Philbert, you brought back memories of “Noah’s Ark” for me. We played it on a double feature back in about 1956 along with a little British comedy with Donald Sindon and Diana Dors called “An Alligator Named Daisy”. The only memorable thing about “Ark” was the flood scenes. The Diana Dors comedy made up for “Ark” and we had a fairly good run due to “Daisy”. We normally never played double features, that was one of about only three double features that I can recall. Could never understand why our booker stuck “Ark” on us. It was orginally scheduled as a single attraction for those three days. “Daisy” was added only two days before the scheduled run. Guess someone had second thoughts. I remember we ran “La Dolce Vita” for a week to fair business. We always pulled a picture early if it did not do good. We actually got sued for doing that with “Spartacus” in 1960, and wound up putting it at our second run house for a two weeks to settle with the distributor and brought it back two months later at that second run house on a double feature for three days.
Thanks RonnieD, you brought back memories from the past for me. I too was stationed at Fort Hood, in 1965 and 1966. Like you I kept a record of all the movies I saw on post as well at the Ritz, Sadler and the newly opened modern Killeen Theatre in Killeen. I just wish I had kept those lists. I remember the loud clatter of the projectors while viewing King Solomon’s Mines and other features at the Ritz. Growing up in the theatre business, I always heard all the sounds from the booth there. The Ritz and the Texas always played double features and the films were usually from the late 1940’s and 1950’s at that time. I remember they had heavy curtains covering the door to the auditorium to keep light from the lobby off the screen and the auditorium was pretty dumpy. But I caught a number of older films at the Ritz that I had never seen. It was always packed on weekends. I never went to the Texas, but thought it probally was about the same as the Ritz.
A good friend, Johnny Holder was projectionest at the Beach in the 1960’s. I worked with him at the Gulf Theatre in Gulfport, where he worked the morning shift as projectionest. He would leave the Gulf around 4:30 pm every evening, go home for dinner and then to the Beach, until all hours of the morning. I heard a lot of stories about those foggy nights and running the pic into the late nite with no one to be seen in the cars in the lot. He would shorten the reels a lot of nights to get out earlier and said no one ever knew or complained. The dust to dawn programs I refered to was in the 1950’s and they would show six different pictures. I believe the owner then was named Landaiche. I remember him suing the Legion and other first run indoor theatres on the coast to be able to show first run too.
CoastalCruise, I know that you join me in saying, the Paramount was an elegant old theatre. I have many fond memories of it. A friend of mine, Robert Gates was projectionest there in its last years of operation. Wish it could have been saved, its loss was really a shame and should have not happened! Was Joseph Fulton still manager when you worked there?
I remember the stairs on the north and south sides of the lobby leading to the second floor, were at least twelve feet in width, heavly carpeted, creating a grand sweeping appearance, leading to the second floor and its ofice and restrooms.
The auditorium walls, before they were painted that awful blue color during the 1960’s remodeling, were painted to look like vines and leaves were covering the walls. The amber lighting under the balcony and on the walls made it look like a light brown and green covering of vines from the seating areas. Four sets of double doors led from the lobby into the auditorum, two in the middle section and one double set on the north and south side opening into the oval auditoruim with its four sections of uppostered seats and a hugh scope screen with a gold travel curtain with motorized masking that was adjustable from the booth for both width and height. Some of the old dressing rooms remained back stage with a circular iron stair well leading up to them.
In thinking back, I do recall, only one time that the balcony was opened and that was for the John Wayne picture “Rio Bravo” and its over flow crowd.
When the wrecking crew came into the Paramount to start their work, someone had written on the south wall just down from the concession, “We love this old theatre!” Within a week or so,the Paramount was history!
The advertising motto of the Paramount was “Host to the Coast”, and it certainly lived up to that motto!
Yes, we actually had a small advertising room, just across from the main office, next to the men’s restroom. We made up the newspaper advertisments for both the Legion/Sand and Gulf Theatre there. In the 1960’s we ran a lot of ads, sometimes as much as half a page just for the Legion, depending on the pictures that were being played. Those were the good ole days!
I recall taking the whole day in sorting the thousands of entries from Patrons of the Legion who entered the contest to rename the Theatre. I had entries all over the desk in the advertising room and all over the floor. There were numerous bags full of entries that had been put in big bulk pop corn storage bags. At that time we popped up and kept pop corn in the popping and storage room for the warmer in the concesssion as it was needed. That pop corn sat there sometimes for a week or more before it was all transfered to the concession warmer. Needless to say, the pop corn sales were the best on weekends when one of the concession workers was having to pop fresh pop corn most of the day. Actually, not every entrant actually received their free pass as had been advertised. I always thought this was wrong, but it did not hurt the patronage of the theatre.
The old Star Theatre was located at 221 Central Avenue in D'Iberville. .
I don’t believe a movie theatre was located on D'Iberville Street in Biloxi, other than the Adult Theatre which is at 222 D'Iberville in Biloxi. But that can not be classified as a theatre, its a adult video store operation.
I believe this is the old Star Theatre that was located in the area across the Bay from Biloxi, that was called Back Bay Biloxi by locals, in the 1940’s-1960’s and was a second run house. It was located on Central Avenue, on the right side of the street just past the old Back Bay Bridge and had been closed for sometime. This is now in the present day city of D'Iberville, MS. It was a narrow wood frame building that, I believe, was demolished sometime around the late 1960’s.
You’re welcome. I drove by the Beverly while in Hattiesburg just a few weeks ago. It is so sad to read the news article about its destruction. It was the second drive-in that was opened in this state. I kept hoping someone would reopen it. There are only two operating drive ins left in this state now. At one time there were four in my area(Beach, Do, Don & Moonlite)alone. All gone now.
Chuck1231, you are correct. The address was 1411 26th Avenue. The site is now located in the middle of a parking garage and bank that took over that entire block between 26th and 27th Avenues.
During the Winter months the Glo Drive In was open only on Friday and Saturday nights, but during Summer months it was open nightly. Normally the Glo played only a single feature and cartoon. The same owners operated both the Straub Theatre and the Glo Drive In in Wiggins.
The Straub Theatre, which later became the Frontier Theatre, was located on East Pine Avenue in Wiggins. The Straub was still operating at the end of December of 1960, the pllay bill for Christmas week of 1960 was “Comanchie Station” on Dec 23 and 24, closed Christmas day, “Home From The Hill” on Dec 26 & 27 and “All The Fine Young Cannibals” on Dec 28 & 29. On October of 1979 it is listed in an ad as the Frontier Theatre and is playing the Muppet Movie.
The Beverly, the second Drive In Theatre opened in the state of Mississippi, is still owned by the family of Herb and Sue Hargroder. It had been leased to another operator, who ran it up to its closing due to damage by hurricaine Katrina in 2005.
ADJ119, If you do not find the contact information you need in the Beverly’s Historical Registration, I will be glad to furnish you the owners contact information.
ADJ119, the last time I was in the area, the Beverly looked the same, looks like no repairs of any kind have been performed since Katrina in 2005. I have been told there is moisture damage in the concession and booth building. Screen two is down. The Beverly was listed in 2008 on the National Register of Historical places in Mississippi. This means it should be eligible for tax credits for the remodeling and rehab of the drive-in to get it operating again. The link below is for the National Register Registration of the Beverly. It should give you a lot of information you need. View link
Philbert, you brought back memories of “Noah’s Ark” for me. We played it on a double feature back in about 1956 along with a little British comedy with Donald Sindon and Diana Dors called “An Alligator Named Daisy”. The only memorable thing about “Ark” was the flood scenes. The Diana Dors comedy made up for “Ark” and we had a fairly good run due to “Daisy”. We normally never played double features, that was one of about only three double features that I can recall. Could never understand why our booker stuck “Ark” on us. It was orginally scheduled as a single attraction for those three days. “Daisy” was added only two days before the scheduled run. Guess someone had second thoughts. I remember we ran “La Dolce Vita” for a week to fair business. We always pulled a picture early if it did not do good. We actually got sued for doing that with “Spartacus” in 1960, and wound up putting it at our second run house for a two weeks to settle with the distributor and brought it back two months later at that second run house on a double feature for three days.
Thanks RonnieD, you brought back memories from the past for me. I too was stationed at Fort Hood, in 1965 and 1966. Like you I kept a record of all the movies I saw on post as well at the Ritz, Sadler and the newly opened modern Killeen Theatre in Killeen. I just wish I had kept those lists. I remember the loud clatter of the projectors while viewing King Solomon’s Mines and other features at the Ritz. Growing up in the theatre business, I always heard all the sounds from the booth there. The Ritz and the Texas always played double features and the films were usually from the late 1940’s and 1950’s at that time. I remember they had heavy curtains covering the door to the auditorium to keep light from the lobby off the screen and the auditorium was pretty dumpy. But I caught a number of older films at the Ritz that I had never seen. It was always packed on weekends. I never went to the Texas, but thought it probally was about the same as the Ritz.
That new theatre that was opened was the elegant Strand Theatre, later to become the Paramount in the 1930’s.
Sorry, that should have been four sections of upholstered seats.
A Shopping center for Walmart is being built on the site.
The Star 3 is now closed.
A good friend, Johnny Holder was projectionest at the Beach in the 1960’s. I worked with him at the Gulf Theatre in Gulfport, where he worked the morning shift as projectionest. He would leave the Gulf around 4:30 pm every evening, go home for dinner and then to the Beach, until all hours of the morning. I heard a lot of stories about those foggy nights and running the pic into the late nite with no one to be seen in the cars in the lot. He would shorten the reels a lot of nights to get out earlier and said no one ever knew or complained. The dust to dawn programs I refered to was in the 1950’s and they would show six different pictures. I believe the owner then was named Landaiche. I remember him suing the Legion and other first run indoor theatres on the coast to be able to show first run too.
CoastalCruise, I know that you join me in saying, the Paramount was an elegant old theatre. I have many fond memories of it. A friend of mine, Robert Gates was projectionest there in its last years of operation. Wish it could have been saved, its loss was really a shame and should have not happened! Was Joseph Fulton still manager when you worked there?
I remember the stairs on the north and south sides of the lobby leading to the second floor, were at least twelve feet in width, heavly carpeted, creating a grand sweeping appearance, leading to the second floor and its ofice and restrooms.
The auditorium walls, before they were painted that awful blue color during the 1960’s remodeling, were painted to look like vines and leaves were covering the walls. The amber lighting under the balcony and on the walls made it look like a light brown and green covering of vines from the seating areas. Four sets of double doors led from the lobby into the auditorum, two in the middle section and one double set on the north and south side opening into the oval auditoruim with its four sections of uppostered seats and a hugh scope screen with a gold travel curtain with motorized masking that was adjustable from the booth for both width and height. Some of the old dressing rooms remained back stage with a circular iron stair well leading up to them.
In thinking back, I do recall, only one time that the balcony was opened and that was for the John Wayne picture “Rio Bravo” and its over flow crowd.
When the wrecking crew came into the Paramount to start their work, someone had written on the south wall just down from the concession, “We love this old theatre!” Within a week or so,the Paramount was history!
The advertising motto of the Paramount was “Host to the Coast”, and it certainly lived up to that motto!
A Wendy’s Hamburger Restaurant now occupies the old site of the Village Cinema.
Yes, we actually had a small advertising room, just across from the main office, next to the men’s restroom. We made up the newspaper advertisments for both the Legion/Sand and Gulf Theatre there. In the 1960’s we ran a lot of ads, sometimes as much as half a page just for the Legion, depending on the pictures that were being played. Those were the good ole days!
I recall taking the whole day in sorting the thousands of entries from Patrons of the Legion who entered the contest to rename the Theatre. I had entries all over the desk in the advertising room and all over the floor. There were numerous bags full of entries that had been put in big bulk pop corn storage bags. At that time we popped up and kept pop corn in the popping and storage room for the warmer in the concesssion as it was needed. That pop corn sat there sometimes for a week or more before it was all transfered to the concession warmer. Needless to say, the pop corn sales were the best on weekends when one of the concession workers was having to pop fresh pop corn most of the day. Actually, not every entrant actually received their free pass as had been advertised. I always thought this was wrong, but it did not hurt the patronage of the theatre.
The old Star Theatre was located at 221 Central Avenue in D'Iberville. .
I don’t believe a movie theatre was located on D'Iberville Street in Biloxi, other than the Adult Theatre which is at 222 D'Iberville in Biloxi. But that can not be classified as a theatre, its a adult video store operation.
I believe this is the old Star Theatre that was located in the area across the Bay from Biloxi, that was called Back Bay Biloxi by locals, in the 1940’s-1960’s and was a second run house. It was located on Central Avenue, on the right side of the street just past the old Back Bay Bridge and had been closed for sometime. This is now in the present day city of D'Iberville, MS. It was a narrow wood frame building that, I believe, was demolished sometime around the late 1960’s.
You’re welcome. I drove by the Beverly while in Hattiesburg just a few weeks ago. It is so sad to read the news article about its destruction. It was the second drive-in that was opened in this state. I kept hoping someone would reopen it. There are only two operating drive ins left in this state now. At one time there were four in my area(Beach, Do, Don & Moonlite)alone. All gone now.
The Beverly was destroyed by an early morning fire on October 30, 2010, not September 30.
Yes, this is a duplicate listing, I goofed and listed the Embassy twice.
Chuck1231, you are correct. The address was 1411 26th Avenue. The site is now located in the middle of a parking garage and bank that took over that entire block between 26th and 27th Avenues.
The Moonlite Drive In Theatre was located at 1582 East Beach Boulevard in Pass Christian.
In 1949, the Buck Theatre and the Saenger Theatre are listed in the Biloxi city directory as being operated by Paramount-Richard Theatres.
The actual street address for the Sand/Legion Theatre was 2611 13th Street, Gulfport, MS. acccording to the city directory for 1953/54.
During the Winter months the Glo Drive In was open only on Friday and Saturday nights, but during Summer months it was open nightly. Normally the Glo played only a single feature and cartoon. The same owners operated both the Straub Theatre and the Glo Drive In in Wiggins.
The Straub Theatre, which later became the Frontier Theatre, was located on East Pine Avenue in Wiggins. The Straub was still operating at the end of December of 1960, the pllay bill for Christmas week of 1960 was “Comanchie Station” on Dec 23 and 24, closed Christmas day, “Home From The Hill” on Dec 26 & 27 and “All The Fine Young Cannibals” on Dec 28 & 29. On October of 1979 it is listed in an ad as the Frontier Theatre and is playing the Muppet Movie.
The Beverly, the second Drive In Theatre opened in the state of Mississippi, is still owned by the family of Herb and Sue Hargroder. It had been leased to another operator, who ran it up to its closing due to damage by hurricaine Katrina in 2005.
ADJ119, If you do not find the contact information you need in the Beverly’s Historical Registration, I will be glad to furnish you the owners contact information.
ADJ119, the last time I was in the area, the Beverly looked the same, looks like no repairs of any kind have been performed since Katrina in 2005. I have been told there is moisture damage in the concession and booth building. Screen two is down. The Beverly was listed in 2008 on the National Register of Historical places in Mississippi. This means it should be eligible for tax credits for the remodeling and rehab of the drive-in to get it operating again. The link below is for the National Register Registration of the Beverly. It should give you a lot of information you need.
View link