In 1920, a group of businessmen built a theater at 414 E Main Street. Steam heated and fireproof, it cost $50,000. It had an orchestra pit, fully equipped stage, and dressing rooms for live performances and a projection booth for movies. The owners offered a prize for the best name. The winner was the Olympic, but when the theater opened on September 19, it was called simply The New Melrose Theatre. Later it was called the Olympic and finally The Melrose Theater.

George O’Brien, Sr. and his family arrived in 1937 to manage and eventually buy The Melrose. The movies were strictly family fare. "Gone With The Wind’ was the only picture it ever ran rated ‘B’ by the Legion of Decency.

Ticket prices when the theater opened were $1.00 for adults, 40 cents for kids. The Depression saw them creep down to 19 cents. Wednesday was Bank Night when a patron in the right seat might win from $ 5.00 to $ 50.00.

O’Brien Sr. died in November, 1966, and the theater closed. George O’Brien, Jr. arrived to become the manager the following year. Four days before the premier, "The Singing Nun", the marquee collapsed and had to be removed. It was a sign of thing to come. The Melrose closed permanently 8 monts later.

This display contains the ticket window and much of the original equipment, including the dreaded hook, which speedily ended the careers of bad performers. Its bamboo handle and business end are held together with many layers of tape. There is no doubt that in Melrose, somebody got the hook.