Vigo County Historical Society

Theater weathered years of change

The Fountain Theater at 422 Wabash Ave. is first listed in the Terre Haute City Directory in 1918.

According to the notes at the museum, "The theater was a business building converted into a show house." It offered movies and newsreels, unlike other theaters which offered both vaudeville and films.

The theater’s proprietor, A.K. Haufman, later served as the first president of the Terre Haute Theaters Association, formed in 1939 to promote better motion picture entertainment in the city.

The history of the Fountain can really only be discovered by examining newspaper ads, since there is no museum or library documentation of anything else significant happening there.

Its years of operation, from 1918 to 1953, seem marked off in measures of war and peace, as evidenced by front-page headlines beginning with World War I and ending with the Korean Conflict.

Judging by clothing styles, the museum photograph could well have been taken at the theater’s opening in 1918. Posters advertise two films. "Between Father and Son: A Spanish Love Story" and "Dr. Sill’s Patient." The films were silent, although a musician may have played piano music to accompany the on-screen action.

On Jan. 1, 1919, the Terre Haute Star headline read: "Allies Divide U-Boats." The Fountain offered a movie, a two-reel O. Henry story, and the latest war news, at the price of 5 cents. These attractions also would have been silent, with captions, since "talkies" didn’t really enter the scene until 1926.

Five years later, on Jan. 1, 1924, the Star headline read: "River Yields Missing Woman" (an account of the drowning of a school teacher from Clinton), and the Fountain offered William Duncan in an episode of "The Steel Trail," Larry Semon in "The Barnyard," and international news. Admission prices were 10 cents for adults and 5 cents for children.

It should be noted that compared with other theaters, the Fountain’s ads always were small and low-key. On Jan. 1, 1929, in fact, no ad for the Fountain appeared in the newspapers. It’s possible that the Fountain closed its doors for a time, or merely that advertising was suspended during the hard economic times of the Depression.

The Jan. 1, 1934, Star boasted the exciting headline: "Dillinger Again Evades Capture," while the Fountain advertised the film, "Ann Vickers," which most likely was a sound film.

On Jan. 1, 1939, the Terre Haute Tribune cover story focused on "20 Trapped in Blazing Mine," an account of a mine accident near Clinton. The theater section of the newspaper had grown into two full pages, one filled with articles and reviews of films, and the second filled with display ads. The Fountain offered Edward G. Robinson in "I Am the Law." It also offered a comedy and a cartoon.

The Tribune headline on Jan. 1, 1944, stated, "Russians Drive Within 35 Miles of Poland Line." The Fountain featured Charles Starrett in "Riding Through Nevada," plus a cartoon show. Prices for admission were 15 cents for adults and 9 cents for children.

It seems apparent that the Fountain was a minor theater compared with others such as the Indiana and the Grand, to name just a few. While the Fountain featured low-budget westerns, many of the others offered big name stars like John Wayne, Red Skelton, Himphrey Bogard, Alice Faye, Bing Crosby and Alan Ladd. There were price differences, too. While the Fountain was charging 9 cents and 15 cents, the Indiana and Grand charged 15 cents and 40 cents. The Liberty charged 11 cents and 22 cents.

A photo of a 6-week-old Prince Charles ushered in Jan. 1, 1940, on page one of the Tribune. The Fountain’s "big New Year’s Eve show" featured Charles Starrett in "Trail to Laredo," along with the Three Stooges and Donald Duck. Feature film, comedy and cartoon seemed to be the Fountain’s formula.

The beginning of 1953 marked the beginning of the end for the Fountain Theater. Chinese Communities and Nationalists were front page news, and the Fountain continued to offer westerns, this time a comedy, "Callaway West Thataway," starring Fred MacMurray and Howard Keel. Admission still was only 9 cents per child and only 25 cents for adults.

By Jan. 1, 1954, the Fountain again was not advertising, but it also was no longer listed in the City Directory. The theater had ceased operation after 25 years of incredible change, moving through the years of silent movies, black and white sound films, to full color extravaganzas.

This week’s historical treasure, a framed photograph of the Fountain, may be seen in the back hall of the museum.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.