Cleve Durkee knew exactly what Springfield wanted because he himself was a local citizen. New renovations on the Seavey Building began in early 1937, and by the spring of 1938 Durkee introduced Playmore Theatre to Springfield. The Playmore Theatre was not only bigger and better, it had new technology the whole world was just getting a taste of. Stunned audiences were experiencing motion pictures for the very first time. Movies had movement and sound, all in one.
The success of the Playmore Theatre shot straight up. People once again had somewhere to go to relieve stress, to just hang out, and to be entertained. This success continued to grow and grow, but Cleve Durkee's health started to fail.
Much like the Bell Theatre, the owners of the Playmore changed regularly. After owning the Playmore for six years, Durkee decided it was time to retire and sell the business while he still had a little health left in him.
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