Ogallala, (UPI)-A fire swept through the Dutchess Hotel in downtown Ogallala early Monday forcing the evacuation of an estimated 30 persons and leaving two hospitalized from smoke inhalation. The three-alarm blaze raged out of control for more than five hours as an estimated 60 firefighters from Ogallala, Brule and Grant waited until daybreak to enter the burning four-story structure. Firemen poured gallons of water onto the burning corner building and prevented the blaze from spreading significantly to two businesses to the north, the Prairie movie theater and Vivian’s Fashionette.
Authorities said the fire broke out in the hotel basement in the furnace area about 3 a.m.
Firemen, who entered the structure at daybreak, said three floors on the north side of the hotel, in addition to the north half of the roof, collapsed as smoke and flames continued to billow from the building. Firemen were standing on the roof of the movie theater in 15-degree temperatures spraying water on the hotel. The hotel building housed the Continental Trailways bus depot, a hobby shop in the basement, the Merle Norman cosmetic studio and Crook’s Shoe Service.
Here is an article about the conversion to retail in December 1973. The theater had been closed for thirteen years by that time.
What can you do with an old edifice?
BEAVER FALLS. Pa. – What can be done with an old theater building in a business district, short of tearing it down for redevelopment? One answer is conversion of the structure into a minimall with 13 stores and a restaurant-lounge. In Beaver Falls, it was a $250,000 venture undertaken by three businessmen. The minimall, first of its type in the area, opened this month with accolades from other business people and customers alike, pleased with conversion of an eyesore into something attractive and useful. In addition, it gave an aging business district a shot-in-the-arm. The first step was acquisition at a reasonable price of the property â€" which was closed as a movie theater in November 1960. The second step was borrowing a wad of money.
Lining up prospective tenants was necessary, too, like a fabrics shop, a branch outlet of a bakery, a toiletries-bath shop, men’s sports and casual clothes, a nurses-waitresses uniform shop, tobacco and candy store, costume jewelry-cosmetics shop, paint, wallpaper and decorating store, photo shop, a carpet shop, an ice cream parlor and a sporting goods store.
Conversion of the theater building into a minimall involved tearing out much of the first floor and building a shell within the structure. There were 1,098 tons of fill used to make the first floor level and 110 cubic yards of concrete poured. The Spanish motif of the former Theater â€" named the Granada â€" was preserved and enhanced in the conversion. The marquee was retained and redecorated in Spanish stucco and the front of the building was cleaned and floodlighted with mercury vapor lights. Besides the main entrance, two entrances were provided from an alley at the rear â€" near a parking lot and adjacent street.
The minimail has 8,800 square feet of space on the first floor and there are 2,500 square feet of useable space in the basement, where a soon-to-be-opened restaurant-lounge is located. The restaurant-lounge has the capacity to seat about 135 persons for dinner and there are entrances from within the mall and directly from outside. The former mezzanine and office of the theater provide for storage area and offices Use of the balcony for a mini-theater is a possibility.
Another possibility being given serious consideration is constructing entrances between the minimall and multistory mercantile buildings adjoining on either side. The minimallâ€" named Granada at Seventh â€" has done much to renovate one block in the business district, along with a new Mellon Bank branch recently constructed directly across Seventh Avenue. Promotion helps, too â€" just as it did in the theater business. When the minimall opened in mid-November, the developers had a 61 ½ foot cake stretched across the property’s frontage. The cake was sliced into 2,500 pieces and distributed to visitors.
In 1960, the drive-in also hosted church services:
Dr. FRANK LAUBACH, famed international Christian missionary, will be speaking in person in Southern California this Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in the Orange Church on the Santa Ana Freeway, 2 miles below Disneyland. Norman Vincent Peale has described Dr. Laubach as “one of the 10 greatest persons alive in the world today.” The Orange Church meets in the Orange Drive-In Theater where even the handicapped, hard of hearing, aged and infirm can see and hear the entire service without leaving their family car.
I think it was open before 1980. I made the same assumption once from the website you are probably referring to. The newspaper article I read about the theater was from sometime in the 1950s.
Appleton, WI – About $15 in pennies was stolen in a burglary of the Rio Theater early Monday morning, police revealed today. One or more persons hid in the theater after the last show Sunday night, police believe. After employees left the building, the burglars drilled and opened an old safe but found nothing there. It was believed early Monday morning that nothing of value was taken but when Stanley Gross, theater manager, returned Monday evening he discovered that a sack of pennies was missing, police said.
Racine, Wis.â€"Two Milwaukee men were arrested here early today, following the burglary of the Granada theater, a suburban house. One of the men was caught after a chase of five blocks, halting only when the pursuing policeman fired several shots over his head. Loot totaling $450 was taken when the theater safe was opened. The men held give their names as Edwin Sampson, 25, 2060 58th street, and Eugene Hughes, 25, 7716 West Stevens street. Hughes confessed his part in the burglary and implicated Sampson, but the latter denied he participated, police said.
The loot consisted of $250 in checks, $45 in cash, a diamond ring a diamond brooch, a diamond stick pin and a gold watch. The checks, $10 in cash, the diamond stickpin and the brooch were found on Hughes' person, authorities said. A third Milwaukee man, believed to be the driver for the captured pair, was being sought by Racine and Milwaukee police. Racine police said Hughes and the driver answer the description of the men who shot and slightly wounded Earl Halberstadt, 35, tavern proprietor, in an attempted holdup here early Sunday morning. Halberstadt was shot in the head by two robbers who confronted him as he drove into his garage. The robbers fled.
Extra extra, gangster hood goes free after burglary of theater:
TARELLO JURY DISCHARGED IN DISAGREEMENT
April 27, 1929 – Failing to agree after more than 20 hours deliberation, the jury trying Angelo Tarello,
Chicago gangster, for complicity in the burglary of the Kenosha theater here last December, was discharged in circuit court at 9:45 this morning by Judge Byron B. Park, Stevens Point, who heard the case for Judge E. B. Belden. Meanwhile, David and Alex Dotz, found guilty of complicity in the same burglary on March 26, and who were sentenced from 16 to 19 and 15 to 18 years in the Green Bay reformatory, respectively, last night, were started for that place on a train at four o'clock this morning.
It was reported in the court room this morning that the jury had stood divided 8-4 for conviction almost from the beginning and that further deliberations were unable to effect any change in its attitude. The state announced that it planned to bring Tarello to trial again for the offense at the earliest possible opportunity.
According to their story, night watchman Alex Dotz had been forced to participate in the affair by Tarello’s repeated threats. He let Tarello and a companion into the theater and permitted himself to be bound to a chair after the safe had been ransackedâ€"“to make it look like a real job.” Meanwhile his brother, David, then a member of the police force, had stationed himself in the balcony of the theater, planning to protect his brother and arrest the burglars before they could affect a getaway. However, he testified, that he lost his “nerve” and could not go through with the plan.
Upon completion of testimony in the Tarello case, Judge Park called the Dotz brothers before him to hear arguments for new trials. These were promptly denied, and the judge prepared to sentence the youths. Both were weeping. “I’m not guilty,” sobbed Alex, when asked whether he had anything to say. Then he pointed to Tarello. “Before God, there’s the man who’s guilty.” The youth, celebrating his twenty first birthday in the court room, then became hysterical.
As the judge passed sentence Alex collapsed. Two deputies carried him from the court room. His 18-year old wife emerged from the spectators, screamed and ran toward him. She was restrained by police officers. Then she ran to his mother. The pair wept loudly. At the same time, the boy’s father, who had been sitting three rows back, jumped to his feet and shook his fists at Tarello. “God will curse you!” he cried.
Simultaneous burglaries of the Ohio Theater and adjoining Fraternal Order of Eagles building were thwarted, four suspects were captured and two cars, believed stolen, were seized by Lima police
between 2:30 and 3 a.m. today. A fifth suspect still is at large. Patrolman Lewis Hamilton started the roundup at 2:30 when, while patrolling his downtown beat, he heard noises in an areaway between
the rear of the theater and Eagles buildings on Baker Alley. Investigating, Hamilton found Bruce A. Crum, 19, of 809 W. Elm St., standing by the open door of the theater. Beside Crum was the theater safe. At the same time the patrolman heard someone else inside the building. Handcuffing Crum to the theater door, Hamilton went inside and called the police station for additional officers to aid in searching the building.
Officers Hamilton and Phillips found Warren F. Taylor, 30, Kenton, crouched on a stairway leading to the theater balcony. He surrendered without resistance. The other officers went to the theater roof and from there across to the Eagles building roof, looking for evidence of forced entry. While they were at the northwest corner of the building’s roof, three men darted from the west door of the building on N. Elizabeth St. and ran west in Baker Alley. All three policemen opened fire on the trio, one of whom threw away a sack of change which burst and scattered coins all over the alley. About $130â€"all in silverâ€"was recovered later. A loaded .32 caliber pistol and 50 feet of rope also were found with the change.
The three suspects disappeared toward N. West St. but a few minutes later, Patrolmen William Gary and Thomas Miller, cruising in the vicinity in search of the escapees, spotted a red and black sedan parked in the 300 block of N. Elizabeth St. There were two persons in the car. The officers recognized the pair as Frank (Gene) Stratton, 21, of 115 E. Grand Ave., and a 16-year old juvenile, both of whom had “panting as if they had been running and both had dirt on their hands and clothes similar to dust from an attic” the patrolmen reported. Search of the car revealed three sets of stolen license plates. Stratton and the juvenile were arrested and brought to the police station.
Returning to the search, Gary and Miller a few minutes later discovered the second car which was parked in the 400 block of N. Elizabeth St. The spare tire had been removed from the trunk and was in the back seat of the 1946 model sedan, which led police to believe the car was to be used in carrying away the theater safe. This car has been linked to Taylor, who was captured in the theater, police say.
The link is not working. This story from 1969 may have been premature:
Brin Bowl, Theater To Close Forever, Structure Razed
MENASHA – The Brin Theater and a bowling alley in the same building have been closed down permanently and are being dismantled, according to the manager of the theater chain that owns the downtown landmark. Henry Tollette, Neenah, manager of Marcus Theater Enterprises, said the decision was made due to numerous factors including lack of convenient parking space which hurt the operation of the movie house and recent mushrooming of new bowling alley establishments which cut into the Brin Bowl operations.
He added, however, that the 40-theater Marcus chain would be interested in participating in the downtown redevelopment project by building a theater. “If there’s going to be space available for a theater,” Tollette said, “certainly we’ll build a theater there.” The present Brin Building is shown as parking area in downtown redevelopment plans, but a theater is included in a retail complex proposed to be built east on Main Street from the present theater. The theater seats, projectors and other equipment in the theater and the equipment in the bowling area are being dismantled, Tollette said. A sign on the marquee of the theater declaring it temporarily closed has been removed. The closing is permanent, Tollette said. The theater had been remodeled about a year ago with the seating capacity reduced from 1,000 to 840. Tollette said the current trend is to build “smaller, more functional” theaters with 500 to 600 seats. The Marcus chain’s new Cinema I theater in Appleton is such a house.
Larry King mentioned this theater in an interview published in the LA Times today. Apparently a police officer took him to the theater when he was eight after the officer told him King’s father had died of a heart attack at work.
Anyone heard of the Capitol in Lincoln? Do you suppose it was never built? This story is dated 5/3/20:
Lincoln’s New Theater to Be Named the Capitol
Manager Garman announces that the new theater to be built by the Princess Amusement company, operating the Rialto, Liberty, Lyric and Sun theaters will be named after New York City’s magnificent amusement palace, the Capitol. Twenty-five of the principal cities throughout the country are now building beautiful theaters to be named the Capitol and all, including Lincoln, will present the best in motion picture art, music, stage novelties and entertainers. Not one of these theaters will seat less than two thousand, while many in the larger cities will seat over five thousand. Each theater will be equipped with a large stage and dressing rooms and be capable of playing the biggest attractions that tour the country. Work will start on Lincoln’s new theater, the Capitol in about sixty days. The location will be announced shortly.
Roger Bailey, of Patchogue, LA captured the 25-lap feature midget auto race at Candlelite Stadium yesterday afternoon. The racing program marked the close of Candlelite Stadium as a sporting arena and it will be torn down for a drive-in motion picture theater which is expected to be completed before July 1.
Part of the grandstand and all the bleachers on the left field side of the baseball diamond already have been razed. The several hundred fans who watched the midget racers yesterday sat in the right field bleachers and on the terrace.
Some hungry kids were entertained at the Rex in December 1955:
CHRISTMAS VACATION IS A DOUBLE VACATION for Safety Patrol membersâ€"from patrol duties as well as studies. Like the postman who makes his rounds in all weather, the Safety Patrol cadets guard school crossings winter and summer, rain or shine. Wednesday they started their Christmas holidays with a gala Christmas party sponsored by the Sheboygan Association of Commerce with various organizations and firms joining in to make their party a thorough success.
The 625 cadets spent two hours watching movies at the Rex Theatre in the morning as guests of The Sheboygan Press, then left the theater to parade down N. 8th St., displaying safety signs en route. Taking time out for lunch served by Jaycees at Central High School, the boys and girls ate 114 dozen rolls, 145 pounds of hot dogs, 50 cases of soft drinks, 660 ice cream bars, 660 bags of potato chips, and enough mustard and catsup to last the average family several years.
I’ve come across hundreds of drive-ins from the 40s and 50s that could be listed on CT, but the time involved would be extraordinary. Besides, there are plenty of websites with comprehensive lists of “dead theaters” if you’re interested in that area.
My mother collected green stamps from gas stations. She used to fill up her tank once a week, always for $2, and she would drive practically to another state to find someone who was giving away those stamps.
Close call in December 1974:
30 Escape Blaze At Ogallala Hotel
Ogallala, (UPI)-A fire swept through the Dutchess Hotel in downtown Ogallala early Monday forcing the evacuation of an estimated 30 persons and leaving two hospitalized from smoke inhalation. The three-alarm blaze raged out of control for more than five hours as an estimated 60 firefighters from Ogallala, Brule and Grant waited until daybreak to enter the burning four-story structure. Firemen poured gallons of water onto the burning corner building and prevented the blaze from spreading significantly to two businesses to the north, the Prairie movie theater and Vivian’s Fashionette.
Authorities said the fire broke out in the hotel basement in the furnace area about 3 a.m.
Firemen, who entered the structure at daybreak, said three floors on the north side of the hotel, in addition to the north half of the roof, collapsed as smoke and flames continued to billow from the building. Firemen were standing on the roof of the movie theater in 15-degree temperatures spraying water on the hotel. The hotel building housed the Continental Trailways bus depot, a hobby shop in the basement, the Merle Norman cosmetic studio and Crook’s Shoe Service.
Here is an article about the conversion to retail in December 1973. The theater had been closed for thirteen years by that time.
What can you do with an old edifice?
BEAVER FALLS. Pa. – What can be done with an old theater building in a business district, short of tearing it down for redevelopment? One answer is conversion of the structure into a minimall with 13 stores and a restaurant-lounge. In Beaver Falls, it was a $250,000 venture undertaken by three businessmen. The minimall, first of its type in the area, opened this month with accolades from other business people and customers alike, pleased with conversion of an eyesore into something attractive and useful. In addition, it gave an aging business district a shot-in-the-arm. The first step was acquisition at a reasonable price of the property â€" which was closed as a movie theater in November 1960. The second step was borrowing a wad of money.
Lining up prospective tenants was necessary, too, like a fabrics shop, a branch outlet of a bakery, a toiletries-bath shop, men’s sports and casual clothes, a nurses-waitresses uniform shop, tobacco and candy store, costume jewelry-cosmetics shop, paint, wallpaper and decorating store, photo shop, a carpet shop, an ice cream parlor and a sporting goods store.
Conversion of the theater building into a minimall involved tearing out much of the first floor and building a shell within the structure. There were 1,098 tons of fill used to make the first floor level and 110 cubic yards of concrete poured. The Spanish motif of the former Theater â€" named the Granada â€" was preserved and enhanced in the conversion. The marquee was retained and redecorated in Spanish stucco and the front of the building was cleaned and floodlighted with mercury vapor lights. Besides the main entrance, two entrances were provided from an alley at the rear â€" near a parking lot and adjacent street.
The minimail has 8,800 square feet of space on the first floor and there are 2,500 square feet of useable space in the basement, where a soon-to-be-opened restaurant-lounge is located. The restaurant-lounge has the capacity to seat about 135 persons for dinner and there are entrances from within the mall and directly from outside. The former mezzanine and office of the theater provide for storage area and offices Use of the balcony for a mini-theater is a possibility.
Another possibility being given serious consideration is constructing entrances between the minimall and multistory mercantile buildings adjoining on either side. The minimallâ€" named Granada at Seventh â€" has done much to renovate one block in the business district, along with a new Mellon Bank branch recently constructed directly across Seventh Avenue. Promotion helps, too â€" just as it did in the theater business. When the minimall opened in mid-November, the developers had a 61 ½ foot cake stretched across the property’s frontage. The cake was sliced into 2,500 pieces and distributed to visitors.
Status should be closed/demolished.
Remember Charlie Chan’s kid, “Number One Son”? How about number one drive-in?
Too bad the messages deal with such a sad situation, though.
In 1960, the drive-in also hosted church services:
Dr. FRANK LAUBACH, famed international Christian missionary, will be speaking in person in Southern California this Sunday morning at 11 a.m. in the Orange Church on the Santa Ana Freeway, 2 miles below Disneyland. Norman Vincent Peale has described Dr. Laubach as “one of the 10 greatest persons alive in the world today.” The Orange Church meets in the Orange Drive-In Theater where even the handicapped, hard of hearing, aged and infirm can see and hear the entire service without leaving their family car.
I think it was open before 1980. I made the same assumption once from the website you are probably referring to. The newspaper article I read about the theater was from sometime in the 1950s.
Burglary in 1937:
Burglars Obtain Sack of Pennies In Theater Raid
Appleton, WI – About $15 in pennies was stolen in a burglary of the Rio Theater early Monday morning, police revealed today. One or more persons hid in the theater after the last show Sunday night, police believe. After employees left the building, the burglars drilled and opened an old safe but found nothing there. It was believed early Monday morning that nothing of value was taken but when Stanley Gross, theater manager, returned Monday evening he discovered that a sack of pennies was missing, police said.
Crime in 1933:
Two Burglars Arrested After 5-Block Chase
Racine, Wis.â€"Two Milwaukee men were arrested here early today, following the burglary of the Granada theater, a suburban house. One of the men was caught after a chase of five blocks, halting only when the pursuing policeman fired several shots over his head. Loot totaling $450 was taken when the theater safe was opened. The men held give their names as Edwin Sampson, 25, 2060 58th street, and Eugene Hughes, 25, 7716 West Stevens street. Hughes confessed his part in the burglary and implicated Sampson, but the latter denied he participated, police said.
The loot consisted of $250 in checks, $45 in cash, a diamond ring a diamond brooch, a diamond stick pin and a gold watch. The checks, $10 in cash, the diamond stickpin and the brooch were found on Hughes' person, authorities said. A third Milwaukee man, believed to be the driver for the captured pair, was being sought by Racine and Milwaukee police. Racine police said Hughes and the driver answer the description of the men who shot and slightly wounded Earl Halberstadt, 35, tavern proprietor, in an attempted holdup here early Sunday morning. Halberstadt was shot in the head by two robbers who confronted him as he drove into his garage. The robbers fled.
Extra extra, gangster hood goes free after burglary of theater:
TARELLO JURY DISCHARGED IN DISAGREEMENT
April 27, 1929 – Failing to agree after more than 20 hours deliberation, the jury trying Angelo Tarello,
Chicago gangster, for complicity in the burglary of the Kenosha theater here last December, was discharged in circuit court at 9:45 this morning by Judge Byron B. Park, Stevens Point, who heard the case for Judge E. B. Belden. Meanwhile, David and Alex Dotz, found guilty of complicity in the same burglary on March 26, and who were sentenced from 16 to 19 and 15 to 18 years in the Green Bay reformatory, respectively, last night, were started for that place on a train at four o'clock this morning.
It was reported in the court room this morning that the jury had stood divided 8-4 for conviction almost from the beginning and that further deliberations were unable to effect any change in its attitude. The state announced that it planned to bring Tarello to trial again for the offense at the earliest possible opportunity.
According to their story, night watchman Alex Dotz had been forced to participate in the affair by Tarello’s repeated threats. He let Tarello and a companion into the theater and permitted himself to be bound to a chair after the safe had been ransackedâ€"“to make it look like a real job.” Meanwhile his brother, David, then a member of the police force, had stationed himself in the balcony of the theater, planning to protect his brother and arrest the burglars before they could affect a getaway. However, he testified, that he lost his “nerve” and could not go through with the plan.
Upon completion of testimony in the Tarello case, Judge Park called the Dotz brothers before him to hear arguments for new trials. These were promptly denied, and the judge prepared to sentence the youths. Both were weeping. “I’m not guilty,” sobbed Alex, when asked whether he had anything to say. Then he pointed to Tarello. “Before God, there’s the man who’s guilty.” The youth, celebrating his twenty first birthday in the court room, then became hysterical.
As the judge passed sentence Alex collapsed. Two deputies carried him from the court room. His 18-year old wife emerged from the spectators, screamed and ran toward him. She was restrained by police officers. Then she ran to his mother. The pair wept loudly. At the same time, the boy’s father, who had been sitting three rows back, jumped to his feet and shook his fists at Tarello. “God will curse you!” he cried.
Burglary foiled, 11/18/54:
Simultaneous burglaries of the Ohio Theater and adjoining Fraternal Order of Eagles building were thwarted, four suspects were captured and two cars, believed stolen, were seized by Lima police
between 2:30 and 3 a.m. today. A fifth suspect still is at large. Patrolman Lewis Hamilton started the roundup at 2:30 when, while patrolling his downtown beat, he heard noises in an areaway between
the rear of the theater and Eagles buildings on Baker Alley. Investigating, Hamilton found Bruce A. Crum, 19, of 809 W. Elm St., standing by the open door of the theater. Beside Crum was the theater safe. At the same time the patrolman heard someone else inside the building. Handcuffing Crum to the theater door, Hamilton went inside and called the police station for additional officers to aid in searching the building.
Officers Hamilton and Phillips found Warren F. Taylor, 30, Kenton, crouched on a stairway leading to the theater balcony. He surrendered without resistance. The other officers went to the theater roof and from there across to the Eagles building roof, looking for evidence of forced entry. While they were at the northwest corner of the building’s roof, three men darted from the west door of the building on N. Elizabeth St. and ran west in Baker Alley. All three policemen opened fire on the trio, one of whom threw away a sack of change which burst and scattered coins all over the alley. About $130â€"all in silverâ€"was recovered later. A loaded .32 caliber pistol and 50 feet of rope also were found with the change.
The three suspects disappeared toward N. West St. but a few minutes later, Patrolmen William Gary and Thomas Miller, cruising in the vicinity in search of the escapees, spotted a red and black sedan parked in the 300 block of N. Elizabeth St. There were two persons in the car. The officers recognized the pair as Frank (Gene) Stratton, 21, of 115 E. Grand Ave., and a 16-year old juvenile, both of whom had “panting as if they had been running and both had dirt on their hands and clothes similar to dust from an attic” the patrolmen reported. Search of the car revealed three sets of stolen license plates. Stratton and the juvenile were arrested and brought to the police station.
Returning to the search, Gary and Miller a few minutes later discovered the second car which was parked in the 400 block of N. Elizabeth St. The spare tire had been removed from the trunk and was in the back seat of the 1946 model sedan, which led police to believe the car was to be used in carrying away the theater safe. This car has been linked to Taylor, who was captured in the theater, police say.
The link is not working. This story from 1969 may have been premature:
Brin Bowl, Theater To Close Forever, Structure Razed
MENASHA – The Brin Theater and a bowling alley in the same building have been closed down permanently and are being dismantled, according to the manager of the theater chain that owns the downtown landmark. Henry Tollette, Neenah, manager of Marcus Theater Enterprises, said the decision was made due to numerous factors including lack of convenient parking space which hurt the operation of the movie house and recent mushrooming of new bowling alley establishments which cut into the Brin Bowl operations.
He added, however, that the 40-theater Marcus chain would be interested in participating in the downtown redevelopment project by building a theater. “If there’s going to be space available for a theater,” Tollette said, “certainly we’ll build a theater there.” The present Brin Building is shown as parking area in downtown redevelopment plans, but a theater is included in a retail complex proposed to be built east on Main Street from the present theater. The theater seats, projectors and other equipment in the theater and the equipment in the bowling area are being dismantled, Tollette said. A sign on the marquee of the theater declaring it temporarily closed has been removed. The closing is permanent, Tollette said. The theater had been remodeled about a year ago with the seating capacity reduced from 1,000 to 840. Tollette said the current trend is to build “smaller, more functional” theaters with 500 to 600 seats. The Marcus chain’s new Cinema I theater in Appleton is such a house.
Take the safe, but leave the little hand truck…
http://tinyurl.com/ywy9vu
Larry King mentioned this theater in an interview published in the LA Times today. Apparently a police officer took him to the theater when he was eight after the officer told him King’s father had died of a heart attack at work.
On a lighter note, one of the children grew up to be the captain of the Hindenburg.
No, unfortunately.
I’m surprised no one has commented on this, as it appears or appeared to have been quite a place.
Legal problems in the seventies:
http://tinyurl.com/3bfspm
Legal problems in 1976:
http://tinyurl.com/38nmpn
Here is the obscenity case:
http://tinyurl.com/3dbstk
Anyone heard of the Capitol in Lincoln? Do you suppose it was never built? This story is dated 5/3/20:
Lincoln’s New Theater to Be Named the Capitol
Manager Garman announces that the new theater to be built by the Princess Amusement company, operating the Rialto, Liberty, Lyric and Sun theaters will be named after New York City’s magnificent amusement palace, the Capitol. Twenty-five of the principal cities throughout the country are now building beautiful theaters to be named the Capitol and all, including Lincoln, will present the best in motion picture art, music, stage novelties and entertainers. Not one of these theaters will seat less than two thousand, while many in the larger cities will seat over five thousand. Each theater will be equipped with a large stage and dressing rooms and be capable of playing the biggest attractions that tour the country. Work will start on Lincoln’s new theater, the Capitol in about sixty days. The location will be announced shortly.
This story is dated 5/2/55:
Roger Bailey, of Patchogue, LA captured the 25-lap feature midget auto race at Candlelite Stadium yesterday afternoon. The racing program marked the close of Candlelite Stadium as a sporting arena and it will be torn down for a drive-in motion picture theater which is expected to be completed before July 1.
Part of the grandstand and all the bleachers on the left field side of the baseball diamond already have been razed. The several hundred fans who watched the midget racers yesterday sat in the right field bleachers and on the terrace.
Some hungry kids were entertained at the Rex in December 1955:
CHRISTMAS VACATION IS A DOUBLE VACATION for Safety Patrol membersâ€"from patrol duties as well as studies. Like the postman who makes his rounds in all weather, the Safety Patrol cadets guard school crossings winter and summer, rain or shine. Wednesday they started their Christmas holidays with a gala Christmas party sponsored by the Sheboygan Association of Commerce with various organizations and firms joining in to make their party a thorough success.
The 625 cadets spent two hours watching movies at the Rex Theatre in the morning as guests of The Sheboygan Press, then left the theater to parade down N. 8th St., displaying safety signs en route. Taking time out for lunch served by Jaycees at Central High School, the boys and girls ate 114 dozen rolls, 145 pounds of hot dogs, 50 cases of soft drinks, 660 ice cream bars, 660 bags of potato chips, and enough mustard and catsup to last the average family several years.
I’ve come across hundreds of drive-ins from the 40s and 50s that could be listed on CT, but the time involved would be extraordinary. Besides, there are plenty of websites with comprehensive lists of “dead theaters” if you’re interested in that area.
My mother collected green stamps from gas stations. She used to fill up her tank once a week, always for $2, and she would drive practically to another state to find someone who was giving away those stamps.