Charlotte Municipal Airport was a WPA project that opened theatre-less in 1936. The U.S. Army took over the airport in 1941 establishing the Charlotte Air Base. A theatre was built opening for operation on May 1, 1941 on a three-day a week schedule primarily for service men and women called the Air Base Theater.
After Pearl Harbor, the recommendation was made to rename the airport Sykes Field after pilot James S. Sykes of Charlotte killed in action during WWI. But on January 22, 1942, the War Department overruled that concept naming the Municipal Airport for Major William Colby Morris. The Air Base Theater at Morris Field was also renamed becoming the Morris Field Theatre in January of 1942.
Morris Field Theatre closed in 1946 when the Air Corps vacated the airport. But on May 15, 1946, the city acquired Morris Field. J.B Erskine subleased the theatre later that year which was redecorated and reopened to the public on February 10, 1947 seven days a week. The theatre closed October 31, 1950. A classified ad offered the theatre seats just prior to the theater being removed from the airport ending the operation.
The Drive-In Theatre launched October 1, 1950 with “The Jackie Robinson Story.” Rosa L. Brown owned and operated the theatre with its 1951 name as the Brown Drive-In Theatre.
The Please U Theatre launched on May 1, 1907. The Beedle Brothers appear to have taken over the business relaunching it as the Alhambra Theatre on September 16, 1912. Fred Beedle closed the Alhambra 19, 1964 with “Little Boy Blue and Pancho” and thanked the community for 57 years of operation.
Fred and Edward Beedle re-chirstened the Strand Theatre as the Continental Theatre in 1935. The former Strand held 250 seats and added a lengthy extension to expand to 579 seats relaunching as the Continental Theatre on October 29, 1935. The theatre likely operated under at least one other name prior to the Strand.
The Lyric Theatre opened on October 2, 1908 with motion pictures and vaudeville. The theatre converted to sound and began showing exploitation films. Emanuel Pedro Enriquez took on the theatre showing Spanish language films. After a 1952 fire, the theatre was refurbished and became the New Lyric Theatre in 1953 and 1954 operating as a burlesque house. Late in 1954, the theatre returned to its movie house days as a grindhouse showing sub-run discount films along with burley acts as the Nu-Lyric Theatre which appears to have closed in 1955.
This theatre’s genesis began with 1968 architectural plans by Denver-based architect Richard L. Crowther and the opening of the Dickinson Circuit’s Town and Country Cinema, a free-standing twin-screen operation within Quincy’s 10-year old open air shopping center.
Dickinson’s operation existed within the Mall’s progeny as the outdoor American Legion Miracle Mile Town and Country Shopping Center. That center had opened theatre-less in 1958. By the 1960s, the center was referred to as the Town and Country Shopping Center, a miracle mile of shopping, and Dickinson built its twin-screen Town and Country Cinema within the outdoor complex.
The theatre’s present lease and iteration began as a two-theatre facility in November of 1978 under the Dickinson Theatre Circuit with a small rent and revenue sharing deal with mall developer Don M. Casto Organization of Columbus, Ohio. As the shopping center moved toward the terminus of its 20-year lease cycle, Casto had decided to build an entirely new mall nearby in Quincy. But plans changed and the Miracle Mile was reimagined as an enclosed mall with some tenants remaining in place and others moving or closing altogether. The renamed Quincy Mall launched on November 14, 1978 and Dickinson’s cinema was a key component of the center’s next forty years.
In June of 1979, Dickinson expanded its operation adding a third auditorium. At roughly the middle part of what appeared to be a 30-year lease in June 1994, Dickinson assigned the lease to the Kerasotes Theatres Circuit which continued the three-screen cinema’s operation and likely extending the lease by ten years as the initial lease was reaching expiry.
In June of 2010, the theatre became an AMC property when Kerasotes was bought out by the AMC Circuit operating as the AMC Quincy Mall Cinema 3. When the Carmike Circuit joined with AMC, AMC rebranded lower tier properties as AMC Classic. This operation became the AMC Classic Quincy Mall 3 in 2016 – a name it retained until closure in January of 2019 at the end of its lease with “Mary Poppins Returns,” “Spiderman: Spider-Verse” and “The Grinch” on January 7, 2019.
Hopes for a new operator appeared to be dim as the Mall went into a sudden downtrend losing all three of its original three anchors of JC Penney (closing in 2015), Bergner’s, and Sears (both closing in 2018). But operator VIP Cinemas took a chance on the venue equipping it with new seating and a lower pricing first run policy. It reopened September 14, 2019 as the 40 year old theatre continued into operation into the 2020s.
When the Pattee Opera House began showing movies in the 1900s, there was a business opportunity to create movie houses. Monmouth’s first full time theatre was the Lyric in 1908 followed by the original Bijou Theatre launched by the Lytle Brothers in March of 1909. By December, the Bijou was bankrupt but came back under George A. Howard.
The 200-seat nickel theatre outgrew its space and Howard built an impressive new Bijou launching it on July 29, 1912 likely on a 20-year lease. The theatre was converted to sound and got a major refresh in 1932. In 1952, it ceased operations at the end of a second 20 year lease and is converted to a retail store called Beaty’s.
The Northgate Theatres launched as a six-screen sub-run discount venue on July 30, 1993. Hoping for better things, the Northgate changed its policy to first-run showings beginning on July 9, 1999. The theatre was not able to gain traction and made a brief return to sub-run discount runs just prior to ending operations on January 30, 2000.
The Utah Theatre launched May 12, 1916 with silent movies and live entertainment. It was purchased by Clark Kestler and changed names to the Victory Theatre on June 25, 1919. The Victory Theatre was acquired by C.L. Firmage in 1935 who relaunched it as the Firmage Theatre on May 19, 1935. It was in the Firmage family until being sold on April 1, 1983 to the Citi-Cinema Circuit which changed its name.
The first Delta Drive-In Theatre was built by the Delta Amusement Company and was built in 1955. The 300-car theatre had a screen tower 60' high and 84' in width. It launched on June 8, 1955 with the film, “Pffft.” It appears to have closed at the end of the season on August 31, 1972. The theatre had a grand reopening (in a different spot according to the notes above) on May 23, 1975 operating part-year with the Sahara Theatre in downtown Delta. The theatre appears to have closed after the 1983 season.
The Crest Theatre launched at 293 West Main October 4, 1928 with “The Way of All Flesh” with Emil Jennings. Architects were Scot & Welch of Salt Lake City. Fire on September 12, 1965 caused severe damage the venue which was closed for just over a year. The theatre was rebuilt as the Sahara Theatre also at 293 West Main relaunching with “The Night of the Grizzley” on October 14, 1966. The Sahara closed at the end of a nearly 50-year run with “The Sea Gypsies” on May 8, 1978. A salvage / demolition sale was held thereafter as the building was scheduled for razing.
The Kallet Drive-In launched April 20, 1946 with “Cover Girl.” It closed on October 9, 1960 with “Psycho”. It was demolished for the Camillus Plaza Shopping Center that opened n 1964. When the Plaza became the Camillus Mall, movie theatres returned with the Camillus Mall Cinemas I and II.
Functions can be anything within the building’s usage past up to and including its current function. It was an auto repair facility and a theatre prior to being torn down.
This theater’s roots date back to its launch as Electric Theatre in 1908. Its name was changed to Theatre Tulare in 1909 and then the Tulare Theatre on March 4, 1916. The T&D Circuit took on the venue closing it in December of 1923 for new projection and a refresh. The New Tulare Theatre was built in late 1926 opening in March of 1927 with former Tulare Theatre owner Paul Reardon continuing as the projectionist for another thirty years.
The Theatre was closed by the United Artists Circuit after showings on August 26, 1975. A major architectural plan was unveiled in 1977 to revitalize the theatre. But a bank purchased the theatre and demolished it in 1980 for a new bank building.
The Majestic Theatre closed for films on March 11, 1916. It had sporadic live sporting events that spring before being taken over by L.W. Willis. Willis changed the Majestic’s name to the Lyric Theatre on October 10, 1916 re-launching with “Fighting Blood.”
Paul Reardon and Alfred Fraught of the Tulare Theatre purchased the theatre at the end of May 1920. They promptly closed it at the end of a ten-year lease. The former Lyric space was converted to an Army-Navy Surplus Store in November of 1920.
The twin screens were named, George and Gracie. The East Screen was named for Gracie Burns and the West Screen was named for George Burns. Closed with a “Grand Closing” featuring “Grease” and “Viva Las Vegas” on September 9, 2006.
Charlotte Municipal Airport was a WPA project that opened theatre-less in 1936. The U.S. Army took over the airport in 1941 establishing the Charlotte Air Base. A theatre was built opening for operation on May 1, 1941 on a three-day a week schedule primarily for service men and women called the Air Base Theater.
After Pearl Harbor, the recommendation was made to rename the airport Sykes Field after pilot James S. Sykes of Charlotte killed in action during WWI. But on January 22, 1942, the War Department overruled that concept naming the Municipal Airport for Major William Colby Morris. The Air Base Theater at Morris Field was also renamed becoming the Morris Field Theatre in January of 1942.
Morris Field Theatre closed in 1946 when the Air Corps vacated the airport. But on May 15, 1946, the city acquired Morris Field. J.B Erskine subleased the theatre later that year which was redecorated and reopened to the public on February 10, 1947 seven days a week. The theatre closed October 31, 1950. A classified ad offered the theatre seats just prior to the theater being removed from the airport ending the operation.
The Drive-In Theatre launched October 1, 1950 with “The Jackie Robinson Story.” Rosa L. Brown owned and operated the theatre with its 1951 name as the Brown Drive-In Theatre.
It was still in business in 1967.
Launched September 9, 1932.
The Diana Theatre launched in 1937 and was damaged in a 1941 fire. It was rebuilt as the Royal Theatre relaunching in 1941.
The Diana Theatre launched in 1937 and was damaged in a 1941 fire. It was rebuilt as the Royal Theatre.
The Please U Theatre launched on May 1, 1907. The Beedle Brothers appear to have taken over the business relaunching it as the Alhambra Theatre on September 16, 1912. Fred Beedle closed the Alhambra 19, 1964 with “Little Boy Blue and Pancho” and thanked the community for 57 years of operation.
Fred and Edward Beedle re-chirstened the Strand Theatre as the Continental Theatre in 1935. The former Strand held 250 seats and added a lengthy extension to expand to 579 seats relaunching as the Continental Theatre on October 29, 1935. The theatre likely operated under at least one other name prior to the Strand.
The Lyric Theatre opened on October 2, 1908 with motion pictures and vaudeville. The theatre converted to sound and began showing exploitation films. Emanuel Pedro Enriquez took on the theatre showing Spanish language films. After a 1952 fire, the theatre was refurbished and became the New Lyric Theatre in 1953 and 1954 operating as a burlesque house. Late in 1954, the theatre returned to its movie house days as a grindhouse showing sub-run discount films along with burley acts as the Nu-Lyric Theatre which appears to have closed in 1955.
This theatre’s genesis began with 1968 architectural plans by Denver-based architect Richard L. Crowther and the opening of the Dickinson Circuit’s Town and Country Cinema, a free-standing twin-screen operation within Quincy’s 10-year old open air shopping center.
Dickinson’s operation existed within the Mall’s progeny as the outdoor American Legion Miracle Mile Town and Country Shopping Center. That center had opened theatre-less in 1958. By the 1960s, the center was referred to as the Town and Country Shopping Center, a miracle mile of shopping, and Dickinson built its twin-screen Town and Country Cinema within the outdoor complex.
The theatre’s present lease and iteration began as a two-theatre facility in November of 1978 under the Dickinson Theatre Circuit with a small rent and revenue sharing deal with mall developer Don M. Casto Organization of Columbus, Ohio. As the shopping center moved toward the terminus of its 20-year lease cycle, Casto had decided to build an entirely new mall nearby in Quincy. But plans changed and the Miracle Mile was reimagined as an enclosed mall with some tenants remaining in place and others moving or closing altogether. The renamed Quincy Mall launched on November 14, 1978 and Dickinson’s cinema was a key component of the center’s next forty years.
In June of 1979, Dickinson expanded its operation adding a third auditorium. At roughly the middle part of what appeared to be a 30-year lease in June 1994, Dickinson assigned the lease to the Kerasotes Theatres Circuit which continued the three-screen cinema’s operation and likely extending the lease by ten years as the initial lease was reaching expiry.
In June of 2010, the theatre became an AMC property when Kerasotes was bought out by the AMC Circuit operating as the AMC Quincy Mall Cinema 3. When the Carmike Circuit joined with AMC, AMC rebranded lower tier properties as AMC Classic. This operation became the AMC Classic Quincy Mall 3 in 2016 – a name it retained until closure in January of 2019 at the end of its lease with “Mary Poppins Returns,” “Spiderman: Spider-Verse” and “The Grinch” on January 7, 2019.
Hopes for a new operator appeared to be dim as the Mall went into a sudden downtrend losing all three of its original three anchors of JC Penney (closing in 2015), Bergner’s, and Sears (both closing in 2018). But operator VIP Cinemas took a chance on the venue equipping it with new seating and a lower pricing first run policy. It reopened September 14, 2019 as the 40 year old theatre continued into operation into the 2020s.
The Princess Theatre launched October 19, 1911.
Launched April 10, 1953 with the feature, “Slaughter Trail.” Still in business in 1977.
When the Pattee Opera House began showing movies in the 1900s, there was a business opportunity to create movie houses. Monmouth’s first full time theatre was the Lyric in 1908 followed by the original Bijou Theatre launched by the Lytle Brothers in March of 1909. By December, the Bijou was bankrupt but came back under George A. Howard.
The 200-seat nickel theatre outgrew its space and Howard built an impressive new Bijou launching it on July 29, 1912 likely on a 20-year lease. The theatre was converted to sound and got a major refresh in 1932. In 1952, it ceased operations at the end of a second 20 year lease and is converted to a retail store called Beaty’s.
The Northgate Theatres launched as a six-screen sub-run discount venue on July 30, 1993. Hoping for better things, the Northgate changed its policy to first-run showings beginning on July 9, 1999. The theatre was not able to gain traction and made a brief return to sub-run discount runs just prior to ending operations on January 30, 2000.
The Boone Drive-In launched July 30, 1954 with “Copper Canyon“ and “Hangman’s Knot.”
The Utah Theatre launched May 12, 1916 with silent movies and live entertainment. It was purchased by Clark Kestler and changed names to the Victory Theatre on June 25, 1919. The Victory Theatre was acquired by C.L. Firmage in 1935 who relaunched it as the Firmage Theatre on May 19, 1935. It was in the Firmage family until being sold on April 1, 1983 to the Citi-Cinema Circuit which changed its name.
And it’s still open as T&T Twin Theatres. Website is : https://www.facebook.com/tandttwintheatres/ Phone is 434.864.4551
The first Delta Drive-In Theatre was built by the Delta Amusement Company and was built in 1955. The 300-car theatre had a screen tower 60' high and 84' in width. It launched on June 8, 1955 with the film, “Pffft.” It appears to have closed at the end of the season on August 31, 1972. The theatre had a grand reopening (in a different spot according to the notes above) on May 23, 1975 operating part-year with the Sahara Theatre in downtown Delta. The theatre appears to have closed after the 1983 season.
The Crest Theatre launched at 293 West Main October 4, 1928 with “The Way of All Flesh” with Emil Jennings. Architects were Scot & Welch of Salt Lake City. Fire on September 12, 1965 caused severe damage the venue which was closed for just over a year. The theatre was rebuilt as the Sahara Theatre also at 293 West Main relaunching with “The Night of the Grizzley” on October 14, 1966. The Sahara closed at the end of a nearly 50-year run with “The Sea Gypsies” on May 8, 1978. A salvage / demolition sale was held thereafter as the building was scheduled for razing.
The Kallet Drive-In launched April 20, 1946 with “Cover Girl.” It closed on October 9, 1960 with “Psycho”. It was demolished for the Camillus Plaza Shopping Center that opened n 1964. When the Plaza became the Camillus Mall, movie theatres returned with the Camillus Mall Cinemas I and II.
Functions can be anything within the building’s usage past up to and including its current function. It was an auto repair facility and a theatre prior to being torn down.
This theater’s roots date back to its launch as Electric Theatre in 1908. Its name was changed to Theatre Tulare in 1909 and then the Tulare Theatre on March 4, 1916. The T&D Circuit took on the venue closing it in December of 1923 for new projection and a refresh. The New Tulare Theatre was built in late 1926 opening in March of 1927 with former Tulare Theatre owner Paul Reardon continuing as the projectionist for another thirty years.
The Theatre was closed by the United Artists Circuit after showings on August 26, 1975. A major architectural plan was unveiled in 1977 to revitalize the theatre. But a bank purchased the theatre and demolished it in 1980 for a new bank building.
The Majestic Theatre closed for films on March 11, 1916. It had sporadic live sporting events that spring before being taken over by L.W. Willis. Willis changed the Majestic’s name to the Lyric Theatre on October 10, 1916 re-launching with “Fighting Blood.”
Paul Reardon and Alfred Fraught of the Tulare Theatre purchased the theatre at the end of May 1920. They promptly closed it at the end of a ten-year lease. The former Lyric space was converted to an Army-Navy Surplus Store in November of 1920.
The twin screens were named, George and Gracie. The East Screen was named for Gracie Burns and the West Screen was named for George Burns. Closed with a “Grand Closing” featuring “Grease” and “Viva Las Vegas” on September 9, 2006.
Grand opening as the Galaxy Theatres 8 Porterville in photos