Grand opening of the new Hart Theatre was November 30, 1920 replacing the previous Hart’s Theatre. It appears to have close September 18, 1960 apparently at the end of lease with That Certain Feeling and World in his Arms.
The Selma Theatre launched with a boxing match on July 3, 1920. For the next year, the Selma featured motion pictures, vaudeville and some live sports. T & D Enterprises Circuit took on the Selma and relaunched it on July 2, 1921 as the T & D Theatre. It launched with D.W. Griffith’s The Love Flower and Irma Flavely at the newly installed Wurlitzer Hope Jones organ.
On January 5, 1928, new operators took on the location reverting it to its original moniker of the Selma Theatre. It converted to sound and, in 1953, to widescreen. Panero Theatre Circuit, operators of the Park, closed the Selma in 1957 refusing to pay rent as they feared that after a minor earthquake occurred earlier that year that the building was not structurally safe and would not pay rent until the building was reinforced.
The original Park Theatre in Selma opened August 19, 1938 with “Start Cheering.” After the War, Panero Theatres Circuit unveiled a larger and new-build Park Theatre with the Raney plans. It launched October 21, 1948. It appears to have closed March 23, 1983 for renovations. During that project, it burned down.
The New Turner Hall was christened on December 31, 1885. In 1909, Julius Goodman and Joe Walesky purchased Turner’s Hall to go with full-time motion picture operation. They did so beginning on May 31, 1909 as the renamed G & G Theatre. During World War I, the theatre changed names to the more patriotic Liberty Theatre beginning on November 12, 1915. The Liberty closed March 16, 1940 as new owners took on the venue.
On April 12, 1940, the theatre became the Roxy Theatre with a grand opening featuring “Broadway Melody of 1940.” The Roxy closed on January 12, 1976. In 1976, the theatre was given a drastic makeover returning to the name, the Liberty Theatre. The Liberty closed in 1996 likely at end of lease. Another operator gutted the theatre giving it a modern theatrical experience reopening as the Cameo Cinema on August 7, 1997. It was still open as of the 2020s.
The Bailey Theatre launched October 31, 1935 with “The Big Broadcast.” The Bailey closed at the end of a 20-year lease with “The Wyoming Renegades” and “Pushover” on December 17, 1955.
The Milford Theatre launched June 24th, 1948 with “The Fuller Brush Man” and short subjects including “Bugs Bunny Rides Again” and the Vitaphone Melody Master, “"Rubinoff and His Violin.”
The Hub City Theatre switched to widescreen in 1954. It then ran Spanish-language theatres on weekdays and English-language films on the weekends. In its final stretch of operation, it was solely a Spanish-language theatre closing early in 1955. The Hub City Theatre was demolished in 1959 after being condemned (but not for urban renewal as stated above). It was replaced by a new-build Larson’s drug store.
Mr. Martinez launched the Spanish-language Hidalgo Theatre in the city’s South side on August 26, 1922. It was said to be the only Spanish-language Theatre between Los Angeles and Colton.
The Tryon Theatre was closed on December 20, 1958 at end of lease with a fine bill consisting of two shorts – a color cartoon and the Three Stooges in “Outer Space Jitters” – and two features: “Legend of the Lost” and “Horror of Dracula.”
Bijou Entertainment Circuit of Nashville built the Ritz Theatre in 1961 operating on a ten-year lease. New operators operated it as the New Ritz Theater closing thereafter. The city considered turning the theater into a gym before deciding against that plan in the late 1970s.
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.
Grand opening of the new Hart Theatre was November 30, 1920 replacing the previous Hart’s Theatre. It appears to have close September 18, 1960 apparently at the end of lease with That Certain Feeling and World in his Arms.
Grand opening was June 27, 1950. The indoor theatre opened November 5, 1953 with “Shane.” Appears to have closed in 1977.
The Selma Theatre launched with a boxing match on July 3, 1920. For the next year, the Selma featured motion pictures, vaudeville and some live sports. T & D Enterprises Circuit took on the Selma and relaunched it on July 2, 1921 as the T & D Theatre. It launched with D.W. Griffith’s The Love Flower and Irma Flavely at the newly installed Wurlitzer Hope Jones organ.
On January 5, 1928, new operators took on the location reverting it to its original moniker of the Selma Theatre. It converted to sound and, in 1953, to widescreen. Panero Theatre Circuit, operators of the Park, closed the Selma in 1957 refusing to pay rent as they feared that after a minor earthquake occurred earlier that year that the building was not structurally safe and would not pay rent until the building was reinforced.
The original Park Theatre in Selma opened August 19, 1938 with “Start Cheering.” After the War, Panero Theatres Circuit unveiled a larger and new-build Park Theatre with the Raney plans. It launched October 21, 1948. It appears to have closed March 23, 1983 for renovations. During that project, it burned down.
The New Turner Hall was christened on December 31, 1885. In 1909, Julius Goodman and Joe Walesky purchased Turner’s Hall to go with full-time motion picture operation. They did so beginning on May 31, 1909 as the renamed G & G Theatre. During World War I, the theatre changed names to the more patriotic Liberty Theatre beginning on November 12, 1915. The Liberty closed March 16, 1940 as new owners took on the venue.
On April 12, 1940, the theatre became the Roxy Theatre with a grand opening featuring “Broadway Melody of 1940.” The Roxy closed on January 12, 1976. In 1976, the theatre was given a drastic makeover returning to the name, the Liberty Theatre. The Liberty closed in 1996 likely at end of lease. Another operator gutted the theatre giving it a modern theatrical experience reopening as the Cameo Cinema on August 7, 1997. It was still open as of the 2020s.
The Bailey Theatre launched October 31, 1935 with “The Big Broadcast.” The Bailey closed at the end of a 20-year lease with “The Wyoming Renegades” and “Pushover” on December 17, 1955.
The Milford Theatre launched June 24th, 1948 with “The Fuller Brush Man” and short subjects including “Bugs Bunny Rides Again” and the Vitaphone Melody Master, “"Rubinoff and His Violin.”
The Hub City Theatre switched to widescreen in 1954. It then ran Spanish-language theatres on weekdays and English-language films on the weekends. In its final stretch of operation, it was solely a Spanish-language theatre closing early in 1955. The Hub City Theatre was demolished in 1959 after being condemned (but not for urban renewal as stated above). It was replaced by a new-build Larson’s drug store.
Mr. Martinez launched the Spanish-language Hidalgo Theatre in the city’s South side on August 26, 1922. It was said to be the only Spanish-language Theatre between Los Angeles and Colton.
The New Colton Theatre launched February 2, 1939 with Jane Withers in “Arizona Wildcat” and “Ferdinand, the Bull.” The theatre closed in 1967.
The Tryon Theatre was closed on December 20, 1958 at end of lease with a fine bill consisting of two shorts – a color cartoon and the Three Stooges in “Outer Space Jitters” – and two features: “Legend of the Lost” and “Horror of Dracula.”
Bijou Entertainment Circuit of Nashville built the Ritz Theatre in 1961 operating on a ten-year lease. New operators operated it as the New Ritz Theater closing thereafter. The city considered turning the theater into a gym before deciding against that plan in the late 1970s.
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.