Grove Theatre #1 opened on June 7, 1950 closing on May 29, 1959 following a theater-ending fire. The building was located on the square next to the corner building at 106 E Main Street. As of the 2020s, one wall remained from the former theater and a one-story structure took its place.
Grove Theatre #2 launched June 10, 1967 with “Texas Across the River” (ad in photos) in the northwest corner of Honey Grove’s square. Grove #2 turned to adult theater operation. It then got three new operators all trying to turn it back to a family movie theater from 1979 to 1981 with a final listed film on October 4, 1981 as Walt Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound.” The second Grove Theatre then went to live operation through March of 1982 and appears to have closed permanently. As this times out with the expiration of a 15-year leasing period, it may be accurate.
The Tiger Drive-In was named after the high school mascot and operated at 4515 College Avenue about one mile from the Snyder High School. It advertised consistently through the Halloween Weekend of 1980 closing its season on November 1, 1980 with “Friday, the 13th” and “Bloody Pit of Horror.” As that times out with the expiry of a 30-year leasing period, it is likely that it went out honorably with this double-bill.
Just to fill in some details of this entry that is completely blank other than name and theater size (which wasn’t anywhere near 570, btw)… The Star was opened in 1928 by Hardesty Brothers with Wesley Hardesty opening as manager. The 200-seat house was equipped with sound to be viable in a town with just 850 residents. To get sound films, the Brothers signed a deal to be franchisees of Tiffany Pictures assuring them of abundant shorts and B pictures in the early advent of sound period. Tiffany exited the deal in 1932 when Tiffany-Stahl ceased operations.
In March of 1936, the Star began a tradition of free screenings - a Depression-era strategy of having local merchants buy out the house and offer customers of the stores free tickets with or without purchase. With a ten-year lease likely coming due, a replacement venue with a few more seats was found. Contractor Homer Rantz figured out how to carve a new theater, the Rita, into the existing Overton Building which had previously been used for retail.
The Rita opened in 1937 ending the Star’s run. However, the tradition of the trade-out merchant screening deals were so popular that they were moved to the Rita and then to the largest venue in town, the Nu-Vue when it opened. The Nu-Vue ended the series following the 20th Anniversary, 1956 free screening.
The Lone Star was clearly scuffling in the TV age closing in 1954. It was re-opened by Leon Moerbe on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1955. But the Lone Star was the turkey and basically, Moerbe said he operated for a week without any customer support. So the Lone Star then permanently exited the constellation on December 3, 1955 playing “Seminole Uprising.”
The theater was converted to offices much later. A restoration was completed and the theater opened for live stage plays and then closed once again in 2020.
The Drive-In closed following the August 19, 1967 showing of “The Naked Prey.” Delbert “E.E.” and Imogene Edmiston thanked folks for their patronage deciding against reopening for 1968. Just for the record, the screen tower was demolished on April 16, 1970.
Grand opening ad of the Roy Sept. 26, 1947 with Roy Rogers in “On the Old Spanish Trail” in photos. The town then had two open theaters with the 20-year old Roxy also continuing. The opening of the Sunset Drive-In in 1950 gave a third option to moviegoers. The Roy and Sunset theaters relied heavily on cotton-pickers for their business and skewed programming toward Spanish speaking audiences.
The Roy closed in November of 1960. The Roxy stopped advertising in 1963. The Roy then made an unimaginable comeback for a town of 1,700 folks. It relit as the Munday Theatre on May 13, 1977 for weekend-only operation with a Spanish language matinee and English language films with opening weekend titles of “Teenage Graffiti” and “Nobleza Ranchera.” The reopening went far longer than expected closing after seven weeks on July 2, 1977 with “el Balero de Raquel.” The building has deteriorated and awaits a harsh final date with mother nature in the future.
One more name to add in to this venue. G.A. Cole of Lamesa took on the venue on May 13, 1938 with “Melody of the Plains.” Their final listing was in December of 1938 - likely the end of the line. Reading their bookings, I’d say that they were not having much luck getting good film titles.
The Star Theatre launched December 18, 1914 presumably on a ten year leasing cycle. The Star completed that cycle and got new operators when D.B. and Ada English came to town to operate same in 1924 likely on a 20-year lease. English changed the name of the venue to the English Theatre.
But in the March of 1929, the Englishes knew they needed to transition to sound and decided the time was right for an elegant 500-seat “talkie” theater bearing their surname just to the north of the St. Clair Hotel. That became the English Theatre and this house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre on November 1, 1929.
The Lavelta is used as a weekend only operation carrying silent films into late 1930. It becomes an events center until it has a fire in 1931 and is updated with non-charred stylings and sound in 1932. But that is short-lived and the theater moves to inactive.
In 1936, with business conditions improving, the Englishes create the Ada Theatre in a different location. Likely at the end of their original leasing contract, the Englishes then sell the English, Ada, and inactive Lavelta to Wallace and Rose Blankenship of Wallace Theatres Circuit. Wallace changes the name of the English to the Wallace, the Ida to the Rose, and decides to relight the inactive Lavelta Theatre. As a nod to the Englishes, he names the for mer Star/English/Lavelta as the Ida English Theatre. In most cities, that third wheel theater would mysteriously burn down… but not here.
That name, Ida English, doesn’t last long - likely too confusing - and the venue’s changed to its final operational name as the Lynn Theatre. The Lynn bowed on October 20, 1944 with “South of the Border.” The Lynn suffered three fires - an auditorium fire gutting the auditorium not long after it opened. That didn’t end things, though. It then suffered a projection booth fire on July 21, 1948. That didn’t end things, either. And then a third fire on November 29, 1949. That did end things for the Star/English/Lavelta/Ida English/ Lynn Theatre, but not the building which hung around on Main Street.
First of all - there was no Rose Theatre in 1930, period. D.B. English operated the town’s theaters - the Ada (named after Mrs. English) and the English - until June of 1944 when Wallace B. Blankenship purchased both venues. This venue had opened by the Englishes on September 23, 1936 in a converted retail space at 1730 Main Street. It was christened as the New Ada Theatre with the film, “Florida Special.”
Wallace removed English’s name from the big theater and it was renamed the Wallace Theatre on June 9, 1944. The Ada Theatre was renamed the Rose Theatre on June 9, 1944. Rose was the wife of Wallace Blankenship (which, if you think about it, makes sense why he’d rename it then and that but certainly not in 1930).
What doesn’t make sense from a homelife standpoint is that the lesser shows (billed as “Good Shows”) were played at the venue with the wife’s name - it all started with “Gildersleeve on Broadway” for the Rose on June 9, 1944 - while his theater billed “Great Shows” at the theater he named after himself beginning that day with “Pride of the Plains.”
The story now makes perfect sense. The Wallace Circuit bought the English venues. They turned the English into the Wallace. The wives' names switched on the second theater building from the Ada to the Rose. Tidy. Unfortunately - and it should best not be shared - but in the name of full disclosure, there was a third theater in the portfolio transferred to the Wallace Circuit.
The Englishes came to Tahoka in 1924 buying the Star Theatre. They changed it to the (original) English Theatre “#1”. They then built the larger, “new” English Theatre “#2” moving there for seven day a week operation. They renamed the former Star/English as the Lavelta Theatre basically running on weekends. The Wallaces now owned that inactive property, as well.
That third theater, which would have burned down mysteriously in any other town was renamed the Ada English Theatre aka the Ada to honor English’s wife after they had sold the theaters. With the Wallace Theatre carrying the “Great Shows,” the Rose Theatre carrying the “Good Shows,” clearly, the Ada English Theatre was designed to carry the “Rotten Shows”. The theatre was quickly renamed as the Lynn Theatre, quickly has a major fire gutting the building, and has its own Cinema Treasure entry.
Back to this entry of Rose, the Rose outlived the Wallace (both in human and theatrical timelines). The Rose Theatre stayed in bloom for its entire 30-year leasing period. It was then reopened by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Roberts for its final stretch on January 23, 1967 with Jerry Lewis in “Way, Way Out.” It also programmed Spanish language fare on weekdays. Best guess is that the Rose wilted in 1968. It was repurposed for other purposes in the early 1970s and sits vacant in the 2020s.
D.B. and Ada English had operated the former Star Theatre as the English Theatre from 1924 to 1929. But in the March of 1929, the Englishes knew they needed to transition to sound and decided the time was right for an elegant 500-seat “talkie” theater bearing their surname just to the north of the St. Clair Hotel. That became the English Theatre and the former house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre. The Egyptian-themed venue was designed by architect Harvey C. Allen. The theater opened on Harper Street on November 1, 1929 with Lola Lane as “The Girl From Havana.”
The Englishes erased the Egyptian styling in a 1934 refresh. Ten years later they sold the venue to Wallace B. Blankenship who ran twelve other South Plains theaters. Wallace Theatres was established on August 2, 1923 with his first location in Ropesville, Texas. He was known for the Wallace-branded theaters. He took down the English signage changing it immediately to the Wallace Theatre. And he took Ada English’s name off of the Ada Theatre and renamed it the Rose Theatre. Take that!
The renamings occurred on June 9, 1944 advertising with “Good Shows” at the Rose (that day, “Gildersleeve on Broadway”) and “Great Shows” with the the Wallace Theatre bowing with “Pride of the Plains.” Through a refresh, the theater ended with a streamline moderne interior.
Wallace Theatres Circuit then opened the T-Bar Drive-In on August 2, 1950. They dropped the English Theatre in the late 1950s and the Waldrips took on the venue which was scuffling in the TV era. The Waldrips closed the Wallace Theatre on October 13, 1962 and retained the Rose Theater. The theater’s lobby was used for bake sales and other elements and remained mostly vacant until a June 2, 1975 fire destroyed the building.
The T-Bar Drive-In opened on August 3, 1950 with “Angel and the Badman” with that name (its only name) by Wallace Theatres Circuit. The last advertised show was on Oct. 3, 1952 with “The Red Danube.” It may have operated without ads in 1953 and 1954. After that it’s referred to as the “old drive-in” (never a good sign). The old drive-in’s screen tower was destroyed on June 10, 1959 by tornadic winds.
Unfortunately, the Legion Theatre was not renamed the American Theatre and that’s where this entry goes a bit in the wrong direction. The Legion Theatre did move to new digs in late Fall 1927 but wanted a new name. In a naming contest, the new venue was christened the American Theatre (later the Avalon Theatre - has its own entry) opening on November 10, 1927. The old Legion building was sold at that time became Caldwell’s Bakery in 1928.
New operators took on the American and renamed it the New Avalon Theatre with an art deco facing that launched on March 25, 1936. The Lone Star Theatre opened on July 1, 1936. The town had two theaters which would come under a single owner. The two theater town operated until fire claimed the Lone Star. It burned December 18, 1948 ending the operation.
The Legion organization and the event space / hall was established in 1919 taking on the Grand Army of the Republic fraternal building that year on a 40-year leasing agreement. A decision was made in 1921 to open the Hall as a public-facing commercial movie theater. That operation appears to have started December 9, 1921 with the film, “Stepping Out” and operated there until being purchased by the operators of a theater in Shamrock, Texas. With operations generally weekend-only, the Shamrock folks moved the theater elsewhere where there would be no competing interests. That’s the American Theatre followed by the longer-running Avalon.
The Legion Theatre was a long-running silent movie house in downtown. It moved to new digs in 1927 with a naming contest. Dorthy Cantrill took home $10 in gold (about $3,300 in the mid-2020s) for “American Theater” at launch November 10, 1927.
The venue got a major streamline moderne makeover by its new operators reopening as the New Avalon Theatre that launched on March 25, 1936 with “Follow the Fleet.” It was refreshed in 1944 and got a widescreen late in 1953 to show CinemaScope films. All ads and references to the theater are discontinued in 1967. As that times out with the end of a 50-year leasing cycle, I’d say that’s your better closing date.
The New Gem Theatre opened on October 12, 1925 with Reginald Denny in “I’ll Show you the Town.” The film was projected by two Power Projectors onto the Gardner Gold Fibre Screen and was accompanied by a Photoplay Organ. The Ritz Theatre opened on July 8, 1931 with Claudette Colbert in “Honor Among Lovers” in the Gem Theater’s spot.
Bill Boren of Boren Theatres relit the venue as the Capri Theatre on June 3, 1966 with “So Dear to My Heart.” The booth got 150 dimension film and CinemaScope capability. 450 seats at rebirth.J John Wolf took on the venue rebooting it as the Movie House on November 2, 1971 with Walt Disney’s “The Wild Country.” The venue closed and reopened under Lyndon Craven’s watch on December 1, 1976 relighting with “Joe Panther.”
The Cozy Theatre was created in 1914. It started as the Cozy Airdome with summer programming. When the season ended, the hardtop was ready to go with the Cozy Theatre opening in November of 1914.
Howard T. Hodge of H&H Theatres began construction of the Queen Theatre in December of 1926. The $20,000 venue appears to have opened March 25, 1927 with “The Cohens and the Kellys.”
Renamed as the Hooky Waxahachie as part of the EVO / Hooky split in 2025.
Grove Theatre #1 opened on June 7, 1950 closing on May 29, 1959 following a theater-ending fire. The building was located on the square next to the corner building at 106 E Main Street. As of the 2020s, one wall remained from the former theater and a one-story structure took its place.
Grove Theatre #2 launched June 10, 1967 with “Texas Across the River” (ad in photos) in the northwest corner of Honey Grove’s square. Grove #2 turned to adult theater operation. It then got three new operators all trying to turn it back to a family movie theater from 1979 to 1981 with a final listed film on October 4, 1981 as Walt Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound.” The second Grove Theatre then went to live operation through March of 1982 and appears to have closed permanently. As this times out with the expiration of a 15-year leasing period, it may be accurate.
The Tiger Drive-In was named after the high school mascot and operated at 4515 College Avenue about one mile from the Snyder High School. It advertised consistently through the Halloween Weekend of 1980 closing its season on November 1, 1980 with “Friday, the 13th” and “Bloody Pit of Horror.” As that times out with the expiry of a 30-year leasing period, it is likely that it went out honorably with this double-bill.
Announced closure on June 29, 2025 At the expiry of a 15-year leasing agreement
Just to fill in some details of this entry that is completely blank other than name and theater size (which wasn’t anywhere near 570, btw)… The Star was opened in 1928 by Hardesty Brothers with Wesley Hardesty opening as manager. The 200-seat house was equipped with sound to be viable in a town with just 850 residents. To get sound films, the Brothers signed a deal to be franchisees of Tiffany Pictures assuring them of abundant shorts and B pictures in the early advent of sound period. Tiffany exited the deal in 1932 when Tiffany-Stahl ceased operations.
In March of 1936, the Star began a tradition of free screenings - a Depression-era strategy of having local merchants buy out the house and offer customers of the stores free tickets with or without purchase. With a ten-year lease likely coming due, a replacement venue with a few more seats was found. Contractor Homer Rantz figured out how to carve a new theater, the Rita, into the existing Overton Building which had previously been used for retail.
The Rita opened in 1937 ending the Star’s run. However, the tradition of the trade-out merchant screening deals were so popular that they were moved to the Rita and then to the largest venue in town, the Nu-Vue when it opened. The Nu-Vue ended the series following the 20th Anniversary, 1956 free screening.
December 18, 1952
December 18, 1952
The Lone Star was clearly scuffling in the TV age closing in 1954. It was re-opened by Leon Moerbe on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1955. But the Lone Star was the turkey and basically, Moerbe said he operated for a week without any customer support. So the Lone Star then permanently exited the constellation on December 3, 1955 playing “Seminole Uprising.”
The theater was converted to offices much later. A restoration was completed and the theater opened for live stage plays and then closed once again in 2020.
The Drive-In closed following the August 19, 1967 showing of “The Naked Prey.” Delbert “E.E.” and Imogene Edmiston thanked folks for their patronage deciding against reopening for 1968. Just for the record, the screen tower was demolished on April 16, 1970.
104 West Cash Street - still standing in the mid-2020s.
Grand opening ad of the Roy Sept. 26, 1947 with Roy Rogers in “On the Old Spanish Trail” in photos. The town then had two open theaters with the 20-year old Roxy also continuing. The opening of the Sunset Drive-In in 1950 gave a third option to moviegoers. The Roy and Sunset theaters relied heavily on cotton-pickers for their business and skewed programming toward Spanish speaking audiences.
The Roy closed in November of 1960. The Roxy stopped advertising in 1963. The Roy then made an unimaginable comeback for a town of 1,700 folks. It relit as the Munday Theatre on May 13, 1977 for weekend-only operation with a Spanish language matinee and English language films with opening weekend titles of “Teenage Graffiti” and “Nobleza Ranchera.” The reopening went far longer than expected closing after seven weeks on July 2, 1977 with “el Balero de Raquel.” The building has deteriorated and awaits a harsh final date with mother nature in the future.
Advertising stopped after the 1967 season.
One more name to add in to this venue. G.A. Cole of Lamesa took on the venue on May 13, 1938 with “Melody of the Plains.” Their final listing was in December of 1938 - likely the end of the line. Reading their bookings, I’d say that they were not having much luck getting good film titles.
Opened June 14, 1924 with “George Washington, Jr.”
The Palace opened Nov. 11, 1925 with “The Gold Rush.“ It upgraded to sound film beginning on October 24, 1929 with "The Rainbow Man.”
The Star Theatre launched December 18, 1914 presumably on a ten year leasing cycle. The Star completed that cycle and got new operators when D.B. and Ada English came to town to operate same in 1924 likely on a 20-year lease. English changed the name of the venue to the English Theatre.
But in the March of 1929, the Englishes knew they needed to transition to sound and decided the time was right for an elegant 500-seat “talkie” theater bearing their surname just to the north of the St. Clair Hotel. That became the English Theatre and this house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre on November 1, 1929.
The Lavelta is used as a weekend only operation carrying silent films into late 1930. It becomes an events center until it has a fire in 1931 and is updated with non-charred stylings and sound in 1932. But that is short-lived and the theater moves to inactive.
In 1936, with business conditions improving, the Englishes create the Ada Theatre in a different location. Likely at the end of their original leasing contract, the Englishes then sell the English, Ada, and inactive Lavelta to Wallace and Rose Blankenship of Wallace Theatres Circuit. Wallace changes the name of the English to the Wallace, the Ida to the Rose, and decides to relight the inactive Lavelta Theatre. As a nod to the Englishes, he names the for mer Star/English/Lavelta as the Ida English Theatre. In most cities, that third wheel theater would mysteriously burn down… but not here.
That name, Ida English, doesn’t last long - likely too confusing - and the venue’s changed to its final operational name as the Lynn Theatre. The Lynn bowed on October 20, 1944 with “South of the Border.” The Lynn suffered three fires - an auditorium fire gutting the auditorium not long after it opened. That didn’t end things, though. It then suffered a projection booth fire on July 21, 1948. That didn’t end things, either. And then a third fire on November 29, 1949. That did end things for the Star/English/Lavelta/Ida English/ Lynn Theatre, but not the building which hung around on Main Street.
First of all - there was no Rose Theatre in 1930, period. D.B. English operated the town’s theaters - the Ada (named after Mrs. English) and the English - until June of 1944 when Wallace B. Blankenship purchased both venues. This venue had opened by the Englishes on September 23, 1936 in a converted retail space at 1730 Main Street. It was christened as the New Ada Theatre with the film, “Florida Special.”
Wallace removed English’s name from the big theater and it was renamed the Wallace Theatre on June 9, 1944. The Ada Theatre was renamed the Rose Theatre on June 9, 1944. Rose was the wife of Wallace Blankenship (which, if you think about it, makes sense why he’d rename it then and that but certainly not in 1930).
What doesn’t make sense from a homelife standpoint is that the lesser shows (billed as “Good Shows”) were played at the venue with the wife’s name - it all started with “Gildersleeve on Broadway” for the Rose on June 9, 1944 - while his theater billed “Great Shows” at the theater he named after himself beginning that day with “Pride of the Plains.”
The story now makes perfect sense. The Wallace Circuit bought the English venues. They turned the English into the Wallace. The wives' names switched on the second theater building from the Ada to the Rose. Tidy. Unfortunately - and it should best not be shared - but in the name of full disclosure, there was a third theater in the portfolio transferred to the Wallace Circuit.
The Englishes came to Tahoka in 1924 buying the Star Theatre. They changed it to the (original) English Theatre “#1”. They then built the larger, “new” English Theatre “#2” moving there for seven day a week operation. They renamed the former Star/English as the Lavelta Theatre basically running on weekends. The Wallaces now owned that inactive property, as well.
That third theater, which would have burned down mysteriously in any other town was renamed the Ada English Theatre aka the Ada to honor English’s wife after they had sold the theaters. With the Wallace Theatre carrying the “Great Shows,” the Rose Theatre carrying the “Good Shows,” clearly, the Ada English Theatre was designed to carry the “Rotten Shows”. The theatre was quickly renamed as the Lynn Theatre, quickly has a major fire gutting the building, and has its own Cinema Treasure entry.
Back to this entry of Rose, the Rose outlived the Wallace (both in human and theatrical timelines). The Rose Theatre stayed in bloom for its entire 30-year leasing period. It was then reopened by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Roberts for its final stretch on January 23, 1967 with Jerry Lewis in “Way, Way Out.” It also programmed Spanish language fare on weekdays. Best guess is that the Rose wilted in 1968. It was repurposed for other purposes in the early 1970s and sits vacant in the 2020s.
D.B. and Ada English had operated the former Star Theatre as the English Theatre from 1924 to 1929. But in the March of 1929, the Englishes knew they needed to transition to sound and decided the time was right for an elegant 500-seat “talkie” theater bearing their surname just to the north of the St. Clair Hotel. That became the English Theatre and the former house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre. The Egyptian-themed venue was designed by architect Harvey C. Allen. The theater opened on Harper Street on November 1, 1929 with Lola Lane as “The Girl From Havana.”
The Englishes erased the Egyptian styling in a 1934 refresh. Ten years later they sold the venue to Wallace B. Blankenship who ran twelve other South Plains theaters. Wallace Theatres was established on August 2, 1923 with his first location in Ropesville, Texas. He was known for the Wallace-branded theaters. He took down the English signage changing it immediately to the Wallace Theatre. And he took Ada English’s name off of the Ada Theatre and renamed it the Rose Theatre. Take that!
The renamings occurred on June 9, 1944 advertising with “Good Shows” at the Rose (that day, “Gildersleeve on Broadway”) and “Great Shows” with the the Wallace Theatre bowing with “Pride of the Plains.” Through a refresh, the theater ended with a streamline moderne interior.
Wallace Theatres Circuit then opened the T-Bar Drive-In on August 2, 1950. They dropped the English Theatre in the late 1950s and the Waldrips took on the venue which was scuffling in the TV era. The Waldrips closed the Wallace Theatre on October 13, 1962 and retained the Rose Theater. The theater’s lobby was used for bake sales and other elements and remained mostly vacant until a June 2, 1975 fire destroyed the building.
Bottom line… Status: Demolished
The T-Bar Drive-In opened on August 3, 1950 with “Angel and the Badman” with that name (its only name) by Wallace Theatres Circuit. The last advertised show was on Oct. 3, 1952 with “The Red Danube.” It may have operated without ads in 1953 and 1954. After that it’s referred to as the “old drive-in” (never a good sign). The old drive-in’s screen tower was destroyed on June 10, 1959 by tornadic winds.
Unfortunately, the Legion Theatre was not renamed the American Theatre and that’s where this entry goes a bit in the wrong direction. The Legion Theatre did move to new digs in late Fall 1927 but wanted a new name. In a naming contest, the new venue was christened the American Theatre (later the Avalon Theatre - has its own entry) opening on November 10, 1927. The old Legion building was sold at that time became Caldwell’s Bakery in 1928.
New operators took on the American and renamed it the New Avalon Theatre with an art deco facing that launched on March 25, 1936. The Lone Star Theatre opened on July 1, 1936. The town had two theaters which would come under a single owner. The two theater town operated until fire claimed the Lone Star. It burned December 18, 1948 ending the operation.
The Legion organization and the event space / hall was established in 1919 taking on the Grand Army of the Republic fraternal building that year on a 40-year leasing agreement. A decision was made in 1921 to open the Hall as a public-facing commercial movie theater. That operation appears to have started December 9, 1921 with the film, “Stepping Out” and operated there until being purchased by the operators of a theater in Shamrock, Texas. With operations generally weekend-only, the Shamrock folks moved the theater elsewhere where there would be no competing interests. That’s the American Theatre followed by the longer-running Avalon.
The Legion Theatre was a long-running silent movie house in downtown. It moved to new digs in 1927 with a naming contest. Dorthy Cantrill took home $10 in gold (about $3,300 in the mid-2020s) for “American Theater” at launch November 10, 1927.
The venue got a major streamline moderne makeover by its new operators reopening as the New Avalon Theatre that launched on March 25, 1936 with “Follow the Fleet.” It was refreshed in 1944 and got a widescreen late in 1953 to show CinemaScope films. All ads and references to the theater are discontinued in 1967. As that times out with the end of a 50-year leasing cycle, I’d say that’s your better closing date.
The New Gem Theatre opened on October 12, 1925 with Reginald Denny in “I’ll Show you the Town.” The film was projected by two Power Projectors onto the Gardner Gold Fibre Screen and was accompanied by a Photoplay Organ. The Ritz Theatre opened on July 8, 1931 with Claudette Colbert in “Honor Among Lovers” in the Gem Theater’s spot.
Bill Boren of Boren Theatres relit the venue as the Capri Theatre on June 3, 1966 with “So Dear to My Heart.” The booth got 150 dimension film and CinemaScope capability. 450 seats at rebirth.J John Wolf took on the venue rebooting it as the Movie House on November 2, 1971 with Walt Disney’s “The Wild Country.” The venue closed and reopened under Lyndon Craven’s watch on December 1, 1976 relighting with “Joe Panther.”
The Cozy Theatre was created in 1914. It started as the Cozy Airdome with summer programming. When the season ended, the hardtop was ready to go with the Cozy Theatre opening in November of 1914.
Howard T. Hodge of H&H Theatres began construction of the Queen Theatre in December of 1926. The $20,000 venue appears to have opened March 25, 1927 with “The Cohens and the Kellys.”
Norman Hodge of H&H Theatres Circuit announced the Pioneer Drive-In in February of 1950 opening on August 25, 1950 with “County Fair.”