There was a Roxie Theater in Miami that was damaged by a fire in 1945. The Roxy listed here was built in the sixties, according to the caption, so there may be some confusion between the two theaters. Note that Al Alvarez mentions a 1934 listing in the Motion Picture Year Book.
After some improvements, the Malek re-opened on 1/11/66 with a showing of “Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion”, which incidentally was my favorite movie as a child:
Grand opening of the Malek Theater in Independence will be held Tuesday afternoon and evening, Jan. 11 with the showing of a free movie, “Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion.” This was the
announcement made this week by Jerry Reiter, manager, and Don Yoerger and Charles Houston, new owners. Three movies are planned for families in the area on Tuesday: 5:15, 7:15 and 9:15 p.m. Adults and youngsters will be guests of the new management which took over operation of the Malek on Sept. 1, 1965 from the former owners, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Malek. During the past several months the theater has had a number of improvements made. A new concession stand and cold drink dispenser have been added. This week a colorful mural was installed. Also last year the Maleks put in new carpeting. The theater today is the largest new theater built in Iowa since World War II.
Yoerger and Houston and their wives and families are both residents of LeMars and own the Palace Theater at Alton, Iowa. Reiter was named manager of the Malek last September and he and his wife
and two children moved here from LeMars. The three men and their wives will be hosts and hostesses at the grand opening event on Tuesday afternoon and evening. The local theater was sold to Yoerger and Houston by Mr. and Mrs. Malek who last year ended 25 years in the motion picture business. They formerly owned and operated the Grand and Iowa theaters and built the Malek Theater in 1946. The theater can accommodate 820 persons.
There is an article in the Council Bluffs Nonpareil dated 7/13/50 which discusses the opening of a new drive-in in the city. I’m not sure if it’s the same as the one listed as they just call it “The Drive-In”. Here is an excerpt from the article:
The new Drive-in theater here â€" one of the most modern in the middle west â€" will celebrate its grand opening at 7 p.m. Friday, William Miskell, Omaha district manager of Tri-States Theatres announced. It is located on a 12-acre tract on Highway 275 at Eleventh Street, immediately west of the closed Stork club. B.J. Dudgeon of Omaha will manage the enterprise. He also manages another Tri-States Drive-in at Omaha. Opening feature, which will begin at dusk Friday, is “The Big Wheel.” It’s a midget auto racing story starring Mickey Rooney. Free souvenirs will be distributed at the opening.
Here is a summary of a 1958 case in which the Carmel Museum theater won an appeal after its business license was denied:
Appellant theater owner sought review of a decision by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County (California), which denied his petition directing the county board of supervisors to renew the theater owner’s license to operate a motion picture theater.
The theater owner operated a theater in a district frequented by homosexuals. On several occasions, the sheriff arrested individuals for engaging in homosexual activity in the theater. The sheriff closed the theater on the ground that it was a public nuisance. The theater owner applied to the board for the renewal of his license to operate. The board denied the petition and the tax collector refused to issue a license. The theater owner filed a petition for a writ of mandamus directing the board and tax collector to issue the license. The trial court denied the petition and the theater owner sought review. The court reversed, holding that the operation of a movie theater was a lawful business of beneficial character that was not inherently dangerous to the public. The court noted that the theater was not operated in a manner different from that of other movie theaters, it did not show lewd or lascivious pictures, and the theater owner had tried to stop the conduct complained of by the police. Further, the court said, the property was zoned and the building designed for use as a theater. The court held that the evidence was insufficient to support the denial of the license.
Here is a June 2006 article about the fire:
http://tinyurl.com/y44fee
Closed in August 2000.
Here is an article about the Stage 4:
http://tinyurl.com/y5ama4
There was a Roxie Theater in Miami that was damaged by a fire in 1945. The Roxy listed here was built in the sixties, according to the caption, so there may be some confusion between the two theaters. Note that Al Alvarez mentions a 1934 listing in the Motion Picture Year Book.
This patron went to a premiere and ended up with a broken leg:
http://tinyurl.com/yheo9j
On 6/17/73, the Paramount was showing an x-rated film called “Sex and the Office Girl”.
After some improvements, the Malek re-opened on 1/11/66 with a showing of “Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion”, which incidentally was my favorite movie as a child:
Grand opening of the Malek Theater in Independence will be held Tuesday afternoon and evening, Jan. 11 with the showing of a free movie, “Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion.” This was the
announcement made this week by Jerry Reiter, manager, and Don Yoerger and Charles Houston, new owners. Three movies are planned for families in the area on Tuesday: 5:15, 7:15 and 9:15 p.m. Adults and youngsters will be guests of the new management which took over operation of the Malek on Sept. 1, 1965 from the former owners, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Malek. During the past several months the theater has had a number of improvements made. A new concession stand and cold drink dispenser have been added. This week a colorful mural was installed. Also last year the Maleks put in new carpeting. The theater today is the largest new theater built in Iowa since World War II.
Yoerger and Houston and their wives and families are both residents of LeMars and own the Palace Theater at Alton, Iowa. Reiter was named manager of the Malek last September and he and his wife
and two children moved here from LeMars. The three men and their wives will be hosts and hostesses at the grand opening event on Tuesday afternoon and evening. The local theater was sold to Yoerger and Houston by Mr. and Mrs. Malek who last year ended 25 years in the motion picture business. They formerly owned and operated the Grand and Iowa theaters and built the Malek Theater in 1946. The theater can accommodate 820 persons.
There is an article in the Council Bluffs Nonpareil dated 7/13/50 which discusses the opening of a new drive-in in the city. I’m not sure if it’s the same as the one listed as they just call it “The Drive-In”. Here is an excerpt from the article:
The new Drive-in theater here â€" one of the most modern in the middle west â€" will celebrate its grand opening at 7 p.m. Friday, William Miskell, Omaha district manager of Tri-States Theatres announced. It is located on a 12-acre tract on Highway 275 at Eleventh Street, immediately west of the closed Stork club. B.J. Dudgeon of Omaha will manage the enterprise. He also manages another Tri-States Drive-in at Omaha. Opening feature, which will begin at dusk Friday, is “The Big Wheel.” It’s a midget auto racing story starring Mickey Rooney. Free souvenirs will be distributed at the opening.
Here is a Time article about the opening in 1946. As Warren pointed out, the subscription idea was a failure:
http://tinyurl.com/y93c7k
Here is a 1945 newspaper ad:
http://tinyurl.com/yb5ukh
Here is an ad for the grand opening:
http://tinyurl.com/yyuuh5
There is a photo of the Joy on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/yfcor5
Here are photos taken after the fire in April 2005:
http://tinyurl.com/ynxdlq
There is a photo of the Blue Mouse and the Music Box on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/ykno6a
Here is an undated photo when the theater caught fire:
http://tinyurl.com/v3ypo
Here is a pile of rubble that used to be the State:
http://tinyurl.com/y3rxun
Here is a more recent photo of a band posing in front of the Wyo:
http://tinyurl.com/y82trh
There are some photos of the Marlow’s demolition on this page:
http://www.lifelikecharm.com/theaters.htm
Here is a photo of the theater collapse in 1998:
http://tinyurl.com/twbln
The Galaxy was also called the Rankin. Here is a photo of the fire in 1985:
http://tinyurl.com/y55kh4
The theater was closed for a while in the early thirties, according to this lawsuit brought in 1937:
http://tinyurl.com/yad6yl
Here is a summary of a 1958 case in which the Carmel Museum theater won an appeal after its business license was denied:
Appellant theater owner sought review of a decision by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County (California), which denied his petition directing the county board of supervisors to renew the theater owner’s license to operate a motion picture theater.
The theater owner operated a theater in a district frequented by homosexuals. On several occasions, the sheriff arrested individuals for engaging in homosexual activity in the theater. The sheriff closed the theater on the ground that it was a public nuisance. The theater owner applied to the board for the renewal of his license to operate. The board denied the petition and the tax collector refused to issue a license. The theater owner filed a petition for a writ of mandamus directing the board and tax collector to issue the license. The trial court denied the petition and the theater owner sought review. The court reversed, holding that the operation of a movie theater was a lawful business of beneficial character that was not inherently dangerous to the public. The court noted that the theater was not operated in a manner different from that of other movie theaters, it did not show lewd or lascivious pictures, and the theater owner had tried to stop the conduct complained of by the police. Further, the court said, the property was zoned and the building designed for use as a theater. The court held that the evidence was insufficient to support the denial of the license.
No, just the two in Tacoma. I will add this one. Thanks for the info.
There was another Blue Mouse in Seattle, according to this suit. How many mice were there anyway?
http://tinyurl.com/y5rptt
Here is an interesting lawsuit from 1985 concerning preservation of the Warner:
http://tinyurl.com/yxfal5