Rosele Theatre

This website has a 1951 photo of the Rosele Theater.

Someone from Norfolk will need to clarify this, but I remember hearing a story one that the man who owned this theatre also owned the Rosna and named his theatres for his wife, Rose. And I think he owned a few other theatres in Norfolk as well. Anyone from the area know the story????

LEVINE THEATRICAL ENTERPRISES is the chain for these theatres:
In Norfolk
Rosele
Memrose
Rosna
Willard
Capri
Riverview
Newport
Park
In Portsmouth
State
Colony
Super 17 Drive-In
Autoport Drive-In
Who was Willard? I always wondered about some of the theatre names, I can see the Rose in the first 3 theatres, that's very interesting to find out. Thanks for that info, makes sense to me. LEVINE really put on a first class act in all it's theatres! I think the Riverview Theatre is owned by a Richard? LEVINE who is a lawyer? owns some carpet stores? and is remodeling a motel he owns? down the street from the Riverview Theatre.
Speaking of how names come about, here's something I found out about a few days ago that has nothing to do with theatres. Another interesting name in Norfolk is the JANAF Shopping Center. It was built on a military airfield from World War II. Joint Army Navy Air Force, get it JANAF.
Can anyone else add anything about LEVINE and it's fine theatres?

Wow-- thanks for the info. When I was growing up I visited the Rosele, Memrose, Riverview, Newport, and Colony. Had I not been afraid of the huge outdoor display of the giant dragons outside, I would have seen WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM at the Rosna in Cinerama. I had to wait until about a decade ago to see three panel Cinerama, with THIS IS CINERAMA and HOW THE WEST WAS WON screened at the New Neon theatre in Dayton, Ohio. Is it possible that you might have the addresses of any or all of the theatres in your post? Thanks.

THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT March 15, 1995

"Nathan and Rose Levine put up a chain of small theaters. A couple of theaters bearing contractions of their names, the Rosna and Rosele. The Rosele fell to the Ocean View Shopping Center".

BUFFFILMBUFF If I remember right, the ROSELE theatre was on Ocean View Avenue near Granby Street. I think it was across the street from the OCEAN VIEW AMUSMENT PARK. The roller coaster at OCEAN VIEW AMUSMENT PARK was blown up in the 1977 SENSURROUND movie ROLLERCOASTER.
The theatres from yesterday, listed above are from THE FILM DAILY YEAR BOOK OF MOTION PICTURES for 1967. I would guess that before and after 1967 some other theatres might have been LEVINE's. Except for the WILLARD, PARK and CAPRI all the theatres are listed on Cinema Treasures, With the best address I could come up with (The AUTOPORT DRIVE-IN is under NEWPORT DRIVE-IN).
I'm glad you finally got to see three panel CINERAMA in Dayton, I had thought about going to resee them, but never did.

This is a color photo of the Rosele Theater. I'll take a guess at the date of the photo and say around 1969-70.

Very cool photo. As usual you are the man. haha

Lost Memory's photo above makes me think of three questions, that perhaps someone out there can answer:
1. Who is the man in the photo?
2. Down the street I can see a sign that says PALACE, is that another theatre?
3. Is there a name for those boards that they put up, about the movie that cover the whole wall of the theatre under the marquee? I'll bet the movie played a lot more then a week if they made up those boards, I know Balaban & Katz in Chicago did the same thing to their theatres.

Identifying the fella in the photo might be difficult. Could be a passerby. Could be associated with the theatre. Perhaps someone will come here to identify that fella.