Artcraft Theatre facts for kids
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 Artcraft Theatre
Location in Indiana
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| Address | 57 N. Main St Franklin, Indiana United States |
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| Coordinates | 39°28′52″N 86°03′18″W / 39.481161°N 86.055017°W |
| Owner | Franklin Heritage, Inc. |
| Designation | National Register of Historic Places |
| Type | Movie theater |
| Seating type | Festival Seating |
| Capacity | 625 |
| Screens | 1 |
| Current use | Movie theater and concert venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 1st, 1922 |
| Renovated | 1936, 1940, 1948-1952 |
| Closed | May, 2000 |
| Reopened | 2004 |
| Years active | 1922 - present |
| Architect | Roy C. Bryant |
| Structural engineer | Arsee Engineering |
The Historic Artcraft Theatre is a special movie theater located in Franklin, Indiana, in the United States. This theater showed movies for 78 years without stopping before it closed. It was once the main office for the Syndicate Theatre's movie network from 1936 to 2000. A group called Franklin Heritage Inc. saved the Artcraft from being torn down. Today, it shows classic movies and hosts concerts. The Artcraft is a great example of an Art Deco style theater in Indiana.
Contents
The Artcraft Theatre's Story
Early Days: Movies and Live Shows
The Artcraft Theatre first opened its doors on November 1, 1922. It was the very first theater in Franklin built specifically to show movies. The building was designed in a neo-classical style. It did not have a large sign (marquee) or blade sign when it first opened.
The theater was located right across the street from the interurban railway station. This made it a perfect spot for vaudeville groups to perform. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with different acts like comedy, music, and dance.
The Artcraft also showed silent movies from 1922 to 1929. During this time, musicians would play in the orchestra pit in front of the stage. They provided live music to go along with the films. Many local high schools and Franklin College also used the Artcraft stage. They put on plays and held graduation ceremonies there in the 1920s and 1930s.
New Owners and Modern Changes
The Rembusch family from Shelbyville, Indiana, started leasing the Artcraft in 1928. They bought the theater in 1936. The Rembusch family added sound to the Artcraft on October 28, 1929. The first movie with sound, called a talkie, was Fox's Follies of 1929.
In 1935, they installed the first air-conditioning system in Franklin. It used a "swamp cooling system," which was an early type of evaporative cooler. During the Great Depression, many American families went to the movies for cheap fun. It helped them feel like things were still normal. The Artcraft even joined a popular lottery called Cash or Bank Nite. This lottery continued at the Artcraft through the 1950s.
In 1940, the Rembusches added a new, two-line marquee and a blade sign. They also added fancy walnut and agate-colored vitrolite glass to the front of the building. This was around the poster cases. LIFE Magazine chose Franklin for a photo-essay about a small town's Saturday night. This was because Franklin seemed like a perfect community and was recovering from the Great Depression. The photos were taken in October 1940 and published in December 1940.
Supporting the War and Art Deco Style
During World War II, the Artcraft helped support the war effort at home. They held scrap metal drives and sponsored War Bond drives. People who contributed received a free movie pass.
Trueman T. Rembusch hired architect Alden Miranda to design a new look for the Artcraft. Work began on an Art Deco style renovation in 1948. It finished with a new screen being installed in 1953. The Art Deco renovation made the whole front of the building and the lobby look sleek and modern. Workers installed neon lights, shiny mirror tiles, and rounded every sharp corner in the building. The new marquee had a cool "waterfall-light" pattern and many lit-up lines.
The renovation also involved filling the orchestra pit with sand and concrete. A new curved screen was then placed on the stage floor. These changes meant the Artcraft would focus mostly on showing movies, rather than live events.
The Artcraft's Closing and Rebirth
The Artcraft was the only movie theater operating in Franklin from the 1960s to 2000. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, many multiplex theaters (theaters with many screens) started appearing. Kerasotes Theatres planned to build a multiplex in Franklin. Michael Rembusch, who owned the Artcraft, decided his single-screen theater could not compete. He built Canary Creek Cinemas in Franklin to try and out-compete the planned Kerasotes theater.
Rembusch decided he could not run two theaters in the same city. He chose to close and sell the Artcraft. The Artcraft showed Gone with the Wind as its last movie in May 2000. It had been open continuously for 78 years.
Bob Schofield, a local businessman, bought the Artcraft. He hoped to bring younger people back to the downtown area. He opened an ice cream shop, hosted concerts, and started a dance club for people under 21. In May 2001, part of the auditorium's ceiling collapsed during a dance club night. After repairs, things went back to normal for a short time. However, in August 2003, engineers said the building was unsafe due to electrical and structural problems. Bob Schofield could not afford the huge repairs needed. He agreed to sell the Artcraft to Franklin Heritage Inc.
Franklin Heritage, Inc. Restoration
Saving a Historic Gem
In 2001, the historic preservation group Franklin Heritage, Inc. (FHI) started renting the Artcraft. They wanted to raise money for restoration work and upkeep. FHI's "Classic Film on a Classic Screen" campaign began on September 13, 2001. The first movie shown was From Here to Eternity. This patriotic film, showing America under attack at Pearl Harbor, was very meaningful to people. It was shown soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. FHI continued to rent the building one Thursday and later one weekend each month.
After buying the Artcraft with help from the Johnson County Community Foundation, FHI started their "Marquee Project." Their goal was to restore the Artcraft to its beautiful Art Deco style. FHI launched a $500,000 campaign to renovate the building. In 2006, FHI received a state grant to help with the theater's restoration. The Artcraft's restoration happens alongside other preservation projects that FHI works on. The Artcraft celebrated its 100th anniversary on November 1, 2022.
The Artcraft Today
Today, the theater shows classic films that are 10 years old or older. The staff carefully chooses a wide variety of movies. They pick iconic films, well-made movies, and "cult-classics" that they think people should see. The Artcraft works with many local and regional groups to bring great programs to the area. This includes its long-running "Best of the Fest" events with the Heartland International Film Festival.
Architecture and Design
The Artcraft building has a full stage and an orchestra pit. These were originally built for vaudeville performances. The theater was first built in the neoclassical style and did not have a marquee. Two original stage backdrops, showing a forest, are still kept backstage.
Trueman Rembusch bought the theater in 1936. He oversaw the theater's first renovation that same year. In 1948, it had a second major renovation in the Art Deco style. This style is very typical of American movie theaters from that time.
Awards and Recognition
- In 2015, the Artcraft was named one of the "4 Favorite Restored Small-Town Cinemas" by Midwest Living magazine.
- Franklin was awarded the "Best Main Street in Indiana" by Visit Indiana in 2019. The Artcraft's restoration helped bring new life to the downtown area.
- The Artcraft is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is part of the Franklin Commercial Historic District.
