On the late afternoon of July 10, 1941, a small projection booth fire destroyed the entire last reel of Robert Sterling’s “I’ll Wait For You”, which the film was part in a double feature with “Abbott and Costello In The Navy”. Then-Lyric manager Ralph Wallace replied that he narrowly escaped serious burns, saying that “If he had have been standing on the side of the booth when the 2,000ft print burst into flames, he would have been burned to death before he could take his last breath”. A newer print of the movie immediately arrived the following day.
Wallace briefly left the Lyric in 1943 to serve in the army, but a medical discharge sent him back home to Boonville, when returned as the Lyric manager in February 1944, replacing his brief replacement A.D. Gilmere. Gilmere was also notable for putting 875 free war bonds all over the then-875-seat auditorium during the same week as Wallace’s return.
The Lyric was Boonville’s CinemaScope hotspot after installations of the system on February 3, 1954, launching the format that day with “The Robe” in Stereophonic sound. Bob Rittenhouse was the manager of the Lyric at the time, who had been operating since August 1951, and before that it was Jack Golladay who operated the Lyric in the late-1940s, and would later become managers for Kirksville’s Kennedy and Princess Theatres.
Rittenhouse operated the Lyric until July 1954 when he left to become manager for the Fox Theatre in Springfield. Russell Rhyne of Brookfield immediately became the manager for the Lyric, who had been with the Fox circuit since 1941. Rhyne then left the Lyric in October 1955 to reside back in his home in Brookfield, and was replaced by Clyde Patton, an armed forces veteran and a Sedalia resident who lived in Christopher, Illinois at the time.
Also opened with two unnamed shorts and an unnamed comedy. It was first operated by the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony L. Fenton of Columbia.
On June 14, 1942, the theater’s 2,500-pound marquee collapsed and crushed six people, killing a 65-year-old Combs woman and injured five others. According to investigators, workmen were working on the marquee when the collapse happened.
The August 28, 1978 roof collapse injured three people, and happened during the showing of Walt Disney’s “Hot Lead & Cold Feet” which also comes along with “The Madcap Adventures Of Mr. Toad” (or the retitled reissue of “The Wind In The Willows” from “The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad”) beforehand.
According to one out of an estimate 120 to 150 people that attended the showing, he said that the collapsed happened during a scene where Don Knotts shot his gun upward nearly 17 minutes prior to the ending of the movie, saying that “Knotts had just raised his gun when there was this big crash”. It was unclear if the sound system was related to the collapse.
Unlike most multi-screen drive-ins, all four screens closed on separate dates. The first screen closed on March 31, 1987, while the second screen closed on August 2, 1987. The third screen closed on September 3, 1987, and the final screen closed on September 13, 1987.
On its final day of operation, “Born In East L.A.” and “Hamburger Hill” were screened on the last remaining operating screen.
Right after first-run films returned to the Capitol on March 31, 1974, it only lasted for a few years. It most likely ended in October 1976. The Capitol did reopen in 1977 with Spanish movies on weekends only, but that only lasted for around a month.
The Colony Cinemas first opened its doors by an independent operator on June 3, 1983. It was later operated by Sack Theatres, then USA Cinemas, and finally Loews until closing on May 13, 1990.
Opened on April 25, 1956 with Gary Cooper in “The Court Martial Of Billy Mitchell” and Humphrey Bogart in “The Desperate Hours” (unknown if extras added).
This opened as the North Reading Drive-In on June 30, 1950 with Susan Hayward in “Tulsa” and Scott Brady in “Port Of New York” (unknown if extras added), and was renamed the Starlite Drive-In in May 1963. Last operated by National Amusements, the Starlite closed for the final time on September 5, 1988 with “The Great Outdoors” and “Shakedown”.
On the late afternoon of July 10, 1941, a small projection booth fire destroyed the entire last reel of Robert Sterling’s “I’ll Wait For You”, which the film was part in a double feature with “Abbott and Costello In The Navy”. Then-Lyric manager Ralph Wallace replied that he narrowly escaped serious burns, saying that “If he had have been standing on the side of the booth when the 2,000ft print burst into flames, he would have been burned to death before he could take his last breath”. A newer print of the movie immediately arrived the following day.
Wallace briefly left the Lyric in 1943 to serve in the army, but a medical discharge sent him back home to Boonville, when returned as the Lyric manager in February 1944, replacing his brief replacement A.D. Gilmere. Gilmere was also notable for putting 875 free war bonds all over the then-875-seat auditorium during the same week as Wallace’s return.
The Lyric was Boonville’s CinemaScope hotspot after installations of the system on February 3, 1954, launching the format that day with “The Robe” in Stereophonic sound. Bob Rittenhouse was the manager of the Lyric at the time, who had been operating since August 1951, and before that it was Jack Golladay who operated the Lyric in the late-1940s, and would later become managers for Kirksville’s Kennedy and Princess Theatres.
Rittenhouse operated the Lyric until July 1954 when he left to become manager for the Fox Theatre in Springfield. Russell Rhyne of Brookfield immediately became the manager for the Lyric, who had been with the Fox circuit since 1941. Rhyne then left the Lyric in October 1955 to reside back in his home in Brookfield, and was replaced by Clyde Patton, an armed forces veteran and a Sedalia resident who lived in Christopher, Illinois at the time.
Also opened with two unnamed shorts and an unnamed comedy. It was first operated by the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony L. Fenton of Columbia.
Its most likely that it immediately became the Waltham Flick right after General Cinema left Waltham.
On June 14, 1942, the theater’s 2,500-pound marquee collapsed and crushed six people, killing a 65-year-old Combs woman and injured five others. According to investigators, workmen were working on the marquee when the collapse happened.
The August 28, 1978 roof collapse injured three people, and happened during the showing of Walt Disney’s “Hot Lead & Cold Feet” which also comes along with “The Madcap Adventures Of Mr. Toad” (or the retitled reissue of “The Wind In The Willows” from “The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad”) beforehand.
According to one out of an estimate 120 to 150 people that attended the showing, he said that the collapsed happened during a scene where Don Knotts shot his gun upward nearly 17 minutes prior to the ending of the movie, saying that “Knotts had just raised his gun when there was this big crash”. It was unclear if the sound system was related to the collapse.
Unlike most multi-screen drive-ins, all four screens closed on separate dates. The first screen closed on March 31, 1987, while the second screen closed on August 2, 1987. The third screen closed on September 3, 1987, and the final screen closed on September 13, 1987.
On its final day of operation, “Born In East L.A.” and “Hamburger Hill” were screened on the last remaining operating screen.
Closed as a movie theater on August 2, 1981 with special showings of “Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid” and “The Sting”.
Closed as a movie theater on December 16, 1997.
Closed on February 23, 1991 with “Kindergarten Cop” and “Lionheart”.
Closed on December 30, 1986.
Opened by Famous Players on June 8, 1984.
Closed with “Bluebeard” and “The Grissom Gang”.
Closed on October 11, 1982 with “Richard Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip” in Screen 1 and “The Soldier” in Screen 2.
Right after first-run films returned to the Capitol on March 31, 1974, it only lasted for a few years. It most likely ended in October 1976. The Capitol did reopen in 1977 with Spanish movies on weekends only, but that only lasted for around a month.
Closed on April 2, 1988 with “Switching Channels” and “Action Jackson” in Screen 1 and “The Princess Bride” and “Broadcast News” in Screen 2.
The Colony Cinemas first opened its doors by an independent operator on June 3, 1983. It was later operated by Sack Theatres, then USA Cinemas, and finally Loews until closing on May 13, 1990.
First operated by Loews, later operated by Sony Theatres, last operated by Loews Cineplex.
First operated by Loews, later Sony Theatres, later Loews Cineplex, later AMC, and finally Studio Movie Grill.
Once operated by Sony Theatres.
Closed on January 2, 1994.
Once operated by USA Cinemas, later by Loews, later by Sony Theatres, later by Loews Cineplex.
Opened on April 25, 1956 with Gary Cooper in “The Court Martial Of Billy Mitchell” and Humphrey Bogart in “The Desperate Hours” (unknown if extras added).
This opened as the North Reading Drive-In on June 30, 1950 with Susan Hayward in “Tulsa” and Scott Brady in “Port Of New York” (unknown if extras added), and was renamed the Starlite Drive-In in May 1963. Last operated by National Amusements, the Starlite closed for the final time on September 5, 1988 with “The Great Outdoors” and “Shakedown”.
Closed on September 17, 1978.
Last known as the Medford Quad Drive-In before closing on November 28, 1982.