Ironwood Theatre Memories
The first movie I saw at the Ironwood Theatre was Pennies from Heaven. I attended the theatre with my mother and father and my brother. That was the only time we went to a movie together. I did attend many movies at the theatre during my teenage years. What an amazing experience to sit in those seats looking up at the beautiful mural and the rich curtains. It was depression times and the theatre was (and is) a luxury. Just a beautiful place to be. Thank you for preserving the Ironwood Theatre. I wish I lived closer to enjoy the programs today.
Ruth Bier
I remember going to the theatre every Saturday during the summer back in the 50s because it had a special deal for children for about 10 cents to watch a movie every Saturday for about 10 weeks or so. Unfortunately, I don't remember any of the titles. Also when I was in the high school band around 1962 or 1963, the band accompanied some local actors who put on a play called "Brigadoon" at the theatre. And also in 1962 the theatre showed the movie "Nick Adams, Adventures of a Young Man" starring Paul Newman and Richard Beymer and Jessica Tandy and some others and several of the scenes had been filmed in the Mellen and Saxon area and I had been able to go watch them film some of the scenes and obtained some autographs. I didn't understand the movie at the time but when they showed it on television in 2012 for the 50th anniversary, I watched it again and also bought the Hemmingway book it was based on and understood it better.
{Editor's note: We also presented a 50th anniversary screening of Hemingway's "Adventures of a Young Man". Many local people who were child extras in the movie, and now in their 50s and 60s attended the screening!}
"Emdee"
I remember coming to Saturday matinee movies back in the late 50s. My girlfiends and I liked to sit in the second row of the balcony. One Saturday afternoon, a scary movie was showing. A couple of boys got down on the floor and belly-crawled under the seats, and during a really scary scene in the movie, one of them reached out and grabbed my friend by the ankle. She lept from her seat and screamed so loud, I thought for sure the manager would throw us out. My friend was ticked at me for days, but even I had to laugh with the boys at that one!
Former Sleight School and LLW graduate
I am surprised there is no mention of the Seaman individual mentioned in the history. A University of Michigan graduate student wrote a thesis on the theatre and the colorful Seaman character was the most entertaining part of her thesis. How he was able to take the "sin" out of attending silent movies.at the time was so colorful. {Editor’s note: Thank you Harry for alerting us to the grad student’s thesis. We will endeavor to locate it.}
Harry Tenney
I was Tony in West Side Story at the Ironwood Theater in 1990. I really miss the theater and was wondering if you had any upcoming auditions in 2019? Even though I live in Minocqua I will always cherish that moment in time. Had a great time with Steve Lahti in West Side Story. I miss my theater family.
Larry Stigsell
My mom was born and raised in Ironwood. The Ironwood Theater was built when my mom was 4 years old, the same year that my Sivula grandparents built a new home in Ironwood, also designed by architect, Roderick Nelson. My mom told us stories of her childhood performances, dance and music recitals. We have a precious photo of my mom in the 1936 Leatha Hillis Kiddie Revue. She remembers the parents fussing over their children backstage, making sure they had a snack in case they were hungry. When my brother, sisters and I were born, we visited our grandparents every summer and always looked forward to a movie at the theater. We saw many Disney movies there as young kids. My favorite when I was a young teen was The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills. My mom passed away last year and we are all grateful for the wonderful memories we have of Ironwood and our happy times at the Ironwood Theatre!
Debbie Dolson
I would gladly share my memories of this wonderful place. That was a nice surprise when we were visiting our friends, Vic and Zona, 5 years ago. One day they invited us to the Ironwood Theater for a tour. We are not frequent theater goers, so it was a special treat. We walked around getting acquainted with the history and the people who were working in that place. It was amazing how the residents of the County managed to keep this place well maintained and well attended for so many years, how the donations were used to restore every chair, every curtain, etc. And the most memorable part of the tour was The Barton Organ, one of the four [sic] remaining in the world that were preserved at the same place they had been originally installed, that was meticulously restored up to a nail or screw, or whatever it was made of. And a working one. I even got a chance to play a few notes on it. It was a shame that right there, sitting at that masterpiece, nothing really grand came to my mind to play, just a few simple childish passages. Funny, but true. That was an amazing experience and I am really grateful that I had one. Thank you, Vic and Zona. Thank you all for keeping this theater alive. 🙂
Olga Kuznetsova
It was Saturday night, April 17, 1954. At the age of 6, I was sitting in the very back row in the balcony of the theatre with my neighbor Pat Thomas who was several years older than me. We were half way through the movie "Son Of Cochise" starring Rock Hudson when the usher called my name paging me to the down stairs. When I got down stairs my Dad was there telling me that we had to rush my Mom to the Grand View Hospital where she was ready to deliver my brother who ended up being born several hours later on April 18th which was Easter Sunday. I never did see the ending of the movie, but I remember that evening at the Historic Ironwood Theatre like it was last year. I have many memories of the HIT past & present & currently help keep this wonderful theatre's doors open as volunteer Artist Liaison.