From the archives of The Crittenden Press comes some interesting history about Marion's early motion picture theaters. The Aerdome appeared in 1909.
July 8th, 1909, Mr. W. C. Reymere, of Toledo, Ohio comes well recommended as a good, honest, respectable and capable business man, able to give the people a good show for their money. He formerly operated a show at Lima, Washington Court House and Lancaster, Ohio, and at each place gave a good show and pleased his patrons.
Marion people should patronize the Aerdome, if as good as reported and thus encourage Mr. Reymers and his family to locate and give a permanent amusement. The films he uses are of the highest class and will please even the most fastidious.
Several ads were in the Press during the year of 1909 telling of the films that were to be shown at the Aerdome. But then there wasn't anything more about this early theatre until the early 1920's and the Press told it's readers about a new Theatre nearing completion.
May 2, 1924- Marion's new outdoor motion picture theatre, the Aerdom, located on the Carnahan corner (where Five-Star is located today) at Main and Bellville Streets is rapidly nearing completion.
Messrs. C. L. Cassady and W. P. Hogard, the owners announce that it is their plan to have everything in readiness for a big opening night on Saturday, May 17th, with a picturization of Harold Bell Wright famous novel, “When a Man's a Man” as the attraction. An orchestra has also been engaged for the opening night.
Mr. Cassady is one of the best show men who has ever conducted a place of amusement in Marion. Previous to the destruction of the old opera house he operated a moving picture theatre therein, and everyone remembers the class of attractions he brought here. His many friends will be glad to learn that he is to cater to their wants in pictures again.
Newton Moore, one of the best moving picture machine operators in this section has been engaged to run the machine. The Aerdome will have a seating capacity of about 500 and is being constructed in such a way that it will be a credit to its prominent location and to the town.
May 16, 1924 – Aerdome to Open Saturday
With the possible exception of the romances which so recently culminated in weddings, probably nothing has cause so much interest and comment in Marion in recent months as the outdoor theatre at the corner of Main and Bellville Streets.
A large percentage of the outdoor theatres of America are of a very cheap type construction and an eyesore to their neighborhoods.
Not so with the one now nearing completion. Manager Cassady is superintending the work personally and is planning on making the corner a more beautiful one than it was a few years ago when the Epworth League had a park there.
The Aerdome is to be formally opened on Saturday night, May 17, with one of the best pictures produced in recent years as the attraction – Harold Bell Wright's powerful novel “When a Man's a Man” is the title. Those who were fortunate enough to see “Shepherd of the Hills” here a few years ago are certain to want to see this the latest story by this popular author to be pictured.
For Tuesday night, May 20 the attraction is “Mighty Like a Rose,” a picture that is being shown right now by many picture houses as a “feature” picture. “Flaming Youth” with the beautiful and popular Coleen Moore as the star is one of the early bookings, date to be announced later.
In July movie listing included: Rudolph Valentino in “Blood and Sand.” A story of old Spain and the Bull fights. “The Isle Of Lost Ships, featuring Milton Sills, all star cast. If you are looking for a picture of adventure and action, don't miss this one.
May 23, 1924 – Aerdome Opens To Large Crowd. Marion's New Place of Amusement Proves Popular on Opening Night.
Proof that the people of Crittenden and also Livingston and Caldwell appreciate and will patronize high class moving pictures was evident last Saturday when the new Aerdome opened it's doors to the public with “Wen a Man's a Man” as the feature picture.
The weather man was very kind to the management, for after threatening most of the day to mess things up, the clouds blew away in the late afternoon and the night was a gem of beauty.
It was a new experience to most of the crowd to sit outdoors in the glow of a wonderful full moon and witness one of the greatest stories ever picturized, most of the scenes of which were laid outdoors. A person could almost feel the picture it was so realistic.
It is said that the largest crowd that ever witnessed a single performance in a moving picture theatre in Marion was present at the Aerdome opening.
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One of the few people that remembered the Airdome was the late Miss Helen Moore. She was a small child about six or seven when it was in operation and she said about all she can remember is that it was an open top rectangle shaped building with wooden chairs for the seats. The screen was at one end and the film projector at the other. The top was open to the skies. Miss Moore remembers one of her little friends like to brag that she didn't have to purchase a ticket to see the movies, because her parents had a local business on the second floor of the Masonic building and she could see the movies from their store window.
These were the days of the silent films with the wording across the bottom of the screen of what the actors were saying. The one movie that Miss Moore particularly remembers seeing was Peter Pan and the little fairy Tinker Bell. She remembers that she was so enchanted with the little fairy that when she went home her pet dog, cat and her dolls were all rechristened with the name of Tinker Bell.
The Airdome theatre didn't last long for it burnt in 1925, but no details were available about the fire.
By 1926 Mr. W. W. Runyan had opened his Kentucky Theatre on Main Street and this was probably the end to the open air theater, for it was not rebuilt.
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