Elizabethtown State Theater Returns to Glory Days
With old-time classic films, more recent memorable movies, concerts and special events, the Elizabethtown State Theater is returning to its heritage as the premier entertainment center for Hardin County.
In its golden age, the Historic State Theater was the heart of social life in Elizabethtown. Opened in 1942, the State Theater’s very first showing was The Fleet’s In, starring Dorothy Lamour and William Holden. The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra played at the theater’s lavish grand opening, which attracted more than 1,000 guests. After showijng E.T. in 1982, the theater shut down and sat empty for years, lonely and peeling. The State Theater was resurrected and reopened in 2009, and work continues to turn it into the elegant movie palace of yore. Eventually, the Elizabethtown State Theater will seat 700 in plush comfort.
The State Theater, one of the few remaining example of Art Deco architecture in Elizabethtown, sports a stepped roof parapet, in-laid geometric designs and two porthole motifs on its façade, an outsized marquee and plenty of classic neon. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The theater runs classic movies such as The Ten Commandments, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Gone with the Wind, Miracle on 34th Street, A Hard Day’s Night, Goldfinger and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The State Theater also hosts a free concert every month throughout the year; the music ranges from rock ’n roll to country to traditional dulcimer music.
The building houses more than just the State Theater. The Plum Alley Theatre, nestled on the northwest side of the building, has been the venue for the Hardin County Playhouse for the last few years. The 3,700-foot First Federal Gallery displays art and is open to the publich Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.
HelloMetro Tip: With such elegant surroundings, the State Theater could be the perfect place for a wedding reception, birthday party, banquet, club event or your next business meeting. You can rent the main theater, the First Federal Gallery or the Plum Alley Theatre space. There’s even an option where you can rent the State Theater and show a movie!
Posted on Feb 3, 2011 by Ivonne Rovira
