On April 3, 1955, the Shuraku was rebuilt as a three-story building with steel-framed reinforced concrete, reopening that day with Edmund Purdom in “The Student Prince” in CinemaScope. As of that time, it originally housed 850 seats as a single-screener. The renovation lasted two months between February 1 and April 2, 1955 with an estimate cost of 35 million yen ($224,305 in USD).
This was also a replacement of an earlier theater called the Shurakukan that opened in 1920, and yes it was the exact theater that got destroyed by the Gifu Air Raids of July 9, 1945. The original building when it reopened in November 1945 is wooden.
The Jiyugekijo auditorium (also known as Free Theater in English) was also a popular first-run house that also runs American blockbusters as well, including “E.T.”, which attracted 100,000 moviegoers over a three-month period between Late 1982 and Early 1983. The Jiyugekijo name lasted until renovation on March 8, 1999, when the auditorium was renamed “Shuraku 2”.
Exactly one day after its final April 10, 2006 closure, it was demolished hours later on April 11.
Opened in June 1950 as the Fort Erie Drive-In. It was renamed the Mustang Drive-In in April 1969 and closed on August 29, 1982 with “Young Doctors In Love” and “Cannonball Run”.
Perry wanted to twin the Regent in 1979 to prevent a large theatre conglomerate from opening a multiplex in Summerside, but I don’t know if that happened or not. And yes, the address is 12 Summer St, Summerside, PE C1N 1B3, as I looked at PEI newspaper archives as well.
This was the replacement of the Capitol Theatre, which closed two months before the Studio 5 opening. Capitol owner Emery Perry was one of the original owners who also helped construct the Studio 5 itself.
The Capitol most likely closed with a special showing of “Titanic” according to Perry himself in an October 4, 2000 article, also by CBC affiliate CBCT-TV.
Actual opening date is August 28, 1928 with Ramon Novarro in “The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg”. It was closed as a first-run movie theater in 1972.
The Highlands Cinemas first opened as a 58-seat single-screener in 1979. It first started life with 16mm projection but was upgraded to 35mm projection in 1984. A second 60-seat screen and a small projector museum was added in 1986, followed by a third 80-seat screen in 1988, a fourth screen with more museum space and additional bathrooms in 1995, a fifth screen by the late-1990s, and more museum space in 2000.
The museum also features a 1940s 35mm projector formerly owned by Irving Berlin.
The Park Theatre closed in late-December 1986 with “No Mercy”. It immediately became a teen dance club right afterward and lasted throughout the rest of the 1980s until it was converted into Toronto-based office space during the early-1990s.
Vanishing Georgia says that this opened in 1934 by James Clay, but I looked at archives of the Covington News and it does say that there is a Ritz Theatre in Conyers. The Conyers Theatre name didn’t first advertise until sometime in either 1936 or 1937.
I cannot confirm if the Ritz is a separate theater or not. However, I can confirm that there is another indoor movie house called the American Theatre that operated in both the silent and talkies era.
Actual closing date is August 7, 1989 with “License To Kill” and “Troop Beverly Hills”. It was last operated by Westate Theatres, and was demolished in late-September 1991.
Opened with Donald O'Connor in “Curtain Call At Cactus Creek” along with an unnamed “companion film” and an unnamed cartoon.
The popularity of the two Cinemarks replaced the former Luxury/Act III/Regal Springfield Quad, which will have its own CT page soon.
On April 3, 1955, the Shuraku was rebuilt as a three-story building with steel-framed reinforced concrete, reopening that day with Edmund Purdom in “The Student Prince” in CinemaScope. As of that time, it originally housed 850 seats as a single-screener. The renovation lasted two months between February 1 and April 2, 1955 with an estimate cost of 35 million yen ($224,305 in USD).
This was also a replacement of an earlier theater called the Shurakukan that opened in 1920, and yes it was the exact theater that got destroyed by the Gifu Air Raids of July 9, 1945. The original building when it reopened in November 1945 is wooden.
The Jiyugekijo auditorium (also known as Free Theater in English) was also a popular first-run house that also runs American blockbusters as well, including “E.T.”, which attracted 100,000 moviegoers over a three-month period between Late 1982 and Early 1983. The Jiyugekijo name lasted until renovation on March 8, 1999, when the auditorium was renamed “Shuraku 2”.
Exactly one day after its final April 10, 2006 closure, it was demolished hours later on April 11.
The marquee was removed around a year later.
Opened in June 1950 as the Fort Erie Drive-In. It was renamed the Mustang Drive-In in April 1969 and closed on August 29, 1982 with “Young Doctors In Love” and “Cannonball Run”.
Perry wanted to twin the Regent in 1979 to prevent a large theatre conglomerate from opening a multiplex in Summerside, but I don’t know if that happened or not. And yes, the address is 12 Summer St, Summerside, PE C1N 1B3, as I looked at PEI newspaper archives as well.
This was the replacement of the Capitol Theatre, which closed two months before the Studio 5 opening. Capitol owner Emery Perry was one of the original owners who also helped construct the Studio 5 itself.
The Capitol most likely closed with a special showing of “Titanic” according to Perry himself in an October 4, 2000 article, also by CBC affiliate CBCT-TV.
Opened with a live presentation of “After Tomorrow”.
The Gem Theatre opened in 1908 on site of the former funeral home, and was renamed the Princess Theatre in 1917.
Actual opening date is August 18, 1947.
Actual opening date is August 28, 1928 with Ramon Novarro in “The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg”. It was closed as a first-run movie theater in 1972.
Operated as early as 1926.
The Highlands Cinemas first opened as a 58-seat single-screener in 1979. It first started life with 16mm projection but was upgraded to 35mm projection in 1984. A second 60-seat screen and a small projector museum was added in 1986, followed by a third 80-seat screen in 1988, a fourth screen with more museum space and additional bathrooms in 1995, a fifth screen by the late-1990s, and more museum space in 2000.
The museum also features a 1940s 35mm projector formerly owned by Irving Berlin.
Opened in 1954.
The Boulevard Cinema name was used since 1995 according to several sources, meaning that this most likely opened around that year.
Built in 1927.
Opened in July 1938. Although the opening date has not yet found, it opened with Gary Cooper in “The Cowboy And The Lady” (unknown if extras added).
1987
The Park Theatre closed in late-December 1986 with “No Mercy”. It immediately became a teen dance club right afterward and lasted throughout the rest of the 1980s until it was converted into Toronto-based office space during the early-1990s.
Built and opened in 1926 at the site of the former veterinary stables of Dr. Ralph C. Titus.
Opened on November 15, 1947 as the Aron Theatre.
Vanishing Georgia says that this opened in 1934 by James Clay, but I looked at archives of the Covington News and it does say that there is a Ritz Theatre in Conyers. The Conyers Theatre name didn’t first advertise until sometime in either 1936 or 1937.
I cannot confirm if the Ritz is a separate theater or not. However, I can confirm that there is another indoor movie house called the American Theatre that operated in both the silent and talkies era.
Actual closing date is August 7, 1989 with “License To Kill” and “Troop Beverly Hills”. It was last operated by Westate Theatres, and was demolished in late-September 1991.
Really unique that KGO-TV brought this up in their newscast.