The actual opening date is September 14, 1912. It opened with several films, with one of which being Geo. Bennett in “Goodbye My Love Goodbye” (very inappropriate title name for a grand opening in my opinion).
Construction started in 1889, and the Grand Opera House opened its doors on January 11, 1890 by Will McGuire. It was taken over by the father-son team of Clifford N. and Charles L. Niles in 1901. Throughout its history, the theater suffered destruction from four different fires, and two of which happened during its days as the Grand Opera House.
The first fire happened in 1925 and was rebuilt afterward, and the second fire happened in the basement of the theater on the morning of August 6, 1931 with an estimate $75,000 in damages. It was rebuilt and reopened as the Niles Theatre on December 25, 1931 with Wheeler & Woodley in “Caught Plastered” (unknown if extras added).
The Niles Theatre was then destroyed by a third fire and an explosion on the early afternoon of April 13, 1935. The third fire was the most destructive with an estimate $100,000 in damages. After a short two-month reconstruction, the Niles Theatre reopened on June 26, 1935 with Shirley Temple in “Our Little Girl” (unknown if extras added) with sound installations by Western Electric.
On April 30, 1953, the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Evans of Clinton (who owned the Lyons Theatre there since 1935), bought the Niles Theatre and was renamed the Evans Theatre. The Evans family also had a connection with RKO Radio Pictures for 18 years. The Evans Theatre was remodeled in April 1959 right after the Evans sold their Lyons Theatre in Clinton and officially became their primary movie house. The Evans then sold the theater to Roy Metcalfe in June 1972 (with John Weldon of Cedar Rapids as its manager).
The fourth fire happened in late-January 1984 from an electrical short. Despite suffering small damages, the theater was slowly renovated and was originally planned to reopen with two screens. The fourth fire left the city without a movie theater for the rest of the decade. In 1989, the theater announced that the Evans Theater will be renamed the Jones County Cinema and would officially reopen back as a movie theater. The theater reopened on October 27, 1989 with “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” and “Tummy Trouble”, bringing back movies in Jones County. It was owned by Mike Grassfield.
Opened as the Liberty Theatre, and was renamed the Strand in October 9, 1922. The Strand was destroyed by a fire on February 1, 1975 during a showing of Oliver Reed in “The Three Musketeers”.
The Edison’s Studio Cinema opened in 1983 and was renamed the Mad River Flick in 1996. The theater closed in March 2002 and reopened as the Eclipse Theater in January 2003.
The Loews’s West opened its doors by Loew’s Inc. on July 19, 1966 with James Coburn in “What Did You Do In The War Daddy?”. The theater also opened on the same day the Loew’s East in Richmond Heights opened its doors with the same movie. The Loew’s West was twinned on May 23, 1973.
Both Loew’s Inc. and Loews operated the theater throughout its history until Loews closed their Loews West on September 8, 1991 with “Defenseless” in Screen 1 and “Harley Davidson” in Screen 2.
The Brunswick Cinema opened its doors on February 20, 1972 with “Rio Lobo” and “Tarzan’s Deadly Silence” along with a marathon of cartoons. The theater closed on May 1, 2003 with Walt Disney’s “Piglet’s Big Movie” and “Bringing Down The House”.
I accidentally added a duplicate page because I got confused between both Brunswick and Brunswick Hills. I’m very sure they’ll fix it soon.
The Regal Hudson Cinema 10 opened its doors on February 3, 1995 as the third Regal theater to open in the Akron area. Its opening was also sponsored by the market’s hit-music station WKDD-FM (now WAKS).
On August 18, 1953, the theater’s original manager, 46-year-old Steve Hreno of nearby Niles, was charged with a possession of a firearm after he accidentally shot a 15-year-old boy while trying to scare the kids away from the theater property.
The Dixie Theatre is the original Jewel Theatre (not Jewell) when it opened on December 8, 1932 with Bing Crosby in “The Big Broadcast” (unknown if extras added). It was renamed the Dixie Theatre on March 12, 1937.
The Dixie Theatre was destroyed by a fire (alongside the Boudreaux’s Cafe and Sportsman’s Bar) on February 24, 1953.
The Cozy Theater last operated with 200 seats with installations of two Simplex E-7 projectors with Goldberg automatic rewinder/splicer and RCA sound before closing in the mid-1980s.
The actual opening date is September 14, 1912. It opened with several films, with one of which being Geo. Bennett in “Goodbye My Love Goodbye” (very inappropriate title name for a grand opening in my opinion).
Construction started in 1889, and the Grand Opera House opened its doors on January 11, 1890 by Will McGuire. It was taken over by the father-son team of Clifford N. and Charles L. Niles in 1901. Throughout its history, the theater suffered destruction from four different fires, and two of which happened during its days as the Grand Opera House.
The first fire happened in 1925 and was rebuilt afterward, and the second fire happened in the basement of the theater on the morning of August 6, 1931 with an estimate $75,000 in damages. It was rebuilt and reopened as the Niles Theatre on December 25, 1931 with Wheeler & Woodley in “Caught Plastered” (unknown if extras added).
The Niles Theatre was then destroyed by a third fire and an explosion on the early afternoon of April 13, 1935. The third fire was the most destructive with an estimate $100,000 in damages. After a short two-month reconstruction, the Niles Theatre reopened on June 26, 1935 with Shirley Temple in “Our Little Girl” (unknown if extras added) with sound installations by Western Electric.
On April 30, 1953, the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Evans of Clinton (who owned the Lyons Theatre there since 1935), bought the Niles Theatre and was renamed the Evans Theatre. The Evans family also had a connection with RKO Radio Pictures for 18 years. The Evans Theatre was remodeled in April 1959 right after the Evans sold their Lyons Theatre in Clinton and officially became their primary movie house. The Evans then sold the theater to Roy Metcalfe in June 1972 (with John Weldon of Cedar Rapids as its manager).
The fourth fire happened in late-January 1984 from an electrical short. Despite suffering small damages, the theater was slowly renovated and was originally planned to reopen with two screens. The fourth fire left the city without a movie theater for the rest of the decade. In 1989, the theater announced that the Evans Theater will be renamed the Jones County Cinema and would officially reopen back as a movie theater. The theater reopened on October 27, 1989 with “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” and “Tummy Trouble”, bringing back movies in Jones County. It was owned by Mike Grassfield.
The Jones County Cinema closed in 2004.
Opened as the Liberty Theatre, and was renamed the Strand in October 9, 1922. The Strand was destroyed by a fire on February 1, 1975 during a showing of Oliver Reed in “The Three Musketeers”.
Opened on December 5, 1975 with “The Towering Inferno”.
The Edison’s Studio Cinema opened in 1983 and was renamed the Mad River Flick in 1996. The theater closed in March 2002 and reopened as the Eclipse Theater in January 2003.
Closed on June 23, 1988 when General Cinema opened their Westwood Town Center Cinema 6 nearby.
Opened on June 3, 1989.
The Loews’s West opened its doors by Loew’s Inc. on July 19, 1966 with James Coburn in “What Did You Do In The War Daddy?”. The theater also opened on the same day the Loew’s East in Richmond Heights opened its doors with the same movie. The Loew’s West was twinned on May 23, 1973.
Both Loew’s Inc. and Loews operated the theater throughout its history until Loews closed their Loews West on September 8, 1991 with “Defenseless” in Screen 1 and “Harley Davidson” in Screen 2.
Once operated by Sony Theatres, closed by Loews on May 27, 1997.
First operated by Loew’s Inc., then Loews, then Sony Theatres, and finally Loews Cineplex.
Once operated by Sony Theatres, last operated by Loews (two months before its Loews Cineplex rebranding).
Once operated by Cleveland Cinemas.
Once operated by Cleveland Cinemas.
Either closed or demolished in 1990.
November 6, 1946 - Midwest Premiere of “The Jolson Story”.
The Brunswick Cinema opened its doors on February 20, 1972 with “Rio Lobo” and “Tarzan’s Deadly Silence” along with a marathon of cartoons. The theater closed on May 1, 2003 with Walt Disney’s “Piglet’s Big Movie” and “Bringing Down The House”.
Opened on May 7, 1993 by Regal, and was taken over by Cleveland Cinemas on October 11, 2001.
Closed in 1966, reopened in 1967, still open in 1976.
The Regal Hudson Cinema 10 opened its doors on February 3, 1995 as the third Regal theater to open in the Akron area. Its opening was also sponsored by the market’s hit-music station WKDD-FM (now WAKS).
Still open in the 1980s.
On August 18, 1953, the theater’s original manager, 46-year-old Steve Hreno of nearby Niles, was charged with a possession of a firearm after he accidentally shot a 15-year-old boy while trying to scare the kids away from the theater property.
Once operated by Loews Cineplex.
Opened as early as 1913, closed on July 5, 1985 with “Fraternity Vacation”.
The Dixie Theatre is the original Jewel Theatre (not Jewell) when it opened on December 8, 1932 with Bing Crosby in “The Big Broadcast” (unknown if extras added). It was renamed the Dixie Theatre on March 12, 1937.
The Dixie Theatre was destroyed by a fire (alongside the Boudreaux’s Cafe and Sportsman’s Bar) on February 24, 1953.
The Cozy Theater last operated with 200 seats with installations of two Simplex E-7 projectors with Goldberg automatic rewinder/splicer and RCA sound before closing in the mid-1980s.