Ernest Turner opened the 550-seat Drift Theatre #2 on November 20, 1947 at a cost of $80,000 with “Last of the Red Men.” Closing date in entry not correct.
The Rex Auditorium Theatre opened in 1927 in the James Street African American business corridor in Goldsboro known as the Block within Little Washington. Little Washington was annexed in 1869 serving as a home for post-Civil War African Americans. The business corridor followed with the Block home to restaurants, barbers, and other businesses catering to an African American clientele.
The Rex was taken on by a new operator, H.B. Mitchell Theatres of Florida which operated a number of African American cinemas, in its first year. Mitchell renamed it as the Yoland Theatre mixing live stage and film content. H.R. Mason of the Mason Theatre took over the venue as its third operator in the same year making it no longer African American owned but appealing to the same audience. It was wired for sound to remain viable. Robert L. Baum took on the Rex Theatre in 1938 and gave it a streamline moderne makeover becoming the James Theatre for African American patrons in 1938. The theater suffered a fire in April of 1944 requiring a $13,000 repair for its June 26, 1944 relaunch.
The James booked virtually every African American film of the period from Sack Amusements, Astor Pictures and others. It appears to have gone out of business in 1962 or 1963.
The city’s long gestating urban renewal plan looked to be the end of the building. But as Little Washington was being demolished all around it, the theater building actually survived another 30 years being used in the 1970s as an event center mostly for boxing matches, a fraternal hall / pool hall, a storage facility. Damaged by fire in 1987, it was vacated and demolished in the early 1990s.
The Delmar Theatre opened on April 15, 1910. Retiring owner Hector M.E. Pasmezogla sold of the Delmar Theatre and Airdome at the end of a 15-year leasing option to Maurice Stahl of the Union, Mikado and Aubert Theatre. He also sold the Criterion and Congress leases to two other folks on August 3, 1925.
Stahl changed the name of the venue to the Embassy Theater and Airdome in August of 1925. Pasmezogla returned to the venue and conducted a major refresh in 1931 in which the venue lost the airdome becoming the Uptown Theater opening October 24, 1931 with “Street Scene.” Seven months later, the Uptown was sold in forecloure.
The Uptown closed on February 5, 1952 with “Outlaw Women” and “Geisha Girl.” It was used by a youth church as a house or worship and for sporadic live events.
Ralph B. Mann built the new, $52,000 Hub Drive-In Theatre in June of 1950. It was to have opened July 25, 1950 with “Neptune’s Daughter.” Two days later, McLendon Theatres took it on under new ownership but rain cancelled that opening with “Neptune’s Daughter.” The theatre actually opened on August 3, 1950 with “Julia Misbehaves.” On August 30, 1950, the screen tower was flattened by a storm. It reopened the following month.
The Palm Theatre began advertising in 1923, very likely its first year of operation. Ownership change in December of 1929 led to the first sound films being shown there on December 26, 1929.
The Peoples Theatre Circuit of Alabama purchased the theatre in September of 1938. They changed the name to the “new” Foley Theatre on September 22, 1938 with “The Texan. The “new” was dropped not long after. Regular features at the Foley Theatre stop on September 2, 1963 with “Toys in the Attic.” Since that times out with two 20-year leasing agreements, it is likely what transpired. Sporadic events take place in the venue thereafter.
Opened Nov. 5, 1946 with “It’s a Pleasure.” Fire was January 8, 1955 that ended the venue. Last screening was a double feature of “Invasion USA” and “Tales of the Whispering Pines.:”
Address on maps that will show it to users is: 4571 Co Rd 88 (though that’s next door) at the corner of County Road 88 and Church Street. Still standing.
Maybe give it a two line address: 4571 Co Rd 88 County Road 88 and Church Street
Opened as the Hamilton Twin Cinema. Expanded to a quad to a sixplex and to closed. The Fort Payne Cinemas closed March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Yes, We Will Reopen” sign was posted soon thereafter and remains in 2025. I’d go with closed.
It looks like the entry above is simply a “guessy-date” entry with information not in evidence.. I think looking at the day-to-day timeline suggests a much different timeline:
November 5, 1906 - R.G. Baron opens the new-build, Bakersfield Opera House with the live racing play, “Checkers.”
In late 1918, Charles and Cornelius Grogg of the Grogg Theatre Circuit, locally, died during the influenza pandemic. Wife of Charles, Olive Grogg, took over and decided to update both opera houses seeing that movies might be the more profitable path. The Bakersfield Opera House becomes the Bakersfield Theatre on October 19, 1919 (ad in photos). Over at Scribner’s Opera House, it is basically gutted with some elements incorporated into a movie house called the California Theatre with a $10,000 Robert Morton pipe organ for playing films opening on September 14, 1920 (it has its own entry).
Olive Grogg ends Grogg Amusement’s hold in Bakerfield selling the Pastime, Hippodrome and Bakersfield to Gore Brothers and Sol Lesser of Los Angeles in January of 1921 as the transition to West Coast Theatres occurs.
February 5, 1925 the changeover ad from the Bakersfield Theatre to the Nile Theatre takes palce with John Barrymore in “Beau Brummell” in ads (put picture in ads just to suggest a different history than the entry above) with new operators.
I don’t see any evidence of the 1927 remodeling referenced above (each day has programming without a stoppage). However, George Elliot is the operator and runs it as primarily as a live house. Late in 1928, Elliot dies and the the Nile becomes / returns to a full-time motion picture house with a refresh under new management assigned, officially, from Pacific National Theatres.
The theatre is wired for Western Electric sound in 1929. It was then given a major refresh including additional wiring for Vitaphone sound at a reopening on October 16, 1929.
Under the Fox West Coast Theatre Circuit operation, its three theaters are given overhauls in 1938. The Hippodrome was given a name change and refresh and on February 19, 1938, there is a contract for a “new” Nile Theatre at 1721 19th Street which will basically gut the former opera house. The $125,000 job to the plans of architect S. Charles Lee will make the building earthquake proof. The venue’s new projectors are on display at Weill’s Department Store to get people ready for the transition. On February 27, 1938, worker John C. Latham is killed during the demolition of the old theater’s walls.
On July 28, 1938, the New Nile Theatre with its streamline moderne design opens with “I’ll Give a Million” and “Army Girl” supported by the Disney cartoon, “The Fox Hunt.” The theatre has air conditioning and its new projection system includes Simplex audio for improved fidelity.
On February 11, 1954, the Nile Theatre is equipped for CinemaScope beginning with the film, “The Command.”
A major refresh decimates the Nile as it is twinned following a brief closure on February 11, 1976. Original elements dating back to the 1930s are sold off and the shocking new look is revealed on March 26, 1976 as the venue becomes the Nile Theatre I & II launching with “Barry Lyndon” and “…I Will for Now.”
Looks like the twin’s closing date was February 26, 1995 ending things with “Interview with a Vampire” and another feature, possibly, “Street Fighter.” And that is on best evidence - following a 90-year timeline suggesting a 20-year initial lease ownership transferred from Grogg to West Coast in February 1925 all the way to an end of lease closure (likely a 30-year and two 20-year) to February of 1995.
Please understand that to most these nuances and, overall, this information is not particularly significant or worth noting; but, also, guessing dates should be listed as “guessy” instead of stated boldly as fact.
Landmark Theatres announced a February 23, 2025 closing date as it continued to ramp down operations as streaming decimated the art house theatrical industry in the 2020s.
At 211 North Main, the Kentucky Theatre launched by Strand Enterprises Circuit and Gordon D. Rowland on December 15, 1925. Schine Circuit took it on in 1938 as Schine’s Kentucky Theatre. It closed in 1941. The circuit was forced to sell the Viv theatre promoting it to reopen August 8, 1942. It closed during the War.
The Plaza Cinemas closed at the expiry of a 25-year leasing agreement with “Critique du Soleil: Worlds Away,” “Alex Cross,” The Perks of Being a Wallflower,“ “Sinister,” “Skyfall,” “Playing for Keeps,” “Flight,” and “Rise of the Guardians.” The building was demolished in February of 2013.
An ambitious $18 million project announced in 1957 was the Brunswick Plaza, a shopping and residential mecca with the 34-store Brunswick Mall, as drawn in planning stages. The facility opened theatre-less as the Brunswick Plaza - eschewing the enclosed mall route for a shopping center. Fast-forward to 1971 where the Jerry Lewis theatre circuit made its foray into Northeastern Ohio right here in the Brunswick Plaza.
Ernest and John Konkil were the lucky franchisees of the Lewis single screener with 350-seats and automated equipment making ownership a snap… at least according to the sales literature. The Jerry Lewis Cinema opened on February 20, 1972 with John Wayne in “Rio Lobo” & Ron Ely in Tarzan’s Deadly Silence". Lewis stated of his chain of franchised theaters, “I want to leave my children something (and) I’ll leave them dollars; but I wanted to leave them something standing.“ So this was it!
And this location’s lasting Jerry Lewis signage would outlast a number of other locations with his face - 14 full months! By that point, The Lewis Circuit’s parent company, Network Cinema Corp., had disconnected its phones leaving franchisees miffed. Sorry Jerry’s real kids, the Lewis signage was removed for its rebranding on May 18, 1973 as the Brunswick Cinema.
Multiple lawsuits were the end of Jerry Lewis Cinemas. Network Cinema Corp. filed for bankruptcy on June 14, 1973 with the Lewis circuit imploding a year later. The Brunswick location had likely broken its initial lease opting for a renegotiated lease at its rebranding. The Brunswick Cinema closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement on May 1, 2003 with “Piglet’s Big Movie” and “Bringing Down the House" bringing down the house.
The venue became Polaris Christian Church Cinema on December 26, 2003 with a screening of Gus Van Sant’s “The Elephant.” That cinema effort was short-lived. It then became Faith Walk Church in 2014 lasting into 2024.
So while Jerry’s kids did not have any standing, branded theaters with his likeness upon his death, at least that had the money he had promised them decades earlier… that is until the will was read. Lewis' will stating, “I have intentionally excluded Gary Lewis, Ronald Lewis, Anthony Joseph Lewis, Christopher Joseph Lewis, Scott Anthony Lewis and Joseph Christopher Lewis and their descendants as beneficiaries of my estate, it being my intention that they shall receive no benefits hereunder.” Both Jerry’s disinherited kids and bamboozled cinema owners were strange bedfellows who were not laughing with the “king of comedy.”
The Chuck entry above seems a bit vague / off. My research indicates that Grover Wise of the Alcazar, Odeon, and Royal theaters decided the time was right for Birmingham to have a new-build, suburban movie house. Based on plans by architect B.B. Burnham, he opened the modernistic and suburban West End Family Theater on December 24, 1923. The 450-seat venue was a new-build theater costing some $45,000 and dropping “family” immediately. The venue was equipped with sound to remain viable and received a streamline moderne makeover in the 1930s which could explain the increased seating count or might not. On September 27, 1957, it was renamed Gary’s West End Theater" under new operator Arnold Gary. That continued until July 1963 when it resumed under the West End Theatre nameplate.
After a refresh by a new operator, the 42-year old theater became the Cinema Theatre on March 21, 1965 using the motto, “We bring the good ones back.” The venue was trying to capitalize on the suburban theater trend by having the veneer of a new cinema. It opened with “Incredible Journey” and “Advance to the Rear" on July 8, 1965. But patrons saw through the facade and the Cinema Theatre appears to have ended on January 6, 1966 with “The Checkered Flag” and “Trigger Happy.”
The venue was retrofitted for retail purposes. That ended on June 2, 2005 when a neighboring store caught on fire ending the retail Spivey Hobby store and took the former theater with it.
The Chuck entry can certainly stay as is and this can be an alternative viewpoint.
A group of investors decided in 1971 the time was right to convert the Copp Farm to a Shangri-La ski resort, tennis club, health spa, and lakefront residences. Professional Investors Syndicate would build a 150' ski hill and associate a hotel on the property. The planned Scotsland Resort Hotel would also include a twin-screen cinema. This was not uncommon in the suburban theater boom of the late 1960s and 1970s featuring one and two screen cinemas with reduced seat count, luxury seating, and - in some cases - large format and/or stereo presentations.
Back in the early 1970s, the rise of hotel-site cinemas was a big thing. Three conditions allowed that. The first was the use of safety film leading to far fewer fatal movie theater explosions that decimated theaters and, often, neighboring buildings. The second was a switch to automated projection booth equipment allowing operators to circumvent or lessen the reliance on union projectionists. And third was that the downtown theaters were in retreat due to limited parking, decaying interiors, and too-high seat count that made some movie outings seem eerily empty. So hotels, casinos and other properties built automated theaters to take advantage of abundant free parking and a nearby clientele.
And the Scotsland group found an operator who would open a clean and modern two-screen cinema. But then the project stopped suddenly in 1973 with unpaid bills and court dates. When the project resumed and the investors mostly looking from the outside in, James D. Gudmundson and his independent Scotsland Cinema I & II opened on April 5, 1974 with “The Sting” and a double-feature “Superdad” and “Son of Flubber”. Ad in photos. Auditorium I had a total of 435 seats and II had 306 seats for a toal of 741 seats. The exterior was modern and the interior was a rustic-designed venue to fit in with the Scotsland Resort Complex which wouldn’t open until the theater’s third week operation and its grand opening May 1, 1974.
The cinema survived the chop that Scotsland found itself in. Just seven months into its run, Princess Hotels became the new operator of the resort. In September of 1976, the complex was rebranded as the Olympia Resort Hotel. It had new operators in 1980 and somehow lasted far longer than it should have. The Cinema closed permanently as the Scotsland Cinemas on March 10, 1996 with “Muppet Treasure Island” and “Broken Arrow.” (BTW, I see no evidence that it was ever called the Scotsland Theatres.) The hotel skidded to closure in January of 2018 in disrepair and dated. The resort was mercifully demolished in 2021.
Ernest Turner opened the 550-seat Drift Theatre #2 on November 20, 1947 at a cost of $80,000 with “Last of the Red Men.” Closing date in entry not correct.
Opened Nov 20, 1947 with “Last of the Red Men”
The Rex Auditorium Theatre opened in 1927 in the James Street African American business corridor in Goldsboro known as the Block within Little Washington. Little Washington was annexed in 1869 serving as a home for post-Civil War African Americans. The business corridor followed with the Block home to restaurants, barbers, and other businesses catering to an African American clientele.
The Rex was taken on by a new operator, H.B. Mitchell Theatres of Florida which operated a number of African American cinemas, in its first year. Mitchell renamed it as the Yoland Theatre mixing live stage and film content. H.R. Mason of the Mason Theatre took over the venue as its third operator in the same year making it no longer African American owned but appealing to the same audience. It was wired for sound to remain viable. Robert L. Baum took on the Rex Theatre in 1938 and gave it a streamline moderne makeover becoming the James Theatre for African American patrons in 1938. The theater suffered a fire in April of 1944 requiring a $13,000 repair for its June 26, 1944 relaunch.
The James booked virtually every African American film of the period from Sack Amusements, Astor Pictures and others. It appears to have gone out of business in 1962 or 1963.
The city’s long gestating urban renewal plan looked to be the end of the building. But as Little Washington was being demolished all around it, the theater building actually survived another 30 years being used in the 1970s as an event center mostly for boxing matches, a fraternal hall / pool hall, a storage facility. Damaged by fire in 1987, it was vacated and demolished in the early 1990s.
The first 109 years were golden… the back 5 years not so much as the Scenic exits after 114 years. “Dogman” ended things on March 2, 2025.
The Delmar Theatre opened on April 15, 1910. Retiring owner Hector M.E. Pasmezogla sold of the Delmar Theatre and Airdome at the end of a 15-year leasing option to Maurice Stahl of the Union, Mikado and Aubert Theatre. He also sold the Criterion and Congress leases to two other folks on August 3, 1925.
Stahl changed the name of the venue to the Embassy Theater and Airdome in August of 1925. Pasmezogla returned to the venue and conducted a major refresh in 1931 in which the venue lost the airdome becoming the Uptown Theater opening October 24, 1931 with “Street Scene.” Seven months later, the Uptown was sold in forecloure.
The Uptown closed on February 5, 1952 with “Outlaw Women” and “Geisha Girl.” It was used by a youth church as a house or worship and for sporadic live events.
Ralph B. Mann built the new, $52,000 Hub Drive-In Theatre in June of 1950. It was to have opened July 25, 1950 with “Neptune’s Daughter.” Two days later, McLendon Theatres took it on under new ownership but rain cancelled that opening with “Neptune’s Daughter.” The theatre actually opened on August 3, 1950 with “Julia Misbehaves.” On August 30, 1950, the screen tower was flattened by a storm. It reopened the following month.
The Palm Theatre began advertising in 1923, very likely its first year of operation. Ownership change in December of 1929 led to the first sound films being shown there on December 26, 1929.
The Peoples Theatre Circuit of Alabama purchased the theatre in September of 1938. They changed the name to the “new” Foley Theatre on September 22, 1938 with “The Texan. The “new” was dropped not long after. Regular features at the Foley Theatre stop on September 2, 1963 with “Toys in the Attic.” Since that times out with two 20-year leasing agreements, it is likely what transpired. Sporadic events take place in the venue thereafter.
Opened Nov. 5, 1946 with “It’s a Pleasure.” Fire was January 8, 1955 that ended the venue. Last screening was a double feature of “Invasion USA” and “Tales of the Whispering Pines.:”
Address: 14521 AL-68, Crossville, AL 35962
Closed in 1956 and became a short-lived doctor’s office that year
aka Hamilton’s Drive-In
Address on maps that will show it to users is: 4571 Co Rd 88 (though that’s next door) at the corner of County Road 88 and Church Street. Still standing.
Maybe give it a two line address:
4571 Co Rd 88
County Road 88 and Church Street
Opened as the Hamilton Twin Cinema. Expanded to a quad to a sixplex and to closed. The Fort Payne Cinemas closed March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Yes, We Will Reopen” sign was posted soon thereafter and remains in 2025. I’d go with closed.
It looks like the entry above is simply a “guessy-date” entry with information not in evidence.. I think looking at the day-to-day timeline suggests a much different timeline:
November 5, 1906 - R.G. Baron opens the new-build, Bakersfield Opera House with the live racing play, “Checkers.”
In late 1918, Charles and Cornelius Grogg of the Grogg Theatre Circuit, locally, died during the influenza pandemic. Wife of Charles, Olive Grogg, took over and decided to update both opera houses seeing that movies might be the more profitable path. The Bakersfield Opera House becomes the Bakersfield Theatre on October 19, 1919 (ad in photos). Over at Scribner’s Opera House, it is basically gutted with some elements incorporated into a movie house called the California Theatre with a $10,000 Robert Morton pipe organ for playing films opening on September 14, 1920 (it has its own entry).
Olive Grogg ends Grogg Amusement’s hold in Bakerfield selling the Pastime, Hippodrome and Bakersfield to Gore Brothers and Sol Lesser of Los Angeles in January of 1921 as the transition to West Coast Theatres occurs.
February 5, 1925 the changeover ad from the Bakersfield Theatre to the Nile Theatre takes palce with John Barrymore in “Beau Brummell” in ads (put picture in ads just to suggest a different history than the entry above) with new operators.
I don’t see any evidence of the 1927 remodeling referenced above (each day has programming without a stoppage). However, George Elliot is the operator and runs it as primarily as a live house. Late in 1928, Elliot dies and the the Nile becomes / returns to a full-time motion picture house with a refresh under new management assigned, officially, from Pacific National Theatres.
The theatre is wired for Western Electric sound in 1929. It was then given a major refresh including additional wiring for Vitaphone sound at a reopening on October 16, 1929.
Under the Fox West Coast Theatre Circuit operation, its three theaters are given overhauls in 1938. The Hippodrome was given a name change and refresh and on February 19, 1938, there is a contract for a “new” Nile Theatre at 1721 19th Street which will basically gut the former opera house. The $125,000 job to the plans of architect S. Charles Lee will make the building earthquake proof. The venue’s new projectors are on display at Weill’s Department Store to get people ready for the transition. On February 27, 1938, worker John C. Latham is killed during the demolition of the old theater’s walls.
On July 28, 1938, the New Nile Theatre with its streamline moderne design opens with “I’ll Give a Million” and “Army Girl” supported by the Disney cartoon, “The Fox Hunt.” The theatre has air conditioning and its new projection system includes Simplex audio for improved fidelity.
On February 11, 1954, the Nile Theatre is equipped for CinemaScope beginning with the film, “The Command.”
A major refresh decimates the Nile as it is twinned following a brief closure on February 11, 1976. Original elements dating back to the 1930s are sold off and the shocking new look is revealed on March 26, 1976 as the venue becomes the Nile Theatre I & II launching with “Barry Lyndon” and “…I Will for Now.”
Looks like the twin’s closing date was February 26, 1995 ending things with “Interview with a Vampire” and another feature, possibly, “Street Fighter.” And that is on best evidence - following a 90-year timeline suggesting a 20-year initial lease ownership transferred from Grogg to West Coast in February 1925 all the way to an end of lease closure (likely a 30-year and two 20-year) to February of 1995.
Please understand that to most these nuances and, overall, this information is not particularly significant or worth noting; but, also, guessing dates should be listed as “guessy” instead of stated boldly as fact.
Landmark Theatres announced a February 23, 2025 closing date as it continued to ramp down operations as streaming decimated the art house theatrical industry in the 2020s.
At 211 North Main, the Kentucky Theatre launched by Strand Enterprises Circuit and Gordon D. Rowland on December 15, 1925. Schine Circuit took it on in 1938 as Schine’s Kentucky Theatre. It closed in 1941. The circuit was forced to sell the Viv theatre promoting it to reopen August 8, 1942. It closed during the War.
The Plaza Cinemas closed at the expiry of a 25-year leasing agreement with “Critique du Soleil: Worlds Away,” “Alex Cross,” The Perks of Being a Wallflower,“ “Sinister,” “Skyfall,” “Playing for Keeps,” “Flight,” and “Rise of the Guardians.” The building was demolished in February of 2013.
First draft architectural drawings of this venue are attributed to Wengber, Teare & Fischer; Opened October 19, 1966 (not 1965)
First draft architectural drawings are attributed to Wengber, Teare & Fischer
An ambitious $18 million project announced in 1957 was the Brunswick Plaza, a shopping and residential mecca with the 34-store Brunswick Mall, as drawn in planning stages. The facility opened theatre-less as the Brunswick Plaza - eschewing the enclosed mall route for a shopping center. Fast-forward to 1971 where the Jerry Lewis theatre circuit made its foray into Northeastern Ohio right here in the Brunswick Plaza.
Ernest and John Konkil were the lucky franchisees of the Lewis single screener with 350-seats and automated equipment making ownership a snap… at least according to the sales literature. The Jerry Lewis Cinema opened on February 20, 1972 with John Wayne in “Rio Lobo” & Ron Ely in Tarzan’s Deadly Silence". Lewis stated of his chain of franchised theaters, “I want to leave my children something (and) I’ll leave them dollars; but I wanted to leave them something standing.“ So this was it!
And this location’s lasting Jerry Lewis signage would outlast a number of other locations with his face - 14 full months! By that point, The Lewis Circuit’s parent company, Network Cinema Corp., had disconnected its phones leaving franchisees miffed. Sorry Jerry’s real kids, the Lewis signage was removed for its rebranding on May 18, 1973 as the Brunswick Cinema.
Multiple lawsuits were the end of Jerry Lewis Cinemas. Network Cinema Corp. filed for bankruptcy on June 14, 1973 with the Lewis circuit imploding a year later. The Brunswick location had likely broken its initial lease opting for a renegotiated lease at its rebranding. The Brunswick Cinema closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement on May 1, 2003 with “Piglet’s Big Movie” and “Bringing Down the House" bringing down the house.
The venue became Polaris Christian Church Cinema on December 26, 2003 with a screening of Gus Van Sant’s “The Elephant.” That cinema effort was short-lived. It then became Faith Walk Church in 2014 lasting into 2024.
So while Jerry’s kids did not have any standing, branded theaters with his likeness upon his death, at least that had the money he had promised them decades earlier… that is until the will was read. Lewis' will stating, “I have intentionally excluded Gary Lewis, Ronald Lewis, Anthony Joseph Lewis, Christopher Joseph Lewis, Scott Anthony Lewis and Joseph Christopher Lewis and their descendants as beneficiaries of my estate, it being my intention that they shall receive no benefits hereunder.” Both Jerry’s disinherited kids and bamboozled cinema owners were strange bedfellows who were not laughing with the “king of comedy.”
(It was an outparcel building, btw)
The Chuck entry above seems a bit vague / off. My research indicates that Grover Wise of the Alcazar, Odeon, and Royal theaters decided the time was right for Birmingham to have a new-build, suburban movie house. Based on plans by architect B.B. Burnham, he opened the modernistic and suburban West End Family Theater on December 24, 1923. The 450-seat venue was a new-build theater costing some $45,000 and dropping “family” immediately. The venue was equipped with sound to remain viable and received a streamline moderne makeover in the 1930s which could explain the increased seating count or might not. On September 27, 1957, it was renamed Gary’s West End Theater" under new operator Arnold Gary. That continued until July 1963 when it resumed under the West End Theatre nameplate.
After a refresh by a new operator, the 42-year old theater became the Cinema Theatre on March 21, 1965 using the motto, “We bring the good ones back.” The venue was trying to capitalize on the suburban theater trend by having the veneer of a new cinema. It opened with “Incredible Journey” and “Advance to the Rear" on July 8, 1965. But patrons saw through the facade and the Cinema Theatre appears to have ended on January 6, 1966 with “The Checkered Flag” and “Trigger Happy.”
The venue was retrofitted for retail purposes. That ended on June 2, 2005 when a neighboring store caught on fire ending the retail Spivey Hobby store and took the former theater with it.
The Chuck entry can certainly stay as is and this can be an alternative viewpoint.
Screen I - 375 seats
Screen II - 350 seats
Screen III - 186 seats
Screen IV - 160 seats Total: 1,071 seats
A group of investors decided in 1971 the time was right to convert the Copp Farm to a Shangri-La ski resort, tennis club, health spa, and lakefront residences. Professional Investors Syndicate would build a 150' ski hill and associate a hotel on the property. The planned Scotsland Resort Hotel would also include a twin-screen cinema. This was not uncommon in the suburban theater boom of the late 1960s and 1970s featuring one and two screen cinemas with reduced seat count, luxury seating, and - in some cases - large format and/or stereo presentations.
Back in the early 1970s, the rise of hotel-site cinemas was a big thing. Three conditions allowed that. The first was the use of safety film leading to far fewer fatal movie theater explosions that decimated theaters and, often, neighboring buildings. The second was a switch to automated projection booth equipment allowing operators to circumvent or lessen the reliance on union projectionists. And third was that the downtown theaters were in retreat due to limited parking, decaying interiors, and too-high seat count that made some movie outings seem eerily empty. So hotels, casinos and other properties built automated theaters to take advantage of abundant free parking and a nearby clientele.
And the Scotsland group found an operator who would open a clean and modern two-screen cinema. But then the project stopped suddenly in 1973 with unpaid bills and court dates. When the project resumed and the investors mostly looking from the outside in, James D. Gudmundson and his independent Scotsland Cinema I & II opened on April 5, 1974 with “The Sting” and a double-feature “Superdad” and “Son of Flubber”. Ad in photos. Auditorium I had a total of 435 seats and II had 306 seats for a toal of 741 seats. The exterior was modern and the interior was a rustic-designed venue to fit in with the Scotsland Resort Complex which wouldn’t open until the theater’s third week operation and its grand opening May 1, 1974.
The cinema survived the chop that Scotsland found itself in. Just seven months into its run, Princess Hotels became the new operator of the resort. In September of 1976, the complex was rebranded as the Olympia Resort Hotel. It had new operators in 1980 and somehow lasted far longer than it should have. The Cinema closed permanently as the Scotsland Cinemas on March 10, 1996 with “Muppet Treasure Island” and “Broken Arrow.” (BTW, I see no evidence that it was ever called the Scotsland Theatres.) The hotel skidded to closure in January of 2018 in disrepair and dated. The resort was mercifully demolished in 2021.
April 14, 1921 opening ad in photos with “The Greatest Love”
May 31, 1959 grand opening ad with Pajama Game and Beautiful but Dangerous in photos