The Wildey was one of the host theaters for this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival, and on November 9th,I was able to attend both a film showing and concert at the Wildey. My first time to go inside the Wildy, and it is truly a beautiful theater!
Actually, Dixie was the original name of the Capitol. I would like to see evidence that the Gem was renemed the Dixie. I have wondered if there was ever an African American movie theatre in Paris, as in the shameful days of segregation, African Americans had to use separate entrances and seating areas to attend movies at the Capitol and Princess
Uploaded some horror triple feature ads from the Olympic in the early 60’s. I hadn’t thought about the fact that the Olympic was almost completely surrounded by graveyards, which would be perfect for horror movies!
Great to finally see a photo of the marquee! INCOMING FRESHMEN was released in 1979, and actually filmed in Knoxville, so I would assume that is the year of the photo.
According to an ad in the BLUE ISLAND SUN STANDARD on Sept 27th, 1951, the ABC Outdoor Theatre was located at “14th and Western”. They were showing THAT’S MY BOY and IRON MAN. Next features were ON MOONLIGHT BAY andCATTLE DRIVE"
Status of this theater should be changed to open, as they have finished remodeling and are now showing movies again on Friday Saturday and Sunday. Go to website noted in prior post for schedule and photos.
Last month, I went to this theater for the first time, and was very impressed. Unlike the Paree Twin, which preceded it, and was very plain with small screens, this is very nice theater with large screens, and, at least in the auditorium I attended, stadium seating.
The building was demolished last year after sitting empty for quite a few years. I do remember the screens being small and they were high up on the wall, making it difficult to see if you were in the first few rows. I always preferred going to the Sky Vue Drive In with its big screen, but having grown up in Paris, people were very excited when an indoor theater opened up after not having one for almost a decade, and it was very popular for many years. Oddly enough, this is the first indoor theater in Paris I am aware of that has actually been demolished, as the buildings housing the Capitol, Princess, and Gem, all in downtown Paris and much older, are still standing.
The Rock Road marquee (not the Olympic) remained pretty much intact for quite a few years after the drive-in closed and the car junkyard took over, but I believe it is completely gone now. The screen came down several years before the marquee. They have blocked off the entrance from St Charles Rock Road, and I think you enter the junkyard from a side street now. Sadly, it’s pretty much unrecognizable as a drive-in now
Wow. I love the street view of the River Breeze at the top of the page with the sign and box office still standing, and the lot still empty, ready for someone to put up a new screen and start showing movies again!
The drive-in has reopened for the season, and is open on Friday and Saturday nights, while the indoor theater is open every night. This is one of the most scenic drive-ins I have ever seen. It is just outside of town, with a very rural feel. It is built on a hill with each row higher than the row in front of it, almost like “stadium seating” at a drive-in. There is also a little stream that runs in front of the screen, between the screen and the cars. I took some pictures last year when it was closed, and will post them if I can find them!
That’s a great article. Thanks for sharing. Tom Smith was still alive in the late 90’s, and I heard a lot of interesting stories about him. He was more intersted in creating the system than the business end of running theaters. He started at the Dallas Theatre in Urbana before he built the autoscopes. He may still be alive. I think at one time there were maybe 20 or 30 autoscopes across the country, mostly in very small towns, so they are hard to document. By the way, the big screen from the Highway 65 Drive In was moved to the Shooting Star Drive In in Urbana, and though it is now closed, the screen is still standing and in good shape, though it is on private property that is not used for a drive in now.
Annie, The Buffalo Autoscope operated as an autoscope up through the mid 70’s. It was probably those screens thay you saw. They were actually in operation until it was converted to a conventional drive in. I’m not sure how long the Urbana screens stood after it closed in the mid 50’s. If you can remember which side of the highway they were on, the Urbana Autoscope was on your right as you drove from Warsaw to Springfield, while the Buffalo Autoscope was on your left. Also the Buffalo Autoscope was much larger than the Urbana Autoscope.
Don’t forget the Starlite Drive In in Cadet MO, which reopened last year after being closed for a couple of years. They haven’t yet reopened for the season, but hopefully will soon.
The Wildey was one of the host theaters for this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival, and on November 9th,I was able to attend both a film showing and concert at the Wildey. My first time to go inside the Wildy, and it is truly a beautiful theater!
Great to see a small theatre make the digital conversion!
Actually, Dixie was the original name of the Capitol. I would like to see evidence that the Gem was renemed the Dixie. I have wondered if there was ever an African American movie theatre in Paris, as in the shameful days of segregation, African Americans had to use separate entrances and seating areas to attend movies at the Capitol and Princess
Uploaded some horror triple feature ads from the Olympic in the early 60’s. I hadn’t thought about the fact that the Olympic was almost completely surrounded by graveyards, which would be perfect for horror movies!
The Victory was open as late as 1969, as I have seen an ad for THE GREEN SLIME showing at the Victory.
One of the movies on the marquee in the photo above, MIXED COMPANY, was released in October 1974, so the Comet was open past 1972.
Great to finally see a photo of the marquee! INCOMING FRESHMEN was released in 1979, and actually filmed in Knoxville, so I would assume that is the year of the photo.
There are some great photos at the link below:
http://www.christiangideonphotography.com/2011/08/owen-drive-in-seymour-missouri/
BOXOFFICE now has most of their back issues on line. Just go to their website, and look for archives.
There is also a photo of the El Rancho on the cover of BOXOFFICE 7/15/50,and the issue spotlights all the new drive in’s being built in 1950
According to an ad in the BLUE ISLAND SUN STANDARD on Sept 27th, 1951, the ABC Outdoor Theatre was located at “14th and Western”. They were showing THAT’S MY BOY and IRON MAN. Next features were ON MOONLIGHT BAY andCATTLE DRIVE"
Scott you are correct. According to BOXOFFICE on 1/1/73, the Lodge was preparing to open a Jerry Lewis Thratre.
Status of this theater should be changed to open, as they have finished remodeling and are now showing movies again on Friday Saturday and Sunday. Go to website noted in prior post for schedule and photos.
Last month, I went to this theater for the first time, and was very impressed. Unlike the Paree Twin, which preceded it, and was very plain with small screens, this is very nice theater with large screens, and, at least in the auditorium I attended, stadium seating.
The building was demolished last year after sitting empty for quite a few years. I do remember the screens being small and they were high up on the wall, making it difficult to see if you were in the first few rows. I always preferred going to the Sky Vue Drive In with its big screen, but having grown up in Paris, people were very excited when an indoor theater opened up after not having one for almost a decade, and it was very popular for many years. Oddly enough, this is the first indoor theater in Paris I am aware of that has actually been demolished, as the buildings housing the Capitol, Princess, and Gem, all in downtown Paris and much older, are still standing.
In the photo above, the Lincoln is showing a movie released in 1948, which would seem to confirm that the Rodgers became the Lincoln in 1947.
The Rock Road marquee (not the Olympic) remained pretty much intact for quite a few years after the drive-in closed and the car junkyard took over, but I believe it is completely gone now. The screen came down several years before the marquee. They have blocked off the entrance from St Charles Rock Road, and I think you enter the junkyard from a side street now. Sadly, it’s pretty much unrecognizable as a drive-in now
I’m happy to report that the Senate Theatre re-opened on May 20, 2011.
Wow. I love the street view of the River Breeze at the top of the page with the sign and box office still standing, and the lot still empty, ready for someone to put up a new screen and start showing movies again!
The drive-in has reopened for the season, and is open on Friday and Saturday nights, while the indoor theater is open every night. This is one of the most scenic drive-ins I have ever seen. It is just outside of town, with a very rural feel. It is built on a hill with each row higher than the row in front of it, almost like “stadium seating” at a drive-in. There is also a little stream that runs in front of the screen, between the screen and the cars. I took some pictures last year when it was closed, and will post them if I can find them!
That’s a great article. Thanks for sharing. Tom Smith was still alive in the late 90’s, and I heard a lot of interesting stories about him. He was more intersted in creating the system than the business end of running theaters. He started at the Dallas Theatre in Urbana before he built the autoscopes. He may still be alive. I think at one time there were maybe 20 or 30 autoscopes across the country, mostly in very small towns, so they are hard to document. By the way, the big screen from the Highway 65 Drive In was moved to the Shooting Star Drive In in Urbana, and though it is now closed, the screen is still standing and in good shape, though it is on private property that is not used for a drive in now.
Annie, The Buffalo Autoscope operated as an autoscope up through the mid 70’s. It was probably those screens thay you saw. They were actually in operation until it was converted to a conventional drive in. I’m not sure how long the Urbana screens stood after it closed in the mid 50’s. If you can remember which side of the highway they were on, the Urbana Autoscope was on your right as you drove from Warsaw to Springfield, while the Buffalo Autoscope was on your left. Also the Buffalo Autoscope was much larger than the Urbana Autoscope.
One more article; this one with photos of the restored Wildey:
View link
Don’t forget the Starlite Drive In in Cadet MO, which reopened last year after being closed for a couple of years. They haven’t yet reopened for the season, but hopefully will soon.
In answer to the above question, not this year, due to delays in the demolition of the Quad:
View link