Boller Brothers, often written Boller Bros., was an architectural firm based in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

which specialized in theater design in the Midwestern United States during the first half of the 20th century. Carl Heinrich Boller (1868–1946) and Robert Otto Boller (1887–1962) are credited with the design of almost 100 classic theaters ranging from small vaudeville venues to grand

movie palace A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is any of the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 192 ...

s. About 20 Boller Brothers works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Arkansas

*Baxter Theater

Mountain Home, Arkansas Mountain Home is a city in, and the county seat of, Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains near the northern state border with Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12,448. A total of 41, ...

''Closed'' * New Theatre, 9 N. 10th St. Fort Smith, Arkansas, NRHP-listed ''Closed'' *Rialto Theatre

Searcy, Arkansas Searcy ( ) is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2019 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,767. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area ...

Open

California

*Corona Theatre

Corona, California Corona (Spanish for "Crown") is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 157,136, up from 152,374 at the 2010 census. The cities of Norco and Riverside lie to the north and north ...

''Closed'' *Fontana Theatre

Fontana, California Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Founded by Azariel Blanchard Miller in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area. It is now a regional h ...

Renovating *Inglewood Theater

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

''Demolished'' *Largo Theatre Los Angeles, California ''Demolished'' *Montrose Theatre Montrose, California ''Demolished'' *Tracy Theatre Long Beach, California ''Demolished'' *West Coast Theatre

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the List of ...

''Closed'' *

Walkers Orange County Theater Walkers may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Walkers, one name for zombies in The Walking Dead (franchise) Literature * ''Walkers'' (novel), a 1980 horror novel by Gary Brandner Music * The Walkers (Danish band), a ...

, 308 N. Main St.

Santa Ana, CA Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...

(Boller, Carl), NRHP-listed *White Theatre Fresno, California ''Demolished'' *Yost Theatre

''Closed''

Colorado

*Boulder Theater

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Color ...

'
Open
'' *Chief Theatre Pueblo, Colorado ''Closed''

Illinois

*Granada Theater

Mt. Vernon, Illinois Mount Vernon is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,600 at the 2020 census. Mount Vernon is the principal city of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all o ...

Renovating *Illinois Theatre

Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,446 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the ...

Open * Majestic Theatre (East St. Louis, Illinois), 240-246 Collinsville Ave.

East St. Louis, IL East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois. It is directly across the Mississippi River from Downtown St. Louis, Missouri and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. Once a bus ...

(Boller Bros.), NRHP-listed ''Closed'' *Will Rogers Theater Collinsville, Illinois ''Closed''

Kansas

*Arcada Theater

Holton, Kansas Holton is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,401. History The party that chose the site of Holton started at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in May 1856. A ...

''Closed'' *

Brown Grand Theatre The Brown Grand Theatre is a community-based historical theatre located in Concordia, Kansas and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theatre has been called "the most elegant theater between Kansas City and Denver" and to th ...

Concordia, Kansas Open''

*Burford Theatre

Arkansas City, Kansas Arkansas City () is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, United States, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. The n ...

Renovating *

Booth Theater The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the Italian Renaissance ...

, 119 W. Myrtle St.

Independence, Kansas Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,548. It was named in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. History Independence w ...

(Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed Renovating / Open *Chanute Cinema I & II Chanute, Kansas Open *Crawford Theatre Wichita, Kansas ''Demolished'' * Crest Theater, 1905 Lakin Ave. Great Bend, KS (Boller and Lusk), NRHP-listed *Crest Theater Wichita, Kansas ''Demolished'' *

Crown Uptown Theatre A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

Wichita, Kansas Open''

*Crystal Plaza Theatre Ottawa, Kansas Open''

* Dream Theater (Russell, Kansas), Dream Theater, 629 N. Main St. Russell, KS (Boller, Robert O.), NRHP-listed *Electric Theatre

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of the ...

''Demolished'' *Fine Arts Shawnee, Kansas Renovating *Fox Plaza Liberal, Kansas ''Closed'' * Fox-Watson Theater Building, 155 S. Santa Fe Ave.

Salina, KS Salina is a city in, and the county seat of, Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,889. In the early 1800s, the Kanza tribal land reached eastward from the middle of the Kansas Territory. In 18 ...

(Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed ''Open'' * Hutchinson's Historic FOX Theatre, 18 E. First Ave. Hutchinson, Kansas (Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed Open * Emporia Granada Theatre, 809 Commercial

Emporia, KS Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 a ...

(Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed, Granada Theatre

Emporia, Kansas Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 ...

Open''
Website: Emporia Granada Theatre
* Granada Theater, 1013-1019 Minnesota Ave.

Kansas City, KS Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of th ...

(Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed Open *Granada Theatre

Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...

Open * Jayhawk Theatre , The State Theatre of Kansas Topeka, Kansasbr>official Jayhawk website
Closed - to be restored''

*Jayhawk Theater

''Demolished'' * Hollywood Theater (Leavenworth, Kansas), 401 Delaware St.

Leavenworth, KS Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of ...

(Boller Bros. and Boller, Robert), NRHP-listed *Majestic Theatre

Phillipsburg, Kansas Phillipsburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Phillips County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,337. History Phillipsburg was organized in 1872 and named the county seat due to its central location in t ...

Open *Nomar Theatre Wichita, Kansas ''Closed'' *Norton Theatre Norton, Kansas Open * Overland Theater/Rio Theatre, 7204 W. 80th St. Overland Park, Kansas (Boller, Robert), NRHP-listed *State Theatre

Larned, Kansas Larned is a city in and the county seat of Pawnee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,769. History Larned was laid out in 1873. The first post office was established at Larned in 1872. The c ...

Open *Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts Salina, Kansas Open''

*Sunflower Theater Peabody, Kansas ''Closed'' *Uptown Theatre

Iola, Kansas Iola () is the county seat of Allen County, Kansas, United States. The city is situated along the Neosho River in southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn. History ...

''Status Unknown'' *Varsity Theater

''Closed'' *Wareham Theatre Manhattan, Kansas Open

Missouri

*Aladdin Theatre

''Closed'' *Apollo Theatre

''Closed'' *Ashland Theatre

''Closed'' *Ben Bolt Theatre Chillicothe, Missouri ''Demolished'' *Benton Theatre

''Closed'' *Broadway Theatre Cape Girardeau, Missouri ''Closed'' *Calvin Opera House Washington, Missouri Open *Capitol Theatre

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

''Closed'' *Davis Theatre

West Plains, Missouri West Plains is a city in, and the county seat of Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,184 at the 2020 census. History The history of West Plains can be traced back to 1832, when settler Josiah Howell (after whom Howell ...

''Closed'' *Electric Theatre

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

''Demolished'' *Empress Theatre

''Demolished'' *Esquire Theatre Bolivar, Missouri ''Closed'' *Garden Theater

''Demolished'' *Gillham Theatre

''Closed'' *Hall Theatre

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

''Closed'', building NRHP-listed as contributing building in North Ninth Street Historic District, 5-36 North Ninth St.

Columbia, MO Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

(Boller Brothers) *Halloran Theatre Moberly, Missouri ''Closed'' *Kimo Theatre

''Demolished'' *

Landers Theater The Landers Theatre in Springfield, Missouri, built in 1909, is the second oldest and largest civic theater operation in Missouri. It has been in continuous use either as a legitimate theatre or a movie theater since it opened. In 1928, the th ...

, 311 E. Walnut Springfield, Missouri (Boller, Carl) Open *Lincoln Theatre

''Closed'' *Mercier Theatre Perryville, Missouri ''Closed'' *

Midland Theatre The Midland Theatre is a 3,000-seat theater located in the Power & Light District of Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The National Collegiate Athletic Association under Walter Byers had its headquarters in the building from the 1950s until ...

Open * Missouri Theatre

Open, NRHP-listed as Missouri Theater, 201-215 S. 9th St.

(Boller Brothers) * Missouri Theater,

Open *Norside Theatre

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

''Demolished'' *Orpheum Theater Hannibal, Missouri Renovating *Owen's Theatre Branson, Missouri Open *Paramount Theatre Rock Port, Missouri closed *Plaza Theater

''Closed'' *Regal Theater

''Closed'' *Regent Theatre

''Closed'' *Rockhill Theatre

''Demolished'' *Sun Theatre

''Closed'' *Uptown Theater Sedalia, Missouri ''Closed'' *Uptown Theatre Rolla, Missouri ''Demolished March 2010'' *Warwick Theatre

''Closed''

Mississippi

*Elkin Theatre Aberdeen, Mississippi Open

Nebraska

*Lincoln Theatre Lincoln, Nebraska ''Demolished in 1962''

New Mexico

El Morro Theater The El Morro Theater in Gallup, New Mexico was built in 1928. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It was deemed notable as "the only example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Gallup." It was designed by ...

, 205–209 W. Coal Ave.

Gallup, NM Zuni: ''Kalabwaki'' , settlement_type = City , nickname = "Indian Capital of the World" , motto = , image_skyline = Gallup, New Mexico.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption ...

(Boller, Carl), NRHP-listed Open *

KiMo Theater The KiMo Theatre is a theatre and historic landmark located in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Fifth Street. It was built in 1927 in the extravagant Pueblo Deco architecture, which is a blend of adobe-style ...

, 421 Central Ave.

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

(Boller Bros.), NRHP-listed Open *

Lensic Theater The Lensic Theater, located at 211 West San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is an 821-seat theater designed by Boller Brothers of Kansas City, well-known movie-theater and vaudeville-house architects who designed almost one hundred theat ...

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...

Open * Lyceum Theater, 409 Main St.

Clovis, NM Clovis is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico. The city had a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 census, and a 2019 estimated population of 38,319. Clovis is located in the New Mexico portion of the Llano Estacado, in the ...

(Boller Bros.), NRHP-listed Open

Oklahoma

*Bays Theater (800 seats), Main & Bridge, Blackwell, Oklahoma ''Closed'' *Centre Theatre 1947–present (1700 seats), 415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ''Closed'' *Cine 2 Theater ''1926-2006'' (1000 seats), 225 Main Street, Henryetta, Oklahoma ''Demolished'' *

Coleman Theatre The Coleman Theatre is a historic performance venue and movie house located on historic U.S. Route 66 in Miami, Oklahoma. Built in 1929 for George Coleman, a local mining magnate, it has a distinctive Spanish Colonial Revival exterior, and an elab ...

1929–present (1600 seats), First & Main, Miami, OK (Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed Open *Criterion Theater ''1921-1973'' (1900 seats), 108 West Main Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ''Demolished'' *Liberty Theater ''1915-1976'' (1500 seats), 19 North Robinson Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ''Demolished'' *Morgan Theater ''1914-2008'' (1200 seats), 316 Main Street, Henryetta, Oklahoma ''Demolished'' *Oklahoman Theater (1000 seats), 315 South Main Street, Hobart, Oklahoma ''closed'' *Plaza Theater 1935–present (900 seats), 1725 Northwest Sixteenth Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ''Closed'' *

Poncan Theatre The Poncan Theatre is a historic theater in Ponca City, Oklahoma. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a contributing property of the Downtown Ponca City Historic District. History The Poncan Theatre was de ...

1927–present (800 seats), 104 East Grand Avenue. Ponca City, Oklahoma (Boller Brothers), NRHP-listed Open *Rialto Theater ''1910-1972'' (1200 seats), 13-17 Third Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma ''Demolished'' *Ritz Theater ''1928-1963'' (900 seats), 1012 Northeast Thirteenth Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ''Demolished''

Pennsylvania

*Latonia Theatre 1929–present (1600 seats), 1 East First Street,

Oil City, Pennsylvania Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania known for its prominence in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. It is located at a bend in the Allegheny River at the mouth of Oil Creek. Initial settlement of Oi ...

''under renovation''

Texas

*Granada Theatre

Plainview, Texas Plainview is a city in and the county seat of Hale County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,194. Geography Plainview is located at (34.191204, –101.718806) and is located on the Llano Estacado. According ...

''Closed'' *Texas Theatre San Antonio, Texas ''Demolished'' *Wichita Theatre 1908-present (1100 seats original, 800 current) 919 Indiana Wichita Falls, Texas Open

Wyoming

*Kirby Theatre

Worland, Wyoming Worland is a city in Washakie County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,487 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washakie County. It is located within the Big Horn Basin and along the Big Horn River in northwestern Wyoming. ...

''Status Unknown'' *New Aileen Theatre

''Status Unknown''

References

{{reflist

External links

Boller Brothers Treasures

Boller Brothers Architectural Records
Architecture firms based in Missouri American theatre architects Companies based in Kansas City, Missouri