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.
Final day as the Regal Cinnebarre Movieland 7 was May 11, 2025. Regal’s lease expired and had been unwilling to convert the venue to modern recliner seating due to the impending lease expiry. Regal left the Salem Center just over a month following Macy’s departure as an anchor tenant in March of 2025. The Cinnebarre was taken over by the Center to be operated independently along with a pledge to renovate the aged theater for its relaunch later in 2025.
The Vineyard Twin Cinema was built by two “lucky” United General Theatres franchisees Herb Bilton and Al Cooper. But during that build-out, United General Theatres was uncovered as using fraudulent business practices leading it into bankruptcy in April of 1973. The competing Network General Cinema, the parent of Jerry Lewis Cinemas -a similar scheme, had filed bankruptcy just one month earlier.
The two identical, automated auditoriums seated 250 patrons each opened on July 3, 1974 launch of the Vineyard Twin with “The Three Musketeers” and “What’s Up, Doc?” That ad is in photos. The jail terms for United General’s executives including Joseph Kosseff were handed out the next year.
Edwards Theatres acquired the venue downgrading it to discount, sub-run status. It closed on April 12, 1999 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement with “Stepmom” and “Office Space” splitting one screen and “Prince of Egypt” and “Varsity Blues” splitting the other.
Architect of the original triplex - Jeff Pilling of St. Cloud. The theater transitioned to a dollar house which was closed on April 26, 2001 as the Parkwood ramped up from a 10-screen house to an 18-screen megaplex.
The 491-seat New James Theatre opened on March 18, 1938 with “High, Wide and Handsome” by James E. Falls. Falls had gotten into the theater business when out of work as a young man taking on the Unique Theatre in Walton. Falls would also operate the New Kentucky Theater in Dry Ridge, as well as theaters in Williamstown and Berry. The venue was built as a streamline moderne movie house replacing the Unique and it retained that look through closure by the same family 35 years later.
The James did get new ownership briefly in the 1960s though closing in 1963. The venue reopened twice; the first time was in 1965 operating into the early 1970s on weekends only closing in 1971. It then reopened in 1974 by the - then - late Mr. Falls' widow, Alva Falls, who had handled the booking of the theater back in the 1950s. The James Theatre closed on Oct. 6, 1974 with “Devil’s Angels.” The Walton I.G.A. grocery store moved into the space in 1975. It has since been demolished.
James E. Falls of the theater in Walton opened the New Kentucky Theater on April 24, 1936 with “Thanks a Million.“ The theater scuffled after the War closing as a movie house on September 19, 1948 with "I Walk Alone.” It continues with some live country music events and a community center whose use is discontinued in the 1950s.
The venue was called the Ideal Theatre and prior was the Dry Ridge Opera House. It gave away a brand new Ford Sedan in a 1921 contest and its de facto concession stand was the Clements Confectionery next door. The 1927 fire that took out ten buildings in downtown started at the dry cleaner, spread to the wood framed buildings taking out the Carlsbad Hotel, then the theatre next door along with the Clements Confectionery, the post office, and others.
The Idle Hour Theatre was the town’s first main floor movie theater location. It replaced the second floor Williamstown Opera House which had shown movies since the turn of the century and regularly during World War I. The first Idle Hour was located 203 South Main Street with 250 seatsand operated by Mr. Curran as a silent-era venue.
The second operator, the Taylors, transitioned it to sound. They then moved to get a larger seat count reopening as the “New” Idle Hour on December 3, 1937 just two blocks away as a streamlined movie house at 146 North Main. The final operator was the Cahakeres Circuit which transformed the venue into the Grant Theatre at its September 14, 1946 relaunch. It opened on a grind policy with “Rainbow Over Texas” and “The Big Noise.” They operated to its last showing on June 26, 1960. The Taylors converted the space to the new, second location for Powers Home and Auto Supply.
Ralph Taylor built the ozoner naming it after his daughter, Judy Taylor. It launched June 9, 1956 with “The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing” and “Fort Yuma” supported by the Casper, the Friendly Ghost cartoon, “Red, White and Boo!” Fred and Marjorie May managed the venue and took over its ownership. (Tom P. and Lula Littleton Sutton operated the Mt. Sterling Judy Drive-In.)
Commonwealth Theatre Circuit’s Lyric Theatre “#3” was dedicated on April 24, 1930. The $100,000 venue was the sound era version of the Lyric. It completed 60 years of leasing closing on May 6, 1990 with the venue being transferred to the local university which had been hosting classes in the building. “The First Power” was the last film shown. The theatre was then relit primarily as a performance space but also playing some major Hollywood hits after making the conversion to digital projection.
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.
Final day as the Regal Cinnebarre Movieland 7 was May 11, 2025. Regal’s lease expired and had been unwilling to convert the venue to modern recliner seating due to the impending lease expiry. Regal left the Salem Center just over a month following Macy’s departure as an anchor tenant in March of 2025. The Cinnebarre was taken over by the Center to be operated independently along with a pledge to renovate the aged theater for its relaunch later in 2025.
The Vineyard Twin Cinema was built by two “lucky” United General Theatres franchisees Herb Bilton and Al Cooper. But during that build-out, United General Theatres was uncovered as using fraudulent business practices leading it into bankruptcy in April of 1973. The competing Network General Cinema, the parent of Jerry Lewis Cinemas -a similar scheme, had filed bankruptcy just one month earlier.
The two identical, automated auditoriums seated 250 patrons each opened on July 3, 1974 launch of the Vineyard Twin with “The Three Musketeers” and “What’s Up, Doc?” That ad is in photos. The jail terms for United General’s executives including Joseph Kosseff were handed out the next year.
Edwards Theatres acquired the venue downgrading it to discount, sub-run status. It closed on April 12, 1999 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement with “Stepmom” and “Office Space” splitting one screen and “Prince of Egypt” and “Varsity Blues” splitting the other.
Announced a closing date of June 1, 2025.
Architect of the original triplex - Jeff Pilling of St. Cloud. The theater transitioned to a dollar house which was closed on April 26, 2001 as the Parkwood ramped up from a 10-screen house to an 18-screen megaplex.
The 491-seat New James Theatre opened on March 18, 1938 with “High, Wide and Handsome” by James E. Falls. Falls had gotten into the theater business when out of work as a young man taking on the Unique Theatre in Walton. Falls would also operate the New Kentucky Theater in Dry Ridge, as well as theaters in Williamstown and Berry. The venue was built as a streamline moderne movie house replacing the Unique and it retained that look through closure by the same family 35 years later.
The James did get new ownership briefly in the 1960s though closing in 1963. The venue reopened twice; the first time was in 1965 operating into the early 1970s on weekends only closing in 1971. It then reopened in 1974 by the - then - late Mr. Falls' widow, Alva Falls, who had handled the booking of the theater back in the 1950s. The James Theatre closed on Oct. 6, 1974 with “Devil’s Angels.” The Walton I.G.A. grocery store moved into the space in 1975. It has since been demolished.
James E. Falls of the theater in Walton opened the New Kentucky Theater on April 24, 1936 with “Thanks a Million.“ The theater scuffled after the War closing as a movie house on September 19, 1948 with "I Walk Alone.” It continues with some live country music events and a community center whose use is discontinued in the 1950s.
The venue was called the Ideal Theatre and prior was the Dry Ridge Opera House. It gave away a brand new Ford Sedan in a 1921 contest and its de facto concession stand was the Clements Confectionery next door. The 1927 fire that took out ten buildings in downtown started at the dry cleaner, spread to the wood framed buildings taking out the Carlsbad Hotel, then the theatre next door along with the Clements Confectionery, the post office, and others.
The Idle Hour Theatre was the town’s first main floor movie theater location. It replaced the second floor Williamstown Opera House which had shown movies since the turn of the century and regularly during World War I. The first Idle Hour was located 203 South Main Street with 250 seatsand operated by Mr. Curran as a silent-era venue.
The second operator, the Taylors, transitioned it to sound. They then moved to get a larger seat count reopening as the “New” Idle Hour on December 3, 1937 just two blocks away as a streamlined movie house at 146 North Main. The final operator was the Cahakeres Circuit which transformed the venue into the Grant Theatre at its September 14, 1946 relaunch. It opened on a grind policy with “Rainbow Over Texas” and “The Big Noise.” They operated to its last showing on June 26, 1960. The Taylors converted the space to the new, second location for Powers Home and Auto Supply.
The building was demolished in the early 2010s.
Ralph Taylor built the ozoner naming it after his daughter, Judy Taylor. It launched June 9, 1956 with “The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing” and “Fort Yuma” supported by the Casper, the Friendly Ghost cartoon, “Red, White and Boo!” Fred and Marjorie May managed the venue and took over its ownership. (Tom P. and Lula Littleton Sutton operated the Mt. Sterling Judy Drive-In.)
Demolition in 1983
Closed May 1, 2025
Commonwealth Theatre Circuit’s Lyric Theatre “#3” was dedicated on April 24, 1930. The $100,000 venue was the sound era version of the Lyric. It completed 60 years of leasing closing on May 6, 1990 with the venue being transferred to the local university which had been hosting classes in the building. “The First Power” was the last film shown. The theatre was then relit primarily as a performance space but also playing some major Hollywood hits after making the conversion to digital projection.