History: Richard G. (Dick) Smith, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, began his love affair with movies and theater business early in life working as a youth in theaters during the “Silent Era.”He served in both the Navy during World War II and the Air Force in the 50's and early 60's.However, his true passion was the movie business, opening his first theater in David City, Nebraska in 1965.In the autumn of 1970, he renovated the Isis Theater; in Marysville, Kansas reopening it under the name Astro Theatre.In the 1970s he expanded the Smith Theater chain throughout Northeast and North Central Kansas with theaters in Concordia, ClayCenter, Horton, and Hiawatha.Throughout the 1980s Dick continued to renovate and expand his screens turning the Astro into a Triplex and Concordia into a Twin.In 1998, he retired from a career of nearly seventy years in the motion picture business.Now retired, he resides in Marysville with his dog “Purdy.”Dick sold the Marysville Theatre to his grandson, Michael Wilkinson in 2003.In 2008, the theater was purchased by Alex Schultz. Alex continues the Smith theatre tradition by obtaining premiers movies for the Marysville and MarshallCounty area.
