On October 5, 1961, the Iao Theatre also hosted the world premiere of Frank Sinatra’s “The Devil At 4 O'clock”.
Throughout the late-1960s and much of the 1970s, the Iao suffered from lack of use and maintenance.
On December 27, 1974, five people were injured after a dispute over a damaged motorcycle parked next to the Iao Theatre turned into a shooting. One of the victims was a Maui teen who was shot in the knee, and another victim was an officer for the Maui Police Department. Police said that a small-caliber pistol was fired during the melee and was recovered to the station for questioning.
The Iao Theatre became statewide headlines throughout much of mid-1978 following a major raid over the theater running “Deep Throat” on August 15, 1978. Theater co-owners 26-year-old Robert MacKenzie and 29-year-old Ran Bir Khalsea (both from Kihei who lived on the same street at the time) were arrested by the MPD following warrants charging them with a single count of promotion of pornography. A short time later, 32-year-old Francis Katrus of Kihei was arrested with the same charge. Shortly after their arrest, all three were released on bail with $50 each. The affidavit said that back on August 10, 1978, five days before the raid, Deputy Police Chief Joseph Cravalho had assigned a sergeant to investigate the film at the Iao. He paid a total of $3 and watched the film, and shortly afterward, a search warrant was issued and the theater was raided. This is not the first time Hawaii witnessed an incident like this, but it was the Aquaris Theater in Honolulu who started a similar incident two months prior for the seizure of both “Deep Throat” and “Behind The Green Door” where search warrants were found after test-screening by the Honolulu Police Department. At the time, the manager at the King Theater in Wailuku said that he stopped running X-rated films for really good reasons several weeks prior when he heard that they might be raided. At the time, the Iao has shown 6 X-rated films since both Khalsa and MacKenzie both bought the theater in 1977.
A couple of months later, “Tokyo Throat” and “Loincloth Geisha” were shown at the nearby King Theatre. The two films were advertised at the theater by posters featuring toplessness. The Maui Police Department reviewed two more films that were played there but found out that they were not mature enough at all according to Maui County Prosecutor Boyd Mossman on October 25, 1978. Unlike its previous incident, Mossman said that the films themselves were “nothing like “Deep Throat” in that there were no explicit scenes of sexual activity”. He expects Maui officers prepare to check listings across Maui.
Unfortunately, the raid of “Deep Throat” caused the Iao Theatre to close as a longtime movie house due to concerns. The nearby King Theatre located a block away from the Iao Theater managed to continue running movies until it suffered damaged from a storm on January 8, 1980.
On August 9, 1979, it was announced that the Iao Theater will be converting into a $1M project as both an boutique and office complex known as the Iao Square, housing up to 26 tenants led by Victor K.B. Young of Honolulu but it never happened at the theater site. The Iao Theatre building sat vacant for years until it reopened as a special events and live performance house during the weekend of June 23, 1984. Some movies would later present as special showings.
The Maui Theatre actually continued operating in and after January 1992, despite the later announcement of Consolidated’s Kihei’s Kukui Mall 4-Plex in June 1992 (which opened later that November). The Maui Theatre continued to run first-run movies (including some special events) as normal until a couple of years later when it closed for the final time in 1994.
Manager W.F. Wallace and Proprietor H.B. Weller opened the Kahuluki Theater on May 17, 1918 with Geraldine Farrar in “The Woman God Forgot” featuring an original capacity of 750 seats and an original installation of a nitro-silver patent sheet screen. The theater was erected by the Kahuluki Railroad Company with an estimate $20,000, and it replaced the short-lived Lyceum Theater (which has the same amount of seats) after the Lyceum was destroyed by a fire caused by the projector during a packed showing of Jack Pickford’s “Freckles” on November 17, 1917. The fire caused the former Lyceum Theater to close after a little over five years of operation.
It was still open in the early-1960s, but its closing date was not known at this time.
Correction: The marquee picture I found is the neighboring Motor-Vu. I cannot find any picture that features the Santiam. Thanks to the Motor-Vu’s ad, it said that the Santiam was still operating that year.
Also, I read an advertisement that featured the Motor-Vu from a year later in 1986 and it does not demonstrate any info about the Santiam. So I’m pretty sure that the Santiam closed after the 1985 season.
Now known as “Warwick Cinema & Events Theater”, running mainly first-run and family films as well as some independent films. I tried finding any classic titles that picked up in the Warwick via WayBackMachine and I cannot find any unfortunately, so this page needs an update on its name and functions.
It still advertises in 1985. I recently looked through a page from the Lebanon Express and it features an advertisement for the theater with a very bright picture of the marquee in the daytime.
Opened in September 2016.
First operated by local native Raymond Cornes, who previously operated a theater in McKinney. He suddenly passed away on October 22, 1951.
Actually, it closed in March 2017. The site is now U-Haul.
This is a short-lived COVID drive-in, which I believe it only operated for two seasons.
Opened on May 16, 1979.
Located on Mission Rd, cannot find the address yet.
The Lyric continued operating in and after 1952. It was still in operation as late as the early-1970s.
On October 5, 1961, the Iao Theatre also hosted the world premiere of Frank Sinatra’s “The Devil At 4 O'clock”.
Throughout the late-1960s and much of the 1970s, the Iao suffered from lack of use and maintenance.
On December 27, 1974, five people were injured after a dispute over a damaged motorcycle parked next to the Iao Theatre turned into a shooting. One of the victims was a Maui teen who was shot in the knee, and another victim was an officer for the Maui Police Department. Police said that a small-caliber pistol was fired during the melee and was recovered to the station for questioning.
The Iao Theatre became statewide headlines throughout much of mid-1978 following a major raid over the theater running “Deep Throat” on August 15, 1978. Theater co-owners 26-year-old Robert MacKenzie and 29-year-old Ran Bir Khalsea (both from Kihei who lived on the same street at the time) were arrested by the MPD following warrants charging them with a single count of promotion of pornography. A short time later, 32-year-old Francis Katrus of Kihei was arrested with the same charge. Shortly after their arrest, all three were released on bail with $50 each. The affidavit said that back on August 10, 1978, five days before the raid, Deputy Police Chief Joseph Cravalho had assigned a sergeant to investigate the film at the Iao. He paid a total of $3 and watched the film, and shortly afterward, a search warrant was issued and the theater was raided. This is not the first time Hawaii witnessed an incident like this, but it was the Aquaris Theater in Honolulu who started a similar incident two months prior for the seizure of both “Deep Throat” and “Behind The Green Door” where search warrants were found after test-screening by the Honolulu Police Department. At the time, the manager at the King Theater in Wailuku said that he stopped running X-rated films for really good reasons several weeks prior when he heard that they might be raided. At the time, the Iao has shown 6 X-rated films since both Khalsa and MacKenzie both bought the theater in 1977.
A couple of months later, “Tokyo Throat” and “Loincloth Geisha” were shown at the nearby King Theatre. The two films were advertised at the theater by posters featuring toplessness. The Maui Police Department reviewed two more films that were played there but found out that they were not mature enough at all according to Maui County Prosecutor Boyd Mossman on October 25, 1978. Unlike its previous incident, Mossman said that the films themselves were “nothing like “Deep Throat” in that there were no explicit scenes of sexual activity”. He expects Maui officers prepare to check listings across Maui.
Unfortunately, the raid of “Deep Throat” caused the Iao Theatre to close as a longtime movie house due to concerns. The nearby King Theatre located a block away from the Iao Theater managed to continue running movies until it suffered damaged from a storm on January 8, 1980.
On August 9, 1979, it was announced that the Iao Theater will be converting into a $1M project as both an boutique and office complex known as the Iao Square, housing up to 26 tenants led by Victor K.B. Young of Honolulu but it never happened at the theater site. The Iao Theatre building sat vacant for years until it reopened as a special events and live performance house during the weekend of June 23, 1984. Some movies would later present as special showings.
The Maui Theatre actually continued operating in and after January 1992, despite the later announcement of Consolidated’s Kihei’s Kukui Mall 4-Plex in June 1992 (which opened later that November). The Maui Theatre continued to run first-run movies (including some special events) as normal until a couple of years later when it closed for the final time in 1994.
Opened on May 14, 1999. Grand Opening ad posted.
Manager W.F. Wallace and Proprietor H.B. Weller opened the Kahuluki Theater on May 17, 1918 with Geraldine Farrar in “The Woman God Forgot” featuring an original capacity of 750 seats and an original installation of a nitro-silver patent sheet screen. The theater was erected by the Kahuluki Railroad Company with an estimate $20,000, and it replaced the short-lived Lyceum Theater (which has the same amount of seats) after the Lyceum was destroyed by a fire caused by the projector during a packed showing of Jack Pickford’s “Freckles” on November 17, 1917. The fire caused the former Lyceum Theater to close after a little over five years of operation.
It was still open in the early-1960s, but its closing date was not known at this time.
Opened on November 20, 1992.
Opened on November 11, 1994.
First opened as the Plantation Cinemas in March 1977, and was renamed Coconut Marketplace Cinemas in 1996.
Closed on August 18, 1985 with “Prizzi’s Honor” and “Revenge Of The Nerds”.
Closed on May 24, 1990 with “Driving Miss Daisy” at Screen 1 and “Pretty Woman” at Screen 2.
General Cinema operated the Fashion Square throughout its history. Its actual closing date is September 24, 2000.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Opened on March 10, 1950 with Mark Stevens in “Will James Sand” and Richard Crane in “Arthur Takes Over” along with an unnamed cartoon.
Correction: The marquee picture I found is the neighboring Motor-Vu. I cannot find any picture that features the Santiam. Thanks to the Motor-Vu’s ad, it said that the Santiam was still operating that year.
Also, I read an advertisement that featured the Motor-Vu from a year later in 1986 and it does not demonstrate any info about the Santiam. So I’m pretty sure that the Santiam closed after the 1985 season.
Still open in 1983, but demolished by 1994.
As of 2023, the Englewood is running classic films, first-run films, second-run films, revival films, and special events.
Now known as “Warwick Cinema & Events Theater”, running mainly first-run and family films as well as some independent films. I tried finding any classic titles that picked up in the Warwick via WayBackMachine and I cannot find any unfortunately, so this page needs an update on its name and functions.
It still advertises in 1985. I recently looked through a page from the Lebanon Express and it features an advertisement for the theater with a very bright picture of the marquee in the daytime.