The Sunair Drive-In Theatre opened October 3, 1950 and closed February 4, 1987 showing Hispanic films and a regularly-scheduled swap meet. It was demolished on March 3, 1987 to make way for an auto complex.
The theatre was said to have been named after Thomas Francis Enright, the first Pennsylvanian serviceman and was among the first three serviceman killed during World War I. The large mural entitled, “America Triumphant” was above the lobby exit as created by S. Tilden Stern (shown in photos) commemorated Enright’s service.
Ads for grand opening as the Savoy Theatreon May 30, 1912 in photos as the theatre competed against the Electric Theatre that had opened the previous year. The Savoy closed in 1920 but new operators relaunched as the Liberty Theatre with grand opening ad June 12, 1920 in photos. The last showing was on November 15, 1924 with new operators promising a Fall 1925 relaunch which never happened. It was converted to the Black Cat Indoor Miniature Golf Course.
The theater opened March 17th, 1969 with six films (Yours, Mine and Ours; Dracula Has Risen From the Grave; Paper Lion; The Night They Raided Minsky’s; The Boston Strangler; and Charro). It was marketed as the first six theatre complex in the Southwest and only the second in the U.S. closely followed by many more. It was one of those theaters the mall owner had hoped would last thirty years. And owner after owner — AMC, Trans Texas, Hollywood, and others kept that thing going somehow into its last days as a very lightly trafficked dollar house in 1997 or just two years before its 30th anniversary. The theatre became known as the Cinemore as the Northtown (enclosed) Mall was ending. Up to the end, it still had those iconic curtains opening before each show up. Its hey day was the 1970s when all of the major hits played there and people stopped going downtown to the palaces to see those same features. The space was converted away from theaters and to office space targeted at the then very fast growing telecommunications industry.
The Sunair Drive-In Theatre opened October 3, 1950 and closed February 4, 1987 showing Hispanic films and a regularly-scheduled swap meet. It was demolished on March 3, 1987 to make way for an auto complex.
The theatre was said to have been named after Thomas Francis Enright, the first Pennsylvanian serviceman and was among the first three serviceman killed during World War I. The large mural entitled, “America Triumphant” was above the lobby exit as created by S. Tilden Stern (shown in photos) commemorated Enright’s service.
Transformed to a streamlined, deco look in 1933 by architect Ben Schlanger (one interior picture in photos).
Ads for grand opening as the Savoy Theatreon May 30, 1912 in photos as the theatre competed against the Electric Theatre that had opened the previous year. The Savoy closed in 1920 but new operators relaunched as the Liberty Theatre with grand opening ad June 12, 1920 in photos. The last showing was on November 15, 1924 with new operators promising a Fall 1925 relaunch which never happened. It was converted to the Black Cat Indoor Miniature Golf Course.
The theater opened March 17th, 1969 with six films (Yours, Mine and Ours; Dracula Has Risen From the Grave; Paper Lion; The Night They Raided Minsky’s; The Boston Strangler; and Charro). It was marketed as the first six theatre complex in the Southwest and only the second in the U.S. closely followed by many more. It was one of those theaters the mall owner had hoped would last thirty years. And owner after owner — AMC, Trans Texas, Hollywood, and others kept that thing going somehow into its last days as a very lightly trafficked dollar house in 1997 or just two years before its 30th anniversary. The theatre became known as the Cinemore as the Northtown (enclosed) Mall was ending. Up to the end, it still had those iconic curtains opening before each show up. Its hey day was the 1970s when all of the major hits played there and people stopped going downtown to the palaces to see those same features. The space was converted away from theaters and to office space targeted at the then very fast growing telecommunications industry.