Ames Theatre Company

Joe V. Gerbracht launched a 50-year career in the movie theater business in Ames in 1912. When he retired in 1962, he owned four theaters in Ames – The Collegian on Main Street, The Varsity and New Ames in Campustown and the Ranch Drive-In on west Lincoln Way.

Joe was an Ames High School senior when his father suggested to him, his two sisters, Helen and Della, and his brother, Wilford, that they go into business. With their father’s $5,000 loan, Joe, Helen and Della bought and refurbished the old Scenic Theater at 121 Main Street – the place where they had enjoyed many weekly films.

Gerbracht Buys Scenic Theater

from the April 16, 1913, Ames Evening Times

Fred Gerbracht, who now lives in Carroll has purchased the Scenic theater from H.C. Coulson, taking possession at once.  Mr. Gerbracht will continue his business in Carroll while his son Joe runs the theater here.  Some changes will be made in the arrangement of the building.  The stage and scenery will be torn out, and more seats added, and slight changes will be made in the front of the theater.
Mr. Gerbracht plans to continue the theater along the same lines upon which Mr. Coulson has conducted it for the past few months.  A mercury arc rectifier and concave curtain will be added making the pictures plainer.  A big exhaust fan which will change the air every five minutes will also be a new feature.

Picture Show to be Built in Fourth Ward

From the July 23, 1919, edition of the Ames Daily Tribune and Ames Evening Times:

Unless something goes askew a new picture show is to be established in the Fourth ward, directly east of the Champlin store at the spot where a foundation was placed for the owners of the Twin Star.  At the time the foundation was placed, so much of a hubdub was raised and there was so much of a disruption that the city council established a theatre section and the section was all down town.  While the trouble was brewing there was a statement made that the picture shows would be established in the Fourth ward.  The foundation for the Twin Star was put in place while ground was broken for the other which was to be under the management of the Princess.  Establishing the theatre section caused all efforts to cease in the Fourth ward and the matter was dropped.

Now the matter is being agitated again.  Porter Young, a former resident of Ames, who assisted with the preparation of the first meal given at the Sheldon-Munn, has visited the city.  Since leaving here Porter has been down at Lamoni and has made a barrel of money in the real estate game.  He was in Ames yesterday, departing last evening for Chicago where he will take the preliminary steps that will eventually cause to be shipped to his address in Ames motion picture fixtures that will cost in the neighborhood of $10,000.

It is understood that eight of the business men on Boone street [Lincoln Way] have arranged to erect the building.  These men have always had faith that a picture house would bring a handsome return in the Fourth ward.  The plans have all been drawn and are now said to be in the hands of the contractors.  There is a stipulation in the contracts that the building must be completed by September 1.  It evidently being the intention to have the new show house going by the time college opens this fall.

What the present theatre owners will do about invading that territory is not known.  In times past they have stated they would protect the entire field.  There is the other question, to, as to how the new concern will get around the theatre section as provided by the city aldermen.  The building to be occupied is slated to cost $30,000 and with the additional $10,000 in fixtures will make a show worth while.  It is understood the building is to be of brick with a very fancy entrance, an orchestra pit, and a balcony that will permit of caring for more people than any house in the town.

In 1922, Joe bought Helen’s business share and became the sole owner of the Ames Theater Company. In 1927, A.H. Blank and Harry Weinberg of the Tri-State Theaters in Des Moines became Gerbracht’s partners. This happy affiliation improved the ease of getting pictures.

In 1928, the Ames Theater underwent a major rebuilding to modernize and increase its capacity. When it re-opened, Joe called it the “New Ames”. By the end of 1928, talking movies had arrived and the New Ames was showing both “Movietone” and “Vitaphone” films.  Learn more about the New Ames Theater.

Another controversy soon raged over Sunday movies. They were prohibited until a city ordinance permitted them downtown in 1928. The issue of Sunday films near campus boiled for nearly 5 years before it was resolved in 1933. Petitions, letters to the editor, editorials, numerous news stories and an election preceded an amendment to the law that permitted showing films seven days a week in all parts of Ames.  In 1938, Joe built a second Campustown theater, the Varsity. Despite the controversies, Joe always felt that he had good cooperation from university personnel.

Joe saw many innovations in the theater business – not the least of which was the introduction of sound in 1927. Early on, only part of a picture would have audio effects. The sound was recorded on records that were manually synchronized with the film.  Joe also saw the transition from eight to twelve minute “flickers” on short subjects to multi-reel, full length stories with plots. Technicolor, cinemascope, magnetic sound, stereophonic sound and 3D – as well as the movie rating system - all developed during his tenure at Ames theaters.

Kingland Systems of Clear Lake, Iowa, remodeled the Ames Theater building in Campustown to accommodate their business operations. Kingland sought to replicate the original front of the building as much as possible.  Prior to the renovation, the original façade was covered with decorative aluminum sheeting.  Kingland had other more recently installed materials removed and recovered the building front with compatible red brick.  They also retained the look of the theater marquee for their business sign. In 2014, Kingland Systems raised the New Ames Theatre and the Varsity Theater for a large redevelopment of nearly the entire 2400 block of Lincoln Way.

Scenic Theater / Twin Star, 121 Main St. (1907-1937)

While the Scenic Theater has mostly been lost to history, Ames’ inaugural movie theater opened in 1907 and was owned by K. H. Kahn, of Boone. The cost for movies, which were silent short subjects, in its early years was 10 cents. Kahn, who had troubles with the staff, sold it to Shirley Thompson, who then sold half her interest to Leo Armstrong. At age 18, Joe Gerbrach became manager of the theater after his father, Fred, purchased it in 1912. Joe’s sister, Helen, worked the box office and other sister Della played the piano to accompany the silent movies. Soon after the purchase, there were renovations that included a new state-of-the-art screen and a name change to Twin Star. Beginning in 1919, the theater brought in many vaudeville shows, too. The theater played its final movie on Sept. 19, 1937. Three days later, groundbreaking for the Collegian began.

Princess Theatre / Capitol, 117 Main St. (1911-1954)

Opening in 1911, Ames’ second movie theater was located just two doors down from the Scenic Theater. It was owned by Judge C. G. Lee, Charles T. Seers and Stewart Narvis until 1914 when it was sold to a Perry man. The theater, like Twin Star, was a place to see major silent pictures of the time and a pianist or even orchestra would accompany them. The groundbreaking 1903 silent “The Great Train Robbery” was playing at the Princess as late as 1909. Joe Gerbrach and his sisters, Helen and Della, purchased the theater in 1919 after Joe returned from World War I. The venue also had live shows, too, since it included a full stage. The theater was known for playing more serious movies. A major overhaul in 1927 also included the name change to Capitol. Its reputation of westerns and shoot-em-up action movies earned it the nickname “bloody bucket.” The theater, unable to keep up with technology, closed in April 1952.

Palm Theatre, 225 Main St. (1914-19??)

Discovered by Jerry Litzel in April 2014, the Palm Theatre was owned by William Charles Gleason and opened on March 23, 1914 with the silent film “The Great Leap: Until Death Do Us Part” with a matinee price of 5 cents and evening show for 10 cents. The theater showed both one- and two-reel shorts from the movie conglomerate Mutual Film. Gleason’s wife, Leeila, conducted the orchestral accompaniments. In August, Gleason, who was also connected with the Iowa State College engineering experiment station, sold the Palm Theatre to William Albert Matlack. The theater was never owned by Joe Gerbrach and what became of the theater remains a mystery.

What is it now: American Legion

American Theatre / Ames Theater / New Ames Theater, 2420 Lincoln Way (1919-1996)

American Theatre opened in Campustown in 1919 after some controversy. Earlier that year, the city council passed an ordinance that only permitted theaters to part of Main and Fifth Streets. University officials thought a movie theater near campus would “distract” students from their academic work. But the ordinance was soon repealed and A.L. Champlin constructed the theater, which opened in Dec. 29 and included a balcony. It was the third theater for Ames and the first one built solely to show movies. The first movie was Cecil B. DeMille’s silent “Male and Female.” W.A. Matlack operated the theater until it was acquired by A.H. Blank, of Des Moines, in 1920. Joe Gerbrach, owner of the Princess Theatre and Twin Star, had recently started an association with Blank and soon acquired the theater and renamed it Ames Theater. A remodeling project in 1928, which also readied the theater for sound movies, came with the name change to New Ames Theater. On June 9, 1996, now owned by Central States Theatre Company, the theater closed because the company’s Varsity Theater, located just down the street, expanded to two screens. In 2004, the location became an office for Kingland Systems Corp.

Collegian, 411 Main St. (1937-1974)

The crown jewel of Ames theaters, the Collegian, which will forever be remembered for its art deco front, neon signs, glorious sound and state-of-the-art lighting, was erected by Joe Gerbrach’s Ames Theatre Company in 1937. The place was known for its modern architecture and furnishings everywhere from the lobby to the restrooms. The theater, which could seat more than 900 people, was even air conditioned and in the early 1950s, was the first theater in Ames ready to play movies in the new widescreen format. Plays were also able to be performed in it. The Collegian frequently had long lines and the biggest Hollywood movies of the time. But with declining attendance, it closed in January 1974. Its final night had more staff on hand than attendees. The building was sold to the bank next door, and the outside was later stripped away.

Varsity / Varsity 2, 2410 Lincoln Way (1938-2009)

A year after the construction of the Collegian came the Varsity Theater, located a few doors down from New Ames Theater in Campustown. It was operated by Joe Gerbrach’s Ames Theatre Company. In 1995, it was announced that Varsity would temporarily close for renovations that included adding a second theater. The second screen also meant the closing of New Ames Theater. The theater reopened as Varsity 2 on June 13, 1996 — the same day as North Grand 5 opened — with the movies “The Phantom” and “Eddie.” Varsity was well-known for its midnight movies on the weekend, that included an assortment of movies ranging for independent cult classics to art house and foreign films. In fall 1999, Central States Theatre Company sold it (and North Grand 5) to Cinemark. The theater began to play more art house movies in 2001 until it closed in January 2009. Iowa State’s Government of the Student Body debated leasing or buying the building and renovating the theater for classes and movie events, but never worked out. In August 2011, it became a consignment store until it closed for the Kingland Systems development.

Ranch Drive-In, 5820 Lincoln Way (1949-1995)

The Ranch Drive-In, Ames’ only drive-in theater, was located at Lincoln Way and the Boone County line road. Its first movie when it opened in 1949 was “The Return of October” starring Glenn Ford. Like the other four theaters in town at the time, the drive-in was owned by Joe Gerbrach’s Ames Theatre Company. Business was at its best during the 1950s and 1960s. After Gerbrach’s retirement in 1962, the theater, which could handle more than 500 cars, would be passed on to Central States Theatre Company. With rising land values making the property more valuable than the business, the drive-in, which had included a full concessions stand and playground, closed after the 1995 season, but that wasn’t made official until 1996. Central States’ new North Grand 5 took its place. The final lineup when it closed: “Pocahontas,” “Operation Dumbo Drop” and “While You Were Sleeping.” The building, vandalized after it was abandoned, was razed in 1999.

Thank you Anthony Capps for your research on Ames Theaters