The Charwood Theatre opened under operation by Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Phelps on April 18, 1928 with “Say it With Flowers.” An opening address by the city’s mayor, Louis V. Stigall, was followed by a violin solo from Mrs. Paney Phelps Collins. The African American theater also had a tea room in the balcony for daily tea service. The very complete article about the theater said the capacity at opening was 500 (not 185).
The photo above is actually from the reopening of the Plaza Theatre after a refresh in 1960. A picture of the concession stand from the same day is also in photos.
The Village Drive-In opened July 3, 1952 by Robert Rogers. Rogers would sell the drive-in prior to season’s end. This and the hardtop theater in downtown Ennis later became one of the earlier venues for future Cinemark owner’s Lee Roy Mitchell and his long cinema exhibition career. It appears to have closed as a result of local protests about showing X-rated films in November/December of 1984.
Dallas' Valley View Center Mall had a twin-screen theater in its basement from August 17, 1973 to January 5, 1992 (I was off by six days on an earlier post - very sorry) with the General Cinema Valley View I & II. But the mall would be theater-less for more than ten years until the 2004 entry of the AMC Valley View 16. The genesis of the AMC Valley View Center theater dates back to a failed attempt in 1994 by AMC and its EDG affiliated branch to build a $94 million, 24-screen entertainment and dining mall complex between Valley View and the nearby Galleria shopping mall just west of Valley View. But the AMC project lost traction as did a previous 18-screen Cinemark theater plan for that same general area that was vetoed by the Dallas City Council.
AMC soon thereafter announced a 24-screen theater to be built in 1996 at the Prestonwood Mall just North of the Valley View and the Galleria in a $125 million facelift. Its five-screen external Prestonwood theater would be replaced inside the mall. But Prestonwood would belly flop as it shedded its anchors in 1997/8 and the mall was torn down altogether. With AMC dying with its aged 5-screen Prestonwood theater not far from the flattened mall, it announced in 1999 that it would build a 20-screen theater above Sears in the Valley View Center. The AMC Prestonwood shuttered that year.
With Valley View at 93% occupancy and nearby Prestonwood and NorthTown malls both eliminated, AMC and mall specialist Macerich, the relatively new owner of Valley View, felt the1973-built mall was a winner. When the plans to build above Sears became entangled, those plans were scrapped and the project was delayed. Macerich solved the problem by opening the middle of the mall and creating a space for AMC as the focal center of the mall two floors above above the food court. The film industry trade publication Variety warned of building theaters into aged malls as the mall shakeout was in full force entering the 21st Century.
The now 16-theater concept by Omniplan Architects — the same group responsible for the nearby Northpark Mall — finally opened May 14, 2004 with two Dallas Cowboy players and the mayor in attendance. Auditoriums all with stadium seating capacities ranged from 92 to 299 seats. Optimism abounded. But within three years – as the Variety article had predicted – Valley View would begin a gradual decent to greyfield status, an industry term akin to a “dead mall”. Macy’s – which had been in the mall just over one year – had seen enough of Valley View and quickly bailed. Then Dillards. Then JC Penney. Even the mall’s carousel in the center of the complex’s lower floor departed. The mall had just a once-free standing Sears opened in 1964 as its only retail anchor. AMC had a ghost town theater sometimes with more screens than actual customers.
In 2010, Macerich didn’t make the mall payments and it was in the hands of Bank of America. Never a good sign. AMC would change its pricing structure to a low-cost first run pricing policy ($4/$6 shows) to bring in anybody as theaters within striking distance including the Look Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse, and Studio Movie Grill “Keystone” opened to the north and east. Thanks to social media from customers and certainly not due to any AMC advertising – there was none – audiences actually began gravitating to the dying mall to watch current movies. Ten years into its life, the theater had finally found its audience.
The theater was further encouraged by a new mall owner in Beck Ventures who in 2012 planned to have AMC at the heart of a $3.5 billion transformation of Valley View that would be completed by 2017. AMC hedged its bets by announcing its AMC Village on the Parkway, a 12-screen then reduced to 9-screen luxury cinema just yards away from the former General Cinema Prestonwood / Montfort theater and 2.5 miles north of Valley View. As of 2014, it was unclear if the ambitious Valley View project would be completed by 2017 or, say, 2027, so the theater soldiered on with its low price concept and its luxury cousin Village on the Parkway opening in November of 2014. 2015 and 2016 saw Beck Ventures do nothing with the Valley View Midtown project. The lack of activity was discussed at a Dallas city council meeting in June of 2016 with Beck Ventures announcing demolition at the end of 2016 with a new, smaller 10-screen theatre proposed for the former Valley View Center spot. (Rendering of the proposed and highly unlikely AMC Midtown project, is in photos.)
Then 2017 – the year when the Midtown project was supposed to have been completed – came and went taking with the lightly-trafficked Sears store, the final remaining anchor, with it. The only action at the AMC Valley View was a downgrade – the theatre was designated as an AMC “Classic” generally associated with inherited properties from Carmike or Starplex or any other circuit that were never going to see recliners or Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. Classics were also the most likely candidates for closures at end of leases.
Then 2018 passed with Valley View demolition in progress - then stalled. But, finally, the eviction notes came for the remainder of the Valley View Center tenants who had to scram by March of 2019… except the AMC 16. The mall was further razed in 2019 with the former Valley View I & II being bulldozed along with the wing containing the former Penny’s anchor, the wing containing the Dillard’s, and the wing containing the Sears. (An earlier version of this post had those directions a bit skewed - apologies to all.) The West wing anchor (Saenger-Harris / Foley’s / Macy’s) was also removed but the adjacent southwest entry remained as a fairly creepy passageway through the ghost mall that didn’t exist. That dimly-lit passage that was without HVAC – seriously cold on frosty days and balmy on hot days, and wet on rainy days - brought cinema patrons a floor above the boarded-off food court, the dead-ended center main floor of the former mall, and – most importantly - the escalators, stairway, and elevator that offered an upward climb to the AMC facility. Fortunately, the AMC theatres retained its HVAC system allowing for comfortable auditoriums and unpredictable lobby and box office conditions.
The AMC Classic Valley View 16 closed along with the rest of the chain on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 was a challenging 100th Anniversary for the circuit with AMC shuttering numerous “Classic” name-plated and inherited locations during the Summer of 2020 as well as some of its larger AMC branded properties as it plotted its COVID-19 pandemic business strategy with reduced locations. The circuit removed its “Classic” designation from this location during the pandemic and it reopened on August 27, 2020 under its original AMC Valley View 16 moniker. Heading into a three-day 2021 Valentine’s Day and President’s Day weekend, the Valley View was ready for big business. Unfortunately, the temperatures plummeted and a rare and punishing snow storm changed the weekend from money-maker to near catastrophic. The theatre closed during that weekend and was on the ropes unable to reopen following the storm. The roof over the entry way proved to be porous and there were challenges to be found on AMC"s upper level, as well. This had to be the end of the line. Yet, somehow - and for reasons that aren’t really clear - the theatre came back to life one more time reopening on June 25, 2021.
The going wasn’t smooth in what would be the final stage of operation for the AMC Valley View 16. HVAC costs, already high due to COVID, were becoming an issue. The pathway to the parking lot became a challenge with the construction occurring and the theatre was downgraded to weekend-only operation. Parking illumination was another issue so the theatre reduced showtimes often to just two shows per day and often eliminating late shows. Cars had returned to the Valley View but mostly for the free COVID testing station just outside of the mall. That snake of cars often blocked the path to the theatre parking area. Inside the mall, the writing was on the wall on January 2, 2022. Employees – some dressed like Eskimos – braved the chilly lobby as temperatures dipped into the 20s in Dallas. Employees did not let on that the last day was occurring and conducted business as usual as the AMC Valley View and the carcass of the Valley View Center Mall passed into the night.
Speaking as someone who was there on opening day and closing day as well as way, way too many days in between, if remembered at all, the AMC Valley View 16 should be labeled as a fighter in a league with the Forum 6 Cinema at Arlington, the Nova 6 Cinemas in Moline, the Fox Theatre in Toledo’s Woodville Mall, and many, many others like it. These are the theaters that locals would have contended had gone out of business years earlier but the operator and employees fought on against shifting populations in ghost-town retail strips and malls in virtually impossible working environments yet delivering on their goals of providing cinematic moments to a cadre of patrons. We salute you, AMC Valley View 16.
The era of the dollar house multi/megaplex ended in Texas and the South with the closure of this theatre. The Silver Cinema in Denton’s Golden Triangle was the only other sub-run discount venue remaining in the State but they opted to switch their policy to first-run features. Give Cinemark loads of credit for reopening it at all in 2021 - it seemed like such a long shot. Once it reopened, the product was challenging to find for a 15-screener and the customers simply didn’t turn out.
It looks like they may have saved one year of leasing by surrendering after 29 years minus two days closing on December 16th, 2021. I’ve placed a number of shots in photos from December sensing the imminent demise of the Hollywood USA. It will be missed.
Cozy Theatre owner Will L. Levine announced the new-build Fifth Avenue Ideal Theatre project in October of 1912 launching on Feb. 13, 1913. The theater had 500 seats more than doubling the Cozy’s capacity. It was an immediate success. The “Fifth Avenue” was dropped in 1915 making it, simply, the Ideal Theatre.
So successful was the Ideal, that the theatre was re-imagined as the Ideal Theatre and Roof Garden beginning on May 4, 1915 - the roof seating was in use in the warm months when the air conditioner-less theater got too hot. During the non-summer months, the venue was called the Ideal Theatre. In the summer programmed months, it was called the Ideal Theatre Feature House and Roof Garden. (For active roof programming months, indoor presentations were played at the Ideal Theatre Feature House and the outdoor programming was at the Roof Garden.) On July 4, 1916, the venue added a two manual Hillgreen-Lane pipe organ.
The theatre was expanded and remodeled in 1917 to the plans of architect M.T. Horn. Levine conducted his summer programming at the Ideal Airdome constructed at 311 W. 6th Street to show movies from July 12, 1917 to October 27, 1917. That appears to be the only year of operation for the Ideal Airdome. The hardtop Ideal was closed for two months relaunching with seating extended to 1,000 seats and a Grand Re-Opening on January 3, 1918 as the Ideal Theatre and Roof Garden (Feature House appears to have been dropped). The rationale
Levine that decided to refresh the theatre in 1927 - on a new 30-year lease - with a Grand re-re-opening of the Ideal as the New Ideal Theatre and Roof Garden at its July 24, 1927 relaunch with “Cradle Snatchers.” On September 6, 1928, Levine installed Kuegraph sound system to keep the theatre viable playing “The Vanishing American.” The Roof Garden was dropped from the theatre’s name following the 1929 season.
Publix Theatres Circuit took on the venue and gives it a new look at a Grand re- re- re-opening as the Ideal Theatre on March 25, 1930 with talking pictures beginning with “Hot for Paris.” On September 14, 1930, the circuit replaced the sound system with a more contemporary sound-on-film, Western Electric system. Publix then closed the venue briefly over a rent dispute bringing it back on weekend-only operation. In 1933, the roof garden hosted live sporting events and that appears to be the final year of usage for the roof garden (which, as mentioned, had been dropped from the theater’s moniker four years earlier).
Interstate took on the operation giving the Ideal an streamline moderne makeover and a grand re- re- re- re-opening on August 3, 1940 as the New Ideal Theatre. During the Interstate / Texas Consolidated divestitures caused by the Paramount decree, the Ideal was sold to the two-year old upstart, Trans-Texas Theatre Circuit on February 26, 1954.
Trans-Texas dropped the Ideal at the end of the 30-year lease. Sidney Miller took the Ideal back to independent operation in 1957 along with his operation of the Hillside Drive-In. Miller would then merge with B.L. Hagle of the Navarro Drive-In in 1961. They closed the Ideal of repairs on November 1961. The venue had a relaunch at a Grand Re- re- re- re- re-opening as the Capri Theatre / Capri Art Theatre with a November 30, 1961 showing of “Erotica.” In 1963, Capri reduced to just four days a week operation.
In 1964, the operators toyed with the name calling it “The Ideal Family Theatre - The Capri” dropping the art films altogether. On June 24, 1964, the “Capri” was completely dropped with the theater becoming the Ideal Theatre under new operators George Gunter and John Kearn at its final Grand Re- re- re- re- re- re-opening with free cookies for the kids. The Ideal’s time had long passed, however, as the owners dropped to twice a week operation before closing up quietly on September 13, 1964. One final live music event played there but it was over the Ideal / New Ideal / Capri
The Ideal was vacant for a very long period and was condemned by the city on May 28, 1971. The condemnation was challenged and the Levine family tried to sell the former Ideal and a neighboring building for $15,000 in 1972. Apparently without offers, the venue was offered free to the City of Corsicana as a city auditorium. That was deemed too expensive and the long-vacant building was finally razed.
Jerry Lewis Cinema opened here with “Pinocchio” and “The Last Picture Show” on June 16, 1972. The parent company would go into full-fledged financial dysfunction declaring bankruptcy. This location was taken on by Showtime Theatres renaming it as the Corsicana Twin Cinema on June 7, 1973. Showtime then closed the location on September 3, 1974.
On January 17, 1975, it was taken over by Jimmy Duncan’s Cineplex Theatres which had a grand reopening renaming it as the Cineplex Cinema 1 & 2 with “Man with the Golden Gun” and “Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.” which ran the venue into the 1980s. In March of 1989, Cinemark took on the venue. It closed at the end of a second 20-year leasing expiry and was replaced by a house of worship.
Texas Consolidated closed the Rio Theatre at the end of a 10-year lease on March 19, 1951 with Leo Gorcey & the Bowery Boys in “They’re in the Army Now.” The building was then converted for other retail purposes.
J.C. Couch gave the Elk Theatre a refresh in 1916. The Elk Theatre was then re-opened by Joe Davenport and P.G. Rockett in October of 1917 perhaps after a very brief summer closure. Rockett & Son wired the theatre for sound to remain viable. Rockett & Son followed by just the son was the longest stretch of single-family ownership. A string of owners operated the Elk in the 1940s and 1950s.
Jessie B. Johnson was said to have been the projectionist in Italy, Texas, from 1910 to 1957 - dying in 1957. He only left the projectionist position to serve in World War I and a very brief gig at the Texas Theatre in Dallas when it opened. Johnson claimed that the Elk was originally a nickelodeon-era theatre with Edison projection and films named the Pastime. He said that the Pastime and Elk were in the same building and that J.C. Couch, Rockett and Davenport simply changed its name.
Since Johnson gave his life as a projectionist there - as well as serving in World War I - let’s say that’s accurate. It’s likely the theatre closed not long after Johnson’s death. Because the lifecycle described times out to 25-year leases roughly, it rings true. In any even, the long-standing Elk Theatre - likely former Pastime - was torn down in June of 1961.
The significance of this theatre is that it was completely destroyed by a May 6th, 1930 tornado still considered one of the Top 10 most destructive twisters in the history of Texas. The Frost had just made the conversion to sound films choosing the Wright-DeCoster sound system for its playout. But within months, the entire town of Frost was basically obliterated by the aforementioned tornado. The Frost Theatre was not operating during the deadly storm that cost more than 10% of the town their lives and the entire agricultural season to be wrecked.
There are multiple shots of the entire business district and town in ruins with one appearing faintly showing the remnants of the theater building next to the neighboring bank. (It’s in the photos section.) Frost Theatre owner V.B. Young survived the storm and pledged to rebuild the theatre in roughly the same spot as the original. It is not believed that he accomplished his goal and the neighboring bank took a bit more of a footprint in its relatively quick rebuilding.
In 1935, Charles Barker rebuilt and opened the new Frost Theatre with Jim Shirley. A projection booth fire on November 11, 1944 appears to have ended operations there. Due to War material shortages, Barker appears to have converted an existing retail building to a third and final location using the Frost Theatre moniker. (And if it continued in the same spot, that can be corrected.)
The Frost changed hands with Mr. and Mrs. Ross Willoughby operating it for two years after the War. Jonas Jantz and his wife ran it into the 1950s but Mr. Jantz died November 4, 1956. The theatre appears to have closed not long after his passing. (The town’s population had dropped to under 600 making further theater operation challenging especially in the television era.) The building was converted for other purposes.
The Gem Theatre appears to have opened on May 4, 1911 with a live band event. However, it was predominately a film theatre with some live events and vaudeville in its programming mix. Business in town was boosted in 1917 when the only theatre in nearby La Belle just 6 miles away burned down. At that point, there were two movie theaters in the small town as the opera house largely converted to movies under the Princess Theatre nameplate. The Gem hosted the film, “Battle Cry for Peace,” with a live orchestra in November of 1917. That was the film to have played in La Belle at its Crystal Theatre the day it burned down. “The Covered Wagon” was one of the theater’s biggest silent era hits in the history of the Gem.
In 1930, the Gem installed Gates Motiotone sound to play talking pictures. W.E. Porter closed the venue for the summer in 1933 returing to reopen it in September of that year. The theatre closed due to business conditions later though was relaunched by Mertz Film Amusement Company in 1937 with a refresh. Once again, it closed effectively ending business as the Gem in September of 1939. It was sold at a trustee auction to a group of local merchants in October of 1939 and was used as a community center with some sporadic film screenings apparently not under the Gem nameplate.
The Rialto opened August 6, 1940 as the replacement to the burned down Rex Theatre. First film, “His Girl Friday.” The Theatre closed permanently on February 21, 1955 with Jesse James vs. the Daltons. A minor fire after that screening led to a seat sale and the building was repaired and used for other retail purposes. In 1970, the building housed the local public library.
The Hippodrome launched September 4, 1911 with two Mutual photoplays, a big feature and vaudeville acts. Cady & Hiele programmed the venue which wasn’t quite completed at the first show and could not handle the crowd which fell short of a full house. The venue had an airdome adjacent to it, as well.
Sol Burka took on the venue in 1922 and, after a refresh, he reopened as the Blue Ridge Theatre on April 17, 1922 with Paramount movies. The opening title was Gloria Swanson in “The Great Moment.” Vaudeville was from B.F. Keith when programmed. The theater closed the expiry of 15-year lease.
Reading the local paper, the Royal Theatre was completely destroyed on February 1, 1924. If you’re keeping score, the Royal fire also destroyed the neighboring Shoop Motor Garage, the White Front Garage, the North Side Cafe, and the Green City U.S. Post Office. Flames shot up as high as 150 feet as explosives were in three of the buildings - the two garages and the movie theatre.
If the trade press is correct, George Sommers moved the movie screenings to the existing opera house until a new theatre was created. The new Royal Theatre opened but transitioned names at least twice early in the sound era.
The Lindina launched July 29, 1932 with Hoot Gibson in “Wild Horses” and Dolores del Rio in “Girl of the Rio.” In 1942, the theatre was taken on by the Pirtle Theatre Circuit. It closed on May 27, 1956 as the last theatre in operation between Kirksville, Missouri and Quincy, Illinois.
Winoko Corporation opened the Spa Motor Movie Drive-In on June 22, 1950 with “Canyon Passage.” The original name of the venue was due to Excelsior Springs' being established as a spa community in the 1880s and whose fame peaked in 1948 when Harry S. Truman stayed at the Elms Hotel and Spa in 1948 on the night he was informed of his projected loss to Thomas Dewey and then his win the next morning when the results were more fully tallied.
The Spa was sold to Commonwealth Circuit who reopened for the 1953 season on April 17, 1953 changing from the Spa Motor Movie to the Pines Drive-In with “Bonzo Goes to College.” It was never called the Spa Motor-Vu although it’s a great name.
As the River Oaks Theatre adult cinema, the venue opened with Denyse Roland in “The D(irty) Girls” and Marla Ellis “Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures” (upper left) on January 4, 1967. As the ads state, the River Oaks was in River Oaks - in case there was any confusion.
It may well have ended at the River Oaks in River Oaks with Karen Drake in “The House of Cats” and Janet Damon in “The Fat Black Pussycat” (bottom right). Protests were abundant in January and February of 1967 and once the adult movies were gone, everybody knew that no other type of film would draw attention to the River Oaks which was demolished two years later.
Appears to have gone out of business January 5, 1958 with “The Ten Commandments”
The Charwood Theatre opened under operation by Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Phelps on April 18, 1928 with “Say it With Flowers.” An opening address by the city’s mayor, Louis V. Stigall, was followed by a violin solo from Mrs. Paney Phelps Collins. The African American theater also had a tea room in the balcony for daily tea service. The very complete article about the theater said the capacity at opening was 500 (not 185).
Architect of the January 3, 1918 “New” Ideal was Harry O. Blanding.
The photo above is actually from the reopening of the Plaza Theatre after a refresh in 1960. A picture of the concession stand from the same day is also in photos.
The Village Drive-In opened July 3, 1952 by Robert Rogers. Rogers would sell the drive-in prior to season’s end. This and the hardtop theater in downtown Ennis later became one of the earlier venues for future Cinemark owner’s Lee Roy Mitchell and his long cinema exhibition career. It appears to have closed as a result of local protests about showing X-rated films in November/December of 1984.
Waxahachie is the country seat for Ellis County so it’s more for that.
Dallas' Valley View Center Mall had a twin-screen theater in its basement from August 17, 1973 to January 5, 1992 (I was off by six days on an earlier post - very sorry) with the General Cinema Valley View I & II. But the mall would be theater-less for more than ten years until the 2004 entry of the AMC Valley View 16. The genesis of the AMC Valley View Center theater dates back to a failed attempt in 1994 by AMC and its EDG affiliated branch to build a $94 million, 24-screen entertainment and dining mall complex between Valley View and the nearby Galleria shopping mall just west of Valley View. But the AMC project lost traction as did a previous 18-screen Cinemark theater plan for that same general area that was vetoed by the Dallas City Council.
AMC soon thereafter announced a 24-screen theater to be built in 1996 at the Prestonwood Mall just North of the Valley View and the Galleria in a $125 million facelift. Its five-screen external Prestonwood theater would be replaced inside the mall. But Prestonwood would belly flop as it shedded its anchors in 1997/8 and the mall was torn down altogether. With AMC dying with its aged 5-screen Prestonwood theater not far from the flattened mall, it announced in 1999 that it would build a 20-screen theater above Sears in the Valley View Center. The AMC Prestonwood shuttered that year.
With Valley View at 93% occupancy and nearby Prestonwood and NorthTown malls both eliminated, AMC and mall specialist Macerich, the relatively new owner of Valley View, felt the1973-built mall was a winner. When the plans to build above Sears became entangled, those plans were scrapped and the project was delayed. Macerich solved the problem by opening the middle of the mall and creating a space for AMC as the focal center of the mall two floors above above the food court. The film industry trade publication Variety warned of building theaters into aged malls as the mall shakeout was in full force entering the 21st Century.
The now 16-theater concept by Omniplan Architects — the same group responsible for the nearby Northpark Mall — finally opened May 14, 2004 with two Dallas Cowboy players and the mayor in attendance. Auditoriums all with stadium seating capacities ranged from 92 to 299 seats. Optimism abounded. But within three years – as the Variety article had predicted – Valley View would begin a gradual decent to greyfield status, an industry term akin to a “dead mall”. Macy’s – which had been in the mall just over one year – had seen enough of Valley View and quickly bailed. Then Dillards. Then JC Penney. Even the mall’s carousel in the center of the complex’s lower floor departed. The mall had just a once-free standing Sears opened in 1964 as its only retail anchor. AMC had a ghost town theater sometimes with more screens than actual customers.
In 2010, Macerich didn’t make the mall payments and it was in the hands of Bank of America. Never a good sign. AMC would change its pricing structure to a low-cost first run pricing policy ($4/$6 shows) to bring in anybody as theaters within striking distance including the Look Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse, and Studio Movie Grill “Keystone” opened to the north and east. Thanks to social media from customers and certainly not due to any AMC advertising – there was none – audiences actually began gravitating to the dying mall to watch current movies. Ten years into its life, the theater had finally found its audience.
The theater was further encouraged by a new mall owner in Beck Ventures who in 2012 planned to have AMC at the heart of a $3.5 billion transformation of Valley View that would be completed by 2017. AMC hedged its bets by announcing its AMC Village on the Parkway, a 12-screen then reduced to 9-screen luxury cinema just yards away from the former General Cinema Prestonwood / Montfort theater and 2.5 miles north of Valley View. As of 2014, it was unclear if the ambitious Valley View project would be completed by 2017 or, say, 2027, so the theater soldiered on with its low price concept and its luxury cousin Village on the Parkway opening in November of 2014. 2015 and 2016 saw Beck Ventures do nothing with the Valley View Midtown project. The lack of activity was discussed at a Dallas city council meeting in June of 2016 with Beck Ventures announcing demolition at the end of 2016 with a new, smaller 10-screen theatre proposed for the former Valley View Center spot. (Rendering of the proposed and highly unlikely AMC Midtown project, is in photos.)
Then 2017 – the year when the Midtown project was supposed to have been completed – came and went taking with the lightly-trafficked Sears store, the final remaining anchor, with it. The only action at the AMC Valley View was a downgrade – the theatre was designated as an AMC “Classic” generally associated with inherited properties from Carmike or Starplex or any other circuit that were never going to see recliners or Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. Classics were also the most likely candidates for closures at end of leases.
Then 2018 passed with Valley View demolition in progress - then stalled. But, finally, the eviction notes came for the remainder of the Valley View Center tenants who had to scram by March of 2019… except the AMC 16. The mall was further razed in 2019 with the former Valley View I & II being bulldozed along with the wing containing the former Penny’s anchor, the wing containing the Dillard’s, and the wing containing the Sears. (An earlier version of this post had those directions a bit skewed - apologies to all.) The West wing anchor (Saenger-Harris / Foley’s / Macy’s) was also removed but the adjacent southwest entry remained as a fairly creepy passageway through the ghost mall that didn’t exist. That dimly-lit passage that was without HVAC – seriously cold on frosty days and balmy on hot days, and wet on rainy days - brought cinema patrons a floor above the boarded-off food court, the dead-ended center main floor of the former mall, and – most importantly - the escalators, stairway, and elevator that offered an upward climb to the AMC facility. Fortunately, the AMC theatres retained its HVAC system allowing for comfortable auditoriums and unpredictable lobby and box office conditions.
The AMC Classic Valley View 16 closed along with the rest of the chain on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 was a challenging 100th Anniversary for the circuit with AMC shuttering numerous “Classic” name-plated and inherited locations during the Summer of 2020 as well as some of its larger AMC branded properties as it plotted its COVID-19 pandemic business strategy with reduced locations. The circuit removed its “Classic” designation from this location during the pandemic and it reopened on August 27, 2020 under its original AMC Valley View 16 moniker. Heading into a three-day 2021 Valentine’s Day and President’s Day weekend, the Valley View was ready for big business. Unfortunately, the temperatures plummeted and a rare and punishing snow storm changed the weekend from money-maker to near catastrophic. The theatre closed during that weekend and was on the ropes unable to reopen following the storm. The roof over the entry way proved to be porous and there were challenges to be found on AMC"s upper level, as well. This had to be the end of the line. Yet, somehow - and for reasons that aren’t really clear - the theatre came back to life one more time reopening on June 25, 2021.
The going wasn’t smooth in what would be the final stage of operation for the AMC Valley View 16. HVAC costs, already high due to COVID, were becoming an issue. The pathway to the parking lot became a challenge with the construction occurring and the theatre was downgraded to weekend-only operation. Parking illumination was another issue so the theatre reduced showtimes often to just two shows per day and often eliminating late shows. Cars had returned to the Valley View but mostly for the free COVID testing station just outside of the mall. That snake of cars often blocked the path to the theatre parking area. Inside the mall, the writing was on the wall on January 2, 2022. Employees – some dressed like Eskimos – braved the chilly lobby as temperatures dipped into the 20s in Dallas. Employees did not let on that the last day was occurring and conducted business as usual as the AMC Valley View and the carcass of the Valley View Center Mall passed into the night.
Speaking as someone who was there on opening day and closing day as well as way, way too many days in between, if remembered at all, the AMC Valley View 16 should be labeled as a fighter in a league with the Forum 6 Cinema at Arlington, the Nova 6 Cinemas in Moline, the Fox Theatre in Toledo’s Woodville Mall, and many, many others like it. These are the theaters that locals would have contended had gone out of business years earlier but the operator and employees fought on against shifting populations in ghost-town retail strips and malls in virtually impossible working environments yet delivering on their goals of providing cinematic moments to a cadre of patrons. We salute you, AMC Valley View 16.
The era of the dollar house multi/megaplex ended in Texas and the South with the closure of this theatre. The Silver Cinema in Denton’s Golden Triangle was the only other sub-run discount venue remaining in the State but they opted to switch their policy to first-run features. Give Cinemark loads of credit for reopening it at all in 2021 - it seemed like such a long shot. Once it reopened, the product was challenging to find for a 15-screener and the customers simply didn’t turn out.
It looks like they may have saved one year of leasing by surrendering after 29 years minus two days closing on December 16th, 2021. I’ve placed a number of shots in photos from December sensing the imminent demise of the Hollywood USA. It will be missed.
Cozy Theatre owner Will L. Levine announced the new-build Fifth Avenue Ideal Theatre project in October of 1912 launching on Feb. 13, 1913. The theater had 500 seats more than doubling the Cozy’s capacity. It was an immediate success. The “Fifth Avenue” was dropped in 1915 making it, simply, the Ideal Theatre.
So successful was the Ideal, that the theatre was re-imagined as the Ideal Theatre and Roof Garden beginning on May 4, 1915 - the roof seating was in use in the warm months when the air conditioner-less theater got too hot. During the non-summer months, the venue was called the Ideal Theatre. In the summer programmed months, it was called the Ideal Theatre Feature House and Roof Garden. (For active roof programming months, indoor presentations were played at the Ideal Theatre Feature House and the outdoor programming was at the Roof Garden.) On July 4, 1916, the venue added a two manual Hillgreen-Lane pipe organ.
The theatre was expanded and remodeled in 1917 to the plans of architect M.T. Horn. Levine conducted his summer programming at the Ideal Airdome constructed at 311 W. 6th Street to show movies from July 12, 1917 to October 27, 1917. That appears to be the only year of operation for the Ideal Airdome. The hardtop Ideal was closed for two months relaunching with seating extended to 1,000 seats and a Grand Re-Opening on January 3, 1918 as the Ideal Theatre and Roof Garden (Feature House appears to have been dropped). The rationale
Levine that decided to refresh the theatre in 1927 - on a new 30-year lease - with a Grand re-re-opening of the Ideal as the New Ideal Theatre and Roof Garden at its July 24, 1927 relaunch with “Cradle Snatchers.” On September 6, 1928, Levine installed Kuegraph sound system to keep the theatre viable playing “The Vanishing American.” The Roof Garden was dropped from the theatre’s name following the 1929 season.
Publix Theatres Circuit took on the venue and gives it a new look at a Grand re- re- re-opening as the Ideal Theatre on March 25, 1930 with talking pictures beginning with “Hot for Paris.” On September 14, 1930, the circuit replaced the sound system with a more contemporary sound-on-film, Western Electric system. Publix then closed the venue briefly over a rent dispute bringing it back on weekend-only operation. In 1933, the roof garden hosted live sporting events and that appears to be the final year of usage for the roof garden (which, as mentioned, had been dropped from the theater’s moniker four years earlier).
Interstate took on the operation giving the Ideal an streamline moderne makeover and a grand re- re- re- re-opening on August 3, 1940 as the New Ideal Theatre. During the Interstate / Texas Consolidated divestitures caused by the Paramount decree, the Ideal was sold to the two-year old upstart, Trans-Texas Theatre Circuit on February 26, 1954.
Trans-Texas dropped the Ideal at the end of the 30-year lease. Sidney Miller took the Ideal back to independent operation in 1957 along with his operation of the Hillside Drive-In. Miller would then merge with B.L. Hagle of the Navarro Drive-In in 1961. They closed the Ideal of repairs on November 1961. The venue had a relaunch at a Grand Re- re- re- re- re-opening as the Capri Theatre / Capri Art Theatre with a November 30, 1961 showing of “Erotica.” In 1963, Capri reduced to just four days a week operation.
In 1964, the operators toyed with the name calling it “The Ideal Family Theatre - The Capri” dropping the art films altogether. On June 24, 1964, the “Capri” was completely dropped with the theater becoming the Ideal Theatre under new operators George Gunter and John Kearn at its final Grand Re- re- re- re- re- re-opening with free cookies for the kids. The Ideal’s time had long passed, however, as the owners dropped to twice a week operation before closing up quietly on September 13, 1964. One final live music event played there but it was over the Ideal / New Ideal / Capri
The Ideal was vacant for a very long period and was condemned by the city on May 28, 1971. The condemnation was challenged and the Levine family tried to sell the former Ideal and a neighboring building for $15,000 in 1972. Apparently without offers, the venue was offered free to the City of Corsicana as a city auditorium. That was deemed too expensive and the long-vacant building was finally razed.
Jerry Lewis Cinema opened here with “Pinocchio” and “The Last Picture Show” on June 16, 1972. The parent company would go into full-fledged financial dysfunction declaring bankruptcy. This location was taken on by Showtime Theatres renaming it as the Corsicana Twin Cinema on June 7, 1973. Showtime then closed the location on September 3, 1974.
On January 17, 1975, it was taken over by Jimmy Duncan’s Cineplex Theatres which had a grand reopening renaming it as the Cineplex Cinema 1 & 2 with “Man with the Golden Gun” and “Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.” which ran the venue into the 1980s. In March of 1989, Cinemark took on the venue. It closed at the end of a second 20-year leasing expiry and was replaced by a house of worship.
Closed October 11, 1966 with “Boeing, Boeing”
Texas Consolidated closed the Rio Theatre at the end of a 10-year lease on March 19, 1951 with Leo Gorcey & the Bowery Boys in “They’re in the Army Now.” The building was then converted for other retail purposes.
J.C. Couch gave the Elk Theatre a refresh in 1916. The Elk Theatre was then re-opened by Joe Davenport and P.G. Rockett in October of 1917 perhaps after a very brief summer closure. Rockett & Son wired the theatre for sound to remain viable. Rockett & Son followed by just the son was the longest stretch of single-family ownership. A string of owners operated the Elk in the 1940s and 1950s.
Jessie B. Johnson was said to have been the projectionist in Italy, Texas, from 1910 to 1957 - dying in 1957. He only left the projectionist position to serve in World War I and a very brief gig at the Texas Theatre in Dallas when it opened. Johnson claimed that the Elk was originally a nickelodeon-era theatre with Edison projection and films named the Pastime. He said that the Pastime and Elk were in the same building and that J.C. Couch, Rockett and Davenport simply changed its name.
Since Johnson gave his life as a projectionist there - as well as serving in World War I - let’s say that’s accurate. It’s likely the theatre closed not long after Johnson’s death. Because the lifecycle described times out to 25-year leases roughly, it rings true. In any even, the long-standing Elk Theatre - likely former Pastime - was torn down in June of 1961.
The significance of this theatre is that it was completely destroyed by a May 6th, 1930 tornado still considered one of the Top 10 most destructive twisters in the history of Texas. The Frost had just made the conversion to sound films choosing the Wright-DeCoster sound system for its playout. But within months, the entire town of Frost was basically obliterated by the aforementioned tornado. The Frost Theatre was not operating during the deadly storm that cost more than 10% of the town their lives and the entire agricultural season to be wrecked.
There are multiple shots of the entire business district and town in ruins with one appearing faintly showing the remnants of the theater building next to the neighboring bank. (It’s in the photos section.) Frost Theatre owner V.B. Young survived the storm and pledged to rebuild the theatre in roughly the same spot as the original. It is not believed that he accomplished his goal and the neighboring bank took a bit more of a footprint in its relatively quick rebuilding.
In 1935, Charles Barker rebuilt and opened the new Frost Theatre with Jim Shirley. A projection booth fire on November 11, 1944 appears to have ended operations there. Due to War material shortages, Barker appears to have converted an existing retail building to a third and final location using the Frost Theatre moniker. (And if it continued in the same spot, that can be corrected.)
The Frost changed hands with Mr. and Mrs. Ross Willoughby operating it for two years after the War. Jonas Jantz and his wife ran it into the 1950s but Mr. Jantz died November 4, 1956. The theatre appears to have closed not long after his passing. (The town’s population had dropped to under 600 making further theater operation challenging especially in the television era.) The building was converted for other purposes.
AMC Classic Dublin 8 closed January 2, 2022.
The Gem Theatre appears to have opened on May 4, 1911 with a live band event. However, it was predominately a film theatre with some live events and vaudeville in its programming mix. Business in town was boosted in 1917 when the only theatre in nearby La Belle just 6 miles away burned down. At that point, there were two movie theaters in the small town as the opera house largely converted to movies under the Princess Theatre nameplate. The Gem hosted the film, “Battle Cry for Peace,” with a live orchestra in November of 1917. That was the film to have played in La Belle at its Crystal Theatre the day it burned down. “The Covered Wagon” was one of the theater’s biggest silent era hits in the history of the Gem.
In 1930, the Gem installed Gates Motiotone sound to play talking pictures. W.E. Porter closed the venue for the summer in 1933 returing to reopen it in September of that year. The theatre closed due to business conditions later though was relaunched by Mertz Film Amusement Company in 1937 with a refresh. Once again, it closed effectively ending business as the Gem in September of 1939. It was sold at a trustee auction to a group of local merchants in October of 1939 and was used as a community center with some sporadic film screenings apparently not under the Gem nameplate.
The Rialto opened August 6, 1940 as the replacement to the burned down Rex Theatre. First film, “His Girl Friday.” The Theatre closed permanently on February 21, 1955 with Jesse James vs. the Daltons. A minor fire after that screening led to a seat sale and the building was repaired and used for other retail purposes. In 1970, the building housed the local public library.
Note: The show was rebooked at the Gem Theatre the next month less than six miles away at the Gem Theatre in Lewistown with a live orchestra.
The Hippodrome launched September 4, 1911 with two Mutual photoplays, a big feature and vaudeville acts. Cady & Hiele programmed the venue which wasn’t quite completed at the first show and could not handle the crowd which fell short of a full house. The venue had an airdome adjacent to it, as well.
Sol Burka took on the venue in 1922 and, after a refresh, he reopened as the Blue Ridge Theatre on April 17, 1922 with Paramount movies. The opening title was Gloria Swanson in “The Great Moment.” Vaudeville was from B.F. Keith when programmed. The theater closed the expiry of 15-year lease.
Reading the local paper, the Royal Theatre was completely destroyed on February 1, 1924. If you’re keeping score, the Royal fire also destroyed the neighboring Shoop Motor Garage, the White Front Garage, the North Side Cafe, and the Green City U.S. Post Office. Flames shot up as high as 150 feet as explosives were in three of the buildings - the two garages and the movie theatre.
If the trade press is correct, George Sommers moved the movie screenings to the existing opera house until a new theatre was created. The new Royal Theatre opened but transitioned names at least twice early in the sound era.
Sorry! It was the Moonlite (not Moonlight). My error.
The Lindina launched July 29, 1932 with Hoot Gibson in “Wild Horses” and Dolores del Rio in “Girl of the Rio.” In 1942, the theatre was taken on by the Pirtle Theatre Circuit. It closed on May 27, 1956 as the last theatre in operation between Kirksville, Missouri and Quincy, Illinois.
Winoko Corporation opened the Spa Motor Movie Drive-In on June 22, 1950 with “Canyon Passage.” The original name of the venue was due to Excelsior Springs' being established as a spa community in the 1880s and whose fame peaked in 1948 when Harry S. Truman stayed at the Elms Hotel and Spa in 1948 on the night he was informed of his projected loss to Thomas Dewey and then his win the next morning when the results were more fully tallied.
The Spa was sold to Commonwealth Circuit who reopened for the 1953 season on April 17, 1953 changing from the Spa Motor Movie to the Pines Drive-In with “Bonzo Goes to College.” It was never called the Spa Motor-Vu although it’s a great name.
March 17, 2020 was the final show for the North Oaks Cinema 6.
As the River Oaks Theatre adult cinema, the venue opened with Denyse Roland in “The D(irty) Girls” and Marla Ellis “Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures” (upper left) on January 4, 1967. As the ads state, the River Oaks was in River Oaks - in case there was any confusion.
It may well have ended at the River Oaks in River Oaks with Karen Drake in “The House of Cats” and Janet Damon in “The Fat Black Pussycat” (bottom right). Protests were abundant in January and February of 1967 and once the adult movies were gone, everybody knew that no other type of film would draw attention to the River Oaks which was demolished two years later.