History of The Historic Montrose Theater
Performing Arts Headlines
The Nicolette (the "C-Nic")
1917
The theater began as the Nicolette (the “C-Nic”) in the years before WW1, and stood on the public woven site later occupied by the old Griffing store, but the C-Nic was put on the block in 1917 by it’s owner, a Mr. Lorimer, who hired one Anna Watrous to handle the sale.
Kingsley resident, Ms. Nora Bishop, recalls that Watrous, a friend of her father, lumberman William Welliver, encountered little interest in the bidding, so waters asked Welliver to favor him with an opening bid just to get things going. Well over obliged with an offer of $400. And promptly and unexpectedly found himself the new owner.
Ms. Bishop recalls that her father ran the theater at the original location from 1917-1920 when it’s silent features and paths’ news reels shown 6 nights a week, 3 shows nightly, Sunday movies were prohibited by law, the admission fees were 11 cents for youngsters and for .22 for adults.
With the war over and business booming, Nora’s father hired Whipple brothers of Laceyville to build a new 200 seat showhouse to replace the original one seating 160.
1923
The Ideal
The new structure on today’s site was unveiled to patrons on August 17th and renamed The Ideal. Ms. Bishop recalls that her dad hired Paul Crawford as projectionist while her mother sold tickets and Ira Thomas took them. She and Ms. Thomas acted as ushers. A small orchestra, under Professor J. Weley Gavitt played appropriate music. Later, Ms. Bishop and her sister replaced the orchestra by playing piano 3 shows a night for the pricely sum of $10 a week.
Around 1928 sound pictures took over the silence and Welliver sold out to his friend, Ira Thomas. Several other individuals assumed ovwnership after that until the booming Comerford Chain sold it to Ed Clifford in 1940.
Mr. Clifford, who was born in Philadelphia, had contracted tuberculosis as a child and was sent to White Haven for treatment. It was there that the enterprising young man contacted Philadelphia film distributors for movie films to show his fellow patients. After being discharged from the hospital, he bought his first theater in the town of White Haven which was 1 of 12 he subsequently managed or acquired over the years.
It was in those days that he also co-owned the Montrose Inn and in 1941 met and married Marjorie McMann of Binghamton. Ed Clifford remodeled the Ideal, absorbed the candy-tobacco-magazine store as well as the watch-maker shop that occupied. Half of the buildings face, updated the seating, constructed a marquee for the first time, and renamed it The Montrose Theater.
The Montrose Theater
1941
That began a 40 year run for the dapper and genial promoter, one that lasted until his timely passing in 1985, when his widow Marge took it over, ably assisted by manager-projectionist, Paul Hitchcock. Who now marks his 20th year in the film booth, and later by Carol Stanley, ticket vendor and house keeper.
Ms. Clifford decided earlier that year that the time had come to step down and offered the property to several interested parties, one of whom indicated a desire to continue showing films, others indicated they had other ideas for the site.
That was when Marge’s friends and neighbors, Tom and Shirley Quigg, decided they would like to preserve the communities heritage and restore the theater by purchasing the complex through their convenience store chain Pump n Pantry.
The Historic Montrose Theater
Today
Tom Quigg, no stranger to construction and renovation after 15 years in the home heating oil businesses became a member of the Montrose community when he moved to our town from his native Clarks summit some 15 years back acquiring the Seddon/Lathrop oil company subsequently expanding it’s operations into the popular chain Pump n Pantry convenience stores.
Mr. Quigg put his building superintendent, Mike Garrihan of Springville in charge of the renovation project. Six intense weeks of reconditioning and cosmetic work followed. Done by local construction, electrical, and decorating contractors.
The finished project included structural reinforcements, roof, complete insulation, replacement of floors, walls and ceiling, an updated sound system, new movie screen with framing for both flat and Rama pictures, updating of the projector and , a separate public address system, motorized stage curtain, an enlarged stage which is suitable for public meetings and group seminars, and lighting. Perhaps the one improvement that will be most appreciated will be found in the reupholstered seats, now configured in rows over 36” apart for more stretch room.