As For The Roosevelt Newspapers, The Uinta Theatre is formerly known as the Utopia Theatre.
First owned by E.M. Swain (operator), the Utopia Theatre opened between late 1925 and early 1926. Right after the nearby Bessie Theatre (also in Roosevelt) was torn down on December 22, 1927, the Utopia Theatre is the only popular theater in Roosevelt. In 1928, 2 well-known popular theater owned-and-operators George Harrison and Howard Harrison started their 27-year life cycle as the owners of the Utopia Theatre.
On December 5, 1929, Universal’s $1,000,000 sound film “Show Boat” is known to be the Utopia Theatre’s first sound installation film the theater played.
On November 20th, 1930, State Sanitary Inspector C.O. Plokel made a thorough inspection of the Utopia Theatre and was declared to be on equal rights and was known to be one of the best theaters in Utah throughout its “cleanliness”.
On October 12, 1939, major plans were involved to the theater, in which the theater went into a major development with an extensive remodeling project by adding more seats, adding a larger screen, and new projection equipment installation. The back end of the hall was also recovered. Afterwards, the original marquee sign was torn in the spring of 1940, and was replaced with a neon lighting marquee. At the time, the theater was owned by Harrison Enterprises (George and Howard Harrison themselves).
On July 11, 1946, an ultra modern plan was followed in a renovation of the Utopia Theatre is to turn the Utopia into an amusement center. According to Harrison Enterprises on The Roosevelt Standard, they say that the call for an expenditure of $25,000. After completion they replied, “the Utopia will be equally more modern as the nearby Roosevelt Theatre”, which is known to be another popular theatre in the city of Roosevelt. The list contains a similar size and style like the Roosevelt Theatre, with complete remodeled lobby, new lightning, front, treatment for the walls, projection rooms, and Western Electric sound equipment. The company was then planned to reopen the theater in either between the late summer and the early fall of 1947 but the difference is that they switched from 4 days a week to daily.
Unfortunately, the developing planned failed. And as for the theater however, marks the end to the Utopia Theatre’s life. And the day July 11, 1946 marks the day the Utopia closed its doors.
The Utopia Theatre was then replaced by the “modernly new” Uinta Theatre in which opened on February 28, 1947 with future National Broadcasting Company star Red Skelton and Marilyn Maxwell in “The Show Off” along with a Jasper cartoon.
The nearby Roosevelt Theatre went so popular fast than the Uinta Theatre as of June 1954 after the Roosevelt installed CinemaScope and played the most notable CinemaScope beginners film “The Robe” (although its curve screen was installed a month earlier at the Roosevelt Theatre before its CinemaScope installation with the 1954 reissue of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio with a newsreel and an unknown cartoon), though the Uinta Theatre was trying to make it more of a beginners side. The Uinta Theatre then does more sporting events and special features than just original features. Its more like a second-runner, by playing B-graded films while the Roosevelt Theatre struck A-films and mainstream first-run films. At the time, both original operators Howard and George Harrison was then replaced with Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stevenson of Altamont (former operators of Altamont’s Altamont Theatre) on January 19, 1955.
Prior To The Flinthills 8, Its Original Location Is Located At The Flinthills Shopping Center In Which Opened In Early 1973. When It Opened, The Flinthills Cinemas And The Petite Twin Were Owned Together By Petite Amusement Company Before The Petite Twin Took Over By Commonwealth A Few Years Later While The Nearby Fox Theatre Was Under Ownership By Mann Theatres Around The Time As Well.
The Theater Closed Between The Late 1970’s And Early 1980’s. In 1982, A Person Ran A Random Compilation Of Various Local Emperia Intermission Reels Including The 50-South And The Nearby Flinthills Cinemas.
UPDATE: I Just Found An Update To The Ritz Theatre According To The Bonham Daily Favorite That The Ritz In McKinney Didn’t Close In 1973, Although The Ritz Which Originally Appeared As Show Listings In The Courtier Gazette Of McKinney Only Showed The Attractions For The Ritz Until April 1973. But One Attraction From A Year Later I Just Found Reads That The Ritz Theatre Of McKinney Still Continued To Run First-Run Attractions As Of 1974.
So It Appears To Be That The Ritz Has Been Closed As A Movie House In The Late 1970’s, But Remains As A Special Events Theater Afterwards Into The Mid-1980’s.
Unfortunately Speaking Of Its Opening Day, The Sunset Drive-In Opened With No Movie. It Opened With A Hillbilly Jamboree Titled “Renfro Valley Folks Barn Dance Show (With Those Grand Hillbilly Funmakers From The Hills Of Old Kentucky)”.
When I Looked For The First Attraction, It Is Actually Hard To Find On The Newspapers Website. I Can Find Attractions From 20 Days After The Theater Opened.
The Kentucky Lake Drive-In Opened In 1948. Its Original Look Only Lasted For 10 Years Until It Was Remodeled In 1958 And Reopened On June 5th Of That Year With A Playground Near The Screen. The Closing Date Is Unknown Yet…
I Can’t Find The Opening Date To This One, But Found Some News Stories On This Theater.
When The LaSalle Drive-In Was Owned By Alger Theatres In 1954, The Theater However Closed Just In Time For The End Of The 1954 Season. It Not Just Ended The 1954 Season, But A Fire Broke Out Near The Interior Of The Structure. That’s Not The Only Time The LaSalle Drive-In Theater Was Devastated, Because During Its Last Year Of Operation According To The Times Of Streator On October 17th, 1987, Another Fire Broke Out At The Concession Stand. And The Theater Ended Up Closing Its Gates For Good.
The 71 Drive-In Opened On August 18th, 1949 With Glenn Ford And William Holden In “The Man From Colorado” Along With 2 Looney Tunes Cartoons “Two Gophers From Texas” (Goofy Gophers) And “Nothing But The Tooth” (Porky Pig).
The East 50 Drive-In Originally Set To Open On May 8th, 1952 With A Premiere Showing, But Pushed Over To May 9th, 1952 After Exceptions Had Later Turned Over To The Nearby Bedford Boys Club, Reported By The Bedford Daily-Times Mail.
Actually, As I Did Look A Few More Information About It, The Lake Theatre Didn’t Close Before 1963, It Successfully Continued To Run Special Events And Movies Until Mid-1967 And Then It Was Closed.
This is the second Drive-In for the city of Roosevelt. The first one is the Basin Drive-In which will have its CinemaTreasures page soon.
As For The Roosevelt Newspapers, The Uinta Theatre is formerly known as the Utopia Theatre.
First owned by E.M. Swain (operator), the Utopia Theatre opened between late 1925 and early 1926. Right after the nearby Bessie Theatre (also in Roosevelt) was torn down on December 22, 1927, the Utopia Theatre is the only popular theater in Roosevelt. In 1928, 2 well-known popular theater owned-and-operators George Harrison and Howard Harrison started their 27-year life cycle as the owners of the Utopia Theatre.
On December 5, 1929, Universal’s $1,000,000 sound film “Show Boat” is known to be the Utopia Theatre’s first sound installation film the theater played.
On November 20th, 1930, State Sanitary Inspector C.O. Plokel made a thorough inspection of the Utopia Theatre and was declared to be on equal rights and was known to be one of the best theaters in Utah throughout its “cleanliness”.
On October 12, 1939, major plans were involved to the theater, in which the theater went into a major development with an extensive remodeling project by adding more seats, adding a larger screen, and new projection equipment installation. The back end of the hall was also recovered. Afterwards, the original marquee sign was torn in the spring of 1940, and was replaced with a neon lighting marquee. At the time, the theater was owned by Harrison Enterprises (George and Howard Harrison themselves).
On July 11, 1946, an ultra modern plan was followed in a renovation of the Utopia Theatre is to turn the Utopia into an amusement center. According to Harrison Enterprises on The Roosevelt Standard, they say that the call for an expenditure of $25,000. After completion they replied, “the Utopia will be equally more modern as the nearby Roosevelt Theatre”, which is known to be another popular theatre in the city of Roosevelt. The list contains a similar size and style like the Roosevelt Theatre, with complete remodeled lobby, new lightning, front, treatment for the walls, projection rooms, and Western Electric sound equipment. The company was then planned to reopen the theater in either between the late summer and the early fall of 1947 but the difference is that they switched from 4 days a week to daily.
Unfortunately, the developing planned failed. And as for the theater however, marks the end to the Utopia Theatre’s life. And the day July 11, 1946 marks the day the Utopia closed its doors.
The Utopia Theatre was then replaced by the “modernly new” Uinta Theatre in which opened on February 28, 1947 with future National Broadcasting Company star Red Skelton and Marilyn Maxwell in “The Show Off” along with a Jasper cartoon.
The nearby Roosevelt Theatre went so popular fast than the Uinta Theatre as of June 1954 after the Roosevelt installed CinemaScope and played the most notable CinemaScope beginners film “The Robe” (although its curve screen was installed a month earlier at the Roosevelt Theatre before its CinemaScope installation with the 1954 reissue of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio with a newsreel and an unknown cartoon), though the Uinta Theatre was trying to make it more of a beginners side. The Uinta Theatre then does more sporting events and special features than just original features. Its more like a second-runner, by playing B-graded films while the Roosevelt Theatre struck A-films and mainstream first-run films. At the time, both original operators Howard and George Harrison was then replaced with Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stevenson of Altamont (former operators of Altamont’s Altamont Theatre) on January 19, 1955.
The Tri-City Drive-In Opened On August 28th, 1952.
On December 6th, 1953, A Tiller Girl At The Tri-City Drive-In Was Injured By A Vehicle At The Entrance Of The Theater.
Prior To The Flinthills 8, Its Original Location Is Located At The Flinthills Shopping Center In Which Opened In Early 1973. When It Opened, The Flinthills Cinemas And The Petite Twin Were Owned Together By Petite Amusement Company Before The Petite Twin Took Over By Commonwealth A Few Years Later While The Nearby Fox Theatre Was Under Ownership By Mann Theatres Around The Time As Well.
The Petite Theatre Reopened As A Twin In 1971.
The Theater Closed Between The Late 1970’s And Early 1980’s. In 1982, A Person Ran A Random Compilation Of Various Local Emperia Intermission Reels Including The 50-South And The Nearby Flinthills Cinemas.
UPDATE: I Just Found An Update To The Ritz Theatre According To The Bonham Daily Favorite That The Ritz In McKinney Didn’t Close In 1973, Although The Ritz Which Originally Appeared As Show Listings In The Courtier Gazette Of McKinney Only Showed The Attractions For The Ritz Until April 1973. But One Attraction From A Year Later I Just Found Reads That The Ritz Theatre Of McKinney Still Continued To Run First-Run Attractions As Of 1974.
So It Appears To Be That The Ritz Has Been Closed As A Movie House In The Late 1970’s, But Remains As A Special Events Theater Afterwards Into The Mid-1980’s.
It Actually Did Close In July 1985 According To The Indianapolis Star.
Unfortunately Speaking Of Its Opening Day, The Sunset Drive-In Opened With No Movie. It Opened With A Hillbilly Jamboree Titled “Renfro Valley Folks Barn Dance Show (With Those Grand Hillbilly Funmakers From The Hills Of Old Kentucky)”.
When I Looked For The First Attraction, It Is Actually Hard To Find On The Newspapers Website. I Can Find Attractions From 20 Days After The Theater Opened.
It Is Demolished In August 1983.
The Kentucky Lake Drive-In Opened In 1948. Its Original Look Only Lasted For 10 Years Until It Was Remodeled In 1958 And Reopened On June 5th Of That Year With A Playground Near The Screen. The Closing Date Is Unknown Yet…
I Can’t Find The Opening Date To This One, But Found Some News Stories On This Theater.
When The LaSalle Drive-In Was Owned By Alger Theatres In 1954, The Theater However Closed Just In Time For The End Of The 1954 Season. It Not Just Ended The 1954 Season, But A Fire Broke Out Near The Interior Of The Structure. That’s Not The Only Time The LaSalle Drive-In Theater Was Devastated, Because During Its Last Year Of Operation According To The Times Of Streator On October 17th, 1987, Another Fire Broke Out At The Concession Stand. And The Theater Ended Up Closing Its Gates For Good.
The 71 Drive-In Opened On August 18th, 1949 With Glenn Ford And William Holden In “The Man From Colorado” Along With 2 Looney Tunes Cartoons “Two Gophers From Texas” (Goofy Gophers) And “Nothing But The Tooth” (Porky Pig).
I Tried Looking For Some Rare Attractions On The Galveston Daily News, And It Seems Its Difficult To Find.
It’s July 10th, 1987, Not 1983.
So That’s 25 Years, 2 Months And 7 Days Of Operation.
The Sunset Drive-In Was Still In Operation In 1960, Even As Early As 1957. During Its Early Years, It Survived A Robbery And A Sandstorm.
The “Winnie The Pooh” Film That They Showed During Its Opening Day Is Called “Winnie The Pooh And The Honey Tree”.
Originally Operated By General Cinema Corporation.
1991
The East 50 Drive-In Originally Set To Open On May 8th, 1952 With A Premiere Showing, But Pushed Over To May 9th, 1952 After Exceptions Had Later Turned Over To The Nearby Bedford Boys Club, Reported By The Bedford Daily-Times Mail.
Not A Lot… I Just Got Interested With Former Locations.
Actually, As I Did Look A Few More Information About It, The Lake Theatre Didn’t Close Before 1963, It Successfully Continued To Run Special Events And Movies Until Mid-1967 And Then It Was Closed.
The Midway Drive-In Closed On October 18th, 1981 After Its Last Showings Was Shown By The Anniston Star.
1937