Eblon Theater

Located at 1822 Vine Street, the Eblon Theater was Kansas City's first African American owned and operated theater. ₁The club was constructed in 1922 with a Spanish colonial facade and seating for up to 1,000 patrons₁. The Theater opened in 1923 as a venue for vaudeville and motion pictures. In 1933 the Eblon Theater closed and the Cherry Blossom club opened up in its place.₁

The Eblon Theater was Kansas City's first African American owned and operated theater in the city.₁ The theater was designed by architect Paul L. Anthony as a venue for vaudeville and motion pictures. The theater opened in 1923 with much excitement. The Kansas City call wrote on its opening under the headline "Theater is Only One in City Owned By Colored People" to praise the theaters amenities, "nothing has been spared to make this the finest motion picture house for colored people in this part of the country."₁ Concerts were held at the Theater each week and were broadcast across local channels. Patrons could also attend the theater to see a silent film accompanied by the theaters house organist.₁

The Eblon Theater was also where the legendary musician Count Basie found a home in Kansas City. In 1927 Basie was touring with a vaudeville act when it suddenly disbanded in Kansas City. Basie turned to the Eblon Theater and found a job as the house organist playing over silent films.₂ When the Eblon theater reopened as the Cherry Blossom Club orchestra leader Bennie Moten left the club and was replaced by Count Basie.₆ The orchestra was rebranded Count Basie and his Cherry Blossom Orchestra a notable moment in Basie's career as this was the first time he played under the name "count".₆

¹"Theatre Is Only One In City Owned By Colored People" Newspaper article; Kansas City Call; October 26, 1923.Musicians Local 627 (umkc.edu)

²Driggs, Frank, and Chuck Haddix. 2005. Kansas City Jazz : From Ragtime to Bebop--a History. Oxford University Press. https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.umkc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat07616a&AN=umk.b5199034&site=eds-live&scope=site.

³Pearson, Nathan W. "Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop-A History". University of Illinois Press, 1987. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.umkc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat07616a&AN=umk.b1999332&site=eds-live&scope=site.

⁴Lee, Jisung. "Eblon Theater: 1822 Vine Street". African American Heritage Trail of Kansas City, MO, 

⁵"Musicians Local 627 and the Mutual Musicians Foundation: the Cradle of Kansas City Jazz" LaBudde Special Collections & Marr Sound Archives, http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/local627/text/shaw/eblon.htm.

⁶"William J 'Count' Basie (1904-1984) Biography". Count Basie Center for the Arts,https://thebasie.org/countbasiebio/.