Iola Sterling Six Cinemas

Iola Sterling Six Cinemas is a movie theater located in Iola, Kansas, United States. It operates as a six-screen cinema and is part of the B&B Theatres exhibition circuit, the fifth-largest theater chain in America according to the company. The venue carries the "Sterling" name, which references the Bagby family heritage within B&B Theatres: Sterling Bagby was hired as a concession clerk in 1936 and later founded the Bagby Traveling Picture Show, a business that eventually merged with Bills Theatres to form B&B Theatres in 1980. As a B&B location, the Iola Sterling Six Cinemas is positioned within a circuit that spans 57 locations and 564 screens across 16 states, offering not only films but, at many sites, bowling, arcade games, dining, and other entertainment experiences. The Iola theater itself is a local cinema serving the Iola community and surrounding Allen County area, providing first-run movie showtimes and traditional concessions. Its identity is closely tied to the B&B Theatres brand, which emphasizes family, fun, joy, innovation, and integrity as core values. While specific details such as its exact opening date and current auditorium amenities are not documented in the available evidence, the theater's inclusion in the B&B circuit indicates it benefits from the chain's booking power, loyalty program (Backstage Pass), and operational standards. The theater's name and association with B&B Theatres reflect the broader history of family-run exhibition in the Midwest, where the Bills and Bagby families built a regional circuit that has grown into a national player.

The history of Iola Sterling Six Cinemas is intertwined with that of B&B Theatres, the circuit to which it belongs. B&B Theatres traces its origins to 1924, when Elmer Bills, Sr., purchased the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, Missouri, and founded Bills Theatres. It was at that theater that he met his future wife, Johnnie, who played piano accompaniment for silent films. In 1936, the elder Bills hired ten-year-old Sterling Bagby as a concession clerk. Sterling Bagby later served in World War II and returned to marry Pauline, a ticket seller from Higbee, Missouri. Together they started the Bagby Traveling Picture Show, touring rural Missouri with films, projection equipment, seats, and a snack bar, screening in barns, schools, and parks. Over time, the Bagby enterprise evolved into a Kansas circuit of drive-in theaters and indoor "hardtops." Meanwhile, Elmer Bills, Jr., who had met his future wife Amy when both were thirteen, joined the family business. In 1980, the Bills and Bagby families merged their operations, creating B&B Theatres—the name standing for Bills and Bagby. This union of two exhibition families laid the foundation for what would become the fifth-largest theater chain in America. The Iola Sterling Six Cinemas, located in Iola, Kansas, carries the Sterling name in recognition of the Bagby family's patriarch and their Kansas exhibition heritage. As part of B&B Theatres, the Iola location operates within a circuit that today encompasses 57 locations and 564 screens across 16 states, including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The circuit offers a range of entertainment options beyond traditional moviegoing, such as bowling, arcade games, dining, and premium large-format auditoriums. While the specific opening date and early history of the Iola Sterling Six Cinemas are not documented in the available evidence, its existence as a six-screen venue in Iola reflects B&B's strategy of operating cinemas in small to mid-sized communities across the Midwest and beyond. The theater serves as a local entertainment anchor, providing first-run films and concessions to the Iola area.

• 1980

  Bills and Bagby families merge their theater operations to form B&B Theatres.

• 1936

  Sterling Bagby is hired as a concession clerk at age ten.

• 1924

  Elmer Bills, Sr. buys the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, Missouri, founding Bills Theatres.

• B&B Theatres grows to 57 locations and 564 screens across 16 states, including the Iola Sterling Six Cinemas.

Local six-screen cinema within the B&B Theatres circuit, serving Iola, Kansas and surrounding communities.

• Movie tickets

• Concessions

• Private screenings and parties

1. 1Movie Showtimes & Tickets — B&B Theatresbbtheatres.com
2. 2About Us | Our History — B&B Theatresbbtheatres.com
3. 3Backstage about — B&B Theatresbbtheatres.com
4. 4Iola Sterling Six Cinemas — Wikidatawikidata.org