For brevity’s sake, the following abbreviations will be used in naming the parties: Plaintiff will be named Dipson. The 10 remaining defendants will be named thus: Buffalo for Buffalo Theatres, Inc.; Bison for Bison Theatres Corporation; Vitagraph for Vitagraph, Inc.; Loew for Loew’s Inc.; Paramount for Paramount Pictures, Inc.; RKO for RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.; Fox for Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation; Universal for Universal Film Exchanges, Inc.; United for United Artists Corp.; McFaul for Vincent R. McFaul.
Of these 10 defendants, three (Buffalo, Bison and McFaul) are sued as exhibitors — the remaining seven as distributors.
Plaintiff’s first cause of action alleges unlawful discrimination against its Bailey Theatre, located at 2163 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. by defendant exhibitors, who operated it until August 1, 1939; that their lease expired July 31, 1939; that, on April 19, 1939, Dipson-Basil Theatres, Inc., which became Dipson Realty Co., Inc., purchased this theatre subject to the unexpired lease and operated it from August 1 to August 31, 1939, when D B Operating Co., Inc., which by change of name became the plaintiff herein, leased it, began operating it on September 1, 1939, and has continued such operation. Plaintiff demands damages from September 1, 1939, to September 17, 1945 for “actual operating losses, based upon income from admissions * * * $19,115; and losses of net income * * * $126,878, totalling * * * $145,993.” Par. 25.
Plaintiff’s second cause of action concerns the Century Theatre, located at 511 Main St., Buffalo, N.Y., and the Riviera Theatre, located in Tonawanda, N.Y. It alleges that defendant exhibitors operated the Century for about 10 years prior to August 1, 1939, when their lease expired; that it was then leased for 10 years by Century Theatrical Enterprises, Inc., which took possession August 1, 1939, and operated both it and the Riviera until November 20, 1940, after which plaintiff operated both theatres until June 26, 1941, when lessee was forced by defendants to surrender both leases to the respective lessors. It is alleged that, on or about November 25, 1941, Century Theatrical Enterprises, Inc. assigned to plaintiff all its claims and causes of action against defendants. Plaintiff alleges that, during 23 months (August 1, 1939, to June 26, 1941), it and said Century Theatrical Enterprises, Inc. suffered an operating loss of $58,240.67, Par. 36, and, “except for the unlawful combination and conspiracy of the defendants,” would have earned a net income between September 1, 1939, and August 31, 1949, of $1,423,788 Par. 36, from the Century and a net income between June 27, 1941, and July 31, 1949, of $56,570.60 from the Riviera, Par. 38.
Dipson Theatres v. Buffalo Theatres, 86 F. Supp. 716, 717-18 (W.D.N.Y. 1949)
Started to be listed as 20th Century with little fanfare on January 6th, 1939, and was taken over by a partnership of Dipson theatres and Basil theatres on April 24th, 1939. Article below:
Official website: https://rjcinema.com/
The Beechmont Cinema opened with a subrun double bill on November 2nd, 1973 and closed (or stopped its listings) in 1975. Grand opening ad posted.
Planned Avon theatre
This opened on September 3rd, 1894. Grand opening ad posted.
Lawsuit: https://casetext.com/case/dipson-theatres-v-buffalo-theatres
For brevity’s sake, the following abbreviations will be used in naming the parties: Plaintiff will be named Dipson. The 10 remaining defendants will be named thus: Buffalo for Buffalo Theatres, Inc.; Bison for Bison Theatres Corporation; Vitagraph for Vitagraph, Inc.; Loew for Loew’s Inc.; Paramount for Paramount Pictures, Inc.; RKO for RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.; Fox for Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation; Universal for Universal Film Exchanges, Inc.; United for United Artists Corp.; McFaul for Vincent R. McFaul.
Of these 10 defendants, three (Buffalo, Bison and McFaul) are sued as exhibitors — the remaining seven as distributors.
Plaintiff’s first cause of action alleges unlawful discrimination against its Bailey Theatre, located at 2163 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. by defendant exhibitors, who operated it until August 1, 1939; that their lease expired July 31, 1939; that, on April 19, 1939, Dipson-Basil Theatres, Inc., which became Dipson Realty Co., Inc., purchased this theatre subject to the unexpired lease and operated it from August 1 to August 31, 1939, when D B Operating Co., Inc., which by change of name became the plaintiff herein, leased it, began operating it on September 1, 1939, and has continued such operation. Plaintiff demands damages from September 1, 1939, to September 17, 1945 for “actual operating losses, based upon income from admissions * * * $19,115; and losses of net income * * * $126,878, totalling * * * $145,993.” Par. 25.
Plaintiff’s second cause of action concerns the Century Theatre, located at 511 Main St., Buffalo, N.Y., and the Riviera Theatre, located in Tonawanda, N.Y. It alleges that defendant exhibitors operated the Century for about 10 years prior to August 1, 1939, when their lease expired; that it was then leased for 10 years by Century Theatrical Enterprises, Inc., which took possession August 1, 1939, and operated both it and the Riviera until November 20, 1940, after which plaintiff operated both theatres until June 26, 1941, when lessee was forced by defendants to surrender both leases to the respective lessors. It is alleged that, on or about November 25, 1941, Century Theatrical Enterprises, Inc. assigned to plaintiff all its claims and causes of action against defendants. Plaintiff alleges that, during 23 months (August 1, 1939, to June 26, 1941), it and said Century Theatrical Enterprises, Inc. suffered an operating loss of $58,240.67, Par. 36, and, “except for the unlawful combination and conspiracy of the defendants,” would have earned a net income between September 1, 1939, and August 31, 1949, of $1,423,788 Par. 36, from the Century and a net income between June 27, 1941, and July 31, 1949, of $56,570.60 from the Riviera, Par. 38.
Dipson Theatres v. Buffalo Theatres, 86 F. Supp. 716, 717-18 (W.D.N.Y. 1949)
Started to be listed as 20th Century with little fanfare on January 6th, 1939, and was taken over by a partnership of Dipson theatres and Basil theatres on April 24th, 1939. Article below:
Listings as Roxy started on February 2nd, 1938, in the Basil listings.
The Mercury theatre opened on August 25th, 1938. Grand opening ad posted.
August 25th, 1938
Posted an March 2022 streetview, looks empty.
Grand opening ad posted.
Opened August 31st, 1973. Grand opening ad posted. Closed 1995
I take it the library had no digital access to this page.
Typical Toronto-designed ad.
Grand opening ad posted.
Yes, there was, it closed as an Alamo Drafthouse in 2012
Renamed Little German showing Nazi Germany films on November 17th, 1933.
Little German theatre opening 17 Nov 1933, Fri Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com
Renamed again in 2021 as AMC West Palm Beach 12.
Opened September 3rd, 1999
Opened as the AMC Mizner Prak 8 on December 13th, 1990. Grand opening ad posted.
The Cobb Lake Worth 8 opened on December 22nd, 1989. Grand opening ad posted.
Grand opening ad posted.
Became Jefferson on January 14th, 1933 per:
Grand opening ads posted.
Joined Shea’s on September 4th, 1931. Grand opening ad posted.
50 years of Shea’s