1925–1929
Competition from the Movies
The advent of movies—and, to a lesser degree, radio—changed the entertainment dynamics of America.
In the 1910s, a number of movie theaters opened in McPherson. Attendance at the Opera House, where admission was five to 15 times greater, began to dwindle.
In the spring of 1925, the Opera House quietly closed its doors, only to reopen, completely remodeled, as the Empire [movie] Theater in 1929. On opening night, 200 people had to be turned away.
The Empire, in turn, folded in 1936, to reappear as the Mac Theater just three weeks later.