The old and first Avenue Theatre started life as the Garrett Theatre with a capacity of 365 seats, opening on July 11, 1940 with “Son Of The Navy” along with a newsreel. It was first operated by J.S. Garrett and his two sons F.C. and E.B. Garrett.
The Garrett name only lasted for a few months, and after a major takeover and remodel led by the one-and-only Dean W. Davis, the theater was renamed the New Avenue Theatre on January 24, 1941, reopening with Barbara Stanwyck in “Banjo On My Knee” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with an updated capacity of 500 seats. The old Avenue Theatre closed on September 12, 1950, when all the equipment and its 500 seats began moving to the newer Avenue Theatre.
The new and second Arcade Theatre opened its doors on September 26, 1950 with “Father Is A Bachelor” along with an unnamed Bugs Bunny Looney Tune and a novelty.
Dean W. Davis, who operated many theaters and drive-ins across Missouri and Illinois, opened his Davis Theatre in West Plains on October 6, 1930 with William Haines in “Way Out West” along with a comedy and a newsreel with sound installations of Western Electric.
The Davis Theatre housed 620 seats (with 500 in the main auditorium and 120 in the balcony), and the building measures 40x90ft.
Dean died from an unexpected heart attack on January 30, 1953, but his legacy theater continues to live on by his brother, Dean W. Davis Jr., who would later install its 16x32ft CinemaScope screen the following year on November 26, 1954, just on time for the city’s showing of “The Robe”.
After closing on March 30, 1958 with Eddie Fisher in “Bundle Of Joy”, the theater was taken over by both Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hall and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Faddis. The Davis Theatre was renamed the Vista Theatre and reopened on June 5, 1958 with a one-day showing of “The Careless Years”.
The theater closed for the final time on March 31, 1962 with “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules” and “Underwater Guy”, after Ferris’s lease of the theater was expired.
This started life as the Metropolitan Theatre on March 1, 1907 with a live presentation of “The District Leader”. It would later become the town’s first movie house a few years later.
The Metropolitan Theatre once closed on January 19, 1937 following two months of major extensive remodeling after finishing a three-day showing of “Camille” (unclear if any short subjects were added). The theater was then renamed the Metro Theatre and reopened its doors on March 27, 1937 with Mickey Rooney in “A Family Affair” along with a couple short subjects.
After the Metro Theatre was destroyed by a fire in 1949, the theater was rebuilt and reopened on June 14, 1950.
The Metro Theatre closed for the final time on May 19, 1988 with “Above The Law”.
The Pemberton Square Cinema 4 eventually became the only movie house in Vicksburg after the closure of the Battlefield Cinema 3 (formerly the Battlefield Twin Cinema) in the mid-1980s.
The Strand opened on September 29, 1916 with Mary Pickford in “Poor Little Peppina” along with an unnamed cartoon.
The Strand was once closed in October 1970 following ownership changes, but after reopening in May 1972 by Mr. Don Bowin, the Strand started to receive too much trouble. Bowin promised to bring more first-run and family-related movies to the area, but it MASSIVELY failed big time, closing after just weeks.
The Strand Theatre reopened as the Strand Adult Theatre on February 23, 1974 after another ownership change led by Curtis Mack. However, this closed later that same year due to yet another ownership change led by Milton Fraters of Watertown, Wisconsin, but this time, it never reopened.
The Starlite has to be the smallest drive-in theater in all of Mississippi. Like I mean, holy crap, it’s a ridiculously tiny drive-in. I’ll say around 50 cars as the total capacity.
A 1955 aerial view shows nothing, meaning that the theater was built after 1955. However, a couple of aerial views from the 1980s shows the drive-in appearing to be still in operation. The screen was gone by 1996 but the projection booth appears to be standing for another few years.
The Williamsburg Theatre started life as the “RKO Williamsburg Theatre” when it opened its doors by the RKO chain on January 12, 1933 with Richard Dix in “The Conquerors” along with a few short subjects. The RKO name was dropped two years later in 1935, and its name was updated to simply “Williamsburg Theatre”.
Throughout most of its life, the Williamsburg Theatre ran first-run features (with a little mix of classic matinees in rare occasions). Unfortunately, this lasted until January 12, 1990 when the Williamsburg Theatre dropped its mainstream fare and began showing mostly art and foreign features (however, first-run films are also added only in rare occasions throughout time). When the late-1990s rolled along, some performing arts and classic movies are presented.
Movies are dropped soon afterward, and in late-2001, it was renamed the Kimball Theatre.
Opened with “Flame Of Araby” (unclear if any short subjects added).
The Parkade Drive-In closed for the final time on October 30, 1960 with “Man Without A Star” and “The Way To The Gold” along with a cartoon, and was demolished the following year to make way for the Parkade Plaza Shopping Center (which began construction following major original plans to the shopping center itself in January 1962).
The Silver Moon Drive-In actually opened on May 28, 1952 with Betty Grable in “Meet Me After The Show” along with a few unnamed short subjects.
It was expecting to open earlier but delayed due to weather conditions. The Silver Moon originally had an original capacity of 660 cars and a 55x62ft screen withstanding a wind force of 70 MPH. It was first managed by Robert Cassidy.
However, there was picketing by union laborers outside the drive-in right before grand opening happened, protesting non-union conditions in the construction site of the theater under contractor W.A. Albertson of Bloomsburg. This was due to the representatives of the IATSE Local 403 of Sunbury reported that they had been completely unsuccessful in getting a contract to hire union projectionists at the nearby Nu-Way Drive-In in Sellingsgrove, but successfully added in getting a contract for both the Silver Moon in Lewisburg and the Modern Open-Air Drive-In between Danville and Northumberland. The Central Union voted to have the secretary wrote a letter to inform the owners nearby of the organization’s interest and concern in the matter, and they also voted to have the secretary do the same thing to the Gulf Corporation of Philadelphia asking co-operation in not selling oil through local retailer to the Milton Hosiery Mills Inc.
General Cinema opened the Forest Mall Cinema I & II on August 1, 1973 with “Scarecrow” at Screen 1 and “Cahill” at Screen 2. GCC operated the Forest Mall Cinema until Marcus Theatres took it over in 1987.
The old and first Avenue Theatre started life as the Garrett Theatre with a capacity of 365 seats, opening on July 11, 1940 with “Son Of The Navy” along with a newsreel. It was first operated by J.S. Garrett and his two sons F.C. and E.B. Garrett.
The Garrett name only lasted for a few months, and after a major takeover and remodel led by the one-and-only Dean W. Davis, the theater was renamed the New Avenue Theatre on January 24, 1941, reopening with Barbara Stanwyck in “Banjo On My Knee” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with an updated capacity of 500 seats. The old Avenue Theatre closed on September 12, 1950, when all the equipment and its 500 seats began moving to the newer Avenue Theatre.
The new and second Arcade Theatre opened its doors on September 26, 1950 with “Father Is A Bachelor” along with an unnamed Bugs Bunny Looney Tune and a novelty.
Dean W. Davis, who operated many theaters and drive-ins across Missouri and Illinois, opened his Davis Theatre in West Plains on October 6, 1930 with William Haines in “Way Out West” along with a comedy and a newsreel with sound installations of Western Electric.
The Davis Theatre housed 620 seats (with 500 in the main auditorium and 120 in the balcony), and the building measures 40x90ft.
Dean died from an unexpected heart attack on January 30, 1953, but his legacy theater continues to live on by his brother, Dean W. Davis Jr., who would later install its 16x32ft CinemaScope screen the following year on November 26, 1954, just on time for the city’s showing of “The Robe”.
After closing on March 30, 1958 with Eddie Fisher in “Bundle Of Joy”, the theater was taken over by both Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hall and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Faddis. The Davis Theatre was renamed the Vista Theatre and reopened on June 5, 1958 with a one-day showing of “The Careless Years”.
The theater closed for the final time on March 31, 1962 with “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules” and “Underwater Guy”, after Ferris’s lease of the theater was expired.
So it probably closed in December 1985. I know its still in operation the previous month in November 1985 judging by a couple of articles.
Um, Rivest, you placed the picture in the wrong page.
This started life as the Metropolitan Theatre on March 1, 1907 with a live presentation of “The District Leader”. It would later become the town’s first movie house a few years later.
The Metropolitan Theatre once closed on January 19, 1937 following two months of major extensive remodeling after finishing a three-day showing of “Camille” (unclear if any short subjects were added). The theater was then renamed the Metro Theatre and reopened its doors on March 27, 1937 with Mickey Rooney in “A Family Affair” along with a couple short subjects.
After the Metro Theatre was destroyed by a fire in 1949, the theater was rebuilt and reopened on June 14, 1950.
The Metro Theatre closed for the final time on May 19, 1988 with “Above The Law”.
The Pemberton Square Cinema 4 eventually became the only movie house in Vicksburg after the closure of the Battlefield Cinema 3 (formerly the Battlefield Twin Cinema) in the mid-1980s.
The Strand opened on September 29, 1916 with Mary Pickford in “Poor Little Peppina” along with an unnamed cartoon.
The Strand was once closed in October 1970 following ownership changes, but after reopening in May 1972 by Mr. Don Bowin, the Strand started to receive too much trouble. Bowin promised to bring more first-run and family-related movies to the area, but it MASSIVELY failed big time, closing after just weeks.
The Strand Theatre reopened as the Strand Adult Theatre on February 23, 1974 after another ownership change led by Curtis Mack. However, this closed later that same year due to yet another ownership change led by Milton Fraters of Watertown, Wisconsin, but this time, it never reopened.
The Starlite has to be the smallest drive-in theater in all of Mississippi. Like I mean, holy crap, it’s a ridiculously tiny drive-in. I’ll say around 50 cars as the total capacity.
A 1955 aerial view shows nothing, meaning that the theater was built after 1955. However, a couple of aerial views from the 1980s shows the drive-in appearing to be still in operation. The screen was gone by 1996 but the projection booth appears to be standing for another few years.
Taken between July 13 and 15, 1947.
Judging by the shape of the drive-in, its a small one. I’ll say between 150 and 200 cars.
Opened on April 22, 1965 with “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and “The Disorderly Orderly”.
December 21, 1973 Grand Opening
The Williamsburg Theatre started life as the “RKO Williamsburg Theatre” when it opened its doors by the RKO chain on January 12, 1933 with Richard Dix in “The Conquerors” along with a few short subjects. The RKO name was dropped two years later in 1935, and its name was updated to simply “Williamsburg Theatre”.
Throughout most of its life, the Williamsburg Theatre ran first-run features (with a little mix of classic matinees in rare occasions). Unfortunately, this lasted until January 12, 1990 when the Williamsburg Theatre dropped its mainstream fare and began showing mostly art and foreign features (however, first-run films are also added only in rare occasions throughout time). When the late-1990s rolled along, some performing arts and classic movies are presented.
Movies are dropped soon afterward, and in late-2001, it was renamed the Kimball Theatre.
Opened with Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” at Screen 1 and Elizabeth Taylor’s “Ash Wednesday” at Screen 2.
The Coliseum Mall Cinema I & II closed on March 26, 1989 with “New York Stories” at Screen 1 and “Three Fugitives” at Screen 2.
Opened with “The Return Of October” along with two cartoons and a sportlight.
Closed on September 22, 1974 with “Easy Rider”, “The Last Detail”, and “Bullitt”.
Opened with “Flame Of Araby” (unclear if any short subjects added).
The Parkade Drive-In closed for the final time on October 30, 1960 with “Man Without A Star” and “The Way To The Gold” along with a cartoon, and was demolished the following year to make way for the Parkade Plaza Shopping Center (which began construction following major original plans to the shopping center itself in January 1962).
Opened in mid-1973.
It appears that the North Drive-In is still open as late as the mid-1980s, but the screen was gone by 1991.
The Silver Moon Drive-In actually opened on May 28, 1952 with Betty Grable in “Meet Me After The Show” along with a few unnamed short subjects.
It was expecting to open earlier but delayed due to weather conditions. The Silver Moon originally had an original capacity of 660 cars and a 55x62ft screen withstanding a wind force of 70 MPH. It was first managed by Robert Cassidy.
However, there was picketing by union laborers outside the drive-in right before grand opening happened, protesting non-union conditions in the construction site of the theater under contractor W.A. Albertson of Bloomsburg. This was due to the representatives of the IATSE Local 403 of Sunbury reported that they had been completely unsuccessful in getting a contract to hire union projectionists at the nearby Nu-Way Drive-In in Sellingsgrove, but successfully added in getting a contract for both the Silver Moon in Lewisburg and the Modern Open-Air Drive-In between Danville and Northumberland. The Central Union voted to have the secretary wrote a letter to inform the owners nearby of the organization’s interest and concern in the matter, and they also voted to have the secretary do the same thing to the Gulf Corporation of Philadelphia asking co-operation in not selling oil through local retailer to the Milton Hosiery Mills Inc.
Closed on October 2, 1982.
Closed on September 3, 1962.
Closed on June 17, 1990 with “Firebird” and “Miami Blues” (possibly due to low attendance and property issues).
The Retlaw became a triplex in 1983, and two more screens were added in December 1985.
General Cinema opened the Forest Mall Cinema I & II on August 1, 1973 with “Scarecrow” at Screen 1 and “Cahill” at Screen 2. GCC operated the Forest Mall Cinema until Marcus Theatres took it over in 1987.
Functions Update: Classics films are also presented.