The Gillioz Theater was built in 1931, with Johnson and Maack of St. Louis as its architects, and by 1941 it was operated by Commonwealth Amusement. Erected by Monett contractor M.E. Gillioz, one of the town's largest employers, the building was named for him. It became a popular gathering place in the local community, where newly graduated high school students traditionally went during prom season to celebrate, children attended the annual Christmas party he hosted there and received quarters from him, and many people from Monett saw a movie for the first time. Classic films such as Mary Poppins were shown there. Gillioz, a well-known builder of bridges and roads, also built the Gillioz Theater in Springfield, Missouri, in 1926; that theater was restored in the early 2000s and remains open. The Monett theater was later demolished in 1987.