The Princess Theater is a longstanding establishment in St. James beginning in 1914. The Theater has a very colorful history beginning with vaudeville and moving picture shows and evolving to “Talkies” in 1929.
In our third part of “If These Buildings Could Talk” the writer takes you back to some written articles that appeared in the Plaindealer in 1914 and 1929 beginning with the birth of the theater, “St. James’s New Play House, Modern and Fireproof.”
“Princess Opens Wednesday”
The “Princess”, St. James’ new modern and strictly up-to-date play house will open to the public next Wednesday evening with a clean, high-class vaudeville and moving picture show[The title of the show was ‘The Adventures of Kathlyn’ by Harold MacGrath].
Several months ago Henry Nelson, who has been running so successfully the Scenic moving picture show, bought a lot just west of the postoffice and announced that he was going to build an up-to-date play house. The building is now completed and the finishing touches are being put on. It is 30x102 feet in dimensions. It is built on the most approved plans, is fire proof and sanitary. Patrons will be comfortable either in the hottest or the coldest weather. It is heated with a modern plant and in summer fans will keep it cool. It seats 425 people in fine mahogany opera chairs. This is more than twice the seating capacity of the Scenic.
Mr. Nelson has built up a reputation, by furnishing nothing but clean shows and moving pictures. Ladies and children attend with confidence that nothing will be presented that is in the least objectionable. Mr. Nelson states that he has the patronage of the most refined and cultured people in the city and he proposes to take every precaution to put nothing on but clean amusements. Next week he expects to have a high class vaudeville in addition to moving pictures. The prices for the vaudeville evenings will be 10 and 20 cents, when moving pictures alone are given the price is 5 and 10 cents.
1929-Talking Pictures
March 14, 1929
As announced in the columns of the Plaindealer in a recent issue, The Princess Theater will give the St. James Public a treat about April 1 in the form of talking picture shows or “talkies.” Mr. Nelson has arranged to have the new apparatus shipped from New York and is now busy with the preliminary arrangements.
Contractor Jos. Smith, ably assisted by Al Koop is at work remodeling the booths in the Princess for the installation of the equipment. The booths will be absolutely fire-proof and sound proof.
The theater-going public of St. James is naturally on the tip-toe of expectancy regarding the talkies, for few have heard them yet. It will be something of a novelty to hear the actor’s voices the moment you see his or her lips move.
The installation of the talkies is in line with the progress of the age and adds one thing more to the prestige of St. James as a social center of the county.
“Voters OK’d Sunday Shows”
On April 4, 1929 the Plaindealer reported that the citizens of St. James gave Nelson’s “Princess” Theater a boost by approving Sunday Shows. More in the Nov. 26 Plaindealer.
st. james plaindealer —
