The theater was listed as “Closed Until Further Notice” after the October 4, 1981 showings “The Unseen” and “The Children.” We are still awaiting a potential reopening date in 2025.
The People’s Theatre opened on December 28, 1909 in a retrofit of a building constructed in 1840. The theatre was remodeled in 1915 and the name was changed to the Queen Theatre on May 27, 1915. It was closed in January 1918. It was used for sporadic events to 1930. Converted to sound it became the Saville on April 28, 1931.
It was purchased by Malco and had reopening as the New Malco Theatre on Aug. 25, 1949 with “I was a Male War Bride” in photos. The venue closed as the Malco Theatre on Jan. 14, 1968 with “Hurry Sundown” and “El Dorado.” It moved to its new location 11 days later. The building was demolished.
Not sure why there are multiple listings for this singular theater in this database. It is the same building and home to a livery stable, carriage display store, bowling alley, laundry, and four theaters in the People’s, Queen, Seville, and New Malco/Malco. The original wood trusses were part of each of the businesses with the exception of the New Malco/Malco which replaced the 109 year old wood trusses with metal ones.
Starlight Theatre Corporation of Hartford, Kentucky was an original lessee of the Lincoln Mall which was drawn up in 1969. Woolworth’s big box store, Woolco, was the primary anchor tenant with Winn-Dixie opening a grocery store there. By the time the theatre opened, Malco Theatre Circuit was the operator opening November 25, 1970 with “Monte Walsh” and “Patton.“ The auditoriums were identical with 224 seats or 448 in total.
Towne Square Mall brought a far superior center and Lincoln Mall was all but done in by the departure of Woolco in 1984. The Mall theatre soldiered on as a lightly trafficked sub-run, discount house for 13 more years. Winn-Dixie left in 1989. But Malco just kept the Mall Twin going all the way to closure January 30, 1997 with “Daylight” and “Romeo & Juliet.”
The Lincoln Mall filled in with a church and Goodwill Store as it turned non-profit and empty. The theater was given a festive storefront which stayed frozen in place even after the closing of the Lincoln Mall.
This opened as the Towne Cinema on January 15, 1970 with “The Sundance Kid” on a 20-year leasing agreement. It was a single screen venue with 351 seats at launch. It was twinned in 1976 becoming the Towne Cinema I & II.
The venue received new operators and a new 25-year leasing agreement in 1990. It closed for a refresh in December of 1993. It reopened as the Cinema III in 1994. On July 29, 2005, it became Cinema 4. It closed at the end of lease on February 1, 2015 with “American Sniper,” “Penguins of Madagascar,” “Paddington,” “Annie” and “Night at the Museum 3.”
Selba Amusement built the Selba Theatre with 600,000 bricks in 1921 and it opened February 21, 1922. Paul and Aubrey Whitmer opened the Acirema Sweet Shop in the Selba serving as its de facto concession stand. The Selba transitioned to sound to remain viable.
Crescent Amusement took on the venue in 1937 giving it a streamline moderne makeover and changing its name to the State Theatre. It was converted to widescreen to present CinemaScope titles in the 1950s. It celebrated its 42d birthday on February 21, 1964. But its last day of operation was just three days later on February 24, 1964 with Jerry Lewis in “Who’s Minding the Store?” Early on February 25th, it was obliterated in a spectacular and explosive fire that took the neighboring JC Penney store. Everybody seemed to mind.
A Wilmer Blincoe - operator of the Parkway Drive-In in Owensboro - launched Muhlenberg County’s first ozoner in the Twilite (not Twilight) Drive-In with space for 200 cars and a 50' wide screen. The venue opened on September 23, 1952. Blincoe’s first drive-in was in Troy, Indiana where folks came in Model A Fords, horse and wagons, and on foot.
Blincoe sold the ozoner to Darrell Mosley of Calhoun in 1971. The new operator switched to “R” rated films - both adult comedies and New Hollywood fare ranging from “Taxi Driver” to “Revenge of the Cheerleaders.” The last advertised show was November 28, 1976 with “Gumball Rally” and “Take a Hard Ride.” It may well have had two seasons of showtimes without advertising.
The Benton Theatre closed on April 6, 1964 with “Kings of the Sun.” An article that same year discussed its conversion to office space. It was opened by Chickasaw Amusement Company on December 9, 1939 on a 25-year leasing agreement. The town had a previous Benton Theatre which was operated by W.P. Williams as early as 1933.
Russell & Estella McClanahan and Max Goldberg launched the New Irvine Theatre on March 29, 1939 with “Tailspin Tommy.” The McClanahans would take over the Estill Theatre at a commissioner’s auction late in 1951 renaming it as the Mack Theatre. They would in 1955 operating three theaters. The Irvine operated year-round, the Mack Drive-In in the summer months, and the Mack when the Drive-In was closed. The venue was still advertising as the New Irvine Theatre in 1992.
It looks like the theatre building was at 108 E. Main Street. The theatre was redesigned to be part of the neighboring First & Peoples Bank in 1961. Both buildings were reportedly demolished in 2007/8 to make way for a new judicial court building.
Local film pioneer, Rowland Clark (sometimes spelled as “Roland"), opened the Alamo Picture Theatre in 1910 to show silent movies. He opened this, the first of three Arista Theaters, on March 19, 1914 in the Hundley Building, formerly a retail store. E.C. Ceoppock of Campbellsville created the 250-seat auditorium.
Clark discontinued the Alamo Alamo Picture Theater – also on Main Street - that same year. A fire in June of 1914 threatened the operation. The second fire saw the end of the Arista and Hundley Building on December 4, 1914.
The second Arista was located in the same address and could be found in the Clark Building on Main Street launching February 5, 1915. It has its own entry as Arista Theatre #2. Arista “#2” closed after 20 years there and a New Arista Theatre opened on Spalding. The New Arista also has its own entry.
This opened with 550 seats in the Vincennes Plaza next to a W.T. Grant discount store. It closed on September 19, 2002 with “Serving Sara” and “Swimfan.”
Renovating and restoring - uncovered / retaining original stage and original Beaux Arts look (though leveled main floor) in conversion from a multiplex to an event space.
The August 24, 1950 grand opening ad in photos with “A Ticket to Tomahawk.” J.A. Ball then added the Bel-Vista Drive-In Indoor Theatre on December 19, 1953 so that year-round operations could be achieved. Turkeys were provided as an inventive to come to the new indoor theater.
The name is Bel-Vista (with a hyphen) for the particular.
This was opened as a franchise of National Mini-Theatres, Inc. with twin 325 seat auditoriums for a total count of 650. The Triangle Mall held its grand opening on November 16, 1972 with the theater just missing that date by a month. It was called the Triangle Twin Cinema at launch with “Fiddler on the Roof” and “What Up, Doc” on December 22, 1972.
Formal opening ad as the Seville Theatre on April 28, 1931 with Gloria Swanson in “What a Widow” in photos.
Demolition took place in October and November of 1968
The theater was listed as “Closed Until Further Notice” after the October 4, 1981 showings “The Unseen” and “The Children.” We are still awaiting a potential reopening date in 2025.
The theater closed on September 13, 1959 with Raw Wind in Eden and Kathy-O
The People’s Theatre opened on December 28, 1909 in a retrofit of a building constructed in 1840. The theatre was remodeled in 1915 and the name was changed to the Queen Theatre on May 27, 1915. It was closed in January 1918. It was used for sporadic events to 1930. Converted to sound it became the Saville on April 28, 1931.
It was purchased by Malco and had reopening as the New Malco Theatre on Aug. 25, 1949 with “I was a Male War Bride” in photos. The venue closed as the Malco Theatre on Jan. 14, 1968 with “Hurry Sundown” and “El Dorado.” It moved to its new location 11 days later. The building was demolished.
Not sure why there are multiple listings for this singular theater in this database. It is the same building and home to a livery stable, carriage display store, bowling alley, laundry, and four theaters in the People’s, Queen, Seville, and New Malco/Malco. The original wood trusses were part of each of the businesses with the exception of the New Malco/Malco which replaced the 109 year old wood trusses with metal ones.
Last showtimes were May 10, 1958 with “Big Beat” an “wild Harvest.” In March of 1966, the venue was demolished
Closed November 4, 1955 with “99 River Street” and “Dragon’s Gold.” It was converted to an auction house.
908 W. 8th Street
Starlight Theatre Corporation of Hartford, Kentucky was an original lessee of the Lincoln Mall which was drawn up in 1969. Woolworth’s big box store, Woolco, was the primary anchor tenant with Winn-Dixie opening a grocery store there. By the time the theatre opened, Malco Theatre Circuit was the operator opening November 25, 1970 with “Monte Walsh” and “Patton.“ The auditoriums were identical with 224 seats or 448 in total.
Towne Square Mall brought a far superior center and Lincoln Mall was all but done in by the departure of Woolco in 1984. The Mall theatre soldiered on as a lightly trafficked sub-run, discount house for 13 more years. Winn-Dixie left in 1989. But Malco just kept the Mall Twin going all the way to closure January 30, 1997 with “Daylight” and “Romeo & Juliet.”
The Lincoln Mall filled in with a church and Goodwill Store as it turned non-profit and empty. The theater was given a festive storefront which stayed frozen in place even after the closing of the Lincoln Mall.
This opened as the Towne Cinema on January 15, 1970 with “The Sundance Kid” on a 20-year leasing agreement. It was a single screen venue with 351 seats at launch. It was twinned in 1976 becoming the Towne Cinema I & II.
The venue received new operators and a new 25-year leasing agreement in 1990. It closed for a refresh in December of 1993. It reopened as the Cinema III in 1994. On July 29, 2005, it became Cinema 4. It closed at the end of lease on February 1, 2015 with “American Sniper,” “Penguins of Madagascar,” “Paddington,” “Annie” and “Night at the Museum 3.”
Selba Amusement built the Selba Theatre with 600,000 bricks in 1921 and it opened February 21, 1922. Paul and Aubrey Whitmer opened the Acirema Sweet Shop in the Selba serving as its de facto concession stand. The Selba transitioned to sound to remain viable.
Crescent Amusement took on the venue in 1937 giving it a streamline moderne makeover and changing its name to the State Theatre. It was converted to widescreen to present CinemaScope titles in the 1950s. It celebrated its 42d birthday on February 21, 1964. But its last day of operation was just three days later on February 24, 1964 with Jerry Lewis in “Who’s Minding the Store?” Early on February 25th, it was obliterated in a spectacular and explosive fire that took the neighboring JC Penney store. Everybody seemed to mind.
A Wilmer Blincoe - operator of the Parkway Drive-In in Owensboro - launched Muhlenberg County’s first ozoner in the Twilite (not Twilight) Drive-In with space for 200 cars and a 50' wide screen. The venue opened on September 23, 1952. Blincoe’s first drive-in was in Troy, Indiana where folks came in Model A Fords, horse and wagons, and on foot.
Blincoe sold the ozoner to Darrell Mosley of Calhoun in 1971. The new operator switched to “R” rated films - both adult comedies and New Hollywood fare ranging from “Taxi Driver” to “Revenge of the Cheerleaders.” The last advertised show was November 28, 1976 with “Gumball Rally” and “Take a Hard Ride.” It may well have had two seasons of showtimes without advertising.
The Benton Theatre closed on April 6, 1964 with “Kings of the Sun.” An article that same year discussed its conversion to office space. It was opened by Chickasaw Amusement Company on December 9, 1939 on a 25-year leasing agreement. The town had a previous Benton Theatre which was operated by W.P. Williams as early as 1933.
Russell & Estella McClanahan and Max Goldberg launched the New Irvine Theatre on March 29, 1939 with “Tailspin Tommy.” The McClanahans would take over the Estill Theatre at a commissioner’s auction late in 1951 renaming it as the Mack Theatre. They would in 1955 operating three theaters. The Irvine operated year-round, the Mack Drive-In in the summer months, and the Mack when the Drive-In was closed. The venue was still advertising as the New Irvine Theatre in 1992.
The Memory Lane Drive-In has found new operators and is hoping to relaunch on Memorial Day weekend, 2025.
It looks like the theatre building was at 108 E. Main Street. The theatre was redesigned to be part of the neighboring First & Peoples Bank in 1961. Both buildings were reportedly demolished in 2007/8 to make way for a new judicial court building.
Local film pioneer, Rowland Clark (sometimes spelled as “Roland"), opened the Alamo Picture Theatre in 1910 to show silent movies. He opened this, the first of three Arista Theaters, on March 19, 1914 in the Hundley Building, formerly a retail store. E.C. Ceoppock of Campbellsville created the 250-seat auditorium.
Clark discontinued the Alamo Alamo Picture Theater – also on Main Street - that same year. A fire in June of 1914 threatened the operation. The second fire saw the end of the Arista and Hundley Building on December 4, 1914.
The second Arista was located in the same address and could be found in the Clark Building on Main Street launching February 5, 1915. It has its own entry as Arista Theatre #2. Arista “#2” closed after 20 years there and a New Arista Theatre opened on Spalding. The New Arista also has its own entry.
This opened with 550 seats in the Vincennes Plaza next to a W.T. Grant discount store. It closed on September 19, 2002 with “Serving Sara” and “Swimfan.”
Renovating and restoring - uncovered / retaining original stage and original Beaux Arts look (though leveled main floor) in conversion from a multiplex to an event space.
And indoor theater - in 1953
The August 24, 1950 grand opening ad in photos with “A Ticket to Tomahawk.” J.A. Ball then added the Bel-Vista Drive-In Indoor Theatre on December 19, 1953 so that year-round operations could be achieved. Turkeys were provided as an inventive to come to the new indoor theater.
The name is Bel-Vista (with a hyphen) for the particular.
Closed January 16, 2020 at the expiry of a 25-year leasing agreement.
This was opened as a franchise of National Mini-Theatres, Inc. with twin 325 seat auditoriums for a total count of 650. The Triangle Mall held its grand opening on November 16, 1972 with the theater just missing that date by a month. It was called the Triangle Twin Cinema at launch with “Fiddler on the Roof” and “What Up, Doc” on December 22, 1972.
Opened by Mini-Theatres, Inc. was this twin 400-seat auditorium venue with a total of 800 seats.
Opened as a franchise of National Mini-Theatres, Inc. with a seating count of 325 in each auditorium for a total count of 650 seats.
Twin 238 auditoriums for a total count of 576
Demolished August 2023.