The Playhouse Theatre was located in the Odd Fellows Building as a silent movie house. On May 30, 1930, the theatre installed RCA Photophone to present talkies staring with the film, “Through Different Eyes.” But it then went into sporadic use in 1931 and 1932 with local businesses arranging special and/or free screenings. The theatre closed in 1932 but was reopened in May of 1933 as the Lusk Theatre. On July 13, 1933, it continued operation as the Home Theatre.
Feinstein and Edmondson took on the theatre in 1934 holding a contest to rename the venue. Youth Clarence Schnurr selected Summit and won $5 for the name of Summitt Theatre which started under that moniker on August 17, 1934. Schnurr chose it due to the city of Harrison’s designation as having the highest elevation of any Nebraska city and “you can use it in advertising the theatre,” Schnurr surmised.
The theatre closed on May 19, 1947 for a major refresh. It relaunched as the “new” Summit Theatre June 12, 1947 in the same location with sloping floor. It appears to have ceased operations on December 28, 1959 with “The Young Philadelphian.”
This venue opened as the Wray Theatre. It was taken on not long thereafter by Blanche M. Tyo who changed the name of the venue and the hotel to the Tyo Theatre and the Tyo Hotel. The theatre converted to Western Electric sound in 1929 to remain viable. Tyo sold the theatre to Myrtle Blanchard and a person with the last name of Tomlinson in August of 1932. The pair changed the name to the Blanchard Theatre.
Blanchard then sold the theatre to James K. Powell effective June 29, 1933 when Powell showed “Melody Cruise.” One month later, Powell changed the theatre back to the Wray Theatre. If the newspaper is correct, the hotel was also renamed as the Wray Hotel under new operators in 1934. The final advertisements appear for the Wray Theatre in 1950 which coincides with the end of a 30- year leasing period. It appears that both the hotel and the theatre were demolished in 1959. And if they weren’t, my apologies to the Tyo family.
Opened on September 22, 1920, the $100,000 theatre launched with “The River’s End” supported by music by the Morrison Orchestra of Denver. M.L. Klinck also provided a coronet solo. Technically, on opening night it was known as the Klinck Theatre. However, Mr. and Mrs. Elgin C. Klinck announced that from that day forward it would be known as the Eldon Theatre in memory of their late son, Eldon. They vowed to keep the name of the Eldon as long as they owned the venue in memory of their late son, Eldon. (The Eldon is pictured at its launch in photos.)
On December 4, 1924, the theatre got new operators and was renamed the Grant Theatre. It converted to sound to stay relevant. In December of 1962, the State Fire Marshall prohibited smoking at the theatre effective on January 5, 1963. But as you can see above, the theatre was heavily damaged by fire on December 26, 1962. The final screening was a special Christmas show on December 21, 1962. A fund was taken up to repair the theatre but another fire in 1965 ended hopes of restoring the venue.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hackett launched the first Hickory Theatre on April 26, 1946 with “Son of Lassie.” The 180-seat theatre was named after the Hermtiage’s county of Hickory. The Hickory was destroyed on November 8, 1949 when a fire destroyed virtually the entire West Side of the Hermitage square. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Troxel rebuilt the venue from the ground up, re-launching April 28, 1950 with Red Skelton in “Neptune’s Daughter.” The theatre closed on September 1, 1959 with “Born Reckless.”
The Hickory was used for free kids and farm implement related screenings until 1961. On August 19, 1961, the venue reopened as a country music venue with The Ozark Mountain Boys headlining. That operation ceased on October 21, 1961. The building was converted in February of 1963 becoming the Payne Recreation Hall.
This building was home to the second location of the Empress Theatre which opened November 7, 1919 with Ruth Roland in “The Tiger’s Trail.” The Empress fulfilled a ten-year leasing period and went dark when operator Sam Fringer decided to let the lease lapse and move to the new Masonic Temple Building. The Empress Theatre closed on June 15, 1929 with “The Air Circus” with the equipment moving to the new Temple. The Temple Theatre opened along with the well-placed Temple Soda Shoppe next door on July 1, 1929. The theatre was hurt by a ban placed on Sunday movies by the town in 1929 which was partially released to allow Sunday matinees in 1930.
But Griffith Amusements decided to purchase the venue in October of 1937 and equip it with sound. It became the Greer Theatre named after the county and opening November 11, 1937 with Joan Blondell in “Stand-In.” The Greer went independent and closed in the 1950s due to the impact of television. However, Video Independent Theatres Circuit equipped the Greer with widescreen and a Grand Re-Opening on September 25, 1955 with “Naked Spur” and “Ride Vaquero.” But patronage even with widescreen and Technicolor was poor and the theatre closed January 20, 1957 as it approached its 20-year lease expiration.
The Temple Theatre was launched July 1, 1929 by Sam Fringer. Fringer had discontinued operation of the Empress Theatre on June 15, 1929 moving the equipment to the Temple. The theatre opened along with the well-placed Temple Soda Shoppe next door.
This theatre opened as a 70mm suburban theatre designed to present roadshow pictures - which it did with “Oliver.” It was opened by the Broumas Theatre Circuit which retained it until its bankruptcy in 1967. But the Westwood may be best known for the place where “Slap Shot” opened in 1977. Many of the films best hockey scenes were shot in Johnstown. Some fifty years after its launch, the Westwood Plaza Theatre was still going under the Fleegle Cinemas banner.
Opened December 20, 1963 with “Fun in Acapulco” staring Elvis Presley, this was another of the fledgling Broumas Theatre Circuit’s suburban strip shopping center new build locations. Unfortunately questionable business practices led to a 1967 Broumas exit from the industry in bankruptcy.
This was a typical Broumas Theatre which specialized in 700-800 suburban shopping center single-screen theatres with 70mm projection and stereo sound. It launched in the decade-old Boardman Plaza Shopping Center and stayed as a Broumas Circuit location until the chain went bankrupt in 1967.
The North Point Plaza Shopping Center opened theatre-less late in 1963. However, a year later, a theatre was announced by the fledgling John G. Broumas Theatre Circuit. Broumas specialized in 700-800 seat single-screen theatres boasting road show capability, 70mm projection and stereo sound. Broumas opened the North Point Plaza Theatre with Dean Jones in “That Darn Cat” on March 16, 1966. Months later, Broumas' circuit was under investigation and in early 1967 it was defunct.
The North Point carried on without him / them and doggedly as a single-screen venue all the way into 1984. But after closing for renovations in Setpember of 1984 for J-F Theatres, the theatre was quadplexed with a an extension reopening with free open house screenings on November 29, 1984 with “Risky Business,” “Greystoke,” “Superman” and “Never Say Never Again.” Two years later, the theatre was downgraded to a sub-run discount house with all seats $1. In 1988, Loews took over the discount operation and gave it a big refresh in Jun 29, 1990 Grand Reopening as a $1.50 venue with all new projection.
A 22-year survivor, Sony Theatres closed up shop as a sub-run discount house at $1.75 a seat on June 28, 1998 with “Black Dog,” “The Wedding Singer,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “The Big Hit.”
The 1962 redo was for the Broumas Theatre Circuit which operated this until that theatre chain came under investigation and then declared bankruptcy in 1967.
Broumas Theatre Circuit headed by John G. Broumas took over the State from the Edward C. Prinsen estate in 1963 less than a year after Prinsen’s death. The State had already transformed to a 1,250-seat road show house playing 70mm films.
The Liberty Court Shopping Center launched October 11, 1963 theatre-less by Food Fair Properties whose grocery store anchored the strip center here. It was Food Fair’s eighth shopping center. F.H. Durkee Circuit opened the Liberty Court Theatre in the strip on October 31, 1964. The $350,000 house seated 900 and was be followed by the Eastern Theatre project as suburban destination theaters were trending. The Liberty would shortly get competition across the street from the Randallstown-Plaza Threatre by the fledgling Broumas Cicrcuit that had opened less than year later in 1965. Meanwhile, the Eastpoint project was downgraded to the Eastern Center Hall that became an event center.
The Liberty Court was a success and, in 1968, Durkee designed a second theatre to compliment the original house now operating under the name of the Liberty Theatre. However, those plans did not transpire. The venue was eventually twinned becoming the Liberty Twin Theatre I & II on August 25, 1971. The theatre closed as the Liberty Twin at the end of a 20-year lease on March 26, 1987.
In June of 1989, it was announced that the theatre would reopen with the twin screens twinned. The resulting quadplex was a sub-run discount house known as the Liberty $1 Cinemas. J-F Theatres’ Jack Fruchtman, who had operated the Randallstown Plaza until selling his theatre Circuit in 1984, teamed with former Loew’s Theatre employee Tom Herman for the relaunch. It was renamed as Liberty Cinemas as prices moved from a buck to $1.50 then onward to $2.50.
On March 1, 1996, Premier took over the operation and restored order by lowering the price to $1.49 per show with free popcorn on Wednesday if you brought your own bag. (Refills were not permitted if the employees felt that the bag brought in was too large.) The “premier(e)” didn’t have to do with first-run movies but the circuit’s name and claim that the Liberty was Baltimore’s only four-star discount movie venue. (Pre-Yelp, it was a bit challenging to find out who rated it as a four-star establishment.)
Going under the name of Liberty’s Premier Discount Cinemas, the quadplex’s last showings advertised were on May 28, 1998 which would likely coincide with the end of a 10-year leasing agreement. If so, it closed with “The Wedding Singer,” “Hush,” “Mercury Rising” splitting with “Scream 2,” and “U.S. Marshalls” splitting with “Species 2.” If not, hope that people brought in clean bags for the free ‘corn
The Playhouse Theatre was located in the Odd Fellows Building as a silent movie house. On May 30, 1930, the theatre installed RCA Photophone to present talkies staring with the film, “Through Different Eyes.” But it then went into sporadic use in 1931 and 1932 with local businesses arranging special and/or free screenings. The theatre closed in 1932 but was reopened in May of 1933 as the Lusk Theatre. On July 13, 1933, it continued operation as the Home Theatre.
Feinstein and Edmondson took on the theatre in 1934 holding a contest to rename the venue. Youth Clarence Schnurr selected Summit and won $5 for the name of Summitt Theatre which started under that moniker on August 17, 1934. Schnurr chose it due to the city of Harrison’s designation as having the highest elevation of any Nebraska city and “you can use it in advertising the theatre,” Schnurr surmised.
The theatre closed on May 19, 1947 for a major refresh. It relaunched as the “new” Summit Theatre June 12, 1947 in the same location with sloping floor. It appears to have ceased operations on December 28, 1959 with “The Young Philadelphian.”
The Wyoming Theatre launched June 13, 1919 by Maurice Wolf in the Odd Fellows Building on June 13, 1919.
This venue opened as the Wray Theatre. It was taken on not long thereafter by Blanche M. Tyo who changed the name of the venue and the hotel to the Tyo Theatre and the Tyo Hotel. The theatre converted to Western Electric sound in 1929 to remain viable. Tyo sold the theatre to Myrtle Blanchard and a person with the last name of Tomlinson in August of 1932. The pair changed the name to the Blanchard Theatre.
Blanchard then sold the theatre to James K. Powell effective June 29, 1933 when Powell showed “Melody Cruise.” One month later, Powell changed the theatre back to the Wray Theatre. If the newspaper is correct, the hotel was also renamed as the Wray Hotel under new operators in 1934. The final advertisements appear for the Wray Theatre in 1950 which coincides with the end of a 30- year leasing period. It appears that both the hotel and the theatre were demolished in 1959. And if they weren’t, my apologies to the Tyo family.
Opening film January 13, 1936, was Warner Baxter in “King of Burlesque” supported by the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon, “The Cookie Carnival.”
The Ritz Theatre was launched on July 20, 1929 by C.W. Guthrie..
Opened on September 22, 1920, the $100,000 theatre launched with “The River’s End” supported by music by the Morrison Orchestra of Denver. M.L. Klinck also provided a coronet solo. Technically, on opening night it was known as the Klinck Theatre. However, Mr. and Mrs. Elgin C. Klinck announced that from that day forward it would be known as the Eldon Theatre in memory of their late son, Eldon. They vowed to keep the name of the Eldon as long as they owned the venue in memory of their late son, Eldon. (The Eldon is pictured at its launch in photos.)
On December 4, 1924, the theatre got new operators and was renamed the Grant Theatre. It converted to sound to stay relevant. In December of 1962, the State Fire Marshall prohibited smoking at the theatre effective on January 5, 1963. But as you can see above, the theatre was heavily damaged by fire on December 26, 1962. The final screening was a special Christmas show on December 21, 1962. A fund was taken up to repair the theatre but another fire in 1965 ended hopes of restoring the venue.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hackett launched the first Hickory Theatre on April 26, 1946 with “Son of Lassie.” The 180-seat theatre was named after the Hermtiage’s county of Hickory. The Hickory was destroyed on November 8, 1949 when a fire destroyed virtually the entire West Side of the Hermitage square. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Troxel rebuilt the venue from the ground up, re-launching April 28, 1950 with Red Skelton in “Neptune’s Daughter.” The theatre closed on September 1, 1959 with “Born Reckless.”
The Hickory was used for free kids and farm implement related screenings until 1961. On August 19, 1961, the venue reopened as a country music venue with The Ozark Mountain Boys headlining. That operation ceased on October 21, 1961. The building was converted in February of 1963 becoming the Payne Recreation Hall.
This building was home to the second location of the Empress Theatre which opened November 7, 1919 with Ruth Roland in “The Tiger’s Trail.” The Empress fulfilled a ten-year leasing period and went dark when operator Sam Fringer decided to let the lease lapse and move to the new Masonic Temple Building. The Empress Theatre closed on June 15, 1929 with “The Air Circus” with the equipment moving to the new Temple. The Temple Theatre opened along with the well-placed Temple Soda Shoppe next door on July 1, 1929. The theatre was hurt by a ban placed on Sunday movies by the town in 1929 which was partially released to allow Sunday matinees in 1930.
But Griffith Amusements decided to purchase the venue in October of 1937 and equip it with sound. It became the Greer Theatre named after the county and opening November 11, 1937 with Joan Blondell in “Stand-In.” The Greer went independent and closed in the 1950s due to the impact of television. However, Video Independent Theatres Circuit equipped the Greer with widescreen and a Grand Re-Opening on September 25, 1955 with “Naked Spur” and “Ride Vaquero.” But patronage even with widescreen and Technicolor was poor and the theatre closed January 20, 1957 as it approached its 20-year lease expiration.
The Temple Theatre was launched July 1, 1929 by Sam Fringer. Fringer had discontinued operation of the Empress Theatre on June 15, 1929 moving the equipment to the Temple. The theatre opened along with the well-placed Temple Soda Shoppe next door.
Opened by Broumas Theatre Circuit which held on to the theatre until its bankruptcy in 1967
In the 1960s was part of the Broumas Theatre Circuit until its demise in 1967.
This theatre opened as a 70mm suburban theatre designed to present roadshow pictures - which it did with “Oliver.” It was opened by the Broumas Theatre Circuit which retained it until its bankruptcy in 1967. But the Westwood may be best known for the place where “Slap Shot” opened in 1977. Many of the films best hockey scenes were shot in Johnstown. Some fifty years after its launch, the Westwood Plaza Theatre was still going under the Fleegle Cinemas banner.
Opened December 20, 1963 with “Fun in Acapulco” staring Elvis Presley, this was another of the fledgling Broumas Theatre Circuit’s suburban strip shopping center new build locations. Unfortunately questionable business practices led to a 1967 Broumas exit from the industry in bankruptcy.
This was a typical Broumas Theatre which specialized in 700-800 suburban shopping center single-screen theatres with 70mm projection and stereo sound. It launched in the decade-old Boardman Plaza Shopping Center and stayed as a Broumas Circuit location until the chain went bankrupt in 1967.
Once operated as part of the John G. Broumas Circuit until it went bust in 1967.
The North Point Plaza Shopping Center opened theatre-less late in 1963. However, a year later, a theatre was announced by the fledgling John G. Broumas Theatre Circuit. Broumas specialized in 700-800 seat single-screen theatres boasting road show capability, 70mm projection and stereo sound. Broumas opened the North Point Plaza Theatre with Dean Jones in “That Darn Cat” on March 16, 1966. Months later, Broumas' circuit was under investigation and in early 1967 it was defunct.
The North Point carried on without him / them and doggedly as a single-screen venue all the way into 1984. But after closing for renovations in Setpember of 1984 for J-F Theatres, the theatre was quadplexed with a an extension reopening with free open house screenings on November 29, 1984 with “Risky Business,” “Greystoke,” “Superman” and “Never Say Never Again.” Two years later, the theatre was downgraded to a sub-run discount house with all seats $1. In 1988, Loews took over the discount operation and gave it a big refresh in Jun 29, 1990 Grand Reopening as a $1.50 venue with all new projection.
A 22-year survivor, Sony Theatres closed up shop as a sub-run discount house at $1.75 a seat on June 28, 1998 with “Black Dog,” “The Wedding Singer,” “Good Will Hunting,” and “The Big Hit.”
The 1962 redo was for the Broumas Theatre Circuit which operated this until that theatre chain came under investigation and then declared bankruptcy in 1967.
In 1965-1967, was part of the Broumas Theatre Circuit.
Opened as part of the Broumas Theatre Circuit on May 19, 1965, the circuit was in bankruptcy just about a year later.
The genesis of this theatre was in 1963 as a project by the Broumas Theatre Circuit
Broumas Theatre Circuit headed by John G. Broumas took over the State from the Edward C. Prinsen estate in 1963 less than a year after Prinsen’s death. The State had already transformed to a 1,250-seat road show house playing 70mm films.
From 1965 to 1967 was part of the Broumas Theatre Circuit
Became part of the Broumas Theatre Circuit when John G. Broumas bought the theatre on February 29, 1960.
robboehm: It’s the Randallstown Twin Cinema (aka Plaza and Randallstown-Plaza) and it went live today. Thanks for posting the photo!
The Liberty Court Shopping Center launched October 11, 1963 theatre-less by Food Fair Properties whose grocery store anchored the strip center here. It was Food Fair’s eighth shopping center. F.H. Durkee Circuit opened the Liberty Court Theatre in the strip on October 31, 1964. The $350,000 house seated 900 and was be followed by the Eastern Theatre project as suburban destination theaters were trending. The Liberty would shortly get competition across the street from the Randallstown-Plaza Threatre by the fledgling Broumas Cicrcuit that had opened less than year later in 1965. Meanwhile, the Eastpoint project was downgraded to the Eastern Center Hall that became an event center.
The Liberty Court was a success and, in 1968, Durkee designed a second theatre to compliment the original house now operating under the name of the Liberty Theatre. However, those plans did not transpire. The venue was eventually twinned becoming the Liberty Twin Theatre I & II on August 25, 1971. The theatre closed as the Liberty Twin at the end of a 20-year lease on March 26, 1987.
In June of 1989, it was announced that the theatre would reopen with the twin screens twinned. The resulting quadplex was a sub-run discount house known as the Liberty $1 Cinemas. J-F Theatres’ Jack Fruchtman, who had operated the Randallstown Plaza until selling his theatre Circuit in 1984, teamed with former Loew’s Theatre employee Tom Herman for the relaunch. It was renamed as Liberty Cinemas as prices moved from a buck to $1.50 then onward to $2.50.
On March 1, 1996, Premier took over the operation and restored order by lowering the price to $1.49 per show with free popcorn on Wednesday if you brought your own bag. (Refills were not permitted if the employees felt that the bag brought in was too large.) The “premier(e)” didn’t have to do with first-run movies but the circuit’s name and claim that the Liberty was Baltimore’s only four-star discount movie venue. (Pre-Yelp, it was a bit challenging to find out who rated it as a four-star establishment.)
Going under the name of Liberty’s Premier Discount Cinemas, the quadplex’s last showings advertised were on May 28, 1998 which would likely coincide with the end of a 10-year leasing agreement. If so, it closed with “The Wedding Singer,” “Hush,” “Mercury Rising” splitting with “Scream 2,” and “U.S. Marshalls” splitting with “Species 2.” If not, hope that people brought in clean bags for the free ‘corn