Francis A. Greulich, also known as “Gus” Greulich, was a very important figure in the history of movie theaters in La Grande from the 1920s through the 1950s. He was a businessman and owner of several theaters in the city, especially the Granada Theatre, the Liberty Theatre, and later the La Grande Drive-In.
Greulich became involved in the local movie theater business in 1928, when he purchased part of the Star and Liberty theaters together with J. Donald Meyers, forming the company Greulich and Meyers. During those years, cinema was rapidly growing as the main form of entertainment in small American towns, and theater owners played a major role in the social and cultural life of the community.
In the 1940s, Greulich partnered with J.E. “Ted” Jones, a businessman from Los Angeles connected to movie theater exhibition chains. Together, they began controlling several of La Grande’s main theaters under the Western Amusement Company. This shows how even theaters in small towns started becoming integrated into more industrialized and centralized business models, similar to the larger Hollywood systems.
One of the most important changes associated with Greulich was the transformation of the old Star Theatre into the new Granada Theatre, which opened in 1952. The Granada was considered one of the most modern theaters in eastern Oregon, with around 800 seats, advanced ventilation systems, a modern screen, and improved conditions for audiences. The opening of the Granada marked an important change in local film exhibition because it replaced the Liberty as the city’s main movie theater.
Greulich also participated in the purchase of the La Grande Drive-In in 1954 together with Ted Jones. This reflects how theater owners had to adapt to new consumer habits during the 1950s, when drive-ins became extremely popular due to the rise of automobile culture and suburban life in the United States.
