Valley Girl Views: The Legionaire - When Miltons Legion Showed Movies

The Legionaire Theater on Bound Avenue In Milton

Formerly located on bottom end of what is now McDonalds Parking Lot

The theater was opened in 1924 by the Milton American Legion, as a way to pay off their building debt. Sometime prior to 1930, the Pappas Brothers took over ownership. The theater closed in August of 1952

The American Legion Building On Bound Avenue, constructed in 1923

Named for Wallace Fetzer, who died in World War I.

Read more about him here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/05/wallace-w-fetzer-when-milton-gave-one.html

The cornerstone of the American Legion community memorial building was laid Saturday November 17th 1923.

The following articles were placed in a Copper Box within the cornerstone:

the November issue of the recall
the Miltonian of November 15th
the Evening Standard of November 16th
the North American and public Ledger of Saturday November 17th
a silk American flag
a roster of officers and members of post 71
a list of building committee
a portrait of Lieutenant Colonel Wallace W fetzer
P. E. Coins of the 1923 coinage one cent, 5 cents, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50 and a 1922 silver peace dollar
a list of men killed or died in their country's service between April 6th 1917 and November 11th 1918 as follows Wallace W fetzer, D wolf, Edward Shannon, William E lohman, Ernest strine, Leon Pierce, libre Gardner, Isaac Hoover, Paul Boston, W Scott Bruch, George Kaiser, Walter H knauss, Elmer Leroy yokum, Gundy romig, John H McGurk, Eduorde Cori, Raffael de Soto, Freeman W. Bower, Louis Sofinois, Kenneth Blue and Griffin Green.
A roster of burrough and government officials of Milton
a program of the ceremony
a Milton homecoming medal
an official badge of the American Legion
official U. S. Government discharge button
official American Legion ceremonial badge
roster of officers and members of unit 71 American Legion auxiliary
a Harding 2 cent stamp
a Bible

After building the new building, the members needed a way to pay for it. They decided to make it a movie theater, with all of the proceeds paying off the debt.

The theater could seat 600, on an inclined floor so that every seat had a direct view of the stage.Rest rooms were located just off of the spacious lobby. The entire balcony was box seats, which could be reserved for patrons. The stage was of sufficient size to be used for legitimate road shows, in addition to motion pictures.

The Legionaire Theater first opened on October 23 1924.

The first motion picture shown, that evening, was Welcome Stranger, With Florence Vidor

"The legionnaire is a Milton institution. The memorial building in which the theater is located is financed by Milton, money contributed by you and other friends of the American Legion. To make this memorial building self supporting, and benefit the public of Milton, it has been decided to operate a theater, which is also financed by Milton money and men. All profit from legionnaire will be used to pay off the debt of the memorial building. Instead of soliciting funds, we are going to render value for each admission good pictures at popular prices. And patronizing the legionnaire you will be helping the American Legion and will receive full value for all money spent.

The legionnaire in general is one of coziest and delightful theaters operating in Pennsylvania. It is perfectly heated, well ventilated assuring its patrons of an entertaining evening of good photo plays or roadshows in a comfortable auditorium with pleasing surroundings. The legionnaire trio under the personal direction of Sam Abrams is one of the most attractive features of the theater. It consists of a violin, cello and piano. Mr. Abrams has an enviable reputation in the music world and this trio is bound to be one of the outstanding features of the legionnaire.

Of the projection too much cannot be said. The screen is one of the best that can be obtained such as used in many of the large city theaters, among them the Stanley, Stanton and other Stanley controlled houses. It is a screen that will produce real moving pictures and will not hurt the eyes. The booh is of asbestos steel approved by the underwriters. The machines which project the pictures are of the latest and most improved type. Instead of using carbons a Mazda equipment is used. This Mazda equipment which is one of the big improvements in pictures, produces a steady light, always using the same and never flickers. This up-to-date around projection equipment in the hands of an experienced operator will produce a clear and bright picture which we all like to see."

The Miltonian, Oct 23 1924

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In July of 1925, a pipe organ was installed in the Legionaire.

"The Legionaire will be the only theater in this section between Shamokin and Williamsport using an expensive pipe organ" reported the Miltonian.

In addition to the Pipe Organ installation, the lobby of the theater was remodeled. The concrete steps were replaced with white marble, and the walls were repainted. New draperies were hung.

The Legionaire was closed Monday August 3rd for the renovations, and reopened on Friday August 14th, with "The Only Woman" featuring Norma Talmadge..

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In July of 1926, the Legionaire announced they would be showing pictures of local interest, in addition to the regular shows.

The first in the series was to be "an industrial picture, showing the interior of one of the towns industries. Few people other than employees see the inner working of Miltons plants, which means that the feature will be educational as well as interesting."

April 1926

"The legionnaire theatre is owned and managed in its entirety by the Wallace Fetzer post 71, American Legion. The splendid cooperation of the public in the last two months has been interpreted by the legion that the public desires the legionnaire to carry on through its own person, and so, this is what we have decided to do.

We can now offer you a beautiful clean theater, music by an accomplished organist, the selection of the better pictures- our efforts will be to improve in all, and we will appreciate your criticism. With a future continuance of your splendid support the legionnaire and legion building will attain again that position and have that cooperation which was given to its individual members when they stepped out to win the right of being a legionnaire. In that there are 160 members in the Wallace fetzer post there are 160 reasons for cooperation."

In 1927, Admission was 35 cents, children 15 cents

35 cents in 1927 would be roughly $5.80 in 2023

1928

Edward Hess was named manager of the Legionaire in 1928, replaceing Harry Hartman, who assumed new duties as the representative of the Milton Marble and Graite Works.

Hess came to Milton 4 years prior, as machine operator for the Legionaire.

In May of 1929 the theater announced they would only be open on Fridays and Saturdays.

In addition they were looking into adding a Vitaphone, and had contracted with Warner Bros, "whose features are the best in the talkie field."

The Pappas Bros had taken over ownership of the Legionaire prior to

March 1930

Peter Pappas with his daughters Dorthea & Tina

As Pappa's Legionairre Theater, when you entered the front door the concession was on the right. There was also a pinball machine and a nickel one arm bandit slot machine.

1933 Legionairr Movie Poster

Vaudville Shows returned to the theater in the fall of 1949.

Two shows each evening, with 4 shows on Saturday.

On August 21 1952, the Shamokin News Dispatch reported that the Legionaire Movie Theater in Milton had closed, and that the owners were involved in a lawsuit with Comerford Theaters, who owned the Capitol Theater in Milton. According to their charge, for more than 18 years they were only allowed to purchase Class B Pictures.

The theater was later known as the Hunt Building.

WMLP broadcast from the Hunt building. A Dentist, Dr Callenberger, practiced there.

. Then it became the Pappas Brothers Legionaire Theatre. After that it was referred to as the Hunt Building. Mrs Fisher had a Beauty salon on the first floor.

Bound avenue, the street in front of the building, was the only concrete street in the area.

The above photo was taken shortly before the theater was torn down, in the 1970s.

The iconic Eagles were relocated to the North Front Street, in front of the current American Legion Building. The American Legion Moved to their new home in October of 1962

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