Hoosier Theatre - Whiting, Indiana U.S.A.
N 41° 40.762 W 087° 29.778
16T E 458691 N 4614297
The last of the movie palaces built from 1920 to '30 across Northwest Indiana to remain open. Located at 1335 119th Street in downtown Whiting, Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM77TX
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 09/15/2009
Views: 5
From the theatre's website:
The Hoosier first opened its doors on Feb. 15, 1924. For 25 cents, one could see a Vaudeville review, one or two shorts, a cartoon and a feature-length film accompanied by John Muri on the theater's Kimball organ.Famous people who entertained at the Hoosier included W.C. Fields, Amos & Andy, and the Three Stooges. Red Grange threw miniature footballs to children from the roof of the building.
Bank nights helped the theater make it through the 1930s. The management would give such prizes as roller skates, bicycles, china or a portion of the evening's proceeds.
One day in the early '40s, James Cagney stood outside the theater to sell war bonds.
In spite of the installation of a gigantic Cinemascope screen in 1954, attendance began to decline.