Plains after they experienced high-tech in their hometown. According to the Western Kansas News on March 21, 1929, the Garden Theater offered four talking movie viewings the prior Sunday.
Near the Ides of March, on the 22nd in 1929, Wakeeney 7th and 8th grade classes watched Julius Caeser at the Garden Theater with a discounted 10 cent ticket. According to the local paper, they enjoyed the movie. One can suppose discussions around family tables that evening were more than a little interesting.
Current readers wouldn’t think anything wrong about showing movies on a Sunday, but readers in 1929 understood CB Kelly, theatre manager, violated local Blue Laws, labor statutes forbidding businesses from operating on Sundays.
According to the May 2, Western Kansas World edition, local law enforcement arrested Mr. Kelly for operating a picture show on Sunday in mid-January. He paid bond and awaited his May trial. Judge Peacock presided, County Attorney John Parsons prosecuted, and attorney Herman Long defended CB. Much to the relief of local audiences, the jury acquitted Mr. Kelly, who returned to his job at the Garden Theatre.
Unfortunately, in August, a malfunctioning projector contributed to overheated film catching fire and destroying the Garden Theatre. The fire occurred during a movie, and according to the Western Kansas World, once the audience noticed the fire, they calmly exited the facility.
Despite the viewers' survival, the theatre and both adjoining buildings burned. The fire grew large enough that the nearby Ellis Fire Department sent a truck to help control flames. The crew from Ellis claimed they made it from Ellis to WaKeeney in 20 minutes.
CB Kelly turned Givler’s catastrophe into opportunity, purchased two lots, and rebuilt a 500-seat movie theatre, which he named the Kelly Theatre.
More to come on this venture.
Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.