Comments from JLMillerJR

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JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Port Theatre on Feb 9, 2024 at 9:34 pm

The theatre originally opened as the PRINCESS THEATRE. This was early in the 1920s. It operated with that name through the early 1940s. The Theatre changed owners and the name was changed to THE STATE THEATRE. The State Theatre operated until 1935 when yet another new owner renamed the theatre the PORT THEATRE. The theatre address was 17 N. Conococheague Street. It only had one projector (normally there are two projectors so that movies could be uninterrupted). Each film reel contained about 18-20 minutes of film. After a reel was presented it was necessary to place the next reel in the projector to continue the film. It reminds me of watching a movie or program on television. Every so often having a commercial between the scenes. Here is the PORT THEATRE photo once more. Also the newspaper and City Directory photos identifying the theatre names prior to being the PORT THEATRE. I am adding some screenshots from the City Directory to validate this information.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Hager Drive-In on Jan 17, 2023 at 10:10 am

The “new” larger Hager Drive In was opened by the Ridenour family in July 1966. The reason the Drive in was named the “Hager Drive” was because the signage from the Williamsport “Hager Drive” was purchased and transplanted to the “new” Hager Drive In". My dad owned the Henry’s Theatre in Hagerstown and had arranged to purchase the drive in located in Williamsport from Mrs. Unger. He planned to introduce the new radio broadcast sound as well as the other innovations that were available for drive in theaters. At about the same time the new interstate highway system was planned adjacent to the property. This made the value much greater if used for another purpose. Initially the land was divided into parcels. The first one was for a Sunoco station, the second was for a Shell station and the third became a “Days Inn”.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Milford Twin I & II on Jul 22, 2018 at 9:58 am

The Milford Cinemas were acquired by Hoyts when that company bought Interstate Theater Corporation (in about 1985). I worked for both Interstate and Hoyts in the 1980s. This cinemas began as a single screen theatre with the original name of the State Theatre. This was because of the address “3 State Street” in Milford, MA. It was changed to the Milford Theatre after being acquired by Interstate. In approximately 1975 the theatre was divided into 2 theatres with the balcony offering one screen and the mezzanine offering the other. I remember when I visited the theatre in the early 1980s there was an issue with the sound from one cinema being present in the other. Hoyts resolved that issue after they acquired the theatre. The theatre remained operational through August 1991. (I departed Hoyts in 1989).

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Waynesboro Theatre on Nov 5, 2016 at 8:32 pm

The “New” Waynesboro Theatre seats 200. The theatre has wide leather seats with a center arm rest that can be lifted up for a more intimate seating for two. The distance between each row of seats was increased from the previous seating. There is a photo of the new seats that also show the old (red) seats in the background.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Waynesboro Theatre on Nov 5, 2016 at 11:40 am

Here is a scan of the pass to the Red Carpet Premiere of the “new” Waynesboro Theatre. Also is a photo from the Premiere. The theatre has state of the art sound and digital projection. All new seating and concession area. Completely renovated restrooms. The new operators are High Rock which also operate the Leitersburg Cinemas in Hagerstown MD.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Waynesboro Theatre on Dec 19, 2014 at 4:05 pm

The Waynesboro Theatre closed showed its final movie on 11/30/14. The final performance was “Big Hero 6”. Here is an article about the owner and the theatre. http://www.therecordherald.com/article/20141216/News/141219909. I worked there part time for the last 35 years. My first day on the job there was Christmas day of 1979. It wasn’t fancy, no stereo sound, no 3D. Good friendly owners with really decent movie and concession prices. It will be missed.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Warehouse Cinemas Leitersburg on Mar 15, 2014 at 2:17 am

Leitersburg Cinemas is also used for church services on Sundays. The Lifehouse Church has conducted services there since around 2005 www.lifehousechurch.org.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Henry's Theatre on Feb 17, 2012 at 7:16 am

Please accept my invitation to a new web page dedicated to the memory of our theatre. www.henrystheatre.com there are three classic photos there and I hope to add more in the future. These were from my sister’s collection.

JLMillerJR
JLMillerJR commented about Henry's Theatre on Sep 16, 2009 at 8:56 am

REMEMBERING THE HENRY’S â€" MORE OF THE HISTORY

REMEMBERING THE RODENTS

The Palace Theatre prior had the notorious reputation of having rats scamper over the patron’s feet in the theatre. In the early days of movies there was not a concessions area in the theatre. Most patrons would purchase a 5¢ bag of peanuts from the vendor located in the alley between the Ramaciotti Building and the theatre. The peanuts and a lack of sanitation resulted in the rats. When the theatre was taken over by the Elks it took several months of cleaning and extermination to get rid of the rodents.

NEWSREELS â€" CONTINUOUS SHOWS AND 11¢ ADMISSION TICKETS

In the early years the theatre would open at 10 a.m. and present movies continuously from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Continuous showings would permit a patron to gain admission at 10 a.m. and stay as long as they cared to (imagine trying that today!). Further, except for huge releases movies would change twice a week. A movie would play Sunday through Tuesday and be replaced with another on Wednesday through Saturday. Newsreels, short subjects and cartoons were almost always included in the program. There was little or no television back then â€" to see pictures of what was happening in the world thereby making the newsreel popular. Newsreels were changed twice a week or more frequently, depending on what was happening. An admission ticket could be purchased for less than a quarter (I have seen tickets that were priced as low as 11¢ – the admission price at the time the theatre close in 1979 was 75¢ for children 11 and under and $3 for adults). The movie was almost always a 2 hour presentation. The feature was populated with cartoons, short subjects and to a much lesser extent previews of coming attractions to achieve the desired running time.

THE “BLUE LAWS”

In Hagerstown motion picture theatres were permitted to operate only Monday through Saturday. This was brought about by the “blue laws”. In addition to the prohibition of movie exhibition on Sundays, stores were not permitted to offer certain types of products for sale. For several years between 1938 until the early 1940’s the theatres were dark on Sundays. Later a scheme was developed that circumvented the law but caused the theatre manager to receive a fine.

My dad told me how he would open the theatre on Sunday and purchase the first ticket, which would result in him being taken to City Hall to pay a $5 fine at the police station for violating the “no Sunday motion pictures law”. The subsequent patrons on Sunday were not fined. This “game” lasted a few years until the archaic law was repealed.

In the early 1930’s the theater was taken over by Mr. Henry Weinberg of Frederick, MD and renamed Henry’s Theatre.

My dad had begun working in movie theatres as an usher at the Tivoli Theatre in Frederick, MD. The Tivoli was also owned by the Weinberg family. When Henry Weinberg decided to expand his interests to include the Palace Theatre in Hagerstown he contacted dad to become its manager. Dad was managing a large theatre in the Winchester area at the time. He agreed to become manager for the Weinberg family in 1938.

THE PERENNIAL DOORMAN GROVER C, “SMITTY” SMITH

Back then there was a doorman to collect tickets. The Henry’s had their infamous doorman Grover Cleveland Smith (a.k.a. “Smitty”) who would dress over-the-top in an elaborate uniform which included a captain’s hat. There always was an usher on each aisle at the Henry’s during the movie to maintain quiet and keep patrons from putting their feet on the backs of the seats. The ushers also wore uniforms (though less elaborate than “Smitty’s”). Smitty was already in place at the Henry’s when my dad came there in 1938. He was a fixture almost to the end; retiring in the late 60’s due to health issues. In the 1960’s there was an article about him in the local Herald-Mail papers.

STEREO SOUND

Some notable facts: the Henry’s was one of the first theaters in Maryland to have magnetic four track stereo sound. When dad first arranged to have this added he had negotiated to have a new musical release to be the first film to be presented in stereo sound with the new sound system. The competing theatre change (Warner’s) did not offer stereo sound at that time (although, subsequently it was added). The Warner group somehow blocked the film from being show at the Henry’s and played it in monaural sound at one of their theatres.

BLACK PATRONAGE

The other theatres in Hagerstown offered black patrons admission on the balcony only. The Maryland Theatre had a separate box office and entrance on the north side for black patrons. The black patrons could access the theatre balcony without co-mingling with the white patrons. The other theatres (Nixon’s Academy and The Colonial) had similar restrictions â€" permitting black patrons only if they sat on the balcony. The Henry’s had one level only and only admitted white patrons. After 1964 all theatres admitted all races and allowed them to sit where they like. This is not something I approve of (nor did my dad). It is appropriate for the purpose of history to include this information. (Google “Jim Crow laws” for some other examples of racism and bigotry prior to civil rights).

THE ORIGINAL “HENRY”

Mr. Weinberg and his sister Clara Wachter operated the theatre until 1948 when it was purchased by my dad. Dad ran the theatre from 1948 until it closed on December 5, 1979. Following the closure of the Henry’s the building has seen tenants such as a dinner theatre, Fleisher’s Department Store and a boxing club. It is now the proud home of the Barbara Ingram School.

John L. Miller, Jr.
Son of John L. Miller Sr. (owner of the Henry’s 1948-1979)