The Kon-Tiki launched August 23rd, 1968 opening with the film, “The Odd Couple.” Levin Theatres leased the theatre after showings on May 14, 1987 to USA Cinemas. USA felt the venue was dated closing it and stripping it of much of its interior charm. It relaunched as the Salem Avenue Cinema 1-3 losing its Polynesian and Hawaiian look.
USA Cinemas was bought out by Loews. Thus, the venue closed as Loews Salem Avenue Cinemas 1-3 final shows were on January 31, 1999 with “Down in the Delta,” “Virus,” and “The Faculty.” Loews would close its Beaver Valley 1-6 later in the year leaving the Dayton market, altogether.
Robert J. Hirsch opened his Sigma Theatre on September 14, 1922 with Owen Moore in “Reported Missing.” The theatre converted to sound to remain viable. It closed March 8, 1964 with “Little Red Riding Hood.” H&K Theatres Circuit took on the venue rebranding it as the Little Playhouse. The venue played repertory films beginning on June 24, 1964 with “South Pacific.” The Little Playhouse closed on November 18, 1965.
On August 3, 1966, the theatre rebranded as Cinevu sporting Ultra Harveyscope Deep Dimension projection and relaunching with “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Harveyscope was the culmination of a three-year dream of legendary projectionist John Harvey with 40' wide and 12' high screen and a curved screen of ten feet. Charley McCartney managed the venue and his passion for the art of widescreen projection would continue with Dayton’s Neon Cinerama Theatre in the 1990s. Cinevue closed on October 27, 1968.
On February 24, 1969, Emerson Newman formerly of the Ohio Follies on Jefferson, rebranded the venue as Todd Art Theatre / Todd’s Art Theatre with “De L'Amour” and an adult second feature. It rebranded closing as the Todd Burlesk Theatre and Bouzouki Lounge in 1991. The property was sold at Sheriff’s Sale in February of 1992. It appears that it was sold and razed in 1994.
Herbert C. Ochs launched his second o-zoner called Drive-In Theatre (West) on August 1, 1946 and renaming hid other venue as Drive-In Theatre (East). The theatre had twin-illuminated towers opening with “Where Do We Go From Here?” supported by the Goofy cartoon, “A Night for a Day,” the March of Time newsreel, “American Beauty,” “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” live fireworks and a live radio remote broadcast.
Bob Mills CinemAssociates launched the Cinema Centre on December 6, 1975 with “Hound of the Baskervilles” and “Conduct Unbecoming.” The venue sported identical 300-seat auditoriums developed by Bi-Ni Development. A remodel brought seating count to 250 seats. Chakeres Theatre Circuit opted out of its lease closing the theatre on September 25, 1983 after a 24-week run of “Flashdance” and a double-feature of “Tootsie” and “The Survivors.”
The Sun Theatre was a replacement for both the town’s Crescent Theatre which burned down on December 24, 1924 and its Auditorium which was the replacement movie house after the Crescent’s demise. The new-build Sun Theatre launched on October 19, 1925 with Reginald Denny in “California Straight Ahead.” Manager C.C. Porter decided to install Western Electric sound on October 3, 1930 declaring the silent era all but over.
Festival Enterprises launched this 6-plex on December 25, 1975 as it raced against the UA quadplex project that would open the previous week on December 19th. The Festval had “Lucky Lady,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Man Who Would be King"among their openers. Mann took on the venue selling it in 2000. The theatre closed after a 15-year run and became an auto dealer.
UA Cinemas 4 opened Christmas Day 1971 at the above address. UA would leave and the venue became the Northgate Cinema. It closed July 9, 1998. It was converted to retail as a Hancock Fabrics store.
Kiddie Cinema launched Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1969 showing 16mm kids films. The venue reopened as Shellmel Circuit’s New Kiddie Kinema on April 26, 1970 with “Doctor Doolittle.” The Kiddie concept ended June 27, 1971 with “King Kong v. Godzilla.”
On July 28, 1972, the venue became National Cinema’s Cedar Cinema with repertory double feature films starting with the Marx Brothers in “A Night at the Opera” and “Day at the Races.” On November 29, 1972, National switched to 16mm adult films. Under new inedpendent operation, the Cedar Cinema switched back to repertory films on April 6, 1973. It closed September 6, 1973.
On September 28, 1973 and under independent operator Doug Wright, the fifth operator of the venue, it was renamed the Bijou Cinema staying with repertory films. The opening film was “Zorro’s Fighting Legion” and a Little Rascals festival. The Bijou failed going out of business less than a year later on June 16, 1974.
In August of 1974, the venue went adult as the Bijou Adult Cinema which likely ceased operations at the end of lease on 1979.
The Little Theatre opened as a movie theatre screening international cinema at 56-58 E. Columbia Street. The Motion Picture Guild of America Circuit launched the theatre. It had locations of Little theaters in Philadelphia, Newark, New York City and Washington, D.C., amongst others. The George DeWitt Mason architected venue launched in downtown Detroit on September 7, 1928 with the Motion Picture Guild presenting Pierre Magnier in the film, “Cyrano de Bergerac.” And if people missed the buzz around the theatre, it was because most of the attention was given to the Fox Theatre’s development and opening. The Fox launched just two weeks later about a baseball throw away on September 23d commanding the attention. Not too surprisingly, the Little Theatre closed on March 23, 1933. Its final film was “Zwei Menschen” with Charlotte Susa.
On September 16, 1933, under new operators, the venue became the Rivoli Theatre with the Polish film, “Noc Listopadowa” starring Mieczysław Krawicz. The Rivoli closed on January 11, 1934 with Max Hansen in the film parody, “Das Kabinett des Dr. Larifari.” But it may have been the showings in November of 1933 of “The Nude World” that doomed W. H. Kinnear’s Rivoli. The theatre opened the film on November 8, 1933 and it ended up being held over until month’s end - an unprecedented run for the Rivoli. But the police paid a visit and Kinnear ended up in legal trouble in January of 1934 which coincides with when the venue closed. It was also a foreshadowing of what would occur 32 years later when the venue would go all adult films for a 10-year period.
The former Little/Rivoli became a live stage playhouse with Erwin Paul Lang relaunching it as the Drury Lane Theatre on January 7, 1935 with the comedy, “Milestones.” The Drury Lane failed quickly closing just three months later.
The venue reopened September 7, 1935 as the Europa Theatre specializing in German films. It relaunched with Marta Eggerth in “Kaiserwalzer.” The theatre made headlines booking two Russian films, “Peasants” and “The Youth of Maxim,” which were banned by local officials as Soviet propaganda and that move was supported by the local court system. On January 1, 1936, the Europa switched from German films to repertory films. The Europa closed in February of 1936. In October of 1936, the theater owners did get news from the State Supreme Court of Michigan that the banning of the film violated the operator’s First Amendment rights.
Harry Nathan took on the venue and rebranded it as Cinema Theatre on February 25, 1936. It switched back to European films starting with Leni Riefenstahl in “The Blue Light.” The Cinema belly-flopped closing on May 14, 1936. But Ira Kaplan revived the venue on September 19, 1936 reopening as the Cinema with the film, “Cloistered” supported by a Mickey Mouse cartoon and a Brittany travelog. The Cinema Theatre was a true independent showing art films and exploitation titles. A 1937 Russian film booking by the Cinema Guild of Detroit led to another injunction… but this time for false advertising. The Cinema Theatre closed on July 18, 1943 with two French films.
On November 11, 1943, the venue came under the operation of Telenews Theatres Circuit reopening as the New Cinema Theatre and the film, “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Telenews bailed on the Cinema but Martin J. Lewis of Continental Circuit took over the theater. Continental was the New York-based firm best known for art houses including New York City’s 55th Street Playhouse, Thalia, Fifth Avenue Playhouse, the 72nd Street Playhouse, and the Heights Theater amongst others. Cinema Theatre closed on April 27, 1952 with John Laurie in “Edge of the World” and Robert Flaherty’s “Man of Aran.”
New operator Paul Broder gave the venue a major refresh and greeted customers back to the New Cinema Theatre which relaunched Easter Sunday, April 18, 1954 with Richie Andrusco as “Little Fugitive.” But art film wasn’t what people wanted and it switched to sub-run double features. The Cinema Theater’s tenure ended grinding prints of “Sabrina” and “Rear Window” continuously until 3a on April 20, 1955 likely closing at the end of a 20-year leasing period.
On March 8, 1956, Studio Theatre Corporation of Livernois reopened the Cinema and renamed it as the World Theatre and shared its bookings with the Studio Theatre. Its reopening film was “The Trouble with Harry.” The theatre was refreshed with widescreen projection to play VistaVision films. That continued until October 5, 1958. The Trans Lux Krim had become the art house of choice and the World Theatre closed January 11, 1959.
The theatre returned to its short-lived live stage play days when it was renamed the Vanguard Playhouse in June of 1959. It was officially renamed the Vanguard Theatre in 1963. It closed on January 2,1966 with a matinee of a children’s play - “The Emperor’s New Clothes” - and an adult evening play, “Over the Counter.”
On January 14, 1966, the venue relaunched as an adult movie theatre first known as the Gem Theatre with the films, “For Members Only” and “Women Around The World.” In late February, it would be rebranded as the Gem Art Theatre. The Gem Art appears to have closed on November 9,1976 after showings of Nadia Henkowa starring in “Devil’s Ecstasy” and Sativa and Teddy Steel in “Nostalgia Blue" likely at the end of a ten-year leasing period.
Chuck Forbes bought the Gem for $5,000 in 1990 reopening with live fare in January of 1992. In 1997, the 5.5 million pound theatre closed. Weight is rarely an issue but with a new baseball stadium being built nearby, the Gem was in the way. A solution was created so that it and its neighboring building, a nightclub also owned by Forbes, could be picked up and moved from 56 E. Columbia and moved five blocks away to 333 Madison Avenue. International Chimney of Buffalo took six months prepping for the move which began October 16, 1997. It relaunched in its new spot on September 9, 1978 with, “I Love You, You’re Perfect… Now Change.” It was still going in the 2020s as was it contemporary, the Fox Theatre, only now a little further apart from one another.
Closed March 18, 2020 for COVID-19 pandemic. Performed a theater refresh during the pandemic reopening May 29, 2020. But business slacked due to the pandemic and lack of new releases so the theatre closed again January 24, 2021 permanently. The final weekend consisted of free repertory films.
Closed September 18, 2009 as a sub-run discount theatre.
The Kon-Tiki launched August 23rd, 1968 opening with the film, “The Odd Couple.” Levin Theatres leased the theatre after showings on May 14, 1987 to USA Cinemas. USA felt the venue was dated closing it and stripping it of much of its interior charm. It relaunched as the Salem Avenue Cinema 1-3 losing its Polynesian and Hawaiian look.
USA Cinemas was bought out by Loews. Thus, the venue closed as Loews Salem Avenue Cinemas 1-3 final shows were on January 31, 1999 with “Down in the Delta,” “Virus,” and “The Faculty.” Loews would close its Beaver Valley 1-6 later in the year leaving the Dayton market, altogether.
Loew’s Ames Theatre closed on May 26, 1988 with “The Seventh Sign” and “Three Men and a Baby.”
Washington Square Cinema launched July 10, 1964 with “The Three Musketeers.” It closed on September 25, 1988 with “A World Apart.”
Robert J. Hirsch opened his Sigma Theatre on September 14, 1922 with Owen Moore in “Reported Missing.” The theatre converted to sound to remain viable. It closed March 8, 1964 with “Little Red Riding Hood.” H&K Theatres Circuit took on the venue rebranding it as the Little Playhouse. The venue played repertory films beginning on June 24, 1964 with “South Pacific.” The Little Playhouse closed on November 18, 1965.
On August 3, 1966, the theatre rebranded as Cinevu sporting Ultra Harveyscope Deep Dimension projection and relaunching with “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Harveyscope was the culmination of a three-year dream of legendary projectionist John Harvey with 40' wide and 12' high screen and a curved screen of ten feet. Charley McCartney managed the venue and his passion for the art of widescreen projection would continue with Dayton’s Neon Cinerama Theatre in the 1990s. Cinevue closed on October 27, 1968.
On February 24, 1969, Emerson Newman formerly of the Ohio Follies on Jefferson, rebranded the venue as Todd Art Theatre / Todd’s Art Theatre with “De L'Amour” and an adult second feature. It rebranded closing as the Todd Burlesk Theatre and Bouzouki Lounge in 1991. The property was sold at Sheriff’s Sale in February of 1992. It appears that it was sold and razed in 1994.
Herbert C. Ochs launched his second o-zoner called Drive-In Theatre (West) on August 1, 1946 and renaming hid other venue as Drive-In Theatre (East). The theatre had twin-illuminated towers opening with “Where Do We Go From Here?” supported by the Goofy cartoon, “A Night for a Day,” the March of Time newsreel, “American Beauty,” “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” live fireworks and a live radio remote broadcast.
Bob Mills CinemAssociates launched the Cinema Centre on December 6, 1975 with “Hound of the Baskervilles” and “Conduct Unbecoming.” The venue sported identical 300-seat auditoriums developed by Bi-Ni Development. A remodel brought seating count to 250 seats. Chakeres Theatre Circuit opted out of its lease closing the theatre on September 25, 1983 after a 24-week run of “Flashdance” and a double-feature of “Tootsie” and “The Survivors.”
The Sun Theatre was a replacement for both the town’s Crescent Theatre which burned down on December 24, 1924 and its Auditorium which was the replacement movie house after the Crescent’s demise. The new-build Sun Theatre launched on October 19, 1925 with Reginald Denny in “California Straight Ahead.” Manager C.C. Porter decided to install Western Electric sound on October 3, 1930 declaring the silent era all but over.
That would make it demolished, as well.
Announced closure in January of 2021 after being closed since March of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last show was April 30, 1966. It was auctioned off May 18, 1966. A month later it was demolished.
Festival Enterprises launched this 6-plex on December 25, 1975 as it raced against the UA quadplex project that would open the previous week on December 19th. The Festval had “Lucky Lady,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Man Who Would be King"among their openers. Mann took on the venue selling it in 2000. The theatre closed after a 15-year run and became an auto dealer.
Closed August 23, 1998
UA Cinemas 4 opened Christmas Day 1971 at the above address. UA would leave and the venue became the Northgate Cinema. It closed July 9, 1998. It was converted to retail as a Hancock Fabrics store.
Its December 21, 1967 opening film was “The Comedians”
Closed September 28, 1971
Kiddie Cinema launched Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1969 showing 16mm kids films. The venue reopened as Shellmel Circuit’s New Kiddie Kinema on April 26, 1970 with “Doctor Doolittle.” The Kiddie concept ended June 27, 1971 with “King Kong v. Godzilla.”
On July 28, 1972, the venue became National Cinema’s Cedar Cinema with repertory double feature films starting with the Marx Brothers in “A Night at the Opera” and “Day at the Races.” On November 29, 1972, National switched to 16mm adult films. Under new inedpendent operation, the Cedar Cinema switched back to repertory films on April 6, 1973. It closed September 6, 1973.
On September 28, 1973 and under independent operator Doug Wright, the fifth operator of the venue, it was renamed the Bijou Cinema staying with repertory films. The opening film was “Zorro’s Fighting Legion” and a Little Rascals festival. The Bijou failed going out of business less than a year later on June 16, 1974.
In August of 1974, the venue went adult as the Bijou Adult Cinema which likely ceased operations at the end of lease on 1979.
The Fig Twin opened Christmas Day 1971 with “Star Spangled Girl” and “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”
Address: 151 Maple Street, Friend, NE 68359
The Little Theatre opened as a movie theatre screening international cinema at 56-58 E. Columbia Street. The Motion Picture Guild of America Circuit launched the theatre. It had locations of Little theaters in Philadelphia, Newark, New York City and Washington, D.C., amongst others. The George DeWitt Mason architected venue launched in downtown Detroit on September 7, 1928 with the Motion Picture Guild presenting Pierre Magnier in the film, “Cyrano de Bergerac.” And if people missed the buzz around the theatre, it was because most of the attention was given to the Fox Theatre’s development and opening. The Fox launched just two weeks later about a baseball throw away on September 23d commanding the attention. Not too surprisingly, the Little Theatre closed on March 23, 1933. Its final film was “Zwei Menschen” with Charlotte Susa.
On September 16, 1933, under new operators, the venue became the Rivoli Theatre with the Polish film, “Noc Listopadowa” starring Mieczysław Krawicz. The Rivoli closed on January 11, 1934 with Max Hansen in the film parody, “Das Kabinett des Dr. Larifari.” But it may have been the showings in November of 1933 of “The Nude World” that doomed W. H. Kinnear’s Rivoli. The theatre opened the film on November 8, 1933 and it ended up being held over until month’s end - an unprecedented run for the Rivoli. But the police paid a visit and Kinnear ended up in legal trouble in January of 1934 which coincides with when the venue closed. It was also a foreshadowing of what would occur 32 years later when the venue would go all adult films for a 10-year period.
The former Little/Rivoli became a live stage playhouse with Erwin Paul Lang relaunching it as the Drury Lane Theatre on January 7, 1935 with the comedy, “Milestones.” The Drury Lane failed quickly closing just three months later.
The venue reopened September 7, 1935 as the Europa Theatre specializing in German films. It relaunched with Marta Eggerth in “Kaiserwalzer.” The theatre made headlines booking two Russian films, “Peasants” and “The Youth of Maxim,” which were banned by local officials as Soviet propaganda and that move was supported by the local court system. On January 1, 1936, the Europa switched from German films to repertory films. The Europa closed in February of 1936. In October of 1936, the theater owners did get news from the State Supreme Court of Michigan that the banning of the film violated the operator’s First Amendment rights.
Harry Nathan took on the venue and rebranded it as Cinema Theatre on February 25, 1936. It switched back to European films starting with Leni Riefenstahl in “The Blue Light.” The Cinema belly-flopped closing on May 14, 1936. But Ira Kaplan revived the venue on September 19, 1936 reopening as the Cinema with the film, “Cloistered” supported by a Mickey Mouse cartoon and a Brittany travelog. The Cinema Theatre was a true independent showing art films and exploitation titles. A 1937 Russian film booking by the Cinema Guild of Detroit led to another injunction… but this time for false advertising. The Cinema Theatre closed on July 18, 1943 with two French films.
On November 11, 1943, the venue came under the operation of Telenews Theatres Circuit reopening as the New Cinema Theatre and the film, “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Telenews bailed on the Cinema but Martin J. Lewis of Continental Circuit took over the theater. Continental was the New York-based firm best known for art houses including New York City’s 55th Street Playhouse, Thalia, Fifth Avenue Playhouse, the 72nd Street Playhouse, and the Heights Theater amongst others. Cinema Theatre closed on April 27, 1952 with John Laurie in “Edge of the World” and Robert Flaherty’s “Man of Aran.”
New operator Paul Broder gave the venue a major refresh and greeted customers back to the New Cinema Theatre which relaunched Easter Sunday, April 18, 1954 with Richie Andrusco as “Little Fugitive.” But art film wasn’t what people wanted and it switched to sub-run double features. The Cinema Theater’s tenure ended grinding prints of “Sabrina” and “Rear Window” continuously until 3a on April 20, 1955 likely closing at the end of a 20-year leasing period.
On March 8, 1956, Studio Theatre Corporation of Livernois reopened the Cinema and renamed it as the World Theatre and shared its bookings with the Studio Theatre. Its reopening film was “The Trouble with Harry.” The theatre was refreshed with widescreen projection to play VistaVision films. That continued until October 5, 1958. The Trans Lux Krim had become the art house of choice and the World Theatre closed January 11, 1959.
The theatre returned to its short-lived live stage play days when it was renamed the Vanguard Playhouse in June of 1959. It was officially renamed the Vanguard Theatre in 1963. It closed on January 2,1966 with a matinee of a children’s play - “The Emperor’s New Clothes” - and an adult evening play, “Over the Counter.”
On January 14, 1966, the venue relaunched as an adult movie theatre first known as the Gem Theatre with the films, “For Members Only” and “Women Around The World.” In late February, it would be rebranded as the Gem Art Theatre. The Gem Art appears to have closed on November 9,1976 after showings of Nadia Henkowa starring in “Devil’s Ecstasy” and Sativa and Teddy Steel in “Nostalgia Blue" likely at the end of a ten-year leasing period.
Chuck Forbes bought the Gem for $5,000 in 1990 reopening with live fare in January of 1992. In 1997, the 5.5 million pound theatre closed. Weight is rarely an issue but with a new baseball stadium being built nearby, the Gem was in the way. A solution was created so that it and its neighboring building, a nightclub also owned by Forbes, could be picked up and moved from 56 E. Columbia and moved five blocks away to 333 Madison Avenue. International Chimney of Buffalo took six months prepping for the move which began October 16, 1997. It relaunched in its new spot on September 9, 1978 with, “I Love You, You’re Perfect… Now Change.” It was still going in the 2020s as was it contemporary, the Fox Theatre, only now a little further apart from one another.
Announced closure at the end of February 2021
Now Artes de La Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts and the website as of now is: http://www.artesdelarosa.org/
1945 ad for the African American theatre, the Savoy, in Detroit
Theatre’s current name is the AMC Johnson City 14
Closed March 18, 2020 for COVID-19 pandemic. Performed a theater refresh during the pandemic reopening May 29, 2020. But business slacked due to the pandemic and lack of new releases so the theatre closed again January 24, 2021 permanently. The final weekend consisted of free repertory films.