Jones Theatres closed Movies 6 on January 5, 2023. Golden Ticket is said to be the next operator, according to the Shawnee Mall Facebook feed. Status should be closed and renovating.
Posted in photos is the September 12, 1931 grand opening ad for the Jewel Theatre. Pioneering African American showpersons Hathyel L. James and Percy H. “PH” James operated both this venue and the Ardmore Jewel Theater for African American patrons. Mr. and Mrs. Clinton A. Newton took on the venue in January of 1954 and would convert it to widescreen to present CinemaScope titles.
Williams' Dreamland Theatre launched here on August 30, 1914 next door to the Williams' Confectionery that had opened five years previously. It was the second of three Dreamland Theatres although the first was an unrelated nickelodeon in Downtown Tulsa. The $10,000 theater was created by John and Loula Williams who had established a confectionery next door and a popular car repair facility elsewhere.
The Williams would follow up the success of the Dreamland with two more Oklahoma locations - one in Muskogeee another in Okmulgee. But the original theater had an infamous ending. The Tulsa newspaper listed the theatre as one of the many destroyed businesses - along with the neighboring Dixie Theater - during the Tulsa Race Massacre in the early hours of June 1, 1921 ending the venue’s run during showtimes on May 31, 1921.
The Williams created a New Dreamland Theatre in the same spot a little more than a year later opening in 1922. It has its own Cinema Treasure listing. This listing should undoubtedly be listed as Williams' Dreamland Theatre as that was its name on the exterior of the building.
The African-American owned Anderson Amusement Company launched the Peoria Theatre on November 27, 1947 with Mona Freeman in “Black Beauty.” Reverand Harold Anderson was one of the pioneering members of the company as was Floyd Harris. The venue had 300 seats on the main floor and 200 additional seats in its balcony for a capacity of 500 plus a cry room for parents with loud babies or children. It also had a long-running neighbor in the Peoria Barber Shop.
Beginning on December 2, 1950, the venue added Church of the Mass services on Sundays. The Peoria closed on June 6, 1956 with “The Harder They Fall” and “Outlaw Stallion.” It was taken over by Paul Fellows, Bob Bassett, and Donald McGowan who - after a refresh - relaunched it as the Ace Theater on October 5, 1956 with “Picnic” and “The Nebraskan.” The last ad for the Ace was on March 3, 1958 with “Operation Mad Ball” with “Masterson of Kansas.” The venue was was listed for sale in 1958. It became a photography studio but disappears from listings in the 1980s likely leading to an urban renewal demolition - though that would only be a guess.
The New Theatre opened name-lessly on November 11, 1944 serving African American audiences with George Sanders in “The Lodger.” Grand opening ad in photos. It was then renamed as the Regal Theatre on November 30, 1944 and closed permanently on October 13, 1949 with Clark Gable in “Command Decision.” A new Regal Theatre was built becoming the fourth African American Theater on February 7, 1951 at 1431 North Lansing Street.
Marquee closed the Westbrook 12 on September 28, 2022 at the expiry of its lease. Bill Dougherty and Mystic Cinemas took on the venue with a January 13, 2023 relaunch as the Westbrook Cinemas 12.
General Cinema left the Town Center 8 less than five years in to its run on January 19, 1992.
Trans-Texas Amusements took on the venue downgrading it to a sub-run discount dollar house with an opening date of February 14, 1992.
On August 8, 1995, Hollywood Theatres Inc. purchased all of the Trans-Texas locations except the Lewisville multiplex. The Hollywood Town Center 8 was officially under the Hollywood Circuit nameplate beginning on November 17, 1995, the venue was part of Hollywood Theatres.
CEO Scott Wallace founded Wallace Theater Corp. in 1991 and acquired Hollywood Theaters in 1999. Likely seeing little return on investment, Wallace dropped listings for individual titles in newspaper advertisements from 2000 until dropping the venue altogether on May 5, 2002.
Rebranded by Cinema Latino circuit with a May 1, 2003 grand opening as Cinema Latino de Fort Worth, the venue finally found an audience. It failed to get a new lease closing December 22, 2014.
Reopened as Ciné America on August 14, 2015.
Renamed presently as América Cinemas de Fort Worth (not Ft. Worth La Gran Plaza).
The venue closed in March of 1977 for a refresh. It re-emerged on April 9, 1977 as a twin screen with “Raggedy Ann and Andy” and “Led Zepplin’s The Song Remains the Same.” When GCC opened the seven-screen North Richland Hills mall cinema nearby, it downgraded the Richland Plaza to a sub-run discount house. GCC then closed the Richland Plaza I & II on April 30, 1986 with “Back to the Future” and “Murphy’s Romance.” It sat empty until a 1988 conversion to a Bingo Hall.
GCC closed the Richland Plaza I & II on April 30, 1986 with “Back to the Future” and “Murphy’s Romance.” It sat empty until a 1988 conversion to a Bingo Hall.
The IMAX film, “Everest,” opened at what was known as the OmniDome (two capital letters) Theater seating 264 on January 16, 2000. The architect was Terry Kerr of Kerr 3 Architects. In 2006, it was renamed as Dome Theater at Science Museum Oklahoma. It was closed permanently in 2016. In 2022, a new plan was unveiled to replace the unused facility.
The Palace Theater opened at Starr and Chaparral independently in the Summer of 1924. The theatre was closed in July of 1925 for a refresh. When the theater failed to reopen, Robb & Rowley / R&R took on the vacant venue and basically rebuilt the theater now with its entrance on Chaparral Street and better fire egresses, a pipe organ.
The “all new” Palace Theatre launched / relaunched on November 18, 1926 with an organ solo by Dave Levy who also supported the big film of the evening, Mary Astor in “Forever After” supported by “Open Spaces.” On October 24, 1928, the Palace was equipped with sound to remain viable beginning with the film, “The Lion and the Mouse.”
At the end of its 20-year lease, the theater operators signed on for a new 20-year lease and it received a shocking streamline moderne makeover to the plans of architect Robert L. Volger in 1946. (The theater’s organ was either removed during this update or in a previous update according to reports.) Volger’s work totally removed the theater’s original Mission Revival architectural style and would last until its closing after a fire in 1953.
Its final showing of “A Blueprint for Murder” was interrupted by a fire that destroyed the building on December 3, 1953. Its remains were razed in favor of a parking lot. The theatre was supposed to have been rebuilt to new architectural plans but that project did not materialize.
The Ritz received a major interior refresh when it closed on May 11, 1946 to the plans of architect Robert L. Volger in 1946. The “new” Ritz interior was streamlined at its grand relaunch on August 30, 1946 with “Personality Kid.” In 1954, the theater’s interior received another refresh with widescreen projection to present CinemaScope film titles.
United Artists Theatres shuttered the Ritz on August 29, 1972 in “Return of Sabata.” It would become a live performance venue called the Ritz Music Hall beginning on July 27, 1974 and would host concerts by major artists including Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Rush, and Metallica in its 15-year run.
The Beach Theater was considered a suburban theater that opened May 19, 1940 with John Wayne in “Allegheny Uprising”. Fort Worth’s KGKO radio star Cowboy Luke made a special appearance at the grand opening. The Beach was designed by architect Morris L. Levy of Corpus Christi who was attempting for a Spanish Colonial Revival style with streamline moderne flourishes and lots of tile featuring a festive color palette. Leon Felder was the opening chief projectionist managed by F.J. Mavity with Hazelann Turner at the box office.
UA subsidiary Corpus Christi Theatres operated the venue calling it a suburban house (and explaining its diminutive size). It was the circuit’s eighth theater of that period joining the Ritz, Tower, Grande, Palace, Amusu, Melba and Agnes. By the television age, the Beach struggled mightily. Corpus Christi Theatres closed the Beach permanently on September 1, 1955 with Faith Donahue in “Cult of the Cobra.“ On October 3, 1955, its fixtures were removed. The vacant building was later demolished for parking to accommodate the city’s convention center.
Photo of Chief Organist Albert F. Brown in front of the Forest Hills Theatre’s Smith 4 manual 17 ranks organ console that featured 164 stop keys and an echo organ in the ceiling for its distinctive sound. So popular was Brown that when he left for another theater, hundreds of patrons signed a petition demanding that Brown be hired back to play at the Forest Hills Theatre. Brown had played previously at Poli’s Million Dollar Majestic Theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut and was a believer in absolute musical synchronization for films with original, in-house scores.
J.W. Harper of the Ideal, Melba and former Leopard Street Theatre opened the Agnes Theatre at the confluence of Agnes and 14th streets in the Northwest Corpus Christi neighborhood. The neighborhood venue launched on June 15, 1928 with silent films, “The Scarlet Dove” with Lowell Sherman supported by “White Fury Episode I: The Stampede of Death” starring the World’s Strongest Man, Joe Bonomo.
Harper didn’t time the opening well and was concerned about the cost to convert the theater to sound offering the venue for sale in classified ad listing running from January of 1929 to June of 1929. The venue had a high profile celebration of the venue’s first anniversary on June 15, 1929. Harper appears to have closed the theater with the silent, “King of Kings” on November 18, 1929 to finally install sound. The sound-era of the Agnes took place on March 4, 1930 with Janet Gaynor in “Christina” featuring Western Electric sound on film.
R&R took on the independent theater running it until just after World War II. In 1947, R&R opened the Port Theatre and the Ayers Theatre in 1947, refreshed the Palace Theatre, and showed plans for the Varsity Theatre on Leopard Street, the Cactus Theatre on Agnes Street and a $40,000 refresh of the Agnes Theatre. The Agnes closed on April 19, 1947 for the refresh that didn’t happen nor did the Varsity Theatre nor did the Cactus Theatre as post-War theatrical habits in Corpus Christi were changing rapidly. A refresh of the Palace Theatre did transpire. The Agnes Theatre building has since been demolished.
Jones Theatres closed Movies 6 on January 5, 2023. Golden Ticket is said to be the next operator, according to the Shawnee Mall Facebook feed. Status should be closed and renovating.
Renamed as the B&B Theatres Ridgeland Northpark 14 at its grand reopening following a major renovation and refresh on November 3, 2022.
Closed permanently (as the Regal UA Parkway Place 10) on January 5, 2023 along with many other Regal locations
(That’s the unused concession stand by the auditoriums, btw)
The Aldridge Theater appears to have closed following the June 6, 1964 double feature of “Jason & the Argonauts” and Ray Milland in “River’s Edge.”
Posted in photos is the September 12, 1931 grand opening ad for the Jewel Theatre. Pioneering African American showpersons Hathyel L. James and Percy H. “PH” James operated both this venue and the Ardmore Jewel Theater for African American patrons. Mr. and Mrs. Clinton A. Newton took on the venue in January of 1954 and would convert it to widescreen to present CinemaScope titles.
Williams' Dreamland Theatre launched here on August 30, 1914 next door to the Williams' Confectionery that had opened five years previously. It was the second of three Dreamland Theatres although the first was an unrelated nickelodeon in Downtown Tulsa. The $10,000 theater was created by John and Loula Williams who had established a confectionery next door and a popular car repair facility elsewhere.
The Williams would follow up the success of the Dreamland with two more Oklahoma locations - one in Muskogeee another in Okmulgee. But the original theater had an infamous ending. The Tulsa newspaper listed the theatre as one of the many destroyed businesses - along with the neighboring Dixie Theater - during the Tulsa Race Massacre in the early hours of June 1, 1921 ending the venue’s run during showtimes on May 31, 1921.
The Williams created a New Dreamland Theatre in the same spot a little more than a year later opening in 1922. It has its own Cinema Treasure listing. This listing should undoubtedly be listed as Williams' Dreamland Theatre as that was its name on the exterior of the building.
Regal closed its South Sound Cinema 10 on January 5, 2022, one of many venues it closed that night.
Shows after January 5, 2022 have been removed which is not encouraging.
Shows after January 5, 2022 have been removed which is not encouraging.
Regal announced the closure of a number of theatres as 2023 opened and the Hollywood Stadium 14 was on that list closing January 5, 2023.
The information in the Dixie Theater synopsis above is simply not correct. You should disregard the information.
The African-American owned Anderson Amusement Company launched the Peoria Theatre on November 27, 1947 with Mona Freeman in “Black Beauty.” Reverand Harold Anderson was one of the pioneering members of the company as was Floyd Harris. The venue had 300 seats on the main floor and 200 additional seats in its balcony for a capacity of 500 plus a cry room for parents with loud babies or children. It also had a long-running neighbor in the Peoria Barber Shop.
Beginning on December 2, 1950, the venue added Church of the Mass services on Sundays. The Peoria closed on June 6, 1956 with “The Harder They Fall” and “Outlaw Stallion.” It was taken over by Paul Fellows, Bob Bassett, and Donald McGowan who - after a refresh - relaunched it as the Ace Theater on October 5, 1956 with “Picnic” and “The Nebraskan.” The last ad for the Ace was on March 3, 1958 with “Operation Mad Ball” with “Masterson of Kansas.” The venue was was listed for sale in 1958. It became a photography studio but disappears from listings in the 1980s likely leading to an urban renewal demolition - though that would only be a guess.
The New Theatre opened name-lessly on November 11, 1944 serving African American audiences with George Sanders in “The Lodger.” Grand opening ad in photos. It was then renamed as the Regal Theatre on November 30, 1944 and closed permanently on October 13, 1949 with Clark Gable in “Command Decision.” A new Regal Theatre was built becoming the fourth African American Theater on February 7, 1951 at 1431 North Lansing Street.
Marquee closed the Westbrook 12 on September 28, 2022 at the expiry of its lease. Bill Dougherty and Mystic Cinemas took on the venue with a January 13, 2023 relaunch as the Westbrook Cinemas 12.
Key dates:
General Cinema left the Town Center 8 less than five years in to its run on January 19, 1992.
Trans-Texas Amusements took on the venue downgrading it to a sub-run discount dollar house with an opening date of February 14, 1992.
On August 8, 1995, Hollywood Theatres Inc. purchased all of the Trans-Texas locations except the Lewisville multiplex. The Hollywood Town Center 8 was officially under the Hollywood Circuit nameplate beginning on November 17, 1995, the venue was part of Hollywood Theatres.
CEO Scott Wallace founded Wallace Theater Corp. in 1991 and acquired Hollywood Theaters in 1999. Likely seeing little return on investment, Wallace dropped listings for individual titles in newspaper advertisements from 2000 until dropping the venue altogether on May 5, 2002.
Rebranded by Cinema Latino circuit with a May 1, 2003 grand opening as Cinema Latino de Fort Worth, the venue finally found an audience. It failed to get a new lease closing December 22, 2014.
Reopened as Ciné America on August 14, 2015.
Renamed presently as América Cinemas de Fort Worth (not Ft. Worth La Gran Plaza).
The venue closed in March of 1977 for a refresh. It re-emerged on April 9, 1977 as a twin screen with “Raggedy Ann and Andy” and “Led Zepplin’s The Song Remains the Same.” When GCC opened the seven-screen North Richland Hills mall cinema nearby, it downgraded the Richland Plaza to a sub-run discount house. GCC then closed the Richland Plaza I & II on April 30, 1986 with “Back to the Future” and “Murphy’s Romance.” It sat empty until a 1988 conversion to a Bingo Hall.
GCC closed the Richland Plaza I & II on April 30, 1986 with “Back to the Future” and “Murphy’s Romance.” It sat empty until a 1988 conversion to a Bingo Hall.
March 7, 1940 Grand Opening.
The IMAX film, “Everest,” opened at what was known as the OmniDome (two capital letters) Theater seating 264 on January 16, 2000. The architect was Terry Kerr of Kerr 3 Architects. In 2006, it was renamed as Dome Theater at Science Museum Oklahoma. It was closed permanently in 2016. In 2022, a new plan was unveiled to replace the unused facility.
The Palace Theater opened at Starr and Chaparral independently in the Summer of 1924. The theatre was closed in July of 1925 for a refresh. When the theater failed to reopen, Robb & Rowley / R&R took on the vacant venue and basically rebuilt the theater now with its entrance on Chaparral Street and better fire egresses, a pipe organ.
The “all new” Palace Theatre launched / relaunched on November 18, 1926 with an organ solo by Dave Levy who also supported the big film of the evening, Mary Astor in “Forever After” supported by “Open Spaces.” On October 24, 1928, the Palace was equipped with sound to remain viable beginning with the film, “The Lion and the Mouse.”
At the end of its 20-year lease, the theater operators signed on for a new 20-year lease and it received a shocking streamline moderne makeover to the plans of architect Robert L. Volger in 1946. (The theater’s organ was either removed during this update or in a previous update according to reports.) Volger’s work totally removed the theater’s original Mission Revival architectural style and would last until its closing after a fire in 1953.
Its final showing of “A Blueprint for Murder” was interrupted by a fire that destroyed the building on December 3, 1953. Its remains were razed in favor of a parking lot. The theatre was supposed to have been rebuilt to new architectural plans but that project did not materialize.
The Ritz received a major interior refresh when it closed on May 11, 1946 to the plans of architect Robert L. Volger in 1946. The “new” Ritz interior was streamlined at its grand relaunch on August 30, 1946 with “Personality Kid.” In 1954, the theater’s interior received another refresh with widescreen projection to present CinemaScope film titles.
United Artists Theatres shuttered the Ritz on August 29, 1972 in “Return of Sabata.” It would become a live performance venue called the Ritz Music Hall beginning on July 27, 1974 and would host concerts by major artists including Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Rush, and Metallica in its 15-year run.
The Beach Theater was considered a suburban theater that opened May 19, 1940 with John Wayne in “Allegheny Uprising”. Fort Worth’s KGKO radio star Cowboy Luke made a special appearance at the grand opening. The Beach was designed by architect Morris L. Levy of Corpus Christi who was attempting for a Spanish Colonial Revival style with streamline moderne flourishes and lots of tile featuring a festive color palette. Leon Felder was the opening chief projectionist managed by F.J. Mavity with Hazelann Turner at the box office.
UA subsidiary Corpus Christi Theatres operated the venue calling it a suburban house (and explaining its diminutive size). It was the circuit’s eighth theater of that period joining the Ritz, Tower, Grande, Palace, Amusu, Melba and Agnes. By the television age, the Beach struggled mightily. Corpus Christi Theatres closed the Beach permanently on September 1, 1955 with Faith Donahue in “Cult of the Cobra.“ On October 3, 1955, its fixtures were removed. The vacant building was later demolished for parking to accommodate the city’s convention center.
Photo of Chief Organist Albert F. Brown in front of the Forest Hills Theatre’s Smith 4 manual 17 ranks organ console that featured 164 stop keys and an echo organ in the ceiling for its distinctive sound. So popular was Brown that when he left for another theater, hundreds of patrons signed a petition demanding that Brown be hired back to play at the Forest Hills Theatre. Brown had played previously at Poli’s Million Dollar Majestic Theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut and was a believer in absolute musical synchronization for films with original, in-house scores.
J.W. Harper of the Ideal, Melba and former Leopard Street Theatre opened the Agnes Theatre at the confluence of Agnes and 14th streets in the Northwest Corpus Christi neighborhood. The neighborhood venue launched on June 15, 1928 with silent films, “The Scarlet Dove” with Lowell Sherman supported by “White Fury Episode I: The Stampede of Death” starring the World’s Strongest Man, Joe Bonomo.
Harper didn’t time the opening well and was concerned about the cost to convert the theater to sound offering the venue for sale in classified ad listing running from January of 1929 to June of 1929. The venue had a high profile celebration of the venue’s first anniversary on June 15, 1929. Harper appears to have closed the theater with the silent, “King of Kings” on November 18, 1929 to finally install sound. The sound-era of the Agnes took place on March 4, 1930 with Janet Gaynor in “Christina” featuring Western Electric sound on film.
R&R took on the independent theater running it until just after World War II. In 1947, R&R opened the Port Theatre and the Ayers Theatre in 1947, refreshed the Palace Theatre, and showed plans for the Varsity Theatre on Leopard Street, the Cactus Theatre on Agnes Street and a $40,000 refresh of the Agnes Theatre. The Agnes closed on April 19, 1947 for the refresh that didn’t happen nor did the Varsity Theatre nor did the Cactus Theatre as post-War theatrical habits in Corpus Christi were changing rapidly. A refresh of the Palace Theatre did transpire. The Agnes Theatre building has since been demolished.