Winchester Twin Theatre

The Winchester was originally a Cinerama type theater.

Was this house built by the Syufy Family who owns Century Theaters
based out of S.F. Bay Area ? It bears a striking resemblance to many of its early 60's dome type theatres which specialized in running
big roadshow pictures.

The Winchester was built by Video Indpendent Theatres of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1966. It was the circuit's first all-roadshow, reserved seat theatre. Many long run engagements followed "Doctor Zhivago", notably "Thoroughly Modern Millie". Video Theatres was a unique theatre chain orginally made up of theatres that were co-owned by local partner-managers who insured the best local supervision. The Winchester was a spectacular house---deeply curved screen, 70mm projection/stereo sound, rocking chair seats, spacious lobby and amenities--the best of it's day. Video Indpendent Theatres was purchased by Martin Theatres, predecessor to Carmike Cinemas in the early 1980's.

The architect for the Winchester was Larry Blackledge & Associates of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

how can i find out the names of other movie theaters, in operation during the late 1960’s, in lubbock?

i’m in san francisco and don’t know how to access micro film or other records that may exist in lubbock.

the movie house i want to know about was just east of university ave on 66th st ? i think. it was accross from a park with a pond.

it appears that the loop took it’s place. i could not find the theater on a recent visit (2003) to lubbock.

To dujac. Lubbock has done very poorly on saving but one (the Cactus) of its previously numerous theaters and drive ins. The only theater that I can remember at 66th and University was the Horse Shoe drive in, now long gone along with these drive ins, Circle, Corral and (Red?) Raider. There was a "fine arts" drive in that I cannot recall the name of. They now have a new drive in, the Stars and Stripes.
There were numerous theaters, I can only name a few, now all gone, the Lindsey (downtown), State on Texas Avenue and one on University Avenue that may hve been the Varsity. Hope this helps.

In my records I don't show a walk in theatre on University at 66th St., but like Don said the Golden Horseshoe Drive In was at 6400 University Ave. The Stars & Strips Dive in is the only Drive In in operation in Lubbock (Located on Highway 84)

I was living in Lubbock during the 60's and worked as projectionist at the Winchester, Cinema West, Lindsey, State, and Village Theatres then. The main projectionist at the Winchester was Jesse Murrah from it's opening with Dr. Zhivago.
These theatres gave excellent presentations with stage curtains, stereo sound. By the way the Winchester played "Zhivago" in 70mm
Posted by Ned Fairbairn

The Winchester was never a Cinerama house, it was a Roadshow house and played 70MM films but never Cinerama.

I have pix of many of the Lubbock Theatres & Drive-Ins from the 60's.
Anyone interested may contact me by e-mail at: starmale@mindspring.com
Ned

I would like to see the pictures also do you have many of this theatre?

Me too.....!!

Huge screen, beautiful curved rows of seating...the Winchester was a great place for a kid to see a movie.

In reply to dujac and Charles, I remember a walk-in theatre on University south of the Horseshoe, but for the life of me I can't remember the name. I saw many films there throughout my childhood and up to my departure in 1980. Gah! Now I'll be wracking my brain to remember the name...

dsnewton,
Here is a list of theatres that I have for Lubbock, Tx. Maybe one of them will be the name of the theatre you are referring to.
At one time Lubbock had many more than 22 walkins and 6 Drive Ins.

Arcadia Theatre, 1213 Avenue H
Aarnett Benson, 105 College
Broadway Theatre, 1116 Broadway
Cactus Theatre, 1814 Avenue H
Chief Theatre, 1211 Avenue H
Llanos Theatre, 1419 Avenue G
Midway Theatre, 1805 Broadway
Plains Theatre, 717 Broadway
Ritz Theatre, 1701 Avenue A
Tech Theatre, 1211 College
Tower Theatre, 1007 College
State Theatre, 1316 Texas
Circle Theatre, No Address
Clifton Theatre, No Address
Lindsesy Theatre, 1019 Main Street
Lyric Theatre, No Address
Palace Theatre, No Address
Plaza Theatre, No Address
Rex Theatre, No Address
Rose Theatre, No Address
Texan Theatre, No Address
Drive Ins
Circle Drive In, 2515 55th St.
Corral Drive In
Country Club Drive In
Five Points Drive In
Golden Horseshoe Drive In, 6400 University
Red Raider Drive In
Trail Drive In
Westerner Drive In
Sunset Drive In
Stars and Stripes Drive In, Highway 84, I believe is the only Drive In left that is still operating.

Thanks, Charles!

Just got an e-mail from my cousin, and the name of the theatre is the Showplace 6, formerly just the Showplace. It's still in business, with cheap tickets and (according to cuz) decent prints.

6707 University Ave.

- David

David, you are so correct, it is operated by Noret Theatres as a discount house.

If you want to get a look at a millionaire working in a concession stand, take in a movie some Saturday afternoon at the Showplace 6 and you will likely find R.A. "Skeet" Noret and his wife Sarah behind the counter selling cokes, popcorn and candy!

Tell them Don Lewis said hello.

Don & Charles,

Just told my mother about this site, and the Showplace thread, and she couldn't believe Skeet Noret was still around. She and my Aunt Patsie used to sing for the crowds during intermission at the Sky-Vue in Lamesa (sep thread)!!

dnsewton, Great story! Please invite your mom and aunt to add comments to the SkyVue posting.

Thanks...

Don Lewis............

I will...I'll ask them to e-mail me a story or 2, and I'll post them.

Charles VanBibber's list of Lubbock theatres brought back lots of good memories. I grew up in Lubbock, living there from 4th grade through college. I can offer a few random bits of info:
Missing from the list is the Village, which was located on 34th Street. It opened in the 1950s, I believe, and showed first-run features.
The Clifton was located directly across from the Lindsey, at the corner of Main and Avenue J. It too was a first-run house, though not nearly as elegant as the Lindsey. I saw my first 3-D movie, "Bwana Devil," at the Clifton, and was so terrified that I ran out into the lobby.
A theatre called the El Capitan stood next to the Chief Theatre; I assume it must have been previously (or later?) called the Arcadia. It showed only Spanish-language films when I was a kid, so I never saw a movie there, but I remember that it had a very handsome neon sign.
Finally, there was a theatre called the Fine Arts on Broadway when I was a college student. I assume it originally had some other name. We went there to see "arty" films like "Zorba the Greek" and "A Taste of Honey" that never appeared in any other local theatre.

The Winchester was showing first run movies on two screens until the Winchester Shopping center which it anchored was sold. It was an off-the-street center in a 90-degree angle with the Winchester (not always a twin) in the corner. A former working wooden windmill stood at the corner of 50th & Indiana (2 thoroughfares) along with a large tree. When the center closed commemorative pens and items were made and sold with wood from this landmark tree.

The center was successful but its largest tenant, United Supermarket, needed a much larger and modern store in this valuable location. Thus, the entire center was demolished and a new MarketStreet constructed (see http://www.unitedtexas.com/)

The huge Winchester marquee and name remain in Lubbock associated with entertainment. The Winchester room is a part of the Lone Star Events Center (anchored by a modern amphitheater) and the huge marquee is mounted on the facility located just East of Avenue A on East 19th Street in Lubbock.

As a kid I saw several movies on the giant screen before it was divided into a twin. However unlike most divided theaters, because it was so large to begin with (70mm) after the divide the screens were still huge by modern standards. The plush rocking chairs, aside from squeaking, and the sound system ensured that the Winchester was one of the best places to see a movie until it closed. I was fortunate to see the big theater re-release of Gone with the Wind there as well as many other great films of the 70’s, 80’s and 1990’s. The Noret family did a great job running this theater until the center sold.

View 1966 interior/exterior images by typing in word "winchester", then search,
http://okhistory.cuadra.com/starweb3/b.archives/servlet.starweb3?path=b.archives/STARArchives.public.web

There were 3 theaters in a row--the Chief, the Arcadia, and El Capitan. Around the corner on Broadway was the Plains Theater which billed itself as the biggest little theater in town! The Village, of course, was left off the list of Lubbock theaters and so was the Chaparral Twin which was in Town and Country shopping center near the miniature golf course.

The Palace became the Clifton in later years. The Midway lived several lives under names like the Centre Theater, the Gay 90s, El Tejas, and lastly the Varsity, which was kind of an arts theater that often showed films requested by Tech professors for their speech and drama classes. There may have been other names for this theater that I've forgotten. Interestingly, the Broadway became Skibells, an upscale clothing store that lasted for MANY years!

Any by the way, the Westerner drive-in became the Fine Arts which showed X-rated films!

Hello Gene'64. I am finding you comments on Lubbock's theaters some of the most interesting and in depth I have read.

Do you have photos of any of the theaters?

Thanks!!

Don... (Lubbock is home but my wife and I live in Grapevine)

Hello again Gene '64. You have me wonderiing about my memories of the Town and Country shopping center. I recall it having been located at 4th & University. I also remember the Backstage theater which was near this shopping center, but the only miniature golf course I recall was the Twin Lakes which was at that time in far west Lubbock.

Could the Backstage and the Chapparal have ever been one and the same?

Yes. I think that the Backstage became the Chapparal, and I had completely forgotten that. The "twin" theaters were really tiny.

The miniature golf course was nestled behind the shopping center, west of College Avenue. I don't know when it closed, but I used to play the course in the 1970s. There were two larger courses in southwest Lubbock, but I can't remember the names of both. One was the Putt Putt which is still on 29th Drive and the former Brownfield highway (now Marsha Sharp Freeway). The other one was a double course, and I just don't remember the address. It was very popular. In the 1980s there was another small course south of Briarcroft Savings and Loan on Avenue Q south of 50th Street. I can't remember the name of it, either, but it was a fun course.

Don & Gene:
For vintage photos of just about every theatre that ever existed in Lubbock, TX, go to the link on Seymour's 08/28/07 post and type in word 'theatre'. You'll see some really nice shots.