H.E. Miller opened the Idle Hour in 1911. It closed after his new streamlined Miller Theatre opened in late December of 1936. The Idle Hour was idled closing on December 31, 1936 with “After the Thin Man” which had opened the Miller days prior. The Idle Hour was used for sporadic live events thereafter.
Miller’s Gem Theatre was a reboot of the Idle Hour Theatre nicknamed Miller’s Junior Theatre. It was relaunched to counter the new Highway Theatre close by in Crystal City. The new Idle Hour opened on April 24, 1947 with “Lone Hand Texan” and “A Boy, A Girl and a Dog.” It was a dud and by year’s end was reduced to just twice a week operation. A policy change allowed African Americans in the balcony on Friday nights (only). That didn’t help and the Gem was no diamond in the rough so Miller simply bought out the competing Highway Theatre in Crystal City and closed the Gem on May 13, 1948 with “Pursued” and “Their First Mistake.” It was used for sporadic live events into 1950. Co-Ed Garments overhauled the property for special machinery work and for storage ending its cinematic operations (and was decidedly not still open in 1958).
The Cortez Plaza was built in 1958 as a mall for Eastern Shopping Centers of Yonkers, New York and designed by architect Edward Dean Wyke. It was one of many suburban mall/centers being developed by Eastern all across Southern Florida. The Cortez Plaza would serve as an anchor spot for Belk-Lindsey Stores. Featuring Kresge’s and Grand Union Grocers, it opened theatre-less on February 16, 1959.
In 1968, a major expansion took place which would eventually bring a cinema to the location. A franchisee of Network Cinemas' Jerry Lewis Circuit built here. The Jerry Lewis Cortez Plaza Twin Cinema launched on December 23, 1971 with “Peter Rabbit” and “Tales of Beatrix Potter” on Screen 1 and “An Elephant Called Slowly” and “Darling Lili” on Screen 2 next to Woolworth’s big box Woolco store.
The Plaza’s expansion led the Woolco/Lewis Cinema to be part of Cortez Plaza “East”. The Lewis chain beat Woolco to dissolution with Lewis leaving the chain in 1972 and Network Cinemas disconnecting the phones in bankruptcy in 1973. So franchisee Suncoast Cinemas Inc. rebranded the venue here as the Cortez Plaza Twin I & II on March 17, 1973.
Florida West Amusements took on the venue. It was sued by Warner Brothers over a $25,000 clearance to play “Barry Lyndon” in 1975. Florida West sold it to Cobb Theatres on July 15, 1976. As for the Cortez Plaza, Woolco went bankrupt in early 1983 with Wal-Mart moving in. Retaining the Cortez Plaza East namesake, formally, it was marketed as the Wal-Mart Plaza. As further expansions were taking place - though I’m no expert - it appears that there weren’t enough addresses doled out to the center so the 3633 Cortez Road was placed in its proper locale and a new set of numbers created within the Plaza. The theater, for example, was now listed at 701 Cortez Road West which it remains to this day (and looking unchanged externally into the mid 2020s).
In the meantime, Plitt Theatres took on the cinema venue followed by Floyd Theatres. Wal-Mart bolted for newer Supercenter with self-standing digs while Carmike Cinemas took over the Cinema for its final stretch on March 17, 1995. Carmike started up with deep discount, 99-cent double-features. Not a ringing endorsement but - in the age of megaplexes - not surprising. Carmike dropped back to just single-title discount sub-runs before closing permanently on April 17, 1997 with “Star Wars” and “Fargo.” In 2023, the vacant storefront still had its box office that looked to be the same as the 1971 cinema. The storefront became a kids trampolining activity center after a major re-design.
The Twin City Cinema was opened on March 22, 1974, by the Mid-America Cinema Corp. with “The Laughing Policeman” and “The Paper Chase.“ Mid-America Theatres was struggling financially during the rise of the multiplex era and sold its dwindling operations. Following the sale of this venue, the theater became the RKO Twin City Cinema after RKO Century’s parent company, the Almi Group, announced the acquisition of Mid-America’s cinemas on April 11, 1984.
On December 8, 1984, the venue became the Commonwealth Twin City Cinema for Commonwealth Theatres when it purchased four of the RKO Century theaters in Missouri. Commonwealth didn’t see much foot traffic closing the venue briskly on January 6, 1985. Wherenberg Theatres took on the venue renaming it as the Wherenberg Twin City Ciné with “Heaven Help Us” and “Mischief” on February 8, 1985. The only mischief viewed by the locals took place just seven months later.
Arsonists doused the interior of the Twin City Ciné hoping to destroy the venue in the wee hours of September 19, 1985. They simply destroyed much of the interior of the theatre with the building standing firm. The Ciné’s screenings on September 18, 1985 were “Back to the Future” and “Rambo First Blood: Part II.” Wherenberg listed the low-performing venue as “Closed for Repairs.” As the town awaited potential Doc Brown intervention with the Delorean for those repairs, a new-build CVS was built on the site of the former Ciné. With Doc having the Twin City Ciné quite low on the priority list for potential historic tinkering, its Status should be “Demolished (for now).”
Opened on February 14, 1973, by Mid-America Theatres of St. Louis with Barbra Streisand in “What’s Up, Doc?” & Omar Sharif in “Doctor Zhivago”. It was designed by Martin Bloom Associates costing $350,000 and had twin 300-seat auditoriums at opening for 600 total capacity. On December 19, 1977, the Bonne Terre was purchased by Kerasotes Cinemas with Mid-America scuffling. Kerasotes moved on from the Bonne Terre Cinema on September 8, 1994 when it opened its Kerasotes Maple Valley 4 on September 9, 1994.
The Flat River Movies 2 launched July 30, 1982 with “Six Pack” and “Firefox.” The venue replaced the Roseland Theatre which had been closed on October 15, 1981 and demolished. Kerasotes sold out to AMC Theatres on January 18, 2010 and this one had its name changed to the AMC Flat River 2. It closed as the AMC Flat River 2 later that year on November 28, 2010.
The Kerasotes Maple 4 Theatre opened on September 9, 1994 with “Forrest Gump,” “Tue Lies,” “In the Army Now,” and “The Mask.” It became the the Kerasotes Showplace Farmington after a refresh. On January 18, 2010, Kerasotes was purchased by AMC and it was renamed as the Kerasotes Showplace Farmington 4. When AMC purchased Carmike Cinemas in 2016, the vast majority of inherited cinemas from Kerasotes, Carmike, Starplex and other chains were rebranded as AMC Classics. In 2017, this venue became the AMC Classic Farmington 4.
The Princess Cinema launched on March 19, 1973 with Michael Todd’s “Around the World in 80 Days.” In 1975, it switched to Spanish language cinema. In 1976, it switched to adult cinema. It closed on May 28, 1978 with Ann Biggs in “The Ranch Hand” and “KF: You’re on Peeping Camera” with live burlesque by Sexy Susie. The operators moved to Miami.
The Inwood (Tri-plexed) and the Texas Theatre (duplexed) are the classic venues that still have current movies as their daily bread and butter. There are other 50-plus year old venues in the area dabbling with repertory (Grapevine’s Palace or the Plaza in Garland among many others) for nostalgic reasons.
The only shoebox (pre-1994 twin, tri, quad or multiplex) in almost original condition is America Cinemas Fort Worth. Every other multiplex still showing film (AMC Green Oaks, GCC Central Park 8, Denton’s ABC Cinema, AMC Hulen, UA Hulen) has been remodeled to the point of not really seeing the original design intent of sterile shoe-boxedness.
Moving to the 1990s era, a lot of the AMC megaplexes have a high percentage of auditoriums unchanged (non recliner audis). But the answer to the question - if understood correctly - not a whole lot of authentic era movie houses pre-megaplexes showing contemporary cinema in their original design form factors. The tides have long turned against feature-starved movies-only venues of the previous cinematic exhibition eras.
Once operated by Cinne Arts Theatres Inc., the venue became the Cinema West Art Theatre in 1972 - likely its last operating name. It moved to 5819 Richard setting up business there until the 1980s.
The theater has officially closed after 10 years of posting showtimes but not really showing the films. I’ve scheduled “Tears” for 4:30, 7 and 9:30 and “Heartbreak” for a 2p matinee (only). Current use: full-time event center
This venue’s actual name was the United Artists Eagle Highlands 10 with a 3,034 seat capacity. The venue represented the megaplex era well opening December 15, 1995 with THX certified auditoriums and digital sound. UATC told the neighborhood that its internal projections showed the theater reaching a peak of 54% capacity on weekends before falling well short of that target.
With growth projections downtrending and overbuilding in screen count in the metro area, Regal Theatres moved on after 16 years just after its birthday. It closed on Christmas Day 2011 with a lump of coal playing “Sherlock Holmes: AGOS,” “A&TC: Chipwrecked,” “MI: Ghost Protocol,” “War Horse,” “Girl With a Dragon Tattoo,” “Tintin,” “Darkest Hour,” “New Year’s Eve (almost made it.. but didn’t),” The UA Eagle Highlands 10 was demolished in favor of a new-build gym.
Opened August 19, 1994.
H.E. Miller opened the Idle Hour in 1911. It closed after his new streamlined Miller Theatre opened in late December of 1936. The Idle Hour was idled closing on December 31, 1936 with “After the Thin Man” which had opened the Miller days prior. The Idle Hour was used for sporadic live events thereafter.
Miller’s Gem Theatre was a reboot of the Idle Hour Theatre nicknamed Miller’s Junior Theatre. It was relaunched to counter the new Highway Theatre close by in Crystal City. The new Idle Hour opened on April 24, 1947 with “Lone Hand Texan” and “A Boy, A Girl and a Dog.” It was a dud and by year’s end was reduced to just twice a week operation. A policy change allowed African Americans in the balcony on Friday nights (only). That didn’t help and the Gem was no diamond in the rough so Miller simply bought out the competing Highway Theatre in Crystal City and closed the Gem on May 13, 1948 with “Pursued” and “Their First Mistake.” It was used for sporadic live events into 1950. Co-Ed Garments overhauled the property for special machinery work and for storage ending its cinematic operations (and was decidedly not still open in 1958).
The Cortez Plaza was built in 1958 as a mall for Eastern Shopping Centers of Yonkers, New York and designed by architect Edward Dean Wyke. It was one of many suburban mall/centers being developed by Eastern all across Southern Florida. The Cortez Plaza would serve as an anchor spot for Belk-Lindsey Stores. Featuring Kresge’s and Grand Union Grocers, it opened theatre-less on February 16, 1959.
In 1968, a major expansion took place which would eventually bring a cinema to the location. A franchisee of Network Cinemas' Jerry Lewis Circuit built here. The Jerry Lewis Cortez Plaza Twin Cinema launched on December 23, 1971 with “Peter Rabbit” and “Tales of Beatrix Potter” on Screen 1 and “An Elephant Called Slowly” and “Darling Lili” on Screen 2 next to Woolworth’s big box Woolco store.
The Plaza’s expansion led the Woolco/Lewis Cinema to be part of Cortez Plaza “East”. The Lewis chain beat Woolco to dissolution with Lewis leaving the chain in 1972 and Network Cinemas disconnecting the phones in bankruptcy in 1973. So franchisee Suncoast Cinemas Inc. rebranded the venue here as the Cortez Plaza Twin I & II on March 17, 1973.
Florida West Amusements took on the venue. It was sued by Warner Brothers over a $25,000 clearance to play “Barry Lyndon” in 1975. Florida West sold it to Cobb Theatres on July 15, 1976. As for the Cortez Plaza, Woolco went bankrupt in early 1983 with Wal-Mart moving in. Retaining the Cortez Plaza East namesake, formally, it was marketed as the Wal-Mart Plaza. As further expansions were taking place - though I’m no expert - it appears that there weren’t enough addresses doled out to the center so the 3633 Cortez Road was placed in its proper locale and a new set of numbers created within the Plaza. The theater, for example, was now listed at 701 Cortez Road West which it remains to this day (and looking unchanged externally into the mid 2020s).
In the meantime, Plitt Theatres took on the cinema venue followed by Floyd Theatres. Wal-Mart bolted for newer Supercenter with self-standing digs while Carmike Cinemas took over the Cinema for its final stretch on March 17, 1995. Carmike started up with deep discount, 99-cent double-features. Not a ringing endorsement but - in the age of megaplexes - not surprising. Carmike dropped back to just single-title discount sub-runs before closing permanently on April 17, 1997 with “Star Wars” and “Fargo.” In 2023, the vacant storefront still had its box office that looked to be the same as the 1971 cinema. The storefront became a kids trampolining activity center after a major re-design.
The Twin City Cinema was opened on March 22, 1974, by the Mid-America Cinema Corp. with “The Laughing Policeman” and “The Paper Chase.“ Mid-America Theatres was struggling financially during the rise of the multiplex era and sold its dwindling operations. Following the sale of this venue, the theater became the RKO Twin City Cinema after RKO Century’s parent company, the Almi Group, announced the acquisition of Mid-America’s cinemas on April 11, 1984.
On December 8, 1984, the venue became the Commonwealth Twin City Cinema for Commonwealth Theatres when it purchased four of the RKO Century theaters in Missouri. Commonwealth didn’t see much foot traffic closing the venue briskly on January 6, 1985. Wherenberg Theatres took on the venue renaming it as the Wherenberg Twin City Ciné with “Heaven Help Us” and “Mischief” on February 8, 1985. The only mischief viewed by the locals took place just seven months later.
Arsonists doused the interior of the Twin City Ciné hoping to destroy the venue in the wee hours of September 19, 1985. They simply destroyed much of the interior of the theatre with the building standing firm. The Ciné’s screenings on September 18, 1985 were “Back to the Future” and “Rambo First Blood: Part II.” Wherenberg listed the low-performing venue as “Closed for Repairs.” As the town awaited potential Doc Brown intervention with the Delorean for those repairs, a new-build CVS was built on the site of the former Ciné. With Doc having the Twin City Ciné quite low on the priority list for potential historic tinkering, its Status should be “Demolished (for now).”
The Twin City Cinema was opened on March 22, 1974, by the Mid-America Cinema Corp. with “The Laughing Policeman” and “The Paper Chase”
December 22, 1922 opening program with “East is West” on the big screen
Opened on February 14, 1973, by Mid-America Theatres of St. Louis with Barbra Streisand in “What’s Up, Doc?” & Omar Sharif in “Doctor Zhivago”. It was designed by Martin Bloom Associates costing $350,000 and had twin 300-seat auditoriums at opening for 600 total capacity. On December 19, 1977, the Bonne Terre was purchased by Kerasotes Cinemas with Mid-America scuffling. Kerasotes moved on from the Bonne Terre Cinema on September 8, 1994 when it opened its Kerasotes Maple Valley 4 on September 9, 1994.
The Flat River Movies 2 launched July 30, 1982 with “Six Pack” and “Firefox.” The venue replaced the Roseland Theatre which had been closed on October 15, 1981 and demolished. Kerasotes sold out to AMC Theatres on January 18, 2010 and this one had its name changed to the AMC Flat River 2. It closed as the AMC Flat River 2 later that year on November 28, 2010.
The Kerasotes Maple 4 Theatre opened on September 9, 1994 with “Forrest Gump,” “Tue Lies,” “In the Army Now,” and “The Mask.” It became the the Kerasotes Showplace Farmington after a refresh. On January 18, 2010, Kerasotes was purchased by AMC and it was renamed as the Kerasotes Showplace Farmington 4. When AMC purchased Carmike Cinemas in 2016, the vast majority of inherited cinemas from Kerasotes, Carmike, Starplex and other chains were rebranded as AMC Classics. In 2017, this venue became the AMC Classic Farmington 4.
The Ritz Theatre launches April 9, 1928 with “Old Ironsides”
Grand opening ad from June 8, 1949 with “Three Little Girls Blue” opening the Hilltop Drive-In
A zoning change request to church is posted for potentially reducing the property’s taxing liability.
Architect: David Rockwell.
Architect: David Rockwell
Architect: David Rockwell
1,844 seats at opening
… do you have any police or caution tape? No. But we do have the promotional “Rush Hour” police tape that we could use instead. Done!
The Princess Cinema launched on March 19, 1973 with Michael Todd’s “Around the World in 80 Days.” In 1975, it switched to Spanish language cinema. In 1976, it switched to adult cinema. It closed on May 28, 1978 with Ann Biggs in “The Ranch Hand” and “KF: You’re on Peeping Camera” with live burlesque by Sexy Susie. The operators moved to Miami.
Formerly the Rodeo City Music Hall, this venue is a live events hall called the Corner Theatre.
Update: the ghost sign was painted over in 2024 (perhaps a new cinema owner will be coming in the latter 2020s and was hoping to avoid confusion)
The Inwood (Tri-plexed) and the Texas Theatre (duplexed) are the classic venues that still have current movies as their daily bread and butter. There are other 50-plus year old venues in the area dabbling with repertory (Grapevine’s Palace or the Plaza in Garland among many others) for nostalgic reasons.
The only shoebox (pre-1994 twin, tri, quad or multiplex) in almost original condition is America Cinemas Fort Worth. Every other multiplex still showing film (AMC Green Oaks, GCC Central Park 8, Denton’s ABC Cinema, AMC Hulen, UA Hulen) has been remodeled to the point of not really seeing the original design intent of sterile shoe-boxedness.
Moving to the 1990s era, a lot of the AMC megaplexes have a high percentage of auditoriums unchanged (non recliner audis). But the answer to the question - if understood correctly - not a whole lot of authentic era movie houses pre-megaplexes showing contemporary cinema in their original design form factors. The tides have long turned against feature-starved movies-only venues of the previous cinematic exhibition eras.
Once operated by Cinne Arts Theatres Inc., the venue became the Cinema West Art Theatre in 1972 - likely its last operating name. It moved to 5819 Richard setting up business there until the 1980s.
The theater has officially closed after 10 years of posting showtimes but not really showing the films. I’ve scheduled “Tears” for 4:30, 7 and 9:30 and “Heartbreak” for a 2p matinee (only). Current use: full-time event center
This venue’s actual name was the United Artists Eagle Highlands 10 with a 3,034 seat capacity. The venue represented the megaplex era well opening December 15, 1995 with THX certified auditoriums and digital sound. UATC told the neighborhood that its internal projections showed the theater reaching a peak of 54% capacity on weekends before falling well short of that target.
With growth projections downtrending and overbuilding in screen count in the metro area, Regal Theatres moved on after 16 years just after its birthday. It closed on Christmas Day 2011 with a lump of coal playing “Sherlock Holmes: AGOS,” “A&TC: Chipwrecked,” “MI: Ghost Protocol,” “War Horse,” “Girl With a Dragon Tattoo,” “Tintin,” “Darkest Hour,” “New Year’s Eve (almost made it.. but didn’t),” The UA Eagle Highlands 10 was demolished in favor of a new-build gym.
Status of the Studio Movie Grill - College Park (Indianapolis) is demolished (March 2025).