Other theaters in Panama City as of 8/56 were the Bud Davis Drive-In, Gulf Drive-in, Isle of View Drive-In, Wayside Drive-In, Panama Theater and Bay Theater.
You can’t see the Hollywood Hotel in the 1954 picture. The hotel was on the northwest corner of Hollywood and Highland and was torn down in 1959. The Kodak theater is there now. I believe the taller building is still standing.
The address is 1348 Lincoln. A few years ago, the building was being used as a banquet hall. It’s currently being renovated, with the future occupants unknown.
On 4/29/77, the Airport was showing a double feature – “A Star is Born” (1976 version) and “Carrie”. The phone number was 892-1181. Tickets were $1.50 until 7 p.m. Mon-Thurs and until 3 p.m. Sat-Sun.
By 1956, the price of a ticket had climbed to 35 cents. Kids under 12 got in for 9 cents. The vaudeville acts were gone, though. The theater was open from 1 p.m. to midnight.
On 8/22/56, the Arcata was showing “Doctor at Sea”, along with “The Divided Heart”. The theater’s phone number was VA 2-1727. Other theaters advertised in the Eureka Humboldt Standard that day were the Fortuna (playing the same double bill as the Arcata), the Eureka, the Liberty, the Rialto and the Midway Drive-In.
Here is an article from the 4/4/51 edition of the Long Beach Press Telegram:
Circle Drive-in Opens Tonight
HAILED as the most modern of its type in the nation, the new Circle Drive-In theater will be opened to the public tonight. The theater, located on 15 acres at Pacific Coast Hwy. at the Traffic Circle, will hold a benefit premiere tonight and those who saw a test last night were strong in praise for the huge screen and near-perfect sound offered. Two good films, “Stage to Tucson” and “Raton Pass”
plus news and comics, are offered on the opening bill.
Tonight’s opening culminates more than a year of planning and work. Owned and operated by Eagle Theaters Corp., headed by Thornton Howell, with his brother, James Howell, as secretary-treasurer, the Circle Drive-in is the fourth such theater opened by them. The Long Beach theater imbodies not only all of the main points of their other driveins but many new features. Barnie Warrick, manager, says
the new theater has the largest screen of any in the country. The
picture itself will be 70 feet by 46 feet.
The projector is the latest in equipment from RCA. Each aisle is equipped with ramp lights and each speaker post has a pilot light. In addition the posts are covered with luminous paint. There is parking-viewing space for 1000 motor cars. The snack bar has 85 feet of counter space and is designed for speed in serving. There are two
16-foot windows from the snack bar overlooking the screen and the interior is wired for sound so that visitors in there will not
miss any of the film. It is planned to install playground equipment of all kinds shortly for the entertainment of tots either before or during the shows. The show will start each evening at dusk and the gates will be opened an hour before. Music will be provided on the speakers until the picture starts. Pets are welcomed but must be kept in the cars.
Warren, I would be curious to know if you are scanning these ads to get them onto photobucket. I have access to a newspaper archive website, but the pages are only in pdf format, which means I can’t upload them onto photobucket. I tried posting the pages directly on CT, but the links fail after an hour or so.
Not so mysterious, I don’t think. The Los Angeles is the Lyceum, which is listed on CT. I imagine the Empress would also be an aka for the Los Angeles/Orpheum/Lyceum.
On September 20, 1920, the Isis was showing “Food for Scandal” with Wanda Hawley and Harrison Ford (that’s what it says). Wanda received top billing, of course, which most likely left Harrison pretty ticked.
That link is long gone. The theaters in Fort Wayne on 11/5/22 were the Lyric, Jefferson, Orpheum, Strand, Palace, Hippodrome, Creighton, Transfer and Grand.
An MGM film called “The Unfinished Dance” with Danny Thomas and Margaret O'Brien was playing at the Barnum on 11/16/47. Other theaters advertised that day were the Colonial, Rivoli, Black Rock, West End, Brooklawn, Stratford, Bostwick, Community, Lyric and E.M. Loew’s Milford Open-Air Drive In.
Here are excerpts from a 1962 article in the Pasadena Independent which discusses early theaters in Los Angeles:
So, without overture, let’s raise the curtain on a period around 1912. The Mason Opera House, Broadway near First, was a favorite for road shows and notable stars. Flashing back to before the turn of the century in Los Angeles, the former Child’s Opera House, Main near First, was housing Orpheum vaudeville. Later known as The Grand, “The Campus” had its long run there. For several seasons Ferris Harlman’s musical comedy company had its home at The Grand. Other Main Street attractions were Lewis Stone at the Belasco and the great productions at the Burbank.
Burlesque wasn’t a bad word in those days and a favored theater was The Olympic, across from the Burbank near 6th Street, where Blossom
Seeley and Frances White gained stardom. Jules Mendel (Pickle Heinz) was top comedian, supported by his wife, Rose. Decorative Vera Hansdale took the spotlight.
Switching to Spring Street, the Orpheum had moved to the Los Angeles Theater near 2nd. Perhaps you read recently that L.E. Behymer staged the opera, “La Boheme,” there just 65 years ago. In this Orpheum
Leo Carrillo got his start as a story teller. Another theater further
south then took the name Los Angeles Theater and presented Kolb and Dill in “Pigs is Pigs.” Later Sullivan and Considine turned the house to 10, 20 and 30 cent vaudeville, changed the name to Empress, and finally sold out to Marcus Loew.
Now, to Broadway where, in 1911 the third Orpheum opened near 6th. The last and finest Orpheum opened about 1925, near 9th, but was shortlived for major vaudeville’s day ended in less than four years.
Here is an article from the Fort Wayne Sentinel dated 12/31/03. Apparently the Garrick patrons were unaware of the terrible fire engulfing the nearby Iriquois, which took 600 lives:
HOW PANIC WAS AVERTED IN GARRICK THEATER
Chicago, Dec. 31-One of the largest audiences ever seen in the Garrick Theater, which is on the same street as the Iroquois, less than one block distant, sat in complete ignorance of the awful tragedy which was being enacted, 200 feet from where they sat.
When the fire engines commenced to patter past the Garrick, Manager
Schubert became fearful lest the impression that his theater was on fire should spread in the audience. When the intermission between acts came he ordered the doors closed and refused to allow any one to pass in or out, as he was determined that no knowledge of the fire should reach the audience.
Wilton Lackaye, the star of the play now being presented at the Garrick, stepped before the curtain and entertained the audience for over five minutes with a witty speech, which kept his hearers in continual laughter. The orchestra contributed its part toward diverting the audience and the curtain rose for the next act without anybody other than the theater employes knowing that hundreds of lives were being sacrificed almost next door to the Garrick.
When the people filed out of the Garrick they were greeted at the door by men and women, who anxiously scanned the faces to see if any of their friends were among them. They looked for members of their families and acquaintanceswho had gone down town simply to attend a matinee, without stating to what theater they had intended to go. There were many scenes of joyful recognition and astonished members of the Garrick audience were hugged and kissed in frantic delight by their relatives who up to that time had believed it possible that they were a ghastly pile of dead lying within the doors of the Iriquois Theater.
On 7/24/49, the Davenport Democrat-Leader advertised Clark Gable and Alexis Smith at the Capitol in MGM’s “Any Number Can Play”, plus a cartoon and late news. “The Stratton Story” with Jimmy Stewart would start a few days later. Other theaters in Davenport at that time were the State, Esquire, Garden, Uptown, Bel-Air, RKO Orpheum and Sunset.
LM’s link states that the Rococo/Stuart was built in 1929. That makes sense, as an October 1929 ad in the Lincoln Daily News has ads for the Lyric, Sun, Colonial, Rialto, Liberty and Orpheum.
This is excerpted from a 9/15/07 article in the Oakland Tribune. This is clearly a different building, and may not have shown films at all:
The big new temple of vaudeville on Twelfth street, the new Orpheum Theater of Oakland, which for a year has been in the hands of the architects and contractors, today was turned over to the force
of interior decorators employed by the Orpheum Circuit Company to embellish and make beautiful throughout the magnificent house which is to be devoted, hereafter, to the staging of vaudeville shows in Oakland.
Here are some newspaper ads from drive-inthruwisconsin.com:
http://tinyurl.com/y43xs4
Other theaters in Panama City as of 8/56 were the Bud Davis Drive-In, Gulf Drive-in, Isle of View Drive-In, Wayside Drive-In, Panama Theater and Bay Theater.
You can’t see the Hollywood Hotel in the 1954 picture. The hotel was on the northwest corner of Hollywood and Highland and was torn down in 1959. The Kodak theater is there now. I believe the taller building is still standing.
The address is 1348 Lincoln. A few years ago, the building was being used as a banquet hall. It’s currently being renovated, with the future occupants unknown.
On 4/29/77, the Airport was showing a double feature – “A Star is Born” (1976 version) and “Carrie”. The phone number was 892-1181. Tickets were $1.50 until 7 p.m. Mon-Thurs and until 3 p.m. Sat-Sun.
By 1956, the price of a ticket had climbed to 35 cents. Kids under 12 got in for 9 cents. The vaudeville acts were gone, though. The theater was open from 1 p.m. to midnight.
On 8/22/56, the Arcata was showing “Doctor at Sea”, along with “The Divided Heart”. The theater’s phone number was VA 2-1727. Other theaters advertised in the Eureka Humboldt Standard that day were the Fortuna (playing the same double bill as the Arcata), the Eureka, the Liberty, the Rialto and the Midway Drive-In.
Duly noted.
Here is an article from the 4/4/51 edition of the Long Beach Press Telegram:
Circle Drive-in Opens Tonight
HAILED as the most modern of its type in the nation, the new Circle Drive-In theater will be opened to the public tonight. The theater, located on 15 acres at Pacific Coast Hwy. at the Traffic Circle, will hold a benefit premiere tonight and those who saw a test last night were strong in praise for the huge screen and near-perfect sound offered. Two good films, “Stage to Tucson” and “Raton Pass”
plus news and comics, are offered on the opening bill.
Tonight’s opening culminates more than a year of planning and work. Owned and operated by Eagle Theaters Corp., headed by Thornton Howell, with his brother, James Howell, as secretary-treasurer, the Circle Drive-in is the fourth such theater opened by them. The Long Beach theater imbodies not only all of the main points of their other driveins but many new features. Barnie Warrick, manager, says
the new theater has the largest screen of any in the country. The
picture itself will be 70 feet by 46 feet.
The projector is the latest in equipment from RCA. Each aisle is equipped with ramp lights and each speaker post has a pilot light. In addition the posts are covered with luminous paint. There is parking-viewing space for 1000 motor cars. The snack bar has 85 feet of counter space and is designed for speed in serving. There are two
16-foot windows from the snack bar overlooking the screen and the interior is wired for sound so that visitors in there will not
miss any of the film. It is planned to install playground equipment of all kinds shortly for the entertainment of tots either before or during the shows. The show will start each evening at dusk and the gates will be opened an hour before. Music will be provided on the speakers until the picture starts. Pets are welcomed but must be kept in the cars.
I thought the “Big Texan” steakhouse was great! Highly recommended.
It looks better with the sign and without all the trees.
Warren, I would be curious to know if you are scanning these ads to get them onto photobucket. I have access to a newspaper archive website, but the pages are only in pdf format, which means I can’t upload them onto photobucket. I tried posting the pages directly on CT, but the links fail after an hour or so.
Not so mysterious, I don’t think. The Los Angeles is the Lyceum, which is listed on CT. I imagine the Empress would also be an aka for the Los Angeles/Orpheum/Lyceum.
The IMDB says that Wanda Hawley later became a call girl in San Francisco. Sic transit gloria mundi.
On September 20, 1920, the Isis was showing “Food for Scandal” with Wanda Hawley and Harrison Ford (that’s what it says). Wanda received top billing, of course, which most likely left Harrison pretty ticked.
Here is the lineup on 9/20/20:
MAJESTIC
Matinee Daily, 2:30
Vaudeville Night 8:15
A Tuneful Girly Farce
“A Brazilian Heiress"
With Frankie Kelly and Nine Others
LARRY COMER in Song and Jest
MAY and HILL Clever Couple
DANCING KENNEDYS Original Creation
EXTRA! EXTRA! FIRST MOVING PICTURES
Wall Street Blown Up!
That link is long gone. The theaters in Fort Wayne on 11/5/22 were the Lyric, Jefferson, Orpheum, Strand, Palace, Hippodrome, Creighton, Transfer and Grand.
An MGM film called “The Unfinished Dance” with Danny Thomas and Margaret O'Brien was playing at the Barnum on 11/16/47. Other theaters advertised that day were the Colonial, Rivoli, Black Rock, West End, Brooklawn, Stratford, Bostwick, Community, Lyric and E.M. Loew’s Milford Open-Air Drive In.
Here are excerpts from a 1962 article in the Pasadena Independent which discusses early theaters in Los Angeles:
So, without overture, let’s raise the curtain on a period around 1912. The Mason Opera House, Broadway near First, was a favorite for road shows and notable stars. Flashing back to before the turn of the century in Los Angeles, the former Child’s Opera House, Main near First, was housing Orpheum vaudeville. Later known as The Grand, “The Campus” had its long run there. For several seasons Ferris Harlman’s musical comedy company had its home at The Grand. Other Main Street attractions were Lewis Stone at the Belasco and the great productions at the Burbank.
Burlesque wasn’t a bad word in those days and a favored theater was The Olympic, across from the Burbank near 6th Street, where Blossom
Seeley and Frances White gained stardom. Jules Mendel (Pickle Heinz) was top comedian, supported by his wife, Rose. Decorative Vera Hansdale took the spotlight.
Switching to Spring Street, the Orpheum had moved to the Los Angeles Theater near 2nd. Perhaps you read recently that L.E. Behymer staged the opera, “La Boheme,” there just 65 years ago. In this Orpheum
Leo Carrillo got his start as a story teller. Another theater further
south then took the name Los Angeles Theater and presented Kolb and Dill in “Pigs is Pigs.” Later Sullivan and Considine turned the house to 10, 20 and 30 cent vaudeville, changed the name to Empress, and finally sold out to Marcus Loew.
Now, to Broadway where, in 1911 the third Orpheum opened near 6th. The last and finest Orpheum opened about 1925, near 9th, but was shortlived for major vaudeville’s day ended in less than four years.
Here is an article from the Fort Wayne Sentinel dated 12/31/03. Apparently the Garrick patrons were unaware of the terrible fire engulfing the nearby Iriquois, which took 600 lives:
HOW PANIC WAS AVERTED IN GARRICK THEATER
Chicago, Dec. 31-One of the largest audiences ever seen in the Garrick Theater, which is on the same street as the Iroquois, less than one block distant, sat in complete ignorance of the awful tragedy which was being enacted, 200 feet from where they sat.
When the fire engines commenced to patter past the Garrick, Manager
Schubert became fearful lest the impression that his theater was on fire should spread in the audience. When the intermission between acts came he ordered the doors closed and refused to allow any one to pass in or out, as he was determined that no knowledge of the fire should reach the audience.
Wilton Lackaye, the star of the play now being presented at the Garrick, stepped before the curtain and entertained the audience for over five minutes with a witty speech, which kept his hearers in continual laughter. The orchestra contributed its part toward diverting the audience and the curtain rose for the next act without anybody other than the theater employes knowing that hundreds of lives were being sacrificed almost next door to the Garrick.
When the people filed out of the Garrick they were greeted at the door by men and women, who anxiously scanned the faces to see if any of their friends were among them. They looked for members of their families and acquaintanceswho had gone down town simply to attend a matinee, without stating to what theater they had intended to go. There were many scenes of joyful recognition and astonished members of the Garrick audience were hugged and kissed in frantic delight by their relatives who up to that time had believed it possible that they were a ghastly pile of dead lying within the doors of the Iriquois Theater.
On 7/24/49, the Davenport Democrat-Leader advertised Clark Gable and Alexis Smith at the Capitol in MGM’s “Any Number Can Play”, plus a cartoon and late news. “The Stratton Story” with Jimmy Stewart would start a few days later. Other theaters in Davenport at that time were the State, Esquire, Garden, Uptown, Bel-Air, RKO Orpheum and Sunset.
Date that newspaper ad 1924, not 1929. It’s getting late.
LM’s link states that the Rococo/Stuart was built in 1929. That makes sense, as an October 1929 ad in the Lincoln Daily News has ads for the Lyric, Sun, Colonial, Rialto, Liberty and Orpheum.
This is excerpted from a 9/15/07 article in the Oakland Tribune. This is clearly a different building, and may not have shown films at all:
The big new temple of vaudeville on Twelfth street, the new Orpheum Theater of Oakland, which for a year has been in the hands of the architects and contractors, today was turned over to the force
of interior decorators employed by the Orpheum Circuit Company to embellish and make beautiful throughout the magnificent house which is to be devoted, hereafter, to the staging of vaudeville shows in Oakland.
Thanks for the info.