The Millenium Cinema opened in the early-2000s as an independently-operated theater, and in May 2007, the Millenium Cinema was taken over by the State Theatres Circuit owned by the owners of the Avalon Cinema.
The Platteville Drive-In opened its gates on June 25, 1953 with Sterling Hayden in “The Golden Hawk” along with a few cartoons, a sportlight, and a short subject on the U.S. Army Band. The theater was actually (and strangely) located at the current intersection of Ridge Avenue and 8th Avenue despite being located directly east of Wisconsin 81.
The original screen measures 56x62ft and was supported on a 74ft tower that withstand winds of 125 MPH secured on a cement base of 90 cubic yards of reinforced concrete. It was first operated by John O'Connor.
During the 1973 season, two of its speakers were stolen led by two local 18-to-19-year-old boys, but the Platteville Drive-In managed to continue operating for a little bit more. The theater unfortunately closed later in the mid-1970s and was immediately demolished to make way for a neighborhood.
It was never known as the Highway 80 Drive-In, judging by its location.
The Avalon Theatre opened its doors on December 11, 1930 with Spencer Tracy in “Up The River” along with an unnamed Paramount Screen Song, the screen novelty “Pirates”, and a Fox Movietone Newsreel.
On grand opening day, a trumpet call was blown followed by a local band performing both the National Anthem and “On Wisconsin” on-stage, and afterwards is a special address delivered by the city’s longtime mayor A.W. Hoosier (1879-1960).
The Popular Auto Theatre closed for the final time on November 24, 1963 with “Spencer’s Mountain” and “Black Gold” (exactly two days after the assassination of John F. Kennedy).
The Popular Auto Theatre never reopened for the 1964 season due to the death of its owner William John Stadtlander from an illness at age 49 while settling in Cincinnati on April 6, 1964.
The Starlight Drive-In opened its gates on September 14, 1961, and was owned by Charles Whitman. Less than two years later on June 15, 1963, the original screen supported by steel angle irons anchored in concrete was severely damaged when wind gusts caused the screen to collapse during a storm.
The Sundown Drive-In opened its gates on May 26, 1950 with “Lust For Gold” and “The Return of Rin-Tin-Tin” (unknown if extras added), and was first operated by Martinsville brothers Thomas G. and James A. Cramer. It was renamed the Cinema West in 1967 retaining its mainstream policy for a short period of time, but flipped its policy to adult films a couple years later.
The Bloomington Drive-In opened its gates on May 28, 1948, and was renamed the Cascade Drive-In the following year. It was first operated by Roy O'Keefe of Vincennes. It was closed after the 1969 season.
The actual opening date is April 1, 1954 with David Brian in “Young Daniel Boone” and Jane Neigh in “County Fair” along with a few cartoons. It was closed in the 1980s.
Also to note is that the February 1983 fire at the Palace Theater was actually the last out of two fires the theater faced in its history.
On the early morning hours of November 11, 1932 at approximately 2:30 AM CT, a fire destroyed the entirety of the Von Ritz Theatre causing an estimate $100,000 in damage from insurance. The fire was called by a hot water radiator became disconnected and plunged downward landing on the sidewalk.
The Von Ritz Theatre was then rebuilt featuring Nu-wood treatment alongside RCA sound, and reopened on February 18, 1933 with Constance Bennett in “Rock-A-Bye” along with an unnamed Mickey Mouse cartoon and the Clark & McCullough short “Jitters The Butler”.
The Premiere Theatre 7 opened its doors on March 21, 1997, and was the first movie theater to operate since the closure of the downtown Bedford Cinemas in May 1990.
The Bedford Theatre opened its doors on December 22, 1926 with Edmund Burns in “Sunny Side-Up” along with five vaudeville acts (Edith Sherry doing “Southland” alongside his Sunny Southern Singers, The Mole Brothers in “A Loose Nut On Wheels”, a performance doing “Blue Bonnet Revue” featuring dozens of women, Gifford & Holmes doing “A Dancing Fool and an Xylophonist”, and Rich & Banta doing “Her Wedding Night”), an unnamed Our Gang comedy, an unnamed Aesop’s Fables, and Pathé News.
Unfortunately the Bedford Theatre name did not last pretty long at all.
The Bedford Theatre reopened its doors as the Von Ritz Theatre on June 8, 1927 with Marie Prevost in “Up In Mabel’s Room” and Mable Normand in “One Hour Married” along with the screen novelty “The Isle Of June”, a musical overture performing “Atilla”, the Aesop’s Fables cartoon “Anti-Fat”, and a musical performance by Eddie Dowell in the $25,000 Barton orchestral pipe organ (the same exact modeled organ that also came directly from the Indiana Theatre in Indianapolis).
After closing for a few weeks in October 1963, the Von Ritz Theatre reopened as the Indiana Theatre on November 1, 1963 with Kirk Douglas in “For Love Or Money” and Kent Taylor in “Harbor Lights”.
The Indiana Theatre was renamed the Palace Theatre on June 25, 1982 under the management of Palace Entertainment Incorporated led by manager Marsha Kirkman, and was later twinned that same year. Unfortunately, the Palace Theatre was destroyed by a fire on February 8, 1983.
NOTE: The Palace Theatre last operated as a twin, not a triplex. The triplex nearby was called the Downtown Cinema III (it will have its own CT page soon).
The Stone City Opera House opened its doors on May 16, 1901 with a live presentation of “Human Hearts”, and reopened as the Indiana Theatre on September 1, 1924 with Milton Sills in “Single Wives” along with the short “It’s A Scream”, a vaudeville skit of “Flagler and Malia”, and musical performances by two orchestras following reconstruction.
The Indiana Theatre closed for the final time on October 27, 1963 with Paul Newman in “A New Kind Of Love” when the Von Ritz Theatre nearby received major remodeling and reopened as the Indiana Theatre a few days later.
The East 50th Drive-In opened its gates on May 8, 1952 with a one-day showing of Dean Stockwell in “The Boy With The Green Hair” (unknown if extras added). Some of the original installations include RCA sound, a 60x48ft screen (largest in Southern Indiana at the time), an all-weather blacktop, and a capacity of 604 cars.
Both the Bedford Drive-In and the East 50th Drive-In began battling for competition as both theaters became family-oriented theaters right after the Bedford received that policy right at the start of the 1972 season. Before the 1974 season started, the East 50th Drive-In’s screen was knocked down by wind gusts on March 5 of that year causing considerable damage, but managed to fix the screen.
After the neighboring Bedford Drive-In closed after the 1980 season, the East 50th Drive-In became the only drive-in in Bedford but not for long. When its final season kicked in, the East 50th Drive-In dropped its family-oriented policy, and began screening more R-rated and exploitation titles before closing after the 1982 season.
UPDATE: The Bedford Drive-In didn’t close for the final time after October 1971. The Bedford Drive-In reopened for the 1972 season as a family-oriented theater, and would remain like that into as late as the early-1980s. This came months after the management’s reports of patrons throwing corn in inappropriate places.
The Bedford Drive-In closed after the 1980 season, leaving the East 50th Drive-In the only drive-in left in Bedford. It was unknown why but one of those reasons that affect the closure was 20 speakers being vandalized.
It appears that showtimes for the Lincoln Square Theatre disappeared after its July 23, 1950 showings of “No Sad Songs For Me” and “The Big Hangover”.
The Lincoln Square Theatre continued to operate as a special events theater (one of those special events gave fame when Jack Benny stopped by in February 1954 to record an episode on both radio and television).
I’m very sure that this was lastly known as the Smyrna Theatre before the newer one was built in mid-1965. The earliest info I can gather about the Smyrna Theatre’s name date back as early as 1962, but was still known as the Victoria in 1961. The Victoria opened as early as 1927.
New Smyrna Beach had another theater called the Palace Theatre but closed on September 1, 1927 due to a lease sale led by the men team of T.A. and S.L. Hayes who sold the Palace to the Florida Theatre Enterprises Incorporated who also managed the Victoria at the time. The Hayes brothers had been operating the Palace Theatre since 1924.
The older Smyrna Theatre closed on July 6, 1965 with “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “McHale’s Navy Joins The Air Force” due to the opening of the newer Smyrna Theatre the following day.
Opened on May 4, 1911, closed in Spring 1960.
The Millenium Cinema opened in the early-2000s as an independently-operated theater, and in May 2007, the Millenium Cinema was taken over by the State Theatres Circuit owned by the owners of the Avalon Cinema.
The Platteville Drive-In opened its gates on June 25, 1953 with Sterling Hayden in “The Golden Hawk” along with a few cartoons, a sportlight, and a short subject on the U.S. Army Band. The theater was actually (and strangely) located at the current intersection of Ridge Avenue and 8th Avenue despite being located directly east of Wisconsin 81.
The original screen measures 56x62ft and was supported on a 74ft tower that withstand winds of 125 MPH secured on a cement base of 90 cubic yards of reinforced concrete. It was first operated by John O'Connor.
During the 1973 season, two of its speakers were stolen led by two local 18-to-19-year-old boys, but the Platteville Drive-In managed to continue operating for a little bit more. The theater unfortunately closed later in the mid-1970s and was immediately demolished to make way for a neighborhood.
The Avalon Theatre opened its doors on December 11, 1930 with Spencer Tracy in “Up The River” along with an unnamed Paramount Screen Song, the screen novelty “Pirates”, and a Fox Movietone Newsreel.
Oh, so it closed as a triplex? I didn’t know until now! Thanks Dallas! Yes this closed as a triplex.
The Popular Auto Theatre closed for the final time on November 24, 1963 with “Spencer’s Mountain” and “Black Gold” (exactly two days after the assassination of John F. Kennedy).
The Popular Auto Theatre never reopened for the 1964 season due to the death of its owner William John Stadtlander from an illness at age 49 while settling in Cincinnati on April 6, 1964.
The Starlight Drive-In opened its gates on September 14, 1961, and was owned by Charles Whitman. Less than two years later on June 15, 1963, the original screen supported by steel angle irons anchored in concrete was severely damaged when wind gusts caused the screen to collapse during a storm.
The Starlite closed after the 1984 season.
It was renamed the Cinema 67 Drive-In at the start of the 1977 season.
The Y&M Open-Air Theatre opened its gates on June 7, 1970 with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Support Your Local Sheriff”.
The Sundown Drive-In opened its gates on May 26, 1950 with “Lust For Gold” and “The Return of Rin-Tin-Tin” (unknown if extras added), and was first operated by Martinsville brothers Thomas G. and James A. Cramer. It was renamed the Cinema West in 1967 retaining its mainstream policy for a short period of time, but flipped its policy to adult films a couple years later.
The Bloomington Drive-In opened its gates on May 28, 1948, and was renamed the Cascade Drive-In the following year. It was first operated by Roy O'Keefe of Vincennes. It was closed after the 1969 season.
Opened in 1909, closed in 1924.
Opened in 1921, closed in 1932, reopened in 1937 as a special events theater, closed in 1959.
The actual opening date is April 1, 1954 with David Brian in “Young Daniel Boone” and Jane Neigh in “County Fair” along with a few cartoons. It was closed in the 1980s.
Also to note is that the February 1983 fire at the Palace Theater was actually the last out of two fires the theater faced in its history.
On the early morning hours of November 11, 1932 at approximately 2:30 AM CT, a fire destroyed the entirety of the Von Ritz Theatre causing an estimate $100,000 in damage from insurance. The fire was called by a hot water radiator became disconnected and plunged downward landing on the sidewalk.
The Von Ritz Theatre was then rebuilt featuring Nu-wood treatment alongside RCA sound, and reopened on February 18, 1933 with Constance Bennett in “Rock-A-Bye” along with an unnamed Mickey Mouse cartoon and the Clark & McCullough short “Jitters The Butler”.
Opened on May 2, 1997.
The Premiere Theatre 7 opened its doors on March 21, 1997, and was the first movie theater to operate since the closure of the downtown Bedford Cinemas in May 1990.
The Bedford Theatre opened its doors on December 22, 1926 with Edmund Burns in “Sunny Side-Up” along with five vaudeville acts (Edith Sherry doing “Southland” alongside his Sunny Southern Singers, The Mole Brothers in “A Loose Nut On Wheels”, a performance doing “Blue Bonnet Revue” featuring dozens of women, Gifford & Holmes doing “A Dancing Fool and an Xylophonist”, and Rich & Banta doing “Her Wedding Night”), an unnamed Our Gang comedy, an unnamed Aesop’s Fables, and Pathé News.
Unfortunately the Bedford Theatre name did not last pretty long at all.
The Bedford Theatre reopened its doors as the Von Ritz Theatre on June 8, 1927 with Marie Prevost in “Up In Mabel’s Room” and Mable Normand in “One Hour Married” along with the screen novelty “The Isle Of June”, a musical overture performing “Atilla”, the Aesop’s Fables cartoon “Anti-Fat”, and a musical performance by Eddie Dowell in the $25,000 Barton orchestral pipe organ (the same exact modeled organ that also came directly from the Indiana Theatre in Indianapolis).
After closing for a few weeks in October 1963, the Von Ritz Theatre reopened as the Indiana Theatre on November 1, 1963 with Kirk Douglas in “For Love Or Money” and Kent Taylor in “Harbor Lights”.
The Indiana Theatre was renamed the Palace Theatre on June 25, 1982 under the management of Palace Entertainment Incorporated led by manager Marsha Kirkman, and was later twinned that same year. Unfortunately, the Palace Theatre was destroyed by a fire on February 8, 1983.
The Stone City Opera House opened its doors on May 16, 1901 with a live presentation of “Human Hearts”, and reopened as the Indiana Theatre on September 1, 1924 with Milton Sills in “Single Wives” along with the short “It’s A Scream”, a vaudeville skit of “Flagler and Malia”, and musical performances by two orchestras following reconstruction.
The Indiana Theatre closed for the final time on October 27, 1963 with Paul Newman in “A New Kind Of Love” when the Von Ritz Theatre nearby received major remodeling and reopened as the Indiana Theatre a few days later.
The East 50th Drive-In opened its gates on May 8, 1952 with a one-day showing of Dean Stockwell in “The Boy With The Green Hair” (unknown if extras added). Some of the original installations include RCA sound, a 60x48ft screen (largest in Southern Indiana at the time), an all-weather blacktop, and a capacity of 604 cars.
Both the Bedford Drive-In and the East 50th Drive-In began battling for competition as both theaters became family-oriented theaters right after the Bedford received that policy right at the start of the 1972 season. Before the 1974 season started, the East 50th Drive-In’s screen was knocked down by wind gusts on March 5 of that year causing considerable damage, but managed to fix the screen.
After the neighboring Bedford Drive-In closed after the 1980 season, the East 50th Drive-In became the only drive-in in Bedford but not for long. When its final season kicked in, the East 50th Drive-In dropped its family-oriented policy, and began screening more R-rated and exploitation titles before closing after the 1982 season.
UPDATE: The Bedford Drive-In didn’t close for the final time after October 1971. The Bedford Drive-In reopened for the 1972 season as a family-oriented theater, and would remain like that into as late as the early-1980s. This came months after the management’s reports of patrons throwing corn in inappropriate places.
The Bedford Drive-In closed after the 1980 season, leaving the East 50th Drive-In the only drive-in left in Bedford. It was unknown why but one of those reasons that affect the closure was 20 speakers being vandalized.
Opened in April 1909 and closed in 1919.
It appears that showtimes for the Lincoln Square Theatre disappeared after its July 23, 1950 showings of “No Sad Songs For Me” and “The Big Hangover”.
The Lincoln Square Theatre continued to operate as a special events theater (one of those special events gave fame when Jack Benny stopped by in February 1954 to record an episode on both radio and television).
This closed in mid-to-late January 1988.
I’m very sure that this was lastly known as the Smyrna Theatre before the newer one was built in mid-1965. The earliest info I can gather about the Smyrna Theatre’s name date back as early as 1962, but was still known as the Victoria in 1961. The Victoria opened as early as 1927.
The older Smyrna Theatre closed on July 6, 1965 with “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “McHale’s Navy Joins The Air Force” due to the opening of the newer Smyrna Theatre the following day.