If I recall correctly, this theater did open as a discount house but after a year or two it switched “upward” to playing initial release/first run fare.
It may have gone back to discount again later, but I don’t recall that.
The Lamar closed as a regular movie theater in 1966, I think, and reopened a year or so later in 1967 as an adult/porn theater. It closed as an adult theater sometime in the mid 70’s. It reopened as a more or less regular movie theater around 1979 and operated for about a year.
This theater was a twin known as the Whitehaven 2. It opened in 1971 (I think) about the same time as the Fare 4 and the Frayser 3, which were also initially part of the Cobb chain. It did not last as long as those. It closed sometime before the 70’s ended.
When it opened in 1971, the only other indoor theater in the Whitehaven area was the Whitehaven Cinema, which had been in operation since 1966. That theater was turned into a two screener in 1973. Also, the UA Southbrook 4 opened in 1972.
I guess there was just too much competition for this one after a few years.
I think the Ellis Drive In was open earlier than 1960. I think it was around in the mid-50’s.
I also thought that it was the same drive-in that was later, sometime in the mid-60’s, renamed as the 51 Drive-in. Maybe the Ellis closed and the 51 was a whole new thing in a new location in Millington, but I thought it was the same thing.
I believe this drive-in opened in 1940 or a year or two thereafter and closed in 1977.
It was the first drive-in for Memphis, and it was originally just called Drive-In Movies. I guess that was due to its being the only drive-in for some years. The sign on the entrance had the name Drive-In Movies, and that was how the ads read in the newspaper. I don’t think the sign at the entrance was ever changed.
However, the theater was later advertised (starting in the late 40’s or early 50’s) as the Lamar Drive-in once other drive-ins had opened and there was a need for differentiation.
Sometime in the early 70’s the name was changed to Southland Drive-In and so it was until its demise.
The drive-in was not on the site of the Treasury department store; that was nearby.
The Rosemary was still operating into March. 1965. I think that’s when it closed.
A Hard Day’s Night was not its final attraction (unless the Rosemary continued to operate without running an ad in the newspapers).
A Hard Day’s Night did play first Memphis run at the Rosemary as part of a saturation opening around August, 1964. I think it was also simultaneously at the Park and Lamar theaters and at several drive-ins.
I wonder when the Suzores #1 actually closed. I think it continued to operate for a while without any ads in the newspaper. I’m pretty sure it was still in operation in 1960, but I don’t know how much longer beyond that.
However, after possibly sitting empty for many years, it was reopened as a movie theater for a short while around 1976 or 1977. It was being called Jackson Street Theater or some such. I think it may have only operated a few months in that endeavor.
The 61 Drive-in was open earlier than stated above.
It was open in 1956, at least, and that may have been the year it began operation.
There hasn’t been any mention here of the Rosalie, which was a drive-in theater that I think was on Highway 61 and which operated for a few years in the 1940’s. I think it was Memphis' second drive-in to open, following several years after the one on Lamar. Does anyone know if it was in the same location as the 61 and Southwest Twin later were?
If I recall correctly, this theater did open as a discount house but after a year or two it switched “upward” to playing initial release/first run fare. It may have gone back to discount again later, but I don’t recall that.
The theater is also briefly seen (down the street) in the movie Miller’s Crossing.
The Lamar closed as a regular movie theater in 1966, I think, and reopened a year or so later in 1967 as an adult/porn theater. It closed as an adult theater sometime in the mid 70’s. It reopened as a more or less regular movie theater around 1979 and operated for about a year.
I think the Rialto closed as a theater in 1958. It it wasn’t then, it was soon thereafter.
This theater was a twin known as the Whitehaven 2. It opened in 1971 (I think) about the same time as the Fare 4 and the Frayser 3, which were also initially part of the Cobb chain. It did not last as long as those. It closed sometime before the 70’s ended. When it opened in 1971, the only other indoor theater in the Whitehaven area was the Whitehaven Cinema, which had been in operation since 1966. That theater was turned into a two screener in 1973. Also, the UA Southbrook 4 opened in 1972. I guess there was just too much competition for this one after a few years.
In the early 50’s, there was another drive-in in the West Memphis area, the 70 Drive-in.
I think the Ellis Drive In was open earlier than 1960. I think it was around in the mid-50’s. I also thought that it was the same drive-in that was later, sometime in the mid-60’s, renamed as the 51 Drive-in. Maybe the Ellis closed and the 51 was a whole new thing in a new location in Millington, but I thought it was the same thing.
I believe this drive-in opened in 1940 or a year or two thereafter and closed in 1977. It was the first drive-in for Memphis, and it was originally just called Drive-In Movies. I guess that was due to its being the only drive-in for some years. The sign on the entrance had the name Drive-In Movies, and that was how the ads read in the newspaper. I don’t think the sign at the entrance was ever changed. However, the theater was later advertised (starting in the late 40’s or early 50’s) as the Lamar Drive-in once other drive-ins had opened and there was a need for differentiation. Sometime in the early 70’s the name was changed to Southland Drive-In and so it was until its demise. The drive-in was not on the site of the Treasury department store; that was nearby.
The Rosemary was still operating into March. 1965. I think that’s when it closed. A Hard Day’s Night was not its final attraction (unless the Rosemary continued to operate without running an ad in the newspapers). A Hard Day’s Night did play first Memphis run at the Rosemary as part of a saturation opening around August, 1964. I think it was also simultaneously at the Park and Lamar theaters and at several drive-ins.
I wonder when the Suzores #1 actually closed. I think it continued to operate for a while without any ads in the newspaper. I’m pretty sure it was still in operation in 1960, but I don’t know how much longer beyond that. However, after possibly sitting empty for many years, it was reopened as a movie theater for a short while around 1976 or 1977. It was being called Jackson Street Theater or some such. I think it may have only operated a few months in that endeavor.
The 61 Drive-in was open earlier than stated above. It was open in 1956, at least, and that may have been the year it began operation. There hasn’t been any mention here of the Rosalie, which was a drive-in theater that I think was on Highway 61 and which operated for a few years in the 1940’s. I think it was Memphis' second drive-in to open, following several years after the one on Lamar. Does anyone know if it was in the same location as the 61 and Southwest Twin later were?