Lamar Theatre

The Lamar Theatre is a historic movie theater in downtown Lamar, Colorado, celebrated for its Art Deco architecture and its long role as an anchor of the local commercial district. According to the theater's official history, it opened on November 15, 1946, built by the Atlas Theatre Corporation, a company owned by C.U. "Charlie" Yeager. Although the building was constructed after the classic Art Deco period of 1920–1939, its design deliberately adopted the style, featuring indirect lighting, neon, colored floodlights, curved edges and corners, chrome, mirrors, glass blocks, terrazzo flooring, pastel color schemes, and murals with flowers and sunbursts. The theater was designed by prominent Denver architect Charles D. Strong, who also designed historically important buildings in the region, including eight buildings in Denver's Sherman Street Historic District. Its decorative scheme was laid out for Yeager in Los Angeles and executed by a Denver concern. Boxoffice Magazine featured the Lamar for its unique architecture and design in a March 29, 1947 article. The Lamar was Yeager's first theater and remained his flagship; a longtime Atlas manager recalled a large photo of the Lamar hanging above Yeager's desk for many years. Yeager's career in motion pictures began in childhood, and while working as a district manager for Fox Inter-mountain Theatres he devised the "Bank Night" promotion, which the theater's history describes as having "blossomed into an American institution" that saved hundreds of theaters from bankruptcy during the Depression. The theater's official website presents it as "The Home of the Historic Lamar Theater in Lamar, Colorado," offering a photo gallery, slideshow, information, contact details, and history. The site also references renovations, indicating ongoing preservation and adaptation of the venue. The Lamar Theatre remains a recognizable landmark and a point of civic pride in Lamar, Colorado, representing mid-20th-century American movie palace design and the entrepreneurial history of regional theater chains.

The Lamar Theatre opened on November 15, 1946, in downtown Lamar, Colorado. It was built by the Atlas Theatre Corporation, a company owned by C.U. "Charlie" Yeager, who also owned the Atlas, Atoz, and Civic Theatre Corporations. Yeager hired prominent Denver architect Charles D. Strong to design and build the theater. Strong had designed a number of historically important buildings in the region, including eight buildings in the Sherman Street Historic District of Denver. The theater's decorative scheme was laid out for Yeager in Los Angeles and executed by a Denver concern. Although the Lamar was not built during the classic Art Deco period of 1920 to 1939, its architecture and styling are Art Deco, featuring indirect lighting, neon, colored floodlights, curved edges and corners, chrome, mirrors, glass blocks, terrazzo flooring, pastel color schemes, and murals with flowers and sunbursts. A national publication, Boxoffice Magazine, featured the Lamar for its unique architecture and design in a March 29, 1947 article. The Lamar was Mr. Yeager's first theater and remained his "flagship." A longtime theater manager for Atlas remembered a large photo of the Lamar above Mr. Yeager's desk for many years. Yeager's life story had elements of Horatio Alger. While working for Fox Inter-mountain Theatres as a district manager, Yeager devised the idea for a theater promotion called "Bank Night." Bank Night "blossomed into an American institution," saving hundreds of theaters from bankruptcy during the Depression. He started in the motion picture business as a small boy and eventually had numerous theaters. The theater has been an anchor of downtown Lamar for over 60 years, according to its official history. The official website also references renovations, indicating efforts to preserve and update the historic venue. The site presents the theater as "The Home of the Historic Lamar Theater in Lamar, Colorado" and offers a photo gallery, slideshow, information, contact details, and history.

• 1947

  Boxoffice Magazine features the Lamar for its unique architecture and design on March 29.

• 1946

  Lamar Theatre opens on November 15 in Lamar, Colorado, built by the Atlas Theatre Corporation.

Historic downtown movie theater and community landmark in Lamar, Colorado.

• Movie screenings

  The theater operates as a movie theater.

1. 1Lamar The Theatre Beautiful - Lamar Theater - Lamar, CO 81052lamartheatrebeautiful.com
2. 2Historylamartheatrebeautiful.com
3. 3Lamar Theatre - Wikidatawikidata.org