On January 13, 1935, the Oriental Theatre became headlines after the theater’s usher shot a man inside the theater lobby during the morning hours. The Oriental’s usher, 23-year-old Albert Hamilton of Indianapolis nearly-fatally shot 26-year-old Leonard William Ott with a .25-caliber automatic pistol at the theater lobby in a heated argument. The almost unexpected tragedy took three people, including its manager Roy Perry and cashier Margaret Clough. Hamilton told authorities that the shooting is an act of self-defense after Ott attacked him at the door leading to the lobby. Eads was already drinking a whisky bottle at the time of the incident, which at the time was against the riles of the theater. Eads was later charged with assault and battery, and Ott was placed under a vagrancy charge in the detention ward of the hospital.
On July 29, 1955, the Skyway Drive-In became headlines after a man fatally collapsed at the Skyway property. During a triple-feature, 58-year-old local resident and Cambridge, Ohio native Ralph F. McCandless was standing beside his car when he unexpectedly collapsed, face forward, in front of moviegoers. An ambulance was called to the theater site and was taken by them to the Bethesda Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Doctors confirmed that he died presumably from a fatal heart attack but was unknown what caused the heart attack.
The Reading Cinemas Carmel Mountain became national headlines on the afternoon of January 12, 2013, when police critically shot a 20-year-old man inside one of the 12 auditoriums after suspected on chasing his girlfriend with a firearm across the parking lot, according to the owner. The shooting happened at 3:50 p.m. PT inside one of the auditoriums playing “Les Miserables” after officers discovered him inside the auditorium. While confronting, 20-year-old Tom Billodeaux of Escondido initially complied by raising his hands, but then lowered them, pulled out a handgun, and turned it toward an officer, prompting the officer to shoot him in the arm and chest.
On October 11, 1947, the Loew’s Theater once became statewide headlines following the unexpected stabbing of a 26-year-old man named Paul H. Hess, caused by 37-year-old William Rehfus, who was also stabbed in self-defense by Hess. Officers confirmed that Rehfus was following Hess through the lobby and near the doors. Rehfus calmly walked back to the lobby after stabbing the man, but Hess managed to stagger when he pulled out the knife out of his chest and collapsed. Billodeaux was transported to a hospital in critical condition, but no moviegoers or police officers were injured.
A 1979 aerial view shows the drive-in already disappearing, with no screen and faded traces, but the foundations of the concession building still visible. It was already wiped by 1983.
The Granada Theatre became national headlines following the androcide of a 48-year-old projectionist named William R. Marin during a film showing on the late-night hours of May 3, 1929, but unfortunately, I cannot find what movie it was showing at the time of the attack. According to officers, the woman quietly entered the projection room and fatally shot the man dead while working on one of the projectors, likely changing reels. Police discovered a note that was written by the misandristic shooter, Mary Azevedo, saying that “she has enough of him” and “wanted to kill him”.
I’m having SEVERELY bad problems with uploading photos and adding new information throughout the past TWO DAMN WEEKS. I always get the same message: “We’re sorry, but something went wrong. We’ve been notified about this issue, and we’ll take a look at it shortly” over and over and over again for two weeks now, ever since last Monday.
I have to reload the page more than TWO DOZEN TIMES just to go on ONE STUPID PAGE, even at one time, NEARLY 250 TIMES. What’s even worse is that I get a dozen of Application Errors on several occasions. I also have trouble adding more theaters to CT’s upcoming list and it also gave me the damn “Sorry” message.
The Frisina Amusement Company opened the Bond Theatre on May 20, 1939 with Bob Hope in “Some Like It Hot” along with the Max Fleischer cartoon “Playful Polar Bears”, the Merrie Melodies cartoon “A-Lad-In Bagdad” starring Egghead, and the Merrie Melodies cartoon “Cracked Ice”.
The Newtown Theatre is one of America’s oldest continuously operating theaters.
Joseph and Susan Archambault deeded Lot 18 of Newtown Common to establish a “free and independent anti-sectarian house of worship and free burying ground,“ creating the Free Church in April 1831, but officially became the Newtown Hall by the 1840s. The Newtown Hall hosting town meetings and lectures with statutory permissions granted in both 1842 and 1853. Despite being rebuilt in 1883, it was known as one of the showbiz houses in the suburbs of Philadelphia, running a mix of minstrel shows, medicine shows, circuses, dances, and Swarthmore Chautauqua performances, including a very notable event where Frederick Douglass appeared in-person on February 4, 1864, which the event drew massive crowds at the Newtown Hall.
Throughout the 1880s and 1900s, it had major upgrades such as a gallery in 1887, electric lighting in 1894, and a fire escape in 1904. Concerts, theatre, and educational events were also added around the time as well, including their own orchestra named after the town established in 1884.
Movies began screening at the Newtown in 1906 when it first film was screened there. However, after remodeling in 1936, two years later comes a court decree which officially authorized films and theatrical performances while preserving its religious and burial purposes in 1938. In 1972, projectionist Amos Farruggio rented the hall from the Community Welfare Council, who had been operating the theater since 1953, spruced it up and kept the theater alive until his death. His wife was able to take it over until her death in 2005.
You should also take a look at this site that features the entire list of theaters across the DC Metro with 70mm installations throughout the years:
https://www.in70mm.com/country/usa/d/dc/index.htm
Opened in 1968, closed in 2015 because of bankruptcy, sat abandoned for five years, reopened in May 2020 as a popular moviegoer experience during the pandemic.
Taken over by Kerasotes on April 1, 1970.
On January 13, 1935, the Oriental Theatre became headlines after the theater’s usher shot a man inside the theater lobby during the morning hours. The Oriental’s usher, 23-year-old Albert Hamilton of Indianapolis nearly-fatally shot 26-year-old Leonard William Ott with a .25-caliber automatic pistol at the theater lobby in a heated argument. The almost unexpected tragedy took three people, including its manager Roy Perry and cashier Margaret Clough. Hamilton told authorities that the shooting is an act of self-defense after Ott attacked him at the door leading to the lobby. Eads was already drinking a whisky bottle at the time of the incident, which at the time was against the riles of the theater. Eads was later charged with assault and battery, and Ott was placed under a vagrancy charge in the detention ward of the hospital.
On July 29, 1955, the Skyway Drive-In became headlines after a man fatally collapsed at the Skyway property. During a triple-feature, 58-year-old local resident and Cambridge, Ohio native Ralph F. McCandless was standing beside his car when he unexpectedly collapsed, face forward, in front of moviegoers. An ambulance was called to the theater site and was taken by them to the Bethesda Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Doctors confirmed that he died presumably from a fatal heart attack but was unknown what caused the heart attack.
The Reading Cinemas Carmel Mountain became national headlines on the afternoon of January 12, 2013, when police critically shot a 20-year-old man inside one of the 12 auditoriums after suspected on chasing his girlfriend with a firearm across the parking lot, according to the owner. The shooting happened at 3:50 p.m. PT inside one of the auditoriums playing “Les Miserables” after officers discovered him inside the auditorium. While confronting, 20-year-old Tom Billodeaux of Escondido initially complied by raising his hands, but then lowered them, pulled out a handgun, and turned it toward an officer, prompting the officer to shoot him in the arm and chest.
On October 11, 1947, the Loew’s Theater once became statewide headlines following the unexpected stabbing of a 26-year-old man named Paul H. Hess, caused by 37-year-old William Rehfus, who was also stabbed in self-defense by Hess. Officers confirmed that Rehfus was following Hess through the lobby and near the doors. Rehfus calmly walked back to the lobby after stabbing the man, but Hess managed to stagger when he pulled out the knife out of his chest and collapsed. Billodeaux was transported to a hospital in critical condition, but no moviegoers or police officers were injured.
An aerial view from 1966 shows foundations of the screen, but the concession building was used by something else.
The concession building managed to stand into the 1980s.
A 1979 aerial view shows the drive-in already disappearing, with no screen and faded traces, but the foundations of the concession building still visible. It was already wiped by 1983.
Although it had the Santikos branding at first, it started life as an Act III theater.
Original projectionist is Chester Jacobs, who died at age 58 on June 19, 1971.
Most likely closed on September 27, 1992.
Gone in topos by 1975.
Both 1973 and 1977 topos show the drive-in listed, but I cannot confirm if its still operating at the time.
I think the staff got rid of Screen 14 sometime later in its history.
The Granada Theatre became national headlines following the androcide of a 48-year-old projectionist named William R. Marin during a film showing on the late-night hours of May 3, 1929, but unfortunately, I cannot find what movie it was showing at the time of the attack. According to officers, the woman quietly entered the projection room and fatally shot the man dead while working on one of the projectors, likely changing reels. Police discovered a note that was written by the misandristic shooter, Mary Azevedo, saying that “she has enough of him” and “wanted to kill him”.
I’m having SEVERELY bad problems with uploading photos and adding new information throughout the past TWO DAMN WEEKS. I always get the same message: “We’re sorry, but something went wrong. We’ve been notified about this issue, and we’ll take a look at it shortly” over and over and over again for two weeks now, ever since last Monday.
I have to reload the page more than TWO DOZEN TIMES just to go on ONE STUPID PAGE, even at one time, NEARLY 250 TIMES. What’s even worse is that I get a dozen of Application Errors on several occasions. I also have trouble adding more theaters to CT’s upcoming list and it also gave me the damn “Sorry” message.
The Frisina Amusement Company opened the Bond Theatre on May 20, 1939 with Bob Hope in “Some Like It Hot” along with the Max Fleischer cartoon “Playful Polar Bears”, the Merrie Melodies cartoon “A-Lad-In Bagdad” starring Egghead, and the Merrie Melodies cartoon “Cracked Ice”.
The Newtown Theatre is one of America’s oldest continuously operating theaters.
Joseph and Susan Archambault deeded Lot 18 of Newtown Common to establish a “free and independent anti-sectarian house of worship and free burying ground,“ creating the Free Church in April 1831, but officially became the Newtown Hall by the 1840s. The Newtown Hall hosting town meetings and lectures with statutory permissions granted in both 1842 and 1853. Despite being rebuilt in 1883, it was known as one of the showbiz houses in the suburbs of Philadelphia, running a mix of minstrel shows, medicine shows, circuses, dances, and Swarthmore Chautauqua performances, including a very notable event where Frederick Douglass appeared in-person on February 4, 1864, which the event drew massive crowds at the Newtown Hall.
Throughout the 1880s and 1900s, it had major upgrades such as a gallery in 1887, electric lighting in 1894, and a fire escape in 1904. Concerts, theatre, and educational events were also added around the time as well, including their own orchestra named after the town established in 1884.
Movies began screening at the Newtown in 1906 when it first film was screened there. However, after remodeling in 1936, two years later comes a court decree which officially authorized films and theatrical performances while preserving its religious and burial purposes in 1938. In 1972, projectionist Amos Farruggio rented the hall from the Community Welfare Council, who had been operating the theater since 1953, spruced it up and kept the theater alive until his death. His wife was able to take it over until her death in 2005.
You should also take a look at this site that features the entire list of theaters across the DC Metro with 70mm installations throughout the years: https://www.in70mm.com/country/usa/d/dc/index.htm
The description should’ve said that this was the last Loews/Loews Cineplex theater ever opened.
Opened in 1968, closed in 2015 because of bankruptcy, sat abandoned for five years, reopened in May 2020 as a popular moviegoer experience during the pandemic.
Closed on October 31, 2024, currently vacant.
Opened in June 1968.
Edited from my February 9, 2025 (3:33 PM) comment:
Correction: This opened on May 22, 1968, not 1969.
Opened on June 27, 1969 with Steve McQueen in “Bullitt”.