A slight revision in that the trade press reported that Elder Charles D. Beck took on the Columbia Theatre in 1956 converting it to The Way Of The Cross Church Of God in Christ. “No use letting the Devil have all the good tunes,” said Elder Beck. The Folkways Records recording at the former Columbia Theatre location was recorded there on December 30/31, 1956 and released in 1957. The album is still in print as of 60 years after its recording and release. Looking at the historic aerials and newspaper listing, it was torn down sometime between 1962 and 1963.
The 1,000 seat theater opened in September of 1914. It closed early in 1916 reopening in 1917. After closing, it had a brief relaunch early in 1921 as the Lyric Theatre. After closing that same year it was reopened by Robert B. Joplin on September 24, 1921 as the McAvoy Theatre. One mile east is a historical marker for the Michigan Avenue Heritage Corridor entitled, “Moving North” that commemorates the McAvoy Theatre’s existence.
The Chieftain Theatre opened on the North Side of the Square on Main Street on September 2, 1949 (ad in photos). The Chieftain ads disappear just into 1963 and the Wallace Theatre Circuit offers the theater for sale in 1963 likely ending its run.
Opened as the Crystal Theatre which was open from 1923 to 1929. The theater is purchased by Ray Johnson remodeling and equipped for sound known as the Queen Theatre. The Queen closes in August of 1949 of “Vigilantes of Dodge City” and “Code of Scotland Yard”. Two weeks later, the Chieftain has its grand opening.
The original Alvin Theatre gets a 1907 lobby makeover closing briefly in July as contractors R.C. Ballinger & Co. carries out a lobby design to improve patron flow by Reed Brothers.
Grand opening as the Alvin Theatre was September 21, 1891 (ad in photos). It closed as the Gateway Theatre after a last showing of “Friday the 13th” on June 11, 1980. It’s final booking, “The Island” was moved to the Manor Theater.
The Carmike Cinema 7 opened on December 15, 1989 on a 25-year lease. The $2 million theatre had 1,300 seats with the largest auditorium holding 300 patrons. Kerasotes Theatre Circuit acquired the underperforming location turning it into a sub-run discount theater in 1992 called Kerasotes Dollar Cinema.
In the summer of 1996, Kerasotes changed the theater back to first-run and calling it the Cinema 7. The theater closed briefly to change to all-stadium seating as Kerasotes changed its name to the ShowPlace 7 Theatres relaunching on June 16, 2000. AMC acquired Kerasotes changing its name to the AMC Showplace 7. The theatre lapsed into weekend-only operation in 2014 before closing on November 30, 2014.
Opened as the Star Theatre on September 5, 1904 within the Boyce Block Building built in 1880. It became known as the Popular Star Theatre – big shows at popular prices – from 1906 to 1925. It reverted to the Star Theatre adding sound. A contest held by new operator to rename the theatre led to the revamped Hoosier Theatre launching May 6, 1935 on a 20-year lease. The Hoosier Theatre expanded to widescreen but closed on July 20, 1955 after a double feature of “Gangbusters” and “Outlaw Treasure.” The building had sporadic sermons, political rallies and meetings until being taken on as the Civic Center.
The building housed the original Majestic Theatre which launched June 3, 1907 likely on a ten-year lease. It closed at the end of July 1917. New operators came in and, like many other cities' theaters who had theaters open during the Great War, was renamed the Liberty Theater. The Liberty closed in November of 1959 with “Song of the South” being one of the last shows. It was torn down in 1962 for a parking lot. It is definitely not being used as an office building.
The Young Block Building housing the former Strand Theatre was a hardware store in 1884. The Strand Theatre moved in launching on May 29, 1916. The theatre closed on February 4, 1979 with the adult film, “Little Orphan Dusty. It was torn down six months later in 1979.
The Wysor Grand Opera House launched September 15, 1892. It closed on September 3, 1961 with a horror double feature of Shadow of the Cat and Curse of the Werewolf. It was sold and razed in 1963.
The Movies at Muncie Mall was a three-screen venue by United Artists that launched July 25, 1975 on a 25-year lease. The three theatres had 296 seats each for a total count of 888. After celebrating its 15th anniversary in 1990, the UA was sold to Goodrich Quality Theatres becoming the Muncie Mall 3.
On May 15, 1992, Kerasotes – which had all but one of the other indoor theaters in Muncie – took on the location renaming it slightly as the Muncie Mall Cinema. Kerasotes would reduce the location to sub-run, discount status closing it at the end of its lease on September 28, 2000. In 2002, Teicher Theatres took on the location in 2002 operating as Dollar Movies at Muncie Mall until November 8, 2006. The theatre was boarded off until the mall owners could figure out what to do with the space.
The Northwest Plaza Shopping Center opened theatreless in 1956/7. General Cinema Corp. (GCC) built a single screen, 950-seat theater on a 20-year lease. The lobby had an art gallery featuring artwork for sale by Ball State students. Following an open house showing short subjects from September 19-21, 1968, the Northwest Plaza Cinema launched September 26, 1968 with “The Christmas Tree.”
On December 23, 1971 GCC expanded with an additional 276-seat theatre to increase seat count to 1,226 becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I & II. “Star Wars” was a big hit for the main theatre in 1977. But in 1979, the main screen was twinned with the complex becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I, II & III. Fortunes slid in 1987 when matinees were dropped and labor costs were a factor in GCC’s decision not to renew its lease.
The next operator was Kerasotes which hired non-union projectionists which led to a picket upon its opening March 18. 1988. Kerasotes expanded the theatre on July 21, 1989 to eight screens renaming the theatre the Northwest Plaza Cinema 8.
Kerasotes dropped the theatre and Teicher Theaters became its last operator converting it to a short-lived Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza. The theater closed as Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza (and should be its official name here) on April 5, 2007. In June of 2007, the theatre was demolished for a proposed project involving multiple restaurants. In 2014, Teicher Theaters would shutter its other remaining locations.
Technically, the theatre was at 207 Central in the 1888-built Dunn Block Building at 205-207 Central. The first 20-year lease was for retail followed by the theaters mentioned above. The last movie was “Sky Devils” and “Scarface” on January 31, 1942 at the, then, Intermountain Fox Ritz. It became home to a church for a short period and hosted a Democratic rally in 1944. The American Legion Hall took it over in 1945. The building was demolished in 1982 when the Blue Cross decided to build a new facility.
A slight revision in that the trade press reported that Elder Charles D. Beck took on the Columbia Theatre in 1956 converting it to The Way Of The Cross Church Of God in Christ. “No use letting the Devil have all the good tunes,” said Elder Beck. The Folkways Records recording at the former Columbia Theatre location was recorded there on December 30/31, 1956 and released in 1957. The album is still in print as of 60 years after its recording and release. Looking at the historic aerials and newspaper listing, it was torn down sometime between 1962 and 1963.
Functions: Church
The 1,000 seat theater opened in September of 1914. It closed early in 1916 reopening in 1917. After closing, it had a brief relaunch early in 1921 as the Lyric Theatre. After closing that same year it was reopened by Robert B. Joplin on September 24, 1921 as the McAvoy Theatre. One mile east is a historical marker for the Michigan Avenue Heritage Corridor entitled, “Moving North” that commemorates the McAvoy Theatre’s existence.
The Chieftain Theatre opened on the North Side of the Square on Main Street on September 2, 1949 (ad in photos). The Chieftain ads disappear just into 1963 and the Wallace Theatre Circuit offers the theater for sale in 1963 likely ending its run.
Opened as the Crystal Theatre which was open from 1923 to 1929. The theater is purchased by Ray Johnson remodeling and equipped for sound known as the Queen Theatre. The Queen closes in August of 1949 of “Vigilantes of Dodge City” and “Code of Scotland Yard”. Two weeks later, the Chieftain has its grand opening.
J.F. Woerner did an architectural job in 1939 as the Arcadia got an addition and brick facing job. Sketch in photos.
J.F. Woerner & Co. was the architect for the Parkway Theatre with the $15,000 organ as a Hilgreen-Lane instrument with two manuals and pedals.
Ran 60 years from January 16th, 1927 to March 28, 1987 with final days as a live concert venue following community repertory screenings.
Had a Wurlitzer organ installed in 1924 which appears to be its first year of operation.
October 17, 1937 re-launch as a streamlined deco house in photos.
The original Alvin Theatre gets a 1907 lobby makeover closing briefly in July as contractors R.C. Ballinger & Co. carries out a lobby design to improve patron flow by Reed Brothers.
Grand opening as the Alvin Theatre was September 21, 1891 (ad in photos). It closed as the Gateway Theatre after a last showing of “Friday the 13th” on June 11, 1980. It’s final booking, “The Island” was moved to the Manor Theater.
Benjamin C. DeCamp of Cincinnati was the architect after the 1917 fire that badly damaged it.
The Carmike Cinema 7 opened on December 15, 1989 on a 25-year lease. The $2 million theatre had 1,300 seats with the largest auditorium holding 300 patrons. Kerasotes Theatre Circuit acquired the underperforming location turning it into a sub-run discount theater in 1992 called Kerasotes Dollar Cinema.
In the summer of 1996, Kerasotes changed the theater back to first-run and calling it the Cinema 7. The theater closed briefly to change to all-stadium seating as Kerasotes changed its name to the ShowPlace 7 Theatres relaunching on June 16, 2000. AMC acquired Kerasotes changing its name to the AMC Showplace 7. The theatre lapsed into weekend-only operation in 2014 before closing on November 30, 2014.
Opened as the Star Theatre on September 5, 1904 within the Boyce Block Building built in 1880. It became known as the Popular Star Theatre – big shows at popular prices – from 1906 to 1925. It reverted to the Star Theatre adding sound. A contest held by new operator to rename the theatre led to the revamped Hoosier Theatre launching May 6, 1935 on a 20-year lease. The Hoosier Theatre expanded to widescreen but closed on July 20, 1955 after a double feature of “Gangbusters” and “Outlaw Treasure.” The building had sporadic sermons, political rallies and meetings until being taken on as the Civic Center.
The building housed the original Majestic Theatre which launched June 3, 1907 likely on a ten-year lease. It closed at the end of July 1917. New operators came in and, like many other cities' theaters who had theaters open during the Great War, was renamed the Liberty Theater. The Liberty closed in November of 1959 with “Song of the South” being one of the last shows. It was torn down in 1962 for a parking lot. It is definitely not being used as an office building.
The Young Block Building housing the former Strand Theatre was a hardware store in 1884. The Strand Theatre moved in launching on May 29, 1916. The theatre closed on February 4, 1979 with the adult film, “Little Orphan Dusty. It was torn down six months later in 1979.
The Wysor Grand Opera House launched September 15, 1892. It closed on September 3, 1961 with a horror double feature of Shadow of the Cat and Curse of the Werewolf. It was sold and razed in 1963.
The Movies at Muncie Mall was a three-screen venue by United Artists that launched July 25, 1975 on a 25-year lease. The three theatres had 296 seats each for a total count of 888. After celebrating its 15th anniversary in 1990, the UA was sold to Goodrich Quality Theatres becoming the Muncie Mall 3.
On May 15, 1992, Kerasotes – which had all but one of the other indoor theaters in Muncie – took on the location renaming it slightly as the Muncie Mall Cinema. Kerasotes would reduce the location to sub-run, discount status closing it at the end of its lease on September 28, 2000. In 2002, Teicher Theatres took on the location in 2002 operating as Dollar Movies at Muncie Mall until November 8, 2006. The theatre was boarded off until the mall owners could figure out what to do with the space.
Teicher ran the Airline Drive-In 2 in Winchester when the portfolio was shut down in 2014. I believe that was their only one.
The Northwest Plaza Shopping Center opened theatreless in 1956/7. General Cinema Corp. (GCC) built a single screen, 950-seat theater on a 20-year lease. The lobby had an art gallery featuring artwork for sale by Ball State students. Following an open house showing short subjects from September 19-21, 1968, the Northwest Plaza Cinema launched September 26, 1968 with “The Christmas Tree.”
On December 23, 1971 GCC expanded with an additional 276-seat theatre to increase seat count to 1,226 becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I & II. “Star Wars” was a big hit for the main theatre in 1977. But in 1979, the main screen was twinned with the complex becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I, II & III. Fortunes slid in 1987 when matinees were dropped and labor costs were a factor in GCC’s decision not to renew its lease.
The next operator was Kerasotes which hired non-union projectionists which led to a picket upon its opening March 18. 1988. Kerasotes expanded the theatre on July 21, 1989 to eight screens renaming the theatre the Northwest Plaza Cinema 8.
Kerasotes dropped the theatre and Teicher Theaters became its last operator converting it to a short-lived Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza. The theater closed as Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza (and should be its official name here) on April 5, 2007. In June of 2007, the theatre was demolished for a proposed project involving multiple restaurants. In 2014, Teicher Theaters would shutter its other remaining locations.
George H. Shanley and Johannes Van Teylingen architectural sketching of the Civic Center in 1938 in photos.
Grand opening ad July 3, 1947 for Muncie’s Drive-In Theatre and September 1, 1986 closing ad at the Muncie Drive-In Theatre in photos
Technically, the theatre was at 207 Central in the 1888-built Dunn Block Building at 205-207 Central. The first 20-year lease was for retail followed by the theaters mentioned above. The last movie was “Sky Devils” and “Scarface” on January 31, 1942 at the, then, Intermountain Fox Ritz. It became home to a church for a short period and hosted a Democratic rally in 1944. The American Legion Hall took it over in 1945. The building was demolished in 1982 when the Blue Cross decided to build a new facility.
Closed after a March 30, 1957 double feature of “The Private War of Major Benson” and “A Bullet is Waiting.”
Appears to have ended its run on December 31, 1987 with a double-feature of “Little American Maid” and “Lilith Unleashed”