The Gillioz “Theatre Beautiful”

The Gillioz “Theatre Beautiful”
Celebrating Springfield’s Theatre History, 1926–2006
Edited by James S. Baumlin 
Preface by Roy Blunt 
Artwork and design by Eric Pervukhin

7 1/2 x 11, 96 pages, with 80 
historic colorized photographs and illustrations
. $22.95 paper. 2006 release.

“While written for a popular audience, this book is perhaps the most detailed study published to date on the subject of downtown Springfield (MO).”
—Congressman Roy Blunt, Missouri 7th District

“Written with verve and precision, energy and exactitude, style and wit, this contribution to our cultural heritage will inform and delight us all, whether we take the entire exhilarating journey from first chapter to last or merely dip in now and then for a few refreshing moments.”
—Mark Trevor Smith, author of “All Nature Is But Art”: The Coincidence of Opposites in English Romantic Literature

Recounting the many live vaudeville acts and films that graced the theatre’s stage and screen, The Gillioz “Theatre Beautiful” presents a social history of entertainment through the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, the Second World War, the Cold War, the Sixties and the Seventies. Of note is the Springfield theatre’s hosting of three movie world premieres—with future U. S. president Ronald Reagan appearing in each.

James S. Baumlin is professor of English at Missouri State University and has published widely in fields of criticism, rhetoric, and English renaissance poetry.

Eric Pervukhin is professor in the Department of Art and Design at Missouri State University. His book designs and varied artwork have won national awards and international recognition.