The opening of the cinema claimed 2,200 seats, 2 auditoriums with 70mm projection capability (highly doubtful), and 8 THX auditoriums (lol). When Rand was raided and put out of business, inflated theater capabilities was among many of the Circuit’s transgressions. This buildout appears to be about par.
Rand’s Lewisville location was reportedly to be followed closely by new operations in Grapevine (which did open), the Bachman Lake location in Dallas (never completed), Bridge Creek in Austin (did open), Governor’s Square in Clarksville, TN (only got half of the building completed but opened with 5 screens), and Round Rock. This location made it more than a year before tax evasion took place. Two months later, the entire home office and each cinema had auctions to raise whatever funds could be gotten from the Rand locations.
The original Cosy Theatre was opened by E.L. Cooper in December of 1910 with films and 200 chairs in the Temple Building. According to the local newspaper, Dr. I.U. Temple created the space for the theater in the building by taking an existing one-story, single-purpose building and adding a floor to make it a multipurpose building in 1910; the 1906 opening date above is in error. Cooper took the south half of the building to create the nickelodeon. His neighbor was the Walsh Grocery. Cooper had other nickelodeons in Oregon including Portland and Woodburn.
Downey and Rhodes took on the Cosy and expanded its footprint to contain an uncozy 600 seats, changing the front and changing the venue’s name to the Temple Theatre on September 23, 1915. Cooper then took on the Orpheum un-retiring the Cosy nameplate in April of 1916 by renaming it as the Cosy on April 21, 1916.
Guy G. Matlock got a monopoly in local theaters by taking over the Cosy and having the Pastime, Alta, and the Temple which became the Arcade on April 21, 1917. The Cosy closed briefly during the influenza pandemic of 1918 along with all theaters locally. The Cosy then closed permanently on March 6, 1919 with Olive Thomas in “Indiscreet Corinne.” The theater’s contents went to a theater in Athena and the building was converted for retail. Greulich & Matlock’s Pendleton Amusements would open the Rivoli two years later ending the remaining late-era nickelodeon venues in town.
And the first film theater in town was the Frazer Theater (aka Frazer’s Theater) which was a live house that put on its first film show on October 31, 1905 before converting to a full-time picture show in 1906. The existing Star Theatre moved from live acts to film with fewer live acts in 1907. The first full-time movie theater that hadn’t converted from a live stage was the Dime Theater opening on October 15, 1907 followed by the longer-lasting Matlock’s Pastime Theater launching March 22, 1908.
Spiess Theatres opened The Cinema on November 6, 1981 with “The Watcher in the Woods,” “Paternity,” and “Arthur” along with its arcade, The Video Invasion. A more formal grand opening took place a bit later. On January 10, 1986, Moyer Theatres (aka Tom Moyer Luxury Theatres) took on the venue changing its name from The Cinema to Pendleton Cinemas. After its lease expiry in 2001, Bruce Humphrey’s Destiny Theatres took on the location. It closed on July 2, 2015.
Pendleton Amusement’s Greulich & Matlock opened the Rivoli Theatre to the plans of Sutton & Whitney, architects from Portland. Originally planned as a 1,500 seat road show house that could stage both live events and major films, funding fell short and they landed on the Rivoli, a $110,000, 850-seat movie house at opening on September 10, 1921 with Mary Elden in “The Old Nest.” The operators bought the same 2 manual 7 rank Wurlitzer pipe organ as Sid Grauman did in his L.A. Million Dollar Theater with Henri G. LeBel playing on opening night. The Nifty Nook candy shop in the theatre served as the de facto concession provider.
Under Fox West Coast Theatres, the venue installed sound in September of 1928 to remain viable and widescreen projection in the 1950s to compete against television. Operators closed the venue in February of 1970 for a major refresh entirely gutting the interior of the theater eliminating the balcony and reducing seat count. That theater opened as the New Rivoli Theatre on December 25, 1970 with “Dirty Dingus McGee.” In 1978, the “New” was dropped.
Owner of the United Artists, Marie Hutchens took on the venue selling both the United Artists - which became a church - and, in 1982, the Rivoli to Ferris Elckel who bought it for $65,000 (and $25,000 additional for projection) who reopened it was the Centre Theatre on August 27, 1982 as the Centre Theatre. The theater wasn’t a hit and was twinned becoming the Centre Twin Theatre on May 27, 1983. With folks off to the newer theater, the Centre closed August 25, 1984. It was sold in 1987 for just $28,000.
The venue was purchased in 2010 and donated as a non-profit renovation project in 2011 that has since reopened.
Launched Feb. 7, 1936 with “The Bride Comes Home” and “Let ‘em Have It.“ Harry A. Herzog was the architect of the streamline moderne venue. The theatre was on the rocks closing at the end of lease on November 5, 1981 with “Arthur.”
Fox West Coast Theatres took over the venue - and the Rivoli - from the Matlock’s in 1927 on a 15-year sublease. West Coast took the Alta into the sound era in July 2, 1929 to remain altaviable. Silva Matlock then took back the venues operating to her retirement in 1958
Indeed… and then Cineplex Odeon sublet the Goose Creek Cinemas 6, the Plitt 4 (later San Jacinto 4) and Baytown 6 (San Jacinto 6) plexes to Cineco, an independent from Dallas on July 24, 1996. Cineco then dropped the Goose Creek 6 in 1997 with the lease reverting to Cineplex Odeon - which would soon be purchased by Loews forming Loews Cineplex. That entity decided not to reopen the Goose Creek ending its run at the 15-year opt out of that leasing arrangement. Cineco then dropped the San Jacinto 4 and 6 at the end of January 1999. Loews Cineplex exercised their leasing rights on both of those properties.
Fortunately, there was just enough time to rush the short subjects to safety (unconfirmed). The venue was also known as the Nu Gulf Theater - without the hyphen. And, in case it comes up, there had been a plain old, Gulf Theatre, in town as well.
Capacity 1,436 - 2x 258 and 4x 230 auditoria. Cinemark took on the venue on August 26, 1983. Plitt Theatres took on the - then - Cinemark locations becoming the Goose Creek Cinemas 6 on January 1, 1984.
The Alamo Theater was opened August 29, 1937 with “God’s Country and the Woman” supported by the Disney Silly Symphony, “Woodland Café,” the Pete Smith comedy, “Ski Skill” and the Robert Benchley short, “Romance of Digestion.”
The Alamo had replaced the Nu-Gulf Theatre that had blown up a year earlier. Both were located in the Tri-Cities town of Pelly which was folded - along with the other two Tri-Cities of Baytown and Goose Creek - into the singular, Baytown, in 1948. A year later, the Alamo Theatre of Baytown closed on October 2, 1949.
D.T. Carmody opened the Capitol Theatre on January 25, 1923. (It was never the Carmody Theater, btw.) The Capitol was equipped for Movietone sound on April 10, 1929 to remain viable. It was converted to widescreen to play VistaVision and other wide format formats in 1954.
The Capitol closed initially on May 17, 1956. It was given a refresh relaunching on March 14, 1957 before closing permanently in 1957. Carter Oil Co. purchased the property and exercised an option in 1959 to demolish the building. That took place in May of 1959.
Tom Moyer’s Luxury Theatres launched the Bend Cinemas on July 1, 1977 with one 400-seat auditorium and two 200-seat auditoriums for a total of 800 seats. It was often referred to as the Bend Tri-Cinemas though rarely in ads.
In 1989, the Act III Theatres purchased the Luxury Theatre Circuit with the the venue becoming the Act III Bend Cinemas on November 3, 1989. On December 21, 1994, the venue was officially marketed as the Act III Bend Tri-Cinemas.
Act III was purchased by Regal Cinemas in 1998 with the name of this venue changing to the Regal Bend Tri-Cinemas officially on January 8, 1999. The Regal Bend Tri-Cinemas closed on June 14, 2000 with “U-571,” “Road Trip,” and “Frequency” and superseded by the Old Mill 10 that opened nine days later. After two years of vacancy, the venue was split up as a mixed-use facility.
The Lux opened with “Those Daring Daughters” on July 17, 1948. It closed on a grind policy on November 21, 1985 with a triple feature of “Shaolin Avenger,” “Mean Kung Fu Machine” and “D.A.R.Y.L.”
Mountain View Mall opened theatre-lessly in 1979. In an expansion announced the next year, Nor-Cal Theatres - operators of the neighboring Encore and Fine Arts Theatres in downtown Bend - built a non-descript 880-seat quad theater. The theater opened April 3, 1981 in that expansion joining Kmart which had opened two days prior on April 1, 1981.
Act III Theatres Circuit took on the venue on April 20, 1993. It closed for a refresh in early 1994 and would become the Act III Mountain View 4. Act III was purchased by Regal Cinemas in 1998 with the name of this venue changing to the Regal Mountain View 4 officially on January 8, 1999. In 2000, the venue’s policy was downgraded to that of a discount, sub-run theatre with the 10-screen Old Mill being the place to see new films.
The Mountain View Mall limped into the 21st century with initial 20-year leases ending and nobody allowed to sign extensions due to SIMA Corporation’s purchase of the facility in 1998 and subsequent announcement that the interior mall would be eliminated. Regal was allowed to ankle the location, closing October 11, 2001. The Mountain View Mall was restructured at its 25-year mark as the Cascade Village Shopping Center. For all intense and purposes, the former Regal Mountain View 4 was demolished.
“Still in operation as a silent movie theatre in 1932…” Were it true, that would be quite a story. Guessy date aside, Bend Theatres - operators of the Liberty and Capitol - closed the Grand without converting it to sound with Hoot Gibson in “Burning the Wind” on February 27, 1929. The venue was used for sporadic live events until 1931 when its 15-year lease expired. It was converted to a short-lived dance hall called the New Palace at that time.
The origins of the Grand date back to its former life as the Dream Theatre. When Hugh O'Kane built the multi-purpose O'Kane Building, L.C. Rudow moved the Dream there which was supposed to have been the New Dream; but Grand became its name just a day or two prior to the relaunch on December 9, 1916. The old Dream Theatre was retrofitted as a fraternal lodge for the Moose Club.
The Encore launched on March 17, 1972 with “T.R. Baskin” and “Friends“ (not X-rated). Wall Street Theatres, operators of the Fine Arts, found audiences didn’t want an Encore after the December 26, 1982 showing of “Still of the Night.” A cartoon matinee featuring “Heidi’s Song” and assorted cartoons for the kiddies had taken place earlier that day. The venue was still used for occasional events and limited, special purpose screenings thereafter.
A benefit concert ends things following the expiry of the venue’s 25-year leasing agreement on August 10, 1985. It followed the venue’s last double-feature film showing of “The Last Dragon” and “Clonus Horror” on August 4, 1985.
Operational years under the Vista Theatre nameplate was from 1933 to 1982 by Alvin B. Stockdale who also opened the Gay Drive-In. The venue was purchased by Russell Fordwho changed it back to the OK Theatre beginning on May 1, 1982. The venue closed as a regular movie house with “Bolt” on December 28, 2008. It reopened with a mixture of repertory and special programming films and live events. It then shifted to live events only thereafter.
Closed May 29, 1980 with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” The operator concentrated on the new Hermiston Tri-Cinema in nearby Hermiston that opened soon thereafter.
The opening of the cinema claimed 2,200 seats, 2 auditoriums with 70mm projection capability (highly doubtful), and 8 THX auditoriums (lol). When Rand was raided and put out of business, inflated theater capabilities was among many of the Circuit’s transgressions. This buildout appears to be about par.
Rand’s Lewisville location was reportedly to be followed closely by new operations in Grapevine (which did open), the Bachman Lake location in Dallas (never completed), Bridge Creek in Austin (did open), Governor’s Square in Clarksville, TN (only got half of the building completed but opened with 5 screens), and Round Rock. This location made it more than a year before tax evasion took place. Two months later, the entire home office and each cinema had auctions to raise whatever funds could be gotten from the Rand locations.
Renovation scrapped. Permanently closed.
The original Cosy Theatre was opened by E.L. Cooper in December of 1910 with films and 200 chairs in the Temple Building. According to the local newspaper, Dr. I.U. Temple created the space for the theater in the building by taking an existing one-story, single-purpose building and adding a floor to make it a multipurpose building in 1910; the 1906 opening date above is in error. Cooper took the south half of the building to create the nickelodeon. His neighbor was the Walsh Grocery. Cooper had other nickelodeons in Oregon including Portland and Woodburn.
Downey and Rhodes took on the Cosy and expanded its footprint to contain an uncozy 600 seats, changing the front and changing the venue’s name to the Temple Theatre on September 23, 1915. Cooper then took on the Orpheum un-retiring the Cosy nameplate in April of 1916 by renaming it as the Cosy on April 21, 1916.
Guy G. Matlock got a monopoly in local theaters by taking over the Cosy and having the Pastime, Alta, and the Temple which became the Arcade on April 21, 1917. The Cosy closed briefly during the influenza pandemic of 1918 along with all theaters locally. The Cosy then closed permanently on March 6, 1919 with Olive Thomas in “Indiscreet Corinne.” The theater’s contents went to a theater in Athena and the building was converted for retail. Greulich & Matlock’s Pendleton Amusements would open the Rivoli two years later ending the remaining late-era nickelodeon venues in town.
And the first film theater in town was the Frazer Theater (aka Frazer’s Theater) which was a live house that put on its first film show on October 31, 1905 before converting to a full-time picture show in 1906. The existing Star Theatre moved from live acts to film with fewer live acts in 1907. The first full-time movie theater that hadn’t converted from a live stage was the Dime Theater opening on October 15, 1907 followed by the longer-lasting Matlock’s Pastime Theater launching March 22, 1908.
Spiess Theatres opened The Cinema on November 6, 1981 with “The Watcher in the Woods,” “Paternity,” and “Arthur” along with its arcade, The Video Invasion. A more formal grand opening took place a bit later. On January 10, 1986, Moyer Theatres (aka Tom Moyer Luxury Theatres) took on the venue changing its name from The Cinema to Pendleton Cinemas. After its lease expiry in 2001, Bruce Humphrey’s Destiny Theatres took on the location. It closed on July 2, 2015.
Pendleton Amusement’s Greulich & Matlock opened the Rivoli Theatre to the plans of Sutton & Whitney, architects from Portland. Originally planned as a 1,500 seat road show house that could stage both live events and major films, funding fell short and they landed on the Rivoli, a $110,000, 850-seat movie house at opening on September 10, 1921 with Mary Elden in “The Old Nest.” The operators bought the same 2 manual 7 rank Wurlitzer pipe organ as Sid Grauman did in his L.A. Million Dollar Theater with Henri G. LeBel playing on opening night. The Nifty Nook candy shop in the theatre served as the de facto concession provider.
Under Fox West Coast Theatres, the venue installed sound in September of 1928 to remain viable and widescreen projection in the 1950s to compete against television. Operators closed the venue in February of 1970 for a major refresh entirely gutting the interior of the theater eliminating the balcony and reducing seat count. That theater opened as the New Rivoli Theatre on December 25, 1970 with “Dirty Dingus McGee.” In 1978, the “New” was dropped.
Owner of the United Artists, Marie Hutchens took on the venue selling both the United Artists - which became a church - and, in 1982, the Rivoli to Ferris Elckel who bought it for $65,000 (and $25,000 additional for projection) who reopened it was the Centre Theatre on August 27, 1982 as the Centre Theatre. The theater wasn’t a hit and was twinned becoming the Centre Twin Theatre on May 27, 1983. With folks off to the newer theater, the Centre closed August 25, 1984. It was sold in 1987 for just $28,000.
The venue was purchased in 2010 and donated as a non-profit renovation project in 2011 that has since reopened.
Launched Feb. 7, 1936 with “The Bride Comes Home” and “Let ‘em Have It.“ Harry A. Herzog was the architect of the streamline moderne venue. The theatre was on the rocks closing at the end of lease on November 5, 1981 with “Arthur.”
Fox West Coast Theatres took over the venue - and the Rivoli - from the Matlock’s in 1927 on a 15-year sublease. West Coast took the Alta into the sound era in July 2, 1929 to remain altaviable. Silva Matlock then took back the venues operating to her retirement in 1958
Indeed… and then Cineplex Odeon sublet the Goose Creek Cinemas 6, the Plitt 4 (later San Jacinto 4) and Baytown 6 (San Jacinto 6) plexes to Cineco, an independent from Dallas on July 24, 1996. Cineco then dropped the Goose Creek 6 in 1997 with the lease reverting to Cineplex Odeon - which would soon be purchased by Loews forming Loews Cineplex. That entity decided not to reopen the Goose Creek ending its run at the 15-year opt out of that leasing arrangement. Cineco then dropped the San Jacinto 4 and 6 at the end of January 1999. Loews Cineplex exercised their leasing rights on both of those properties.
The Laport Theatre was still operating in the 1980s showing Spanish language films. It’s correct address is 430 W. Main Street.
Fortunately, there was just enough time to rush the short subjects to safety (unconfirmed). The venue was also known as the Nu Gulf Theater - without the hyphen. And, in case it comes up, there had been a plain old, Gulf Theatre, in town as well.
Capacity 1,436 - 2x 258 and 4x 230 auditoria. Cinemark took on the venue on August 26, 1983. Plitt Theatres took on the - then - Cinemark locations becoming the Goose Creek Cinemas 6 on January 1, 1984.
The Alamo Theater was opened August 29, 1937 with “God’s Country and the Woman” supported by the Disney Silly Symphony, “Woodland Café,” the Pete Smith comedy, “Ski Skill” and the Robert Benchley short, “Romance of Digestion.”
The Alamo had replaced the Nu-Gulf Theatre that had blown up a year earlier. Both were located in the Tri-Cities town of Pelly which was folded - along with the other two Tri-Cities of Baytown and Goose Creek - into the singular, Baytown, in 1948. A year later, the Alamo Theatre of Baytown closed on October 2, 1949.
The Bay Theatre launched on June 4, 1942 with Gene Tierney in “Rings on Her Finger”
D.T. Carmody opened the Capitol Theatre on January 25, 1923. (It was never the Carmody Theater, btw.) The Capitol was equipped for Movietone sound on April 10, 1929 to remain viable. It was converted to widescreen to play VistaVision and other wide format formats in 1954.
The Capitol closed initially on May 17, 1956. It was given a refresh relaunching on March 14, 1957 before closing permanently in 1957. Carter Oil Co. purchased the property and exercised an option in 1959 to demolish the building. That took place in May of 1959.
Held a first look on November 16, 2004 opening with “Shaun of the Dead” and a grand opening two days later.
Tom Moyer’s Luxury Theatres launched the Bend Cinemas on July 1, 1977 with one 400-seat auditorium and two 200-seat auditoriums for a total of 800 seats. It was often referred to as the Bend Tri-Cinemas though rarely in ads.
In 1989, the Act III Theatres purchased the Luxury Theatre Circuit with the the venue becoming the Act III Bend Cinemas on November 3, 1989. On December 21, 1994, the venue was officially marketed as the Act III Bend Tri-Cinemas.
Act III was purchased by Regal Cinemas in 1998 with the name of this venue changing to the Regal Bend Tri-Cinemas officially on January 8, 1999. The Regal Bend Tri-Cinemas closed on June 14, 2000 with “U-571,” “Road Trip,” and “Frequency” and superseded by the Old Mill 10 that opened nine days later. After two years of vacancy, the venue was split up as a mixed-use facility.
The Lux opened with “Those Daring Daughters” on July 17, 1948. It closed on a grind policy on November 21, 1985 with a triple feature of “Shaolin Avenger,” “Mean Kung Fu Machine” and “D.A.R.Y.L.”
Mountain View Mall opened theatre-lessly in 1979. In an expansion announced the next year, Nor-Cal Theatres - operators of the neighboring Encore and Fine Arts Theatres in downtown Bend - built a non-descript 880-seat quad theater. The theater opened April 3, 1981 in that expansion joining Kmart which had opened two days prior on April 1, 1981.
Act III Theatres Circuit took on the venue on April 20, 1993. It closed for a refresh in early 1994 and would become the Act III Mountain View 4. Act III was purchased by Regal Cinemas in 1998 with the name of this venue changing to the Regal Mountain View 4 officially on January 8, 1999. In 2000, the venue’s policy was downgraded to that of a discount, sub-run theatre with the 10-screen Old Mill being the place to see new films.
The Mountain View Mall limped into the 21st century with initial 20-year leases ending and nobody allowed to sign extensions due to SIMA Corporation’s purchase of the facility in 1998 and subsequent announcement that the interior mall would be eliminated. Regal was allowed to ankle the location, closing October 11, 2001. The Mountain View Mall was restructured at its 25-year mark as the Cascade Village Shopping Center. For all intense and purposes, the former Regal Mountain View 4 was demolished.
“Still in operation as a silent movie theatre in 1932…” Were it true, that would be quite a story. Guessy date aside, Bend Theatres - operators of the Liberty and Capitol - closed the Grand without converting it to sound with Hoot Gibson in “Burning the Wind” on February 27, 1929. The venue was used for sporadic live events until 1931 when its 15-year lease expired. It was converted to a short-lived dance hall called the New Palace at that time.
The origins of the Grand date back to its former life as the Dream Theatre. When Hugh O'Kane built the multi-purpose O'Kane Building, L.C. Rudow moved the Dream there which was supposed to have been the New Dream; but Grand became its name just a day or two prior to the relaunch on December 9, 1916. The old Dream Theatre was retrofitted as a fraternal lodge for the Moose Club.
The Encore launched on March 17, 1972 with “T.R. Baskin” and “Friends“ (not X-rated). Wall Street Theatres, operators of the Fine Arts, found audiences didn’t want an Encore after the December 26, 1982 showing of “Still of the Night.” A cartoon matinee featuring “Heidi’s Song” and assorted cartoons for the kiddies had taken place earlier that day. The venue was still used for occasional events and limited, special purpose screenings thereafter.
A benefit concert ends things following the expiry of the venue’s 25-year leasing agreement on August 10, 1985. It followed the venue’s last double-feature film showing of “The Last Dragon” and “Clonus Horror” on August 4, 1985.
Operational years under the Vista Theatre nameplate was from 1933 to 1982 by Alvin B. Stockdale who also opened the Gay Drive-In. The venue was purchased by Russell Fordwho changed it back to the OK Theatre beginning on May 1, 1982. The venue closed as a regular movie house with “Bolt” on December 28, 2008. It reopened with a mixture of repertory and special programming films and live events. It then shifted to live events only thereafter.
August 7, 1953 opening ad with “The Sea Hawk” and “The Gunfighters” in ads. The venue had space for 350 cars and featured a 60-foot screen.
Closed May 29, 1980 with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” The operator concentrated on the new Hermiston Tri-Cinema in nearby Hermiston that opened soon thereafter.
The Oasis Theatre closed in 1975