The venue became the Island View Drive-In on May 30, 1969 with a new name for the season. This entry should be Island View Drive-In (no hypen between Island and View).
Regal closed the Metro 4 as a sub-run discount house on October 29, 2000 with “The Perfect Storm,” “Nutty Professor II,” “Coyote Ugly,” and “Duets” splitting with “Hollow Man.” It was offered for lease or sale as a fully functional theater. With no offers, it was converted to the New Vintage Church likely to reduce its taxing obligations.
“And the Angels Sing” opens the venue on Sept. 28, 1944. The final continuous movie ad was on July 30, 1963 with “Corridors of Blood” and “Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory.” The Liberty Theatre was given a refresh in 1968 and the Pasco was utilized all of that summer. It reopens on December 25, 1971.
In 1972, it switches from Hollywood mainstream to Spanish films and porno chic era X-rated films before primarily showing Spanish language films. Its last ad is September 16, 1984 with a double feature of Héctor Bonilla in “Un Adorable Sinverguenza” and Armando Silvestre in “Matar por Matar.”
It returns at the Pasco Family Theatre at a grand reopening on June 3, 1986 with “Return to Snowy River” and “Fox and Hound.” That ended in March of 1994. Two local teachers took on the venue converting it back to Spanish language film in May of 1994. Ruben Peeralta and Jorge Serrano closed the operation on January 22, 1995. That appears to be it for cinematic endeavors.
Fay Honey won the bid to provide a theater for the atomic workers of North Richland. Midstate Amusement actually arranged all of the bookings and the in-theater promotions for Honey’s North Start Theater. It had a July 3, 1948 grand opening with “Tarzan and the Mermaids” and that ad is in photos.
The North Richland then was closed in 1955 and this was one of the last two businesses still present when it closed May 14, 1955 with “New Orleans Uncensored” and “The Racers.” The farewell ad is also in photos. The building was demolished in the 1970s.
The Richland Uptown Shopping Center was a visionary “atomic age” shopping center concept delivered on December 6, 1949 with most of the businesses opening that day. Midstate Amusement was on hand and decided they would add a theater at the right side of the complex. Originally on the drafting table with the working title of the Strand by architect H. Brandt Gessell & Associates, the company took the moniker of the shopping center. The Uptown would be constructed in 1950 costing $250,000 and it seated 1,200 patrons at launch.
Regal closed here as the Regal Uptown 3 Theatres on January 29, 2006 at the end of lease with “Chronicles of Narnia,” “Underworld Evolution,” and “Walk the Line.” The building was offered for sale the next day for $550,000.
Opening ad posted as the Liberty on July 3, 1920 with Wm S. Hart if “The Tollgate” supported by “One Night in June” and “The Garage.” Frederick Mercy, Jr. gave the venue its first major facelift reopening for Junior Theaters (predecessor name of Mercy) as the “New” Liberty on September 9, 1927. That New Liberty update brought an Egyptian themed interior and upgraded presentations by replacing the DeLuxe Photoplayer instrument with a Wurlitzer organ. That reopening feature Mrs. A.G. Curran at the Wurlitzer console with Reginal Denny in “Out All Night.”
On October 13, 1929, the venue installed Vitagraph for souind films to remain viable. Edgar B. Mercy’s circuit rebranded as Mercy’s Roxy Theatre opening formally a day after a talent show on April 8, 1939 with “Torchy Blaine in Chinatown” and “The Mysterious Rider.” Final showtimes were “Skabenga” and “Black Jack Ketchum” on June 16, 1956. Merchant screenings and sporadic events continue through 1961.
Grand opening ad 21 November 1969 In photos with a double feature of “The Undefeated” and “TDYMITFM.” The facility was designed to go from a single screen to two in the original drawings. It would reach three screens and stop.
On December 13, 1986, SRO sold its 110 screen operation to Cineplex Odeon for $45 million. But the forthcoming megaplex era wiped out most of the twin and doubles. Act III acquired theaters from Cineplex Odeon in the Pacific Northwest in 1992 and this became an Act III venue.
They decided to build an 8-plex to replace the triple. It opened on Nov. 14, 1997 but Act III was convinced to keep the original three plex going in a surprise fourth act.
KKR took on Act III in 1998 that came under the Regal nameplate here. Regal declared bankruptcy in 2001 making it much easier to close out older twins, triples and quads. The last day here was September 30, 2001. “Summer Catch” and “American Outlaws” were the final two films shown that night.
After a soft launch in early July 2025, the Beach Theatre held its grand reopening on Friday, July 18 with itself starring in “A New Wave: Revival of the Beach Theatre,” a documentary about the venue.
Bonus ad: Joe Bonds owned three silent era theaters. (I bet you can guess what the other two were called.) The former Isis Theater became Joe Bonds Theatre #2 in 1915 and - at least - it didn’t burn down like its next moniker: Rex Theatre (#1). Rex Theatre #2 was placed right where the Joe Bonds 002 former venue once stood.
Final film screenings were on April 6, 1986 with Danielle and Rene Summers as “Stray Cats” and “All About Annette Haven as the City zoned it out of existence. In 1989, it was home to a house of worship.
The first showtime listed for the theater is in December 31, 1915 with “Seven Wonders of Tacoma.” The Park Theater closed in December 31, 1962 with Robert Preston as “The Music Man.” It was renamed as the Parkway Hall thereafter as a VFW fraternal hall and event center. Lasting well past its 100th anniversary, it is now The Tacoma Christian Center at Parkway Hall.
Closed April 23, 1957 with “Proud and Profane” and “Toy Tiger”. Voters approved of the 12th and 10th Street pedestrian escalator plan that allowed the City of Tacoma to condemn the theater property and a stationery store at 10th Street. The Blue Mouse was exterminated after a salvage sale in July of 1960.
The venue had Mighty Ducks, Under Siege and Passenger 57 playing separate admission shows on January 18, 1993. That turned out to be its last day. Prior to business on January 19, 1993, fire left just four walls ending the building and theater’s run.
Closed for films after three operators tried sound conversions in 1930, 1931 (with that ending in a gasoline doused fire that didn’t end the building) and a last try with RCA sound in 1932. It was vacated and later rented for proposed stage plays in 1938 that didn’t take place. Bottom line - not all silent venues could be used for sound purposes. Appears to be a sheet metal factory of some sort during World War II.
The Bonnell Building by J.E. Bonnell was built in 1908 and would be a mixed use retail hotel property for many years first containing the Hotel Winthrop and later the Hotel Stothart. The flight of retail and hotels from Tacoma’s central business districts to suburban motels, malls and strip centers was in full throttle in the late 1960s and 1970s leaving decreased needs for parking challenged hotel and retail locations.
The Bonnell building saw its Stothart Hotel and last retailer leave no longer pining for anymore nights on Broadway. A tragedy of sorts leading to many lonely nights. But a new idea got patrons to come on over to the Bonnell and it was the adult film mecca to be, the Mecca Theatre, which opened in August of 1971. Local officials wouldn’t even take a holiday in their pursuit of ridding the town of this filth. During a double feature in 1974 of “Deep Throat” and “The Devil in Miss Jones,” four cops and an official had seen one fanny too many ending the screening.
But the operator wouldn’t plead guilty. That turned out to be a heartbreaker for the City which saw the Mecca, which some saw as a house of shame, continue stayin’ alive for 23 years and two years on from that for a total of 25. The city slapped a one million dollar plus valuation on the building in 2006 with the aging owner thinking that was nothing more than jive talkin’. So he said “I surrender” and the building was bought by new interests hoping to stage live theatre.
They got at least one play staged with the play, “Doubt,” in 2010 but alas there was no night fever generated for the stage plays. There were words just prior to the property’s foreclosure that occurred the next year. A new owner found that the hotel rooms upstairs had been frozen in place since the 1960s and had an idea to convert those to condos. And the Bonnell Building is so happy now that it should be dancing.
The Guild Theater closed July 23, 1974 with The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe. The building was sold by the Guild to Neiman Glass Company’s owners Lou and Robert Braunschweig. They leveled the floor and made offices in the mezzanine to the tune of $10,000. It then became a location of Safelite auto glass.
A 1963 upgrade by United Theatres purportedly increased capacity to 1,000 cars. Closed September 7, 1986 with two horror hits, “The Fly” and “Fright Night.”
A 1963 upgrade by United Theatres purportedly increased capacity to 1,000 cars. Closed September 7, 1986 with two horror hits, “The Fly” and “Fright Night.”
This venue began as a grocer and drug store as part of the 1883-built Frederick T. Olds Block. Two operators seized the moment of nickelodeons opening here as the Lyric Theater in 1909. It was auctioned off in a dispute between the co-owners that same year. New owners came in likely serving out its five-year lease closing on August 29, 1914 with “The Million Dollar Mystery.” New operators resumed here as the Jewel Theatre on December 16, 1914 with “The Pawn of Fortune.” The venue was upgraded to be fireproof and less a nickelodeon - more a theater.
The Shell Theatre was another nickelodeon and had opened in the Satterlee Block next door at 1324 Pacific in 1910. It was a $40,000 new build, multi-use structure. J.S. Short and H.R. Berg probably got an offer they couldn’t refuse moving to the Olds Block in October of 1915 or simply bought out the Jewel to get the “more theater” and “less nickelodeon. Whatever the reason, the Shell was an amazing success. It was wired for sound to remain commercially viable. It appears to have served out both a 20-year and a 25-year leasing commitment.
The final operator of the Shell was Numa J. Brossoit operating it into 1960 with James J. Hoffner. It became the Cameo Theatre on March 2, 1962 with Joni Day in “Not Tonight Henry” and Diana Does in “Blonde Sinner.” The latter played 22 weeks in Seattle. Tacoma was more discerning with the film getting just a single week. The venue closed likely at the end of its 10-year leasing agreeing on December 5, 1981 with unknown, unrated XXX films. The building got through its 100th Anniversary but would not make it to #105 as the city cleared it for demolition which took place apparently in 1987.
I’d definitely go with retail, Lyric Theater, Jewel Theater, Shell Theater (#2), and Cameo Theatre at 1320 Pacific. 1324 would be Shell #1 although there is little need for that with this entry.
The Kay Street Theatre opened in the Hilltop neighborhood with Charles Cundiff at the organ console and he created the “Kay Street March,” an original melody for the event of March 29, 1924. Moore Amusement Company was the operator and the architect of the venue was George Trust with Leo Kellogg the opening day manager. Peterson & Dahl were the interior decorators.
A couple of notes in that it definitely opened and definitely closed as the Kay Street Theatre (not K) but was definitely the K Street for some stretches including the late silent era. New operator Louis J. Perunko made the necessary transition to sound on December 17, 1929 with “Movietone Follies of 1929” and would do so for his Sunset Theatre as well. And it definitely closed on February 5, 1956 with “The Desperate Hours” and “Land of Fury" as the Kay Street Theatre.
The Harbor Mall project had its first construction in 1982 and it was over at the Harbor Mall Cinemas opening later that year. The cinema waited and waited for the neighboring mall to open. And by 1997, folks were getting a little impatient for the Mall so a new plan was devised which included less of a mall and more of a strip shopping complex with a nine-screen megaplex to arrive by Christmas of 1997. UA was on board with the architectural plans for that venue. And that second plan sort did come to fruition just a bit late… more than ten years later.
As the new Uptown Gig Harbor was taking shape in 2007 in full construction, the Regal Gig Harbor Cinemas 3 closed on January 10, 2008. The Uptown Gig Harbor Galaxy 10 megaplex opened two months later on March 7, 2008. And this time there were a bevy of other stores big and small surrounding the retail complex; it was sort of the way it was imagined 26 years earlier. And Galaxy did it right updating the facility to premium large screen formats and recliners across all auditoriums and moving from sheer quantity (2,160 seats) to a reduced but more comfy 960 seat cap. Better late than never! The theater survived the COVID-19 pandemic was still flourishing in the mid-2020s.
The venue became the Island View Drive-In on May 30, 1969 with a new name for the season. This entry should be Island View Drive-In (no hypen between Island and View).
Regal closed the Metro 4 as a sub-run discount house on October 29, 2000 with “The Perfect Storm,” “Nutty Professor II,” “Coyote Ugly,” and “Duets” splitting with “Hollow Man.” It was offered for lease or sale as a fully functional theater. With no offers, it was converted to the New Vintage Church likely to reduce its taxing obligations.
“And the Angels Sing” opens the venue on Sept. 28, 1944. The final continuous movie ad was on July 30, 1963 with “Corridors of Blood” and “Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory.” The Liberty Theatre was given a refresh in 1968 and the Pasco was utilized all of that summer. It reopens on December 25, 1971.
In 1972, it switches from Hollywood mainstream to Spanish films and porno chic era X-rated films before primarily showing Spanish language films. Its last ad is September 16, 1984 with a double feature of Héctor Bonilla in “Un Adorable Sinverguenza” and Armando Silvestre in “Matar por Matar.”
It returns at the Pasco Family Theatre at a grand reopening on June 3, 1986 with “Return to Snowy River” and “Fox and Hound.” That ended in March of 1994. Two local teachers took on the venue converting it back to Spanish language film in May of 1994. Ruben Peeralta and Jorge Serrano closed the operation on January 22, 1995. That appears to be it for cinematic endeavors.
Fay Honey won the bid to provide a theater for the atomic workers of North Richland. Midstate Amusement actually arranged all of the bookings and the in-theater promotions for Honey’s North Start Theater. It had a July 3, 1948 grand opening with “Tarzan and the Mermaids” and that ad is in photos.
The North Richland then was closed in 1955 and this was one of the last two businesses still present when it closed May 14, 1955 with “New Orleans Uncensored” and “The Racers.” The farewell ad is also in photos. The building was demolished in the 1970s.
It appears to have closed January 26, 1956 with “Sincerely Yours” and “Illegal.” The Richland Players began summer live stock in the Summer of 1956.
The Richland Uptown Shopping Center was a visionary “atomic age” shopping center concept delivered on December 6, 1949 with most of the businesses opening that day. Midstate Amusement was on hand and decided they would add a theater at the right side of the complex. Originally on the drafting table with the working title of the Strand by architect H. Brandt Gessell & Associates, the company took the moniker of the shopping center. The Uptown would be constructed in 1950 costing $250,000 and it seated 1,200 patrons at launch.
Regal closed here as the Regal Uptown 3 Theatres on January 29, 2006 at the end of lease with “Chronicles of Narnia,” “Underworld Evolution,” and “Walk the Line.” The building was offered for sale the next day for $550,000.
Opening ad posted as the Liberty on July 3, 1920 with Wm S. Hart if “The Tollgate” supported by “One Night in June” and “The Garage.” Frederick Mercy, Jr. gave the venue its first major facelift reopening for Junior Theaters (predecessor name of Mercy) as the “New” Liberty on September 9, 1927. That New Liberty update brought an Egyptian themed interior and upgraded presentations by replacing the DeLuxe Photoplayer instrument with a Wurlitzer organ. That reopening feature Mrs. A.G. Curran at the Wurlitzer console with Reginal Denny in “Out All Night.”
On October 13, 1929, the venue installed Vitagraph for souind films to remain viable. Edgar B. Mercy’s circuit rebranded as Mercy’s Roxy Theatre opening formally a day after a talent show on April 8, 1939 with “Torchy Blaine in Chinatown” and “The Mysterious Rider.” Final showtimes were “Skabenga” and “Black Jack Ketchum” on June 16, 1956. Merchant screenings and sporadic events continue through 1961.
Grand opening ad 21 November 1969 In photos with a double feature of “The Undefeated” and “TDYMITFM.” The facility was designed to go from a single screen to two in the original drawings. It would reach three screens and stop.
On December 13, 1986, SRO sold its 110 screen operation to Cineplex Odeon for $45 million. But the forthcoming megaplex era wiped out most of the twin and doubles. Act III acquired theaters from Cineplex Odeon in the Pacific Northwest in 1992 and this became an Act III venue.
They decided to build an 8-plex to replace the triple. It opened on Nov. 14, 1997 but Act III was convinced to keep the original three plex going in a surprise fourth act.
KKR took on Act III in 1998 that came under the Regal nameplate here. Regal declared bankruptcy in 2001 making it much easier to close out older twins, triples and quads. The last day here was September 30, 2001. “Summer Catch” and “American Outlaws” were the final two films shown that night.
1800 seats at launch according to Carmike’s Columbus Georgia based architect Artech Design Group
After a soft launch in early July 2025, the Beach Theatre held its grand reopening on Friday, July 18 with itself starring in “A New Wave: Revival of the Beach Theatre,” a documentary about the venue.
Bonus ad: Joe Bonds owned three silent era theaters. (I bet you can guess what the other two were called.) The former Isis Theater became Joe Bonds Theatre #2 in 1915 and - at least - it didn’t burn down like its next moniker: Rex Theatre (#1). Rex Theatre #2 was placed right where the Joe Bonds 002 former venue once stood.
Final film screenings were on April 6, 1986 with Danielle and Rene Summers as “Stray Cats” and “All About Annette Haven as the City zoned it out of existence. In 1989, it was home to a house of worship.
The first showtime listed for the theater is in December 31, 1915 with “Seven Wonders of Tacoma.” The Park Theater closed in December 31, 1962 with Robert Preston as “The Music Man.” It was renamed as the Parkway Hall thereafter as a VFW fraternal hall and event center. Lasting well past its 100th anniversary, it is now The Tacoma Christian Center at Parkway Hall.
Closed April 23, 1957 with “Proud and Profane” and “Toy Tiger”. Voters approved of the 12th and 10th Street pedestrian escalator plan that allowed the City of Tacoma to condemn the theater property and a stationery store at 10th Street. The Blue Mouse was exterminated after a salvage sale in July of 1960.
The venue had Mighty Ducks, Under Siege and Passenger 57 playing separate admission shows on January 18, 1993. That turned out to be its last day. Prior to business on January 19, 1993, fire left just four walls ending the building and theater’s run.
Closed for films after three operators tried sound conversions in 1930, 1931 (with that ending in a gasoline doused fire that didn’t end the building) and a last try with RCA sound in 1932. It was vacated and later rented for proposed stage plays in 1938 that didn’t take place. Bottom line - not all silent venues could be used for sound purposes. Appears to be a sheet metal factory of some sort during World War II.
The Bonnell Building by J.E. Bonnell was built in 1908 and would be a mixed use retail hotel property for many years first containing the Hotel Winthrop and later the Hotel Stothart. The flight of retail and hotels from Tacoma’s central business districts to suburban motels, malls and strip centers was in full throttle in the late 1960s and 1970s leaving decreased needs for parking challenged hotel and retail locations.
The Bonnell building saw its Stothart Hotel and last retailer leave no longer pining for anymore nights on Broadway. A tragedy of sorts leading to many lonely nights. But a new idea got patrons to come on over to the Bonnell and it was the adult film mecca to be, the Mecca Theatre, which opened in August of 1971. Local officials wouldn’t even take a holiday in their pursuit of ridding the town of this filth. During a double feature in 1974 of “Deep Throat” and “The Devil in Miss Jones,” four cops and an official had seen one fanny too many ending the screening.
But the operator wouldn’t plead guilty. That turned out to be a heartbreaker for the City which saw the Mecca, which some saw as a house of shame, continue stayin’ alive for 23 years and two years on from that for a total of 25. The city slapped a one million dollar plus valuation on the building in 2006 with the aging owner thinking that was nothing more than jive talkin’. So he said “I surrender” and the building was bought by new interests hoping to stage live theatre.
They got at least one play staged with the play, “Doubt,” in 2010 but alas there was no night fever generated for the stage plays. There were words just prior to the property’s foreclosure that occurred the next year. A new owner found that the hotel rooms upstairs had been frozen in place since the 1960s and had an idea to convert those to condos. And the Bonnell Building is so happy now that it should be dancing.
The Guild Theater closed July 23, 1974 with The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe. The building was sold by the Guild to Neiman Glass Company’s owners Lou and Robert Braunschweig. They leveled the floor and made offices in the mezzanine to the tune of $10,000. It then became a location of Safelite auto glass.
A 1963 upgrade by United Theatres purportedly increased capacity to 1,000 cars. Closed September 7, 1986 with two horror hits, “The Fly” and “Fright Night.”
A 1963 upgrade by United Theatres purportedly increased capacity to 1,000 cars. Closed September 7, 1986 with two horror hits, “The Fly” and “Fright Night.”
This venue began as a grocer and drug store as part of the 1883-built Frederick T. Olds Block. Two operators seized the moment of nickelodeons opening here as the Lyric Theater in 1909. It was auctioned off in a dispute between the co-owners that same year. New owners came in likely serving out its five-year lease closing on August 29, 1914 with “The Million Dollar Mystery.” New operators resumed here as the Jewel Theatre on December 16, 1914 with “The Pawn of Fortune.” The venue was upgraded to be fireproof and less a nickelodeon - more a theater.
The Shell Theatre was another nickelodeon and had opened in the Satterlee Block next door at 1324 Pacific in 1910. It was a $40,000 new build, multi-use structure. J.S. Short and H.R. Berg probably got an offer they couldn’t refuse moving to the Olds Block in October of 1915 or simply bought out the Jewel to get the “more theater” and “less nickelodeon. Whatever the reason, the Shell was an amazing success. It was wired for sound to remain commercially viable. It appears to have served out both a 20-year and a 25-year leasing commitment.
The final operator of the Shell was Numa J. Brossoit operating it into 1960 with James J. Hoffner. It became the Cameo Theatre on March 2, 1962 with Joni Day in “Not Tonight Henry” and Diana Does in “Blonde Sinner.” The latter played 22 weeks in Seattle. Tacoma was more discerning with the film getting just a single week. The venue closed likely at the end of its 10-year leasing agreeing on December 5, 1981 with unknown, unrated XXX films. The building got through its 100th Anniversary but would not make it to #105 as the city cleared it for demolition which took place apparently in 1987.
I’d definitely go with retail, Lyric Theater, Jewel Theater, Shell Theater (#2), and Cameo Theatre at 1320 Pacific. 1324 would be Shell #1 although there is little need for that with this entry.
The 112th closed at the expiry of its 20 year leasing agreement with “Iron Eagle II” on November 17, 1988.
I forgot to put in the second line of the address which was: Unit 96 (in case you need to mail back a comment card).
The Kay Street Theatre opened in the Hilltop neighborhood with Charles Cundiff at the organ console and he created the “Kay Street March,” an original melody for the event of March 29, 1924. Moore Amusement Company was the operator and the architect of the venue was George Trust with Leo Kellogg the opening day manager. Peterson & Dahl were the interior decorators.
A couple of notes in that it definitely opened and definitely closed as the Kay Street Theatre (not K) but was definitely the K Street for some stretches including the late silent era. New operator Louis J. Perunko made the necessary transition to sound on December 17, 1929 with “Movietone Follies of 1929” and would do so for his Sunset Theatre as well. And it definitely closed on February 5, 1956 with “The Desperate Hours” and “Land of Fury" as the Kay Street Theatre.
The Harbor Mall project had its first construction in 1982 and it was over at the Harbor Mall Cinemas opening later that year. The cinema waited and waited for the neighboring mall to open. And by 1997, folks were getting a little impatient for the Mall so a new plan was devised which included less of a mall and more of a strip shopping complex with a nine-screen megaplex to arrive by Christmas of 1997. UA was on board with the architectural plans for that venue. And that second plan sort did come to fruition just a bit late… more than ten years later.
As the new Uptown Gig Harbor was taking shape in 2007 in full construction, the Regal Gig Harbor Cinemas 3 closed on January 10, 2008. The Uptown Gig Harbor Galaxy 10 megaplex opened two months later on March 7, 2008. And this time there were a bevy of other stores big and small surrounding the retail complex; it was sort of the way it was imagined 26 years earlier. And Galaxy did it right updating the facility to premium large screen formats and recliners across all auditoriums and moving from sheer quantity (2,160 seats) to a reduced but more comfy 960 seat cap. Better late than never! The theater survived the COVID-19 pandemic was still flourishing in the mid-2020s.