The prices at most theaters have finally become the breaking point. Too high for most families in a bad economy. Thank goodness for drive-ins and independent theaters who are doing their best to make a trip to the theater affordable.
Some drive-ins store groundskeeping equipment in the screen tower like gasoline powred lawnmowers and weedeaters. It’s possible there may have even been cans of gasoline store in there too.
Apparently only the screen tower is what burned. Projection booths and snack bar are fine. They should be able to have Selby Screen Towers come build them new screens.
Why would anyone pay that much to watch a video in a replica of a living room? Money is tight today and it’s so much cheaper to stay at home and watch videos on your own set WITHOUT commercials.
Evidently it was not an asbestos fire curtain.
Bravo! I wish you much success with this drive-in theater.
Looks like the boxoffice and marquee are still intact. The newspaper photos (today) do not show the projection booth/snack bar.
There are tons of photos of the fence and screen tower on fire though.
Have they determined where the fire started?
Someone should buy this theater and rebuild it!
Must be a paid subscriber to read that story. :(
I want to see it on 35mm film not on big screen tv.
Bad theater operators. Closing a drive-in to build an indoor theater megaplex. Boo! Hiss!
More pictures and news about the fire:
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This is indeed sad. I’ve seen pictures of this nice old theater before.
Too bad. It was a nice old theater.
Demolition by neglect.
The Capitol Theater has been sold to the Olympia Film Society.
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Charlie Chaplin film booking:
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The prices at most theaters have finally become the breaking point. Too high for most families in a bad economy. Thank goodness for drive-ins and independent theaters who are doing their best to make a trip to the theater affordable.
The military base theaters in my area use union projectionists.
Perhaps they could temporarily rent a huge inflatable screen to finish out their season?
Some drive-ins store groundskeeping equipment in the screen tower like gasoline powred lawnmowers and weedeaters. It’s possible there may have even been cans of gasoline store in there too.
Apparently only the screen tower is what burned. Projection booths and snack bar are fine. They should be able to have Selby Screen Towers come build them new screens.
Why would anyone pay that much to watch a video in a replica of a living room? Money is tight today and it’s so much cheaper to stay at home and watch videos on your own set WITHOUT commercials.
The old single screen theater they had in Blythe was the Hub Theater. They also had the Rancho Verde drive in theater.
3D:
Dull
Dopey
Disasterous
They closed the drivein theater so do NOT patronize this new theater.
Is this the theater the late Gary Fine operated in the early 80’s?
Carnival operators beat them to it 30 years ago with the “Cinema 180” attraction.
The City had shut them down for a while because of a lack of fire sprinklers.
Most sign companies that specialize in neon signs can do it. Look in your telephone directory “Yellow Pages” under the heading of “Signs – Neon”.