Forest Auto Theatre

The Forest Auto Theatre was located on Beechmont Avenue, in the Cherry Grove area on the east side of Cincinnati. It was opened July 15, 1948 screening “Treasure of the Sierra Madre” with Humphry Bogart, Walter Houston and Tim Holt. The new Forest Auto Theatre was opened by Robert Fitzwater who was also operating the West Hills Theatre. Unfortunately in 1949, Fitzwater got divorced from his wife, but they both had joint ownership of the theatres. Apparently Fitzwater lost both theatres, so in 1950, Manny Marcus (dba Marcus M. Enterprises from Indianopolis, IN) was the operator/owner of the Forest Auto Theatre and the West Hills Theatre. In 1953, Ruben Shor (dba S & S Amusement Co.) took over the ownership and operation of both theatres. Shor was also operating the Twin Drive-In at this time. Ruben Shor died in December 1959.

Peter Palazzolo was a Cincinnati restauranteur who held the major interest in S & S Amusement Co. and he decided to sell all of the theatres. To make the sale happen, he had to purchase all the outstanding stock from the Ruben Shor estate and from the Shor family. In addition to the stocks, he also needed to purchase all the Shor interests in the Eastern Hills Shopping Center. In January 1962, all of S & S Amusement Co. theatres were sold to Marshal H. Fine (dba Associated Theatres from Cleveland, OH) for $3.5 million. Fine formed the Cincinnati Theatre Co. to operated the theatres. Associated Theatres ran the Forest Auto Theatre until they closed it at the end of the season in 1971 for good. The property is commercial buildings and retail businesses now.

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