Webster City's first motion picture theater, the Unique Theatre, opened on June 10, 1907, after a grand opening was held on June 5th and 6th. The features of the grand opening included “A Slave’s Love,” “Gibett’s Hotel,” “The Hundred Dollar Bill,” “The Pansy Maid,” and the Illustrated Song - “Moonbeams and Dreams of You.” The theater was located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Second Street and Willson Avenue at 547 Second. The proprietor and manager was W. O. L. Brown. This theater featured the first motion pictures shown in Webster City.
Brown came to Webster City from Iowa City where he operated a similar theater. He held an afternoon schedule from 2 to 5 o’clock and an evening schedule from 7 to 10 o’clock. Each schedule had three different shows lasting 45 minutes each. “In connection with the moving pictures will be given the latest illustrated songs. Miss Caro Inman, of this city, has been engaged to sing at the entertainments,” the June 7, 1907 edition of the Freeman-Tribune reported.
The building was divided into two parts. The stage and staging equipment was located at the north end. The seats for the auditorium were purchased from the Willson Opera House. The lobby, located at the south end of the building, was equipped with 300 lights. A projection booth was constructed above the lobby so that the image could be projected high on the screen; so that everyone could easily see from anywhere in the auditorium. The admission price quoted in the Freeman-Tribune was 5 cents for children, 10 cents for adults.
Business must have been good from the beginning as the July 19, 1907 issue of the paper stated that “W. O. L. Brown is considering establishing a branch theater in Fort Dodge and Ames.”
The August 2, 1907 bill at the Unique Theatre featured these films: “Wrestling Matches of 1906,” “A Venetian Tragedy,” “Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight,” “Mason & Forbes,” and the Illustrated Song - “Since You Called Me Dearie.”
In 1909, the theater was sold to Fred N. Martin, the son of E. H. Martin. He decided to run the theater three days a week as a motion picture theater only and four days a week with vaudeville acts, illustrated songs, and the motion pictures. A different name was given to the three-day-a-week motion picture which was based on the ticket price of five cents. It was called the “Nickel Theater.” Soon, it became apparent that the public was not supporting the motion picture only idea, so it reverted back to the combination of vaudeville and motion pictures. The Jan. 29, 1909 issue of the Tribune states, “Fred N. Martin, the new proprietor, has decided to restore the vaudeville feature and charge ten cents. The public did not take to the five cent show. Mr. Martin has decided to give them a good ten cent show in the future.”
In 1911, the Unique Theatre was closed. The building then housed the Grempel Harness Shop, which was moved from the 700 block of Second Street. Most recently, the building was occupied by the Coulter Paint and Drapery Store.