Reading the daily paper and the trade press, the information above appears to be incorrect. A reading of the daily press shows that the first places folks in Bethany, Missouri likely watched films were in its Opera House (opened in 1892 with films as early as 1903) or its venerable Auditorium Theatre (opened in 1890 and used for films during the early 1910s). With interest high in moving pictures in the early 1910s, the town also had two silent-era Airdomes (1915-1919), the Star Theatre (1910 to 1912), and the Elite Theatre (1914-1923).
I Walter Maple took on the Elite Theatre but - deciding it was too small and seemingly on a second level - moved to the former Auditorium Theatre turned Auditorium building. He created the Cozy Theatre in its lowest level. Maple operated it as a silent house from 1923 to 1929 on a 7-year lease. He then equipped it for sound for the Cozy to remain viable on a new lease. The Will Rogers' film “Mr. Skitch” appears to have been the final film at the Cozy as a fire early in the morning of February 2, 1934 destroyed the Auditorium building.
Cause of the fire was “not certain.” But since the film, “Roman Scandals” had been prepped for viewing and the fire’s origin was above street level from the Cozy Theatre with an explosion in that general vicinity, it’s not hard to imagine that the Cozy projection room led to yet another in a long line of nitrate film blazes.
The screenings were then moved for the next months to the Knights of Pythian Castle Hall, a local fraternal hall that had existed in that location since 1913. The theatre was called the Cozy-Castle and Castle in its brief operation. Maple then built a new venue, the Roxy, which launched in October of 1934. That was just nine days after Lester Robinson and Joe Noll of the new Noll Theatre had launched as the town had three theaters and just 2,200 residents. Because the Noll Theatre was built in the footprint of the Auditorium, according to the local paper, that would put this entry’s address at 1513 Central Street with operational names of the Cozy Theatre formerly the Auditorium Theatre and the Auditorium
The emergency replacement for Maple - the Cozy-Castle Theatre turned Castle Theatre closed permanently on December 15, 1934. Maple cited “bad roads” as the reason for closure instead of too many theaters in the small town. Maple retired in 1938 dying in 1942 but his Roxy Theatre had a long run, was renamed El Teatro Real and then the BigTime Cinema operating into the 2020s. Meanwhile, the footprint of the former Auditorium / Cozy became the new-build Noll Theatre which operated into the 1960s and was razed following a period of vacancy.
The launch of the Roxy Theatre was a political speech on October 3, 1935 by Senator Roscoe C. Patterson. The Grand Opening movie was “Wake Up and Dream” in October 26, 1934.
Glen Belendes launched the Star Theatre a mile west of Valentine, Nebraska, on August 11, 1951 with Bing Crosby in “Pennies from Heaven” supported by a Woody Woodpecker cartoon and another short subject using 16mm projection. Improvements under new operators in 1952 led to the booth getting 35mm projection and a new name as the Valentine Drive-In Theatre. It relaunched with that name on August 28, 1952 with Randolph Scott in “Colt .45.” In 1964, new operator Harmon “Bill” Grunke too over the venue and renamed it as the Sandhills Drive-In on July 17, 1964 with “13 Frightened Girls” and “Reprisal.”
Operator Walter J. Bucholtz closed the New Haven Theatre on November 10, 1940 and then launched here with his new-build Walt Theatre on November 14, 1940 featuring Wallace Beery in “Wyoming.”
The New Haven Theater launched with Colleen Moore in “The Ninety and Nine” on July 10, 1924. It ended its run with a farewell screening of Joel McRea in “He Married His Wife” on November 10, 1940. Operator Walter J. Bucholtz then launched his new-build Walt Theatre on November 14, 1940.
Hugh Gardner opened the CarMar Theatre in 1941. Commonwealth Amusements Circuit took on the venue and closed it as the CarMar Theatre on January 1, 1949 with “Road Show,” “Marshall of Reno,” and the final chapter of “Dangers of the Canadian Mounted.” The Independent Order of the Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) used it as a fraternal lodge from 1949 to 1951 before moving to new digs. The Lindsay Department store then gave the building a transformation to a retail store.
The opening - and only - name of the venue was the Edgewood Drive-In Theatre and, as noted, it launched May 18, 1951 with Alexis Smith in “Wyoming Mail” supported by the Grantland Rice sports short, “Desert Hi-Jinks,” and the Bugs Bunny cartoon, “The Homeless Hare.”
The Southgate Shopping Center opened theatre-less on 3893 S.E. Commercial Street in 1960. General American Theatres, operator of the Lancaster Mall Quad Cinema, two local drive-ins, and two downtown theaters constituting a local monopoly, built an addition to the plaza. The $450,000 three-screen operation with a 400-seat auditorium and 2-200 seat auditoriums was architected by Dick Ebeling & Associates of Portland. It was one of four new-build theaters being built in the area including an identical but ultimately delayed Keizer location triplex by GAT.
The Southgate Cinema Center opened on June 16, 1976 wit two theatres ready to go and Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal in “Bad News Bears “ and Jan-Michael Vincent in “Baby Blue Marine” on a double-bill with Lisa Oz in “Drive-In.” Act III Circuit took on the venue and then merged with Regal Theatres in 1998. Regal closed the Southgate in 1999 along with its sister triplex, the Keizer Cinemas 3.
On March 21, 2004, the venue was reopened under independent operation and reducing the theater sizes to 144, 86, and 70 for a total of 300 seats. It relaunched as the Northern Lights Theatre Pub. The Northern Lights Theatre Pub closed on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened briefly but faded away on August 29, 2020 with its final shows being private theater rentals and the last scheduled show was a repertory run of “The Greatest Showman.” Under new operators, the venue relaunched two years later on March 24, 2022.
Princess Theatre “#2” opened December 16, 1943 with Mary Martin in “True to Life.” It replaced the original Princess Theatre which closed and was converted to Cliff’s Cafe, a local restaurant owned by Clifford Schaefer.
The town of Ozark, Missouri, also had several silent era venues including the Gem, the Club Theatre and the Radio Theatre. Also, the New Theatre opened namelessly on April 5, 1929 with the John Ford film, “Four Sons.” The theatre replaced the Cliffhaven Theatre, Cliff Woody’s venue that had suffered a fire ending its operation on January 7, 1929. A naming contest offering ten free tickets for the best name for the New. The winner was not “Ozark” but “Safety-Nook” then Safetynook. The name appears to have been conjured up because the projection booth at the new theatre was completely fireproof.
This entry, however, definitely opened as the Civic Theatre for Paul Bloomer and Lloyd Lee who transformed an existing retail building into a theatre for $4,500. It opened on October 9, 1936. The venue closed in 1937. But P.M. Soutee took on the venue relaunching on September 11, 1937 as the Ozark Theatre with Tyrone Power in “Love is News.” At that time, the venue was using portable projection equipment. But Harve Nokes showed more love to the venue, expanding it to 450 seats and going with a permanent and fireproof projection booth. The “new” Ozark Theatre relaunched on May 31, 1938.
The Lancaster Center Mall launched theatre-less on November 28, 1968. By 1971, an expansion to the slightly renamed Lancaster Mall brought twenty new retailers to the thriving shopping center. One of those was the 740-seat, the Lancaster Mall Theatre at 3790 D. Street N.E. The new “Lancaster Mall” has a Grand Opening on August 26, 1971 but the theater was delayed. Since the Lancaster Mall Theatre was the first new-build indoor theatre in more than thirty years in Salem, it was likely worth the wait.
The theatre launched as a single screen theatre on November 24, 1971 with Walter Matthau in “Kotch” and “How I Love Thee” with Maureen O'Hara and Jackie Gleason. The theatre announced that a second screen would be added to the operation in 1972 and would soon be known as the South Screen. That plan was put on hold.
General American Theatres Circuit then constructed a three-screen addition to its facility -two “mini-theaters” with 250 seats each and a 450-seat auditorium - relaunching as the Lancaster Mall Quad Cinema. The facility had reached its 1,690 seat total. It relaunched on January 17, 1975 with “Airport 1975,” and double-features in cinemas 2-4 with “Phantom of the Paradise” and “Alice’s Restaurant”; “The Dove” and “Walkabout”; and “Freebie and the Bean” and “Bullitt.”
The venue passed from Salem Theatres to Luxury Cinemas to Regal. The venue’s name was slightly shortened to the Lancaster Quad Cinemas. When Regal launched its Lancaster Mall Stadium 11 opening on October 27, 2006, it closed the Lancaster Quad on October 22, 2006.
The Rex appears to have launched with vaudeville on April 6, 1914. Movies took over as the primary programming. The Rex discontinued films in December of 1935. The final event was live - a local amateur show on May 14, 1936. A news note in March of 1937 said the former Rex Theatre was being remodeled for different retail purposes.
The State Theatre closed at the end of a 20-year lease on April 24, 1953. Its seats were removed in 1956. Vandals broke in and did damage in 1957 to the interior and turned on the exterior marquee lights. Surprisingly, after four years, the marquee lit up. An exploitation double feature of “Cocaine” and “Secrets of a Model” was the final booking.
Silver Cinemas was the final operator here playing sub-run, discount films from 2001 until closing it on February 9, 2017 after an impressive run. That took Silver Cinemas down to just three locations: Madison (closing in 2022), Phoenix (closing in 2020), and Denton, TX. Silver would disband with its final open location in Denton officially becoming part of its Landmark Theatre circuit.
The final operator here, Carmike Cinemas, closed the Village 5 on August 17, 1997 tlo create the 10-screen theater that it launched on July 10, 1998 in the same spot.
he Jefferson Theatre shuttered following a four-wall exploitation film about syphilis in the classic, “Damaged Goods” with Pedro de Cordoba on February 12, 1938. Its address was 116 Easton Street. Status - demolished
Reading the daily paper and the trade press, the information above appears to be incorrect. A reading of the daily press shows that the first places folks in Bethany, Missouri likely watched films were in its Opera House (opened in 1892 with films as early as 1903) or its venerable Auditorium Theatre (opened in 1890 and used for films during the early 1910s). With interest high in moving pictures in the early 1910s, the town also had two silent-era Airdomes (1915-1919), the Star Theatre (1910 to 1912), and the Elite Theatre (1914-1923).
I Walter Maple took on the Elite Theatre but - deciding it was too small and seemingly on a second level - moved to the former Auditorium Theatre turned Auditorium building. He created the Cozy Theatre in its lowest level. Maple operated it as a silent house from 1923 to 1929 on a 7-year lease. He then equipped it for sound for the Cozy to remain viable on a new lease. The Will Rogers' film “Mr. Skitch” appears to have been the final film at the Cozy as a fire early in the morning of February 2, 1934 destroyed the Auditorium building.
Cause of the fire was “not certain.” But since the film, “Roman Scandals” had been prepped for viewing and the fire’s origin was above street level from the Cozy Theatre with an explosion in that general vicinity, it’s not hard to imagine that the Cozy projection room led to yet another in a long line of nitrate film blazes.
The screenings were then moved for the next months to the Knights of Pythian Castle Hall, a local fraternal hall that had existed in that location since 1913. The theatre was called the Cozy-Castle and Castle in its brief operation. Maple then built a new venue, the Roxy, which launched in October of 1934. That was just nine days after Lester Robinson and Joe Noll of the new Noll Theatre had launched as the town had three theaters and just 2,200 residents. Because the Noll Theatre was built in the footprint of the Auditorium, according to the local paper, that would put this entry’s address at 1513 Central Street with operational names of the Cozy Theatre formerly the Auditorium Theatre and the Auditorium
The emergency replacement for Maple - the Cozy-Castle Theatre turned Castle Theatre closed permanently on December 15, 1934. Maple cited “bad roads” as the reason for closure instead of too many theaters in the small town. Maple retired in 1938 dying in 1942 but his Roxy Theatre had a long run, was renamed El Teatro Real and then the BigTime Cinema operating into the 2020s. Meanwhile, the footprint of the former Auditorium / Cozy became the new-build Noll Theatre which operated into the 1960s and was razed following a period of vacancy.
The launch of the Roxy Theatre was a political speech on October 3, 1935 by Senator Roscoe C. Patterson. The Grand Opening movie was “Wake Up and Dream” in October 26, 1934.
First ads as the Zellah Theatre appear in 1914
Glen Belendes launched the Star Theatre a mile west of Valentine, Nebraska, on August 11, 1951 with Bing Crosby in “Pennies from Heaven” supported by a Woody Woodpecker cartoon and another short subject using 16mm projection. Improvements under new operators in 1952 led to the booth getting 35mm projection and a new name as the Valentine Drive-In Theatre. It relaunched with that name on August 28, 1952 with Randolph Scott in “Colt .45.” In 1964, new operator Harmon “Bill” Grunke too over the venue and renamed it as the Sandhills Drive-In on July 17, 1964 with “13 Frightened Girls” and “Reprisal.”
Operator Walter J. Bucholtz closed the New Haven Theatre on November 10, 1940 and then launched here with his new-build Walt Theatre on November 14, 1940 featuring Wallace Beery in “Wyoming.”
The New Haven Theater launched with Colleen Moore in “The Ninety and Nine” on July 10, 1924. It ended its run with a farewell screening of Joel McRea in “He Married His Wife” on November 10, 1940. Operator Walter J. Bucholtz then launched his new-build Walt Theatre on November 14, 1940.
Hugh Gardner opened the CarMar Theatre in 1941. Commonwealth Amusements Circuit took on the venue and closed it as the CarMar Theatre on January 1, 1949 with “Road Show,” “Marshall of Reno,” and the final chapter of “Dangers of the Canadian Mounted.” The Independent Order of the Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) used it as a fraternal lodge from 1949 to 1951 before moving to new digs. The Lindsay Department store then gave the building a transformation to a retail store.
Operated by the Commonwealth Amusement Circuit for a period of its operational lifecycle.
A Hugh Gardner theatre that was taken on by the Commonwealth Amusements Circuit and closed by them in 1947.
The opening - and only - name of the venue was the Edgewood Drive-In Theatre and, as noted, it launched May 18, 1951 with Alexis Smith in “Wyoming Mail” supported by the Grantland Rice sports short, “Desert Hi-Jinks,” and the Bugs Bunny cartoon, “The Homeless Hare.”
Closed with “Double Jeopardy” and “Blue Streak” on October 26, 1999. It did not reopen the following season.
Opened with “My Dinner with Andre” on Christmas Day 1982
The Southgate Shopping Center opened theatre-less on 3893 S.E. Commercial Street in 1960. General American Theatres, operator of the Lancaster Mall Quad Cinema, two local drive-ins, and two downtown theaters constituting a local monopoly, built an addition to the plaza. The $450,000 three-screen operation with a 400-seat auditorium and 2-200 seat auditoriums was architected by Dick Ebeling & Associates of Portland. It was one of four new-build theaters being built in the area including an identical but ultimately delayed Keizer location triplex by GAT.
The Southgate Cinema Center opened on June 16, 1976 wit two theatres ready to go and Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal in “Bad News Bears “ and Jan-Michael Vincent in “Baby Blue Marine” on a double-bill with Lisa Oz in “Drive-In.” Act III Circuit took on the venue and then merged with Regal Theatres in 1998. Regal closed the Southgate in 1999 along with its sister triplex, the Keizer Cinemas 3.
On March 21, 2004, the venue was reopened under independent operation and reducing the theater sizes to 144, 86, and 70 for a total of 300 seats. It relaunched as the Northern Lights Theatre Pub. The Northern Lights Theatre Pub closed on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened briefly but faded away on August 29, 2020 with its final shows being private theater rentals and the last scheduled show was a repertory run of “The Greatest Showman.” Under new operators, the venue relaunched two years later on March 24, 2022.
Princess Theatre “#2” opened December 16, 1943 with Mary Martin in “True to Life.” It replaced the original Princess Theatre which closed and was converted to Cliff’s Cafe, a local restaurant owned by Clifford Schaefer.
The town of Ozark, Missouri, also had several silent era venues including the Gem, the Club Theatre and the Radio Theatre. Also, the New Theatre opened namelessly on April 5, 1929 with the John Ford film, “Four Sons.” The theatre replaced the Cliffhaven Theatre, Cliff Woody’s venue that had suffered a fire ending its operation on January 7, 1929. A naming contest offering ten free tickets for the best name for the New. The winner was not “Ozark” but “Safety-Nook” then Safetynook. The name appears to have been conjured up because the projection booth at the new theatre was completely fireproof.
This entry, however, definitely opened as the Civic Theatre for Paul Bloomer and Lloyd Lee who transformed an existing retail building into a theatre for $4,500. It opened on October 9, 1936. The venue closed in 1937. But P.M. Soutee took on the venue relaunching on September 11, 1937 as the Ozark Theatre with Tyrone Power in “Love is News.” At that time, the venue was using portable projection equipment. But Harve Nokes showed more love to the venue, expanding it to 450 seats and going with a permanent and fireproof projection booth. The “new” Ozark Theatre relaunched on May 31, 1938.
The Lancaster Center Mall launched theatre-less on November 28, 1968. By 1971, an expansion to the slightly renamed Lancaster Mall brought twenty new retailers to the thriving shopping center. One of those was the 740-seat, the Lancaster Mall Theatre at 3790 D. Street N.E. The new “Lancaster Mall” has a Grand Opening on August 26, 1971 but the theater was delayed. Since the Lancaster Mall Theatre was the first new-build indoor theatre in more than thirty years in Salem, it was likely worth the wait.
The theatre launched as a single screen theatre on November 24, 1971 with Walter Matthau in “Kotch” and “How I Love Thee” with Maureen O'Hara and Jackie Gleason. The theatre announced that a second screen would be added to the operation in 1972 and would soon be known as the South Screen. That plan was put on hold.
General American Theatres Circuit then constructed a three-screen addition to its facility -two “mini-theaters” with 250 seats each and a 450-seat auditorium - relaunching as the Lancaster Mall Quad Cinema. The facility had reached its 1,690 seat total. It relaunched on January 17, 1975 with “Airport 1975,” and double-features in cinemas 2-4 with “Phantom of the Paradise” and “Alice’s Restaurant”; “The Dove” and “Walkabout”; and “Freebie and the Bean” and “Bullitt.”
The venue passed from Salem Theatres to Luxury Cinemas to Regal. The venue’s name was slightly shortened to the Lancaster Quad Cinemas. When Regal launched its Lancaster Mall Stadium 11 opening on October 27, 2006, it closed the Lancaster Quad on October 22, 2006.
The Rex appears to have launched with vaudeville on April 6, 1914. Movies took over as the primary programming. The Rex discontinued films in December of 1935. The final event was live - a local amateur show on May 14, 1936. A news note in March of 1937 said the former Rex Theatre was being remodeled for different retail purposes.
The State Theatre closed at the end of a 20-year lease on April 24, 1953. Its seats were removed in 1956. Vandals broke in and did damage in 1957 to the interior and turned on the exterior marquee lights. Surprisingly, after four years, the marquee lit up. An exploitation double feature of “Cocaine” and “Secrets of a Model” was the final booking.
Closes permanently at the end of the 2022 season.
The theatre’s closing date was announced as September 26, 2022.
Carmike
Silver Cinemas was the final operator here playing sub-run, discount films from 2001 until closing it on February 9, 2017 after an impressive run. That took Silver Cinemas down to just three locations: Madison (closing in 2022), Phoenix (closing in 2020), and Denton, TX. Silver would disband with its final open location in Denton officially becoming part of its Landmark Theatre circuit.
The final operator here, Carmike Cinemas, closed the Village 5 on August 17, 1997 tlo create the 10-screen theater that it launched on July 10, 1998 in the same spot.
he Jefferson Theatre shuttered following a four-wall exploitation film about syphilis in the classic, “Damaged Goods” with Pedro de Cordoba on February 12, 1938. Its address was 116 Easton Street. Status - demolished
Demolished late in 2015/early 2016