Eagles Theatre

...continued from Page 1 organizing patrons and debt holders to refinance and take ownership,” Geyer said. “All that the same year, the Titanic went on its maiden voyage.”

More on that time period is found in Episode 3.

The four-story, 440-seat theater at 106 W. Market St., was built by Fraternal Order of Eagles in 1906 and placed on the Registry of Historic Places in 1985 but after a series of ownership transfers throughout the century, had gone into a state of disrepair until acquired by Honeywell Foundation in 2010.

After more than $16 million in renovations, the theater won Indiana Landmarks’ 2022 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration and once again is a gathering place for private events, movies and live acts.

The final film, dubbed “Coming of Age at Eagle’s,” was released March 28 and is a title with which many interviewed in the series relate.

“Included in the episodes are quotes from about 40 Wabash people, but the primary stars in the first four episodes are Susie and Pete Jones,” Geyer said.

Pete is a local historian who fondly remembers seeing his first film, “The Wizard of Oz,” at Eagles Theater when he was 4 years-old.

“It was just fun to talk to him about the history,” Susie said.

Susie grew up in North Manchester and remembers being in grade school and going to the theater every Saturday afternoon with her friends to watch westerns featuring Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.

“We all had our favorite cowboy,” Susie said.

When the friends got older, they went to the theater on Saturday nights to watch musicals featuring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Gene Kelly, Susie said.

“Eagles Theatre is responsible for my life-long passion for film-making,” Geyer said.

“I’m doing this to give back a little of what the Eagles Theatre gave to me. It inspired me.”

Geyer got his first industry job in the sixth grade at West Ward School where he was made projectionist. At the time films were made on 16-millimeter film that had be wound through the projector.

“If it broke you had to know how to splice it back together,” Geyer said.

It was in the role of projectionist that Geyer, who is adjunct anthropology professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, began to analyze films and people.

“You showed the same film to fourth, fifth and sixth grade so you got to see them three times,” said Geyer

Some films Geyer found to be more enjoyable to watch three times than others.

“That got me thinking: Why is this a good film and why is this one not?” Geyer wondered.

Eventually Geyer realized, “It has to do with story. That’s why I got into public broadcasting. I wanted to do deeper stories.

We are taught in story. We negotiate in story. We tell stories, good and bad stories. We live our lives with stories.”

Throughout the many films Geyer has made and reviewed, he believes it is the hero that makes a good story like the superheroes in films like “Flash Gordon,” that were especially popular after World War II.

“When we were growing up, the theme of the superhero adventure films was, they would risk their lives to help other people. Also, the girl may help,” Geyer said.

‘Ben Hur’ is another of Geyer’s favorite hero movie.

“It’s about Jesus and, without getting into religion, its message is you sacrifice yourself to help others,” Geyer said.

The fifth installment in the series covers the tumultuous times Geyer experienced in high school.

“After the 1960s, there was a sea of change, culture wars. I grew up in the ‘60s,” Geyer said. “What did our generation learn going to the Eagles in the 50s and 60s? Growing up in Wabash, it was interesting.”

Cultural rebellion surrounded the Vietnam War, feminism and racial rights, while parents were saying “get your haircut. We need to be good patriots during wartime. Be like Richard Nixon, He is a good patriot,” Geyer said.

“Teenagers” was then a newly coined phrase to describe adolescents who had more money and more time than their parents did. They also had Cont. on Pg. 11.

EditorJoe Slacianjslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

AccountingToni Bulington accounting@thepaperofwabash.com

Advertising DirectorArlene Longalong@thepaperofwabash.com

Advertising

Classified