On July 12, 1995, Capt. Earl R. Smith ran a 20-part series on the "Gem" Theatre and the Wagner family. I highly recommend it if you want the early [history], should have the microfilm.

In 1931, Prof. Wagner, owner of The Gem, sold out, According to advertisements, by 1933 the name was changed to the State Theatre. My guess is that Mrs. Hisey and Albert Smith Jr. bought it at this time.

The new entertainment was the silent motion pictures during Prof. Wagner's ownership. To you young folks this meant no speaking parts only live music to accompany the stars of the times and their movements.

According to the staff oft he Nashville Journal movies appeared in a theatre in December 1900. It could have been the Gem or its predecessor.

Names of the time included Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, the Keystone Cops, etc. among others.

Our "Hollywood connection" came by way of Mrs. Hisey's oldest son, Gradwell Sears, who in his later years was an executive of Warner Bros. Picture Corp in New York. He died two years before his mother (1957).

Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks owned United Artists and when Douglas Fairbank died, Sam Goldwyn bought his shares. Pickford and Gofdwyn didn't get along and the company continued to fail. In 1941 the board of directors of UA appointed Gradwell Sears the vice president of the company. He later became president and finally the feuding stopped. It's a confusing piece of history and I'll stop with the above since I've arrived at the name of Gradwell Sears. Gradwell Sears was the son of Ebba Sears and Alpha Morris. He was born in Hannibal, MO and lived with his grandmother, while his mother made a living in St. Louis, after her husband died.

In the 1910 census Homer Hisey Sr. lived in St. Louis, Homer Sr. and Alpha Sears married Circa 1902 and lived in Webster Groves, MO. Homer Sr. died in Webster Groves, May 23, 1917, and is buried in the OakHill Cemetery, Webster Groves, MO. The 1920 census shows Alpha living with sons Homer Jr. and GradwelI Sears and Albert Smith Jr. is a "border". By 1920 we have all the characters listed that lived in Washington County and were a part of our "Hollywood connection".



Mrs. Hisey was born Sept, 15, 1873 in Hannibal, MO and died July 23, 1959 in Nashville. She was the daughter of Alfred and Mary (Barker) Morris. She was one of the outstanding women of her time.

Her obituary reads, "she lived life so richly and fully that to many her name will forever be legend." She was well educated and highly thought of by everyone who knew her.

She was a big-boned women, white headed and a no nonsense lady who sat in the box office and sold tickets to the night's entertainment. Albert Smith Jr (Smitty) her associate operated the State Theatre for over 25 years. She could scare the heck out of you if she looked at you. Her look commanded authority and no nonsense.

See: Alpha Hisey's Obituaries Albert was her associate in the "dental business" when she lived in St. Louis. These people were all involved in business together for years. It is my guess that Gradwell Sears promoted the extension of the State Theatre and if they bought it, he would see to it, they had the top movies to show.

To me it would have been the "golden years" of movies and we in Nashville witnessed it all.

The history of these people belongs with the story of the building. I really don't think we would have had a movie house for over 100 years if not for them and our "Hollywood connection". Its been a grand run so lets help these business people out for being so patient.

I have been asked that maybe we should show the old 1950s movie of Nashville again as a money maker, and also have a board with brass plates and names to make a "memorial" if a person' wanted to do that.

Lets help out where we can and maybe we'll have this State Theatre for another 100 years.

