The Lake Cinema actually opened on November 27, 1969 with a capacity of 740 seats, and yes it opened with Disney’s “The Love Bug” (but there was an open house one day before grand opening with a free showing of “Half A Sixpence”). It was independently operated at first led by Frank Andres of Osage Beach, who lived there since after World War II, but several years later it was taken over by the Mid-America Theatres chain. Mid-America would later open nearby Camdenton’s Lake Camdenton Cinema in December 1972. In the early-1980s, it was renamed Lake Ozark Cinema.
The Lake Ozark Cinema was twinned in 1984 after Commonwealth Theatres took over the theater and was renamed Lake Cinema Twin. This was followed by Wehrenberg Theatres in 1986 and was renamed Lake Twin Cine', which happened around the same time Wehrenberg opened the Osage Village 4 Cine'.
The Lake Twin Cine' didn’t held on much longer. On February 1, 1987 after running “Star Trek IV” at Screen 1 and “Top Gun” at Screen 2, the Lake Twin Cine' closed and was scheduled to reopen by two months, but unfortunately it never happened at all.
This started life as the Lexington Theatre. It opened in 1915 and did receive damage from a January 1923 fire.
The Lexington Theatre ran first-run features for decades and still retained its first-run mainstream policy when the nearby and short-lived Mews Art Cinema opened on September 29, 1973 on 10 Muzzy.
The Mews Art Cinema dropped art films in May 1974 when it closed for a couple of months. It reopened as The Flick on July 17, 1974 and began screening first-run features.
Both theaters merged into a twin-screen theater and became the Lexington Cinema 1 & 2 on November 15, 1974. A third screen was added on June 10, 1981 when one of its auditoriums split that caused a two-month closure to one of its screens. The film policy did had a little bit of an difference later on. As of the 1980s, it primarily ran selections of first-run and second-run features but it did added a small selection of independent features in rare occasions. Even at times, people who wanted to see a first-run feature must head to Burlington or Woburn to see it. At the time, the Lexington 1-2-3 was operated by Sack Theatres. This was followed by USA Cinemas in January 1986 and then Loews in March 1989. It was renamed the Lexington Flick in June 1990.
The Hunterdon Theatre opened its doors on June 11, 1942 with George Raft in “Broadway” (unknown if any short subjects were added). On opening day, the Ship Ahoy Minute Girls stopped by on opening day to sell war bonds and stamps to the audience. It was originally operated by the St. Cloud Amusement Company which operated 14 theaters in total across three New Jersey counties.
Eagle Properties took over the Hunterdon Theatre in 1972, but was unknown who later operated the theater in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Correction: It was never once operated by Dickinson Theatres. The Crown Cinema Corporation operated the Capitol 4 until Hollywood Theaters bought the Crown chain in September 1996.
Correction: It was never once operated by Dickinson Theatres. The Crown Cinema Corporation operated the Ramada 4 until Hollywood Theaters bought the Crown chain in September 1996.
The Twin Drive-In in Jeffersonville is a very unique twin-screen drive-in due to several reasons. At first, it had two sets of traces in a one-mile radius in two separate properties facing both the east and west sides.
The west side screen closed and was later demolished when Interstate 65 was expanded into Jeffersonville in the early 1960s, leaving the east side screen only in operation until the late-1980s or early-1990s.
The Jefferson Theatre opened its doors on December 26, 1904 with a live presentation of “Glittering Gloria” starring Ms. Isadore Rush alongside musical performances by an unknown orchestra originated from St. Louis. The Jefferson Theatre was managed by William J. Edwards who was familiar in his early show business in Jefferson City until his death in February 1913.
The Jefferson Theatre was later operated by the Dubinsky Brothers in the 1920s. It continued operating as a movie theater until 1931, and officially became a special events theater until closing in November 1935. In 1937, the Dubinsky Brothers announced that the Jefferson Theatre would reopen in July of that same year following extensive remodeling, but unfortunately it appears that the theater never reopened at all.
On December 4, 1950, the building was destroyed by a fire.
In January 1908, a deal was consummated led by 75-year-old Mr. George F. Olendorf to build Central Missouri’s second airdome on Main Street in site of a long-demolished church. The idea came shortly after the opening of Sedalia’s Airdome Theatre in May 1907, in which business people had planned on an airdome in the Missouri capital for months. Some of those who planned on the Airdome in Jefferson City are Fred Sessinghans and Stokes Griffin and his company, who would later begin construction of the Airdome on February 15, 1908. Longtime early local theater manager, William J. Edwards, replied to Olendorf that he’ll take over as the manager, but with both men connected with the enterprise, there is no question about the success thereof. Olendorf formed his own Amusement Company in Topeka, Kansas while Jefferson City’s Airdome was still under construction. His amusement company was known as the Olendorf-Bell-Ballard Amusement Company led by Olendorf himself as president, alongside 75-year-old W.W. Bell (of Pittsburg, Kansas) and 75-year-old L.F. Ballard, alongside their 1 to 5-year-old children. His business owns a circuit of airdomes in Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.
Jefferson City’s Airdome Theatre opened its doors on May 18, 1908. The Airdome had some success for its first few years, but when it reached its fourth season, personal business immediately fell and the management closed the Airdome after the 1912 season. Manager William J. Edwards later died from an illness on the morning of February 3, 1913 at his home in Jefferson City.
The Gem Electric Theatre opened its doors on August 28, 1909, and the name was later shorten to just Gem Theatre a few years later. Later taken over by the Dubinsky Brothers, the Gem Theatre did once close during the final quarter of 1935 due to renovation that started that November, and reopened in August 1937 as a dime house. Unfortunately it appears that it didn’t do as much business, and closed around a year later.
After being abandoned throughout the war and after, the Gem Theatre building received reconstruction during 1947 (with several halts due to vehicle accidents).
The old Gem Theatre received a makeover and relaunched as the Roxy Theatre on October 2, 1947 with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in “Sinbad The Sailor” with no extra short subjects. This came as a partial replacement of the short-lived Highway Theatre on Dunklin due to Highway 50 construction the following year. It had the same film policy as the Highway Theatre. At first, it was an all-year indoor theater with a primary mix of first-run and second-run features, but unfortunately it was closed in August 1948 for unknown reasons. After reopening by Durwood Theatres led by Arnold Gould on Christmas Day 1949, it became a seasonal movie house running from December to March as well as an updated film policy (running a mix of As and Bs). Unfortunately again for unknown reasons, the Roxy closed again in March 1950. It never reopened for the Winter 1950-1951 season.
NOTE: I accidentally added a duplicate page on accident, I hope they can fix it soon.
More Corrections: The Highway Theatre was the first seasonal indoor movie theater in Jefferson City, and the State Theatre is not a dominate mainstream theater. Only the Capitol Theatre is the dominant mainstream movie house in Jefferson City.
As of 1947, the State Theatre does show only a minimum of first-run features. The State Theatre is primarily a double-feature second-run house (sometimes third-run) with B things on weekends. Right after the Highway Theatre closed, the Roxy Theatre launched with a similar policy to the Highway Theatre and was also operated seasonally. The Roxy ran a mix of first-run and second-run features. Some first-run features the Roxy ran include “Fun and Fancy Free” but the Roxy did brought back some films that either came from the Highway or the Capitol, such as “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Song Of The South”. Speaking of Disney, Disney films were very spotty at the time. “Fun and Fancy Free” ran at the Roxy while “Melody Time” ran at the Capitol. Two first-runs in two theaters does make sense for a city with 43,000 people.
Cecil Hoffman was the first manager of the Skylark.
Hoffman, a native of Topeka, Kansas who lived in Jefferson City as a young boy, was lucky to be alive at the age of 18 after he accidentally swallowed a large three-inch pin into his throat while cleaning his new car on October 15, 1935. He was transported by ambulance to St. Louis where surgeons removed the pin from his throat at Barnes Hospital.
The theater needs to be added in the Mid-America Cinema Corp. previously-operated list.
The Lake Cinema actually opened on November 27, 1969 with a capacity of 740 seats, and yes it opened with Disney’s “The Love Bug” (but there was an open house one day before grand opening with a free showing of “Half A Sixpence”). It was independently operated at first led by Frank Andres of Osage Beach, who lived there since after World War II, but several years later it was taken over by the Mid-America Theatres chain. Mid-America would later open nearby Camdenton’s Lake Camdenton Cinema in December 1972. In the early-1980s, it was renamed Lake Ozark Cinema.
The Lake Ozark Cinema was twinned in 1984 after Commonwealth Theatres took over the theater and was renamed Lake Cinema Twin. This was followed by Wehrenberg Theatres in 1986 and was renamed Lake Twin Cine', which happened around the same time Wehrenberg opened the Osage Village 4 Cine'.
The Lake Twin Cine' didn’t held on much longer. On February 1, 1987 after running “Star Trek IV” at Screen 1 and “Top Gun” at Screen 2, the Lake Twin Cine' closed and was scheduled to reopen by two months, but unfortunately it never happened at all.
This actually opened as the Osage Village 4 Cine' in October 1986. A fifth screen was added in 1993 and was renamed Osage Village 5 Cine'.
Functions Update: Classics films are also presented.
The actual closing date is September 13, 1979.
This started life as the Lexington Theatre. It opened in 1915 and did receive damage from a January 1923 fire.
The Lexington Theatre ran first-run features for decades and still retained its first-run mainstream policy when the nearby and short-lived Mews Art Cinema opened on September 29, 1973 on 10 Muzzy.
Both theaters merged into a twin-screen theater and became the Lexington Cinema 1 & 2 on November 15, 1974. A third screen was added on June 10, 1981 when one of its auditoriums split that caused a two-month closure to one of its screens. The film policy did had a little bit of an difference later on. As of the 1980s, it primarily ran selections of first-run and second-run features but it did added a small selection of independent features in rare occasions. Even at times, people who wanted to see a first-run feature must head to Burlington or Woburn to see it. At the time, the Lexington 1-2-3 was operated by Sack Theatres. This was followed by USA Cinemas in January 1986 and then Loews in March 1989. It was renamed the Lexington Flick in June 1990.
The Hunterdon Theatre opened its doors on June 11, 1942 with George Raft in “Broadway” (unknown if any short subjects were added). On opening day, the Ship Ahoy Minute Girls stopped by on opening day to sell war bonds and stamps to the audience. It was originally operated by the St. Cloud Amusement Company which operated 14 theaters in total across three New Jersey counties.
Eagle Properties took over the Hunterdon Theatre in 1972, but was unknown who later operated the theater in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Closed on September 16, 1993 with “The Fugitive”.
The Ronnie’s 20 Cine nearby opened on December 22, 1999, not December 17. Special credit to Rivest.
Oh, I must be reading the wrong headline. Thanks for correcting me!
Once operated by Mid-America Theatres.
Last operated by United Artists, and closed in November 1997.
Correction: It was never once operated by Dickinson Theatres. The Crown Cinema Corporation operated the Capitol 4 until Hollywood Theaters bought the Crown chain in September 1996.
Correction: It was never once operated by Dickinson Theatres. The Crown Cinema Corporation operated the Ramada 4 until Hollywood Theaters bought the Crown chain in September 1996.
The Twin Drive-In in Jeffersonville is a very unique twin-screen drive-in due to several reasons. At first, it had two sets of traces in a one-mile radius in two separate properties facing both the east and west sides.
The west side screen closed and was later demolished when Interstate 65 was expanded into Jeffersonville in the early 1960s, leaving the east side screen only in operation until the late-1980s or early-1990s.
The actual opening date is December 17, 1999.
Opened on July 30, 1911 and closed in mid-1912.
Opened on June 6, 1911, closed on March 4, 1915.
The Jefferson Theatre opened its doors on December 26, 1904 with a live presentation of “Glittering Gloria” starring Ms. Isadore Rush alongside musical performances by an unknown orchestra originated from St. Louis. The Jefferson Theatre was managed by William J. Edwards who was familiar in his early show business in Jefferson City until his death in February 1913.
The Jefferson Theatre was later operated by the Dubinsky Brothers in the 1920s. It continued operating as a movie theater until 1931, and officially became a special events theater until closing in November 1935. In 1937, the Dubinsky Brothers announced that the Jefferson Theatre would reopen in July of that same year following extensive remodeling, but unfortunately it appears that the theater never reopened at all.
On December 4, 1950, the building was destroyed by a fire.
In January 1908, a deal was consummated led by 75-year-old Mr. George F. Olendorf to build Central Missouri’s second airdome on Main Street in site of a long-demolished church. The idea came shortly after the opening of Sedalia’s Airdome Theatre in May 1907, in which business people had planned on an airdome in the Missouri capital for months. Some of those who planned on the Airdome in Jefferson City are Fred Sessinghans and Stokes Griffin and his company, who would later begin construction of the Airdome on February 15, 1908. Longtime early local theater manager, William J. Edwards, replied to Olendorf that he’ll take over as the manager, but with both men connected with the enterprise, there is no question about the success thereof. Olendorf formed his own Amusement Company in Topeka, Kansas while Jefferson City’s Airdome was still under construction. His amusement company was known as the Olendorf-Bell-Ballard Amusement Company led by Olendorf himself as president, alongside 75-year-old W.W. Bell (of Pittsburg, Kansas) and 75-year-old L.F. Ballard, alongside their 1 to 5-year-old children. His business owns a circuit of airdomes in Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.
Jefferson City’s Airdome Theatre opened its doors on May 18, 1908. The Airdome had some success for its first few years, but when it reached its fourth season, personal business immediately fell and the management closed the Airdome after the 1912 season. Manager William J. Edwards later died from an illness on the morning of February 3, 1913 at his home in Jefferson City.
The Gem Electric Theatre opened its doors on August 28, 1909, and the name was later shorten to just Gem Theatre a few years later. Later taken over by the Dubinsky Brothers, the Gem Theatre did once close during the final quarter of 1935 due to renovation that started that November, and reopened in August 1937 as a dime house. Unfortunately it appears that it didn’t do as much business, and closed around a year later.
After being abandoned throughout the war and after, the Gem Theatre building received reconstruction during 1947 (with several halts due to vehicle accidents).
The old Gem Theatre received a makeover and relaunched as the Roxy Theatre on October 2, 1947 with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in “Sinbad The Sailor” with no extra short subjects. This came as a partial replacement of the short-lived Highway Theatre on Dunklin due to Highway 50 construction the following year. It had the same film policy as the Highway Theatre. At first, it was an all-year indoor theater with a primary mix of first-run and second-run features, but unfortunately it was closed in August 1948 for unknown reasons. After reopening by Durwood Theatres led by Arnold Gould on Christmas Day 1949, it became a seasonal movie house running from December to March as well as an updated film policy (running a mix of As and Bs). Unfortunately again for unknown reasons, the Roxy closed again in March 1950. It never reopened for the Winter 1950-1951 season.
More Corrections: The Highway Theatre was the first seasonal indoor movie theater in Jefferson City, and the State Theatre is not a dominate mainstream theater. Only the Capitol Theatre is the dominant mainstream movie house in Jefferson City.
The actual opening date is May 28, 1949.
Where’s the projection/concession booth(s)?
Cecil Hoffman was the first manager of the Skylark.