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Roy’s Hall History 2024-01-17T22:37:05-05:00

Roy’s Hall – established 1913

Originally Blairstown’s Main Street Livery, the concrete structure at 30 Main Street was fashioned into a movie theatre and community hall in 1913 by early film exhibitors, Robert Roy and Raymond Smith. Dubbed Roy’s Hall, the building opened for a dance on March 13, 1913 and began screening silent movies twice a week beginning March 29, 1913. A spectacular fire on February 7, 1917 caused major damage to the theatre and destroyed five apartments adjacent to the structure. Rebuilt and modernized, Roy’s Hall reopened on July 14, 1917 and continued to show silent movies until 1930, when it was converted to “talkies.” Although the theatre survived the devastating flood of 1955 when much of Main Street was under water, the heavy competition from television was too great an adversary. Roy’s Hall was forced to close its doors on November 2, 1961.

2016-01-23T18:32:56-05:00

Roy’s Hall Ads

Two newspaper ads for Roy’s Hall from 1916. Dustin Farnum had starred in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Squaw Man in 1914 and many years later would become the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s unusual first name.  Theodore Roberts, would later play Moses in DeMille’s 1923 silent version of The Ten Commandments.

2016-01-20T13:53:04-05:00

Roy’s Theater c1923

A 1923 photo of Roy’s Hall during its days as a silent movie house.  The movie was Rags To Riches, featuring character actor, Richard Tucker, who would become the very first member of the new Screen Actors Guild in 1933.

2016-01-20T14:36:13-05:00

Tickets and Program

A Roy’s Theatre program for “A Man Must Live” starring Richard Dix from 1925. Also pictured are assorted ticket stubs priced from fifteen to forty-five cents. ~ Items donated from the collection of Kenneth Bertholf ~