The Oliver Theatre was a new-build facility that essentially replaced the Valley Theatre as the town’s movie house. It opened May 6, 1921 and in January of 1930 it shifted to a policy of all talking pictures after installing a sound system. In 1947, the theatre was sold by Dean Krotter to J.M. Williamson. He changed the name of the venue to the Pal Theatre in May of 1947.
Fifteen miles away in Trenton, Nebraska, the Roxy installed CinemaScope in December of 1954. The Pal soldiered on but apparently enough movie goers preferred the drive to the technically superior Roxy that business waned. The Pal closed on April 16, 1956 with Humphrey Bogart in “The Desperate Hours.”
The opening of the West Fifth Street Drive-In Theatre took place on June 12, 1953 with Jane Russell in “Montana Belle.” The ozoner opened with 347 spaces with that number of speakers.
The Empress Theatre was built in 1912 and was said to be the first theater in the West that had a passenger elevator for patrons to take them from the second to the third floor. It was also said that it would be impossible for a single life to be lost as the theatre was completely fireproof. It launched with vaudeville on January 30, 1913 and motion pictures were part of the shows almost from the outset. The theatre had 1,492 seats at opening with all of them filled.
Built on the former spot of Danceland, the O'Neill Drive-In Theatre launched on June 5, 1952 with “Fort Defiance” supported by additional short subjects. Just ten days later, on June 15, 1952, a tornado destroyed the screen. It was soon rebuilt.
The Barstow Theatre launched for Western Amusements Circuit on February 22, 1950 with Broderick Crawford in “Cargo to Cape Town” supported by Johnny Weissmuller in “Captive Girl.”
Cinerama Inc. began in 1950 and went public in 1952. In January of 1970, it took over RKO Stanley Circuit and is credited with opening the Palo Alto Square (see ad in photos). William Forman led Pacific Theatres as its President as a privately-held company. The two became intertwined when Forman became President and CEO of Cinerama Inc. late in 1963 and resumed his role as the President of Pacific Theatres with Cinerama remaining public and Pacific remaining private.
Landmark Theatre Company formed and its theatres were jointly owned and operated by Blumenfeld Theatres in conjunction with Pacific Theatres. Basically, all of these companies were pretty much operating in conjunction with each other.
The $15 million Palo Alto Square project was announced in June of 1969 as a commercial project with city involvement. The theatre was originally planned as an 800-seat single screen venue to be part of the office-hotel complex. Protests delayed the project and allowed architects to re-imagine the venue as a twin-screener. The Palo Alto Square I & II Theatre launched April 6, 1971 on a thirty-year lease with “A New Leaf” and “Waterloo.” The theatre was taken on by Landmark Theatres which closed it at the end of March of 2001 at the end of its lease.
Century Theatres took on the location changing it to the CinéArts at Palo Alto Square (not the Cine Arts, btw) likely on a new 30-year lease. At the half-way point of the lease, Cinemark announced its intention to close the location on August 4, 2016 shortly after the annual Jewish Film Festival. Successful protests which included more than 2,600 signatures staved off that closure and the arthouse resumed operations.
Cinemark closed the location in March of 2020 temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre remained closed on its 50th anniversary in the Spring of 2021. Likely approaching the end of a 20-year option in its leasing agreement, Cinemark announced in late June of 2021 that the Palo Alto location would be closed permanently.
The Hollywood Theatre announced that it would close temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic following its March 13, 2020 shows. The theatre reopened nearly 16 months later just prior to its 95th anniversary on July 2, 2021. It also resumed its 70mm film screenings shortly after reopening.
The Elmwood temporarily closed in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following 13 months of popcorn sales on weekends and virtual screenings, the theatre reopened with films on May 11, 2021.
Regal closed here for the COVID-19 pandemic a second time on October 8, 2020. Regal reopened the venue on June 25, 2021 to coincide with the opening of the ninth installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
The Rodeo Drive-In Theatre closed November 8, 1981 with Eric Lee in “Weapons of Death.” Demolition commenced in November of 1981 within a week of its closure as it became home to a community college.
Edwards experimented with the property as a self-storage facility in 1986 leaving the tower in place. However, in January of 1987, the land was sold, the drive-in demolished as it would become part of a business park incubator
Flagship closed its location in Rutland on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre subsequently disconnected its phone and the circuit decided to make the closure permanent in 2021.
The Cinemark Garland closed for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 15, 2020 showtimes. During the pandemic, the vast majority of discount movie theaters were closed permanently. Almost remarkably, the Cinemark in Garland returned with discount movies beginning on June 11, 2021 after being closed 15 months.
The Grand Theatre Twin closed for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020. It relaunched on June 11, 2021 with a single screen operating and showing “Sprit: Untamed.”
The Aero closed following the March 12, 2020 showings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 10, 2021, it officially reopened with a special advance screening of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In The Heights” on June 10, 2021.
Landmark Theatres Circuit announced that the theatre had closed temporarily on April 23, 2021 and then announced on June 13, 2021 that the closure would be permanent at the end of a leasing agreement after an 80-year run.
The trade press suggests an August 16, 1930 opening date with “Sweethearts on Parade” as the world premiere opening title with star Alice White in person with Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as additional in-person guests. (The local paper suggests that the opening was in December of 1930 at the 9th anniversary.) J.E. Zehnder built the original-look NuArt with George Burke and M.E. “Scotty” Bayliss carrying out the updating in 1939 at its relaunch December 15th with “Blackmail” and “Fast and Furious.”
The original Gem Theatre opened in the Keller Building on February 11, 1914 in Culbertson.
The Oliver Theatre was a new-build facility that essentially replaced the Valley Theatre as the town’s movie house. It opened May 6, 1921 and in January of 1930 it shifted to a policy of all talking pictures after installing a sound system. In 1947, the theatre was sold by Dean Krotter to J.M. Williamson. He changed the name of the venue to the Pal Theatre in May of 1947.
Fifteen miles away in Trenton, Nebraska, the Roxy installed CinemaScope in December of 1954. The Pal soldiered on but apparently enough movie goers preferred the drive to the technically superior Roxy that business waned. The Pal closed on April 16, 1956 with Humphrey Bogart in “The Desperate Hours.”
The opening of the West Fifth Street Drive-In Theatre took place on June 12, 1953 with Jane Russell in “Montana Belle.” The ozoner opened with 347 spaces with that number of speakers.
The Empress Theatre was built in 1912 and was said to be the first theater in the West that had a passenger elevator for patrons to take them from the second to the third floor. It was also said that it would be impossible for a single life to be lost as the theatre was completely fireproof. It launched with vaudeville on January 30, 1913 and motion pictures were part of the shows almost from the outset. The theatre had 1,492 seats at opening with all of them filled.
Built on the former spot of Danceland, the O'Neill Drive-In Theatre launched on June 5, 1952 with “Fort Defiance” supported by additional short subjects. Just ten days later, on June 15, 1952, a tornado destroyed the screen. It was soon rebuilt.
The Barstow Theatre launched for Western Amusements Circuit on February 22, 1950 with Broderick Crawford in “Cargo to Cape Town” supported by Johnny Weissmuller in “Captive Girl.”
First ad for the Bar-Len Drive-In that had opened with “Albuquerque” and “Duffy’s Tavern” supported by two cartoons December 29, 1948
The Barstow Theatre launches February 22, 1950 with Broderick Crawford in “Cargo to Cape Town” supported by Johnny Weissmuller in “Captive Girl.”
Cinerama Inc. began in 1950 and went public in 1952. In January of 1970, it took over RKO Stanley Circuit and is credited with opening the Palo Alto Square (see ad in photos). William Forman led Pacific Theatres as its President as a privately-held company. The two became intertwined when Forman became President and CEO of Cinerama Inc. late in 1963 and resumed his role as the President of Pacific Theatres with Cinerama remaining public and Pacific remaining private.
Landmark Theatre Company formed and its theatres were jointly owned and operated by Blumenfeld Theatres in conjunction with Pacific Theatres. Basically, all of these companies were pretty much operating in conjunction with each other.
Corrections:
•CinéArts at Palo Alto Square is the name of the complex not CineArts Theater.
•It’s also not 40 years old.
•It was originally opened by the Cinerama Theatre Circuit (though didn’t feature Cinerama films).
•Landmark opened in 1974 and later took on this location
•It closed in March of 2020 not March of 202
•Technically, it’s COVID-19 not Covid-19
The $15 million Palo Alto Square project was announced in June of 1969 as a commercial project with city involvement. The theatre was originally planned as an 800-seat single screen venue to be part of the office-hotel complex. Protests delayed the project and allowed architects to re-imagine the venue as a twin-screener. The Palo Alto Square I & II Theatre launched April 6, 1971 on a thirty-year lease with “A New Leaf” and “Waterloo.” The theatre was taken on by Landmark Theatres which closed it at the end of March of 2001 at the end of its lease.
Century Theatres took on the location changing it to the CinéArts at Palo Alto Square (not the Cine Arts, btw) likely on a new 30-year lease. At the half-way point of the lease, Cinemark announced its intention to close the location on August 4, 2016 shortly after the annual Jewish Film Festival. Successful protests which included more than 2,600 signatures staved off that closure and the arthouse resumed operations.
Cinemark closed the location in March of 2020 temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre remained closed on its 50th anniversary in the Spring of 2021. Likely approaching the end of a 20-year option in its leasing agreement, Cinemark announced in late June of 2021 that the Palo Alto location would be closed permanently.
CinéArts at the Empire
Closed as the Century 12 Evanston / CinéArts 6 and XD
Official name is CinéArts Sequoia
The Hollywood Theatre announced that it would close temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic following its March 13, 2020 shows. The theatre reopened nearly 16 months later just prior to its 95th anniversary on July 2, 2021. It also resumed its 70mm film screenings shortly after reopening.
The Elmwood temporarily closed in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following 13 months of popcorn sales on weekends and virtual screenings, the theatre reopened with films on May 11, 2021.
Regal closed here for the COVID-19 pandemic a second time on October 8, 2020. Regal reopened the venue on June 25, 2021 to coincide with the opening of the ninth installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
The Rodeo Drive-In Theatre closed November 8, 1981 with Eric Lee in “Weapons of Death.” Demolition commenced in November of 1981 within a week of its closure as it became home to a community college.
Edwards experimented with the property as a self-storage facility in 1986 leaving the tower in place. However, in January of 1987, the land was sold, the drive-in demolished as it would become part of a business park incubator
Flagship closed its location in Rutland on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre subsequently disconnected its phone and the circuit decided to make the closure permanent in 2021.
The Cinemark Garland closed for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 15, 2020 showtimes. During the pandemic, the vast majority of discount movie theaters were closed permanently. Almost remarkably, the Cinemark in Garland returned with discount movies beginning on June 11, 2021 after being closed 15 months.
The Grand Theatre Twin closed for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16, 2020. It relaunched on June 11, 2021 with a single screen operating and showing “Sprit: Untamed.”
The Aero closed following the March 12, 2020 showings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 10, 2021, it officially reopened with a special advance screening of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In The Heights” on June 10, 2021.
Landmark Theatres Circuit announced that the theatre had closed temporarily on April 23, 2021 and then announced on June 13, 2021 that the closure would be permanent at the end of a leasing agreement after an 80-year run.
The trade press suggests an August 16, 1930 opening date with “Sweethearts on Parade” as the world premiere opening title with star Alice White in person with Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as additional in-person guests. (The local paper suggests that the opening was in December of 1930 at the 9th anniversary.) J.E. Zehnder built the original-look NuArt with George Burke and M.E. “Scotty” Bayliss carrying out the updating in 1939 at its relaunch December 15th with “Blackmail” and “Fast and Furious.”