Address: 619 Market St. Construction Date: 1907 Architect: Louis A. Cella (builder)
AMERICAN THEATRE
The American Theatre opened in April 1907 as a unit of the William Morris Advanced
Vaudeville circuit. The theatre was built by Louis A. Cella, a prominent St. Louis
real estate man. When vaudeville began to fade, the American Theatre began to
host traveling attractions from New York and Chicago. For the next 35 years, the
American Theatre was host to many stage shows and such famous actors as Ethel
Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, Tallulah Bankhead, and Helen Hayes. The final
performance at the Market Street location was on May 2, 1953. Immediately
after this show, the American Theatre was torn down in order to make room for
a parking lot. The American Theatre relocated to the former Shubert Theatre on
Grand Avenue. In 1960, the American Theatre moved again to the former Orpheum
Theatre on 9th Street and St. Charles Avenue.
