There are two theaters in Big Bear Lake being named the Big Bear Theatre. In July 1972, a newer Big Bear Theatre opened nearby on Village Drive, which would later rename the Village Theatre in 1975. It’ll have its own CT page soon.
This was definitely taken on May 17, 1948, and the poster shown underneath the marquee is “Ramrod” which was shown several days later. Its so funny that they forgot to insert the “BY” on “BOBBY”.
The Dixie Theatre was involved in the suicide of its then-operator, 34-year-old Dorus H. Forshee, after he intoxicatedly hanged himself inside the projection room on August 11, 1939. It was the manager, Mrs. Alice Ingram, who found the body minutes after notifying that the show was about to start in 30 minutes by sounding a bell.
Forshee was supposed to run Dick Foran’s “Heart Of The North” alongside an unnamed serial, unnamed cartoon, and a newsreel, but the screen remained blank after her 30-minute announcement. She immediately rushed to the projection room but found him hanging. Dr. L.A. Lambert said that he had been dead since around 10 hours prior (or around 9:00 AM that morning). The theater continued operating following the investigation.
The State Theatre closed as a first-run theater on September 2, 1982 with “E.T.-The Extra Terrestrial” when the nearby Elizabethtown Cinema was tripled and became the Cinema 3 the following day.
Opened on March 17, 1972 with two X-rated films, closed on December 26, 1982 with “Heidi’s Song” and “Still Of The Night” along with a cartoon matinee.
Actually, they’re probably showing them for drive-in runs after running them in indoor theaters. I can officially confirmed that January 16, 1981 was the exact opening date for the Beaverton Drive-In, opening with the following in random screen order: “A Change Of Seasons” and “Middle Age Crazy”, “Shogun Assassin” and “Seven Blows Of The Dragon”, “Brubaker” and “The Rose”, and “Mountain Family Robinson” and “Scavenger Hunt”. The reason why I mistakenly brought up May 24, 1985 is that they did change their phone number that same exact day and got me very confused, but was still under Luxury ownership.
There was also this article from 1983 with two photos of the screen showing something and its projectionist rewinding one of the massive reels, stating that the Beaverton was the “newest of the seven” drive-ins in the Portland area.
The Sonora Plaza Cinema first opened as a twin in the mid-1970s by the West Side Valley Theatres chain and later expanded to five screens on March 29, 1985. Signature Theatres was its last operator who closed it in late-February 2001, likely due to Signature’s launch of the nearby 10-screener.
The Vogue Theatre opened in late-1939, and suffered several short closures in the 1980s, including when Premier Theaters (one of its operators) closed it down for only seven days in January 1984 before reopening under independent management. The Vogue closed for the final time in February 1989.
The original Canyon Drive-In, located on 11601 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, OR 97005, opened its gates on June 21, 1949 with Fred MacMurray in “Family Honeymoon” and Sonja Henie in “Countless Of Monte Carlo” along with an unnamed cartoon, and was first operated by J.H. Sheffield and William G. Sinclair.
The original location closed in 1962 when the newer location, on 3805 SW 117th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97005, opened at the same time a few streets to the north of its original location. What’s really cool about the Canyon Drive-In is that the theater also had a fruit-picking farm, which people can pick berries and fruits while waiting for the show to start. The Canyon Drive-In closed for the final time on November 28, 1982 with “Night Shift” and “Summer Lovers”.
The actual address is 4343 Everhard Rd Northwest, Canton, OH 44718. Both the Parke Cinema and the Belden Village Cinemas across the street are both located between both Canton and North Canton within inches apart.
The Odem-Medo closed for the final time on October 7, 1978 with a special “Last Final Picture Show” event hosted by its last manager Jim Hutchins, which featured two movies, a serial and a cartoon from the 1940s all-in-one. The theater closed with Dick Powell in “Pitfall”, Richard Dix in “Buckskin Frontier”, a chapter of the serial “The Lost Planet”, and an unnamed Looney Tunes cartoon.
One of its original managers is Robert A. Schuler, who unfortunately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 18, 1932. Doctors also confirmed that the 47-year-old had suffered a stroke of paralysis before his suicide.
Last operated by United Artists.
The Mountain Park Cinema opened as a twin on December 29, 1989.
There are two theaters in Big Bear Lake being named the Big Bear Theatre. In July 1972, a newer Big Bear Theatre opened nearby on Village Drive, which would later rename the Village Theatre in 1975. It’ll have its own CT page soon.
This was definitely taken on May 17, 1948, and the poster shown underneath the marquee is “Ramrod” which was shown several days later. Its so funny that they forgot to insert the “BY” on “BOBBY”.
The Dixie Theatre was involved in the suicide of its then-operator, 34-year-old Dorus H. Forshee, after he intoxicatedly hanged himself inside the projection room on August 11, 1939. It was the manager, Mrs. Alice Ingram, who found the body minutes after notifying that the show was about to start in 30 minutes by sounding a bell.
Forshee was supposed to run Dick Foran’s “Heart Of The North” alongside an unnamed serial, unnamed cartoon, and a newsreel, but the screen remained blank after her 30-minute announcement. She immediately rushed to the projection room but found him hanging. Dr. L.A. Lambert said that he had been dead since around 10 hours prior (or around 9:00 AM that morning). The theater continued operating following the investigation.
I found it from the archives of the Oregonian from the newspapers website.
Correction: It never operated as a twin. It was a single-screener at first and then it was tripled on September 3, 1982.
The State Theatre closed as a first-run theater on September 2, 1982 with “E.T.-The Extra Terrestrial” when the nearby Elizabethtown Cinema was tripled and became the Cinema 3 the following day.
Tripled on September 3, 1982.
Opened on March 17, 1972 with two X-rated films, closed on December 26, 1982 with “Heidi’s Song” and “Still Of The Night” along with a cartoon matinee.
Actually, they’re probably showing them for drive-in runs after running them in indoor theaters. I can officially confirmed that January 16, 1981 was the exact opening date for the Beaverton Drive-In, opening with the following in random screen order: “A Change Of Seasons” and “Middle Age Crazy”, “Shogun Assassin” and “Seven Blows Of The Dragon”, “Brubaker” and “The Rose”, and “Mountain Family Robinson” and “Scavenger Hunt”. The reason why I mistakenly brought up May 24, 1985 is that they did change their phone number that same exact day and got me very confused, but was still under Luxury ownership.
There was also this article from 1983 with two photos of the screen showing something and its projectionist rewinding one of the massive reels, stating that the Beaverton was the “newest of the seven” drive-ins in the Portland area.
Thanks for the big update!
There is another theater in Hartford called the Star Theatre, which operated as both a silent and sound theater.
Closed on September 25, 1983 with “Hell’s Angels Forever” and “Gettin' It On”.
Opened either on or around February 16, 1978 with “Star Wars”.
The Sonora Plaza Cinema first opened as a twin in the mid-1970s by the West Side Valley Theatres chain and later expanded to five screens on March 29, 1985. Signature Theatres was its last operator who closed it in late-February 2001, likely due to Signature’s launch of the nearby 10-screener.
Opened on March 2, 2001 by Signature Theatres.
The Vogue Theatre opened in late-1939, and suffered several short closures in the 1980s, including when Premier Theaters (one of its operators) closed it down for only seven days in January 1984 before reopening under independent management. The Vogue closed for the final time in February 1989.
The original Canyon Drive-In, located on 11601 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, OR 97005, opened its gates on June 21, 1949 with Fred MacMurray in “Family Honeymoon” and Sonja Henie in “Countless Of Monte Carlo” along with an unnamed cartoon, and was first operated by J.H. Sheffield and William G. Sinclair.
The original location closed in 1962 when the newer location, on 3805 SW 117th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97005, opened at the same time a few streets to the north of its original location. What’s really cool about the Canyon Drive-In is that the theater also had a fruit-picking farm, which people can pick berries and fruits while waiting for the show to start. The Canyon Drive-In closed for the final time on November 28, 1982 with “Night Shift” and “Summer Lovers”.
The actual address is 4343 Everhard Rd Northwest, Canton, OH 44718. Both the Parke Cinema and the Belden Village Cinemas across the street are both located between both Canton and North Canton within inches apart.
Opened on June 23, 2000 as the Regal Old Mill 10.
Later operated by Act III, last operated by Regal.
The Odem-Medo closed for the final time on October 7, 1978 with a special “Last Final Picture Show” event hosted by its last manager Jim Hutchins, which featured two movies, a serial and a cartoon from the 1940s all-in-one. The theater closed with Dick Powell in “Pitfall”, Richard Dix in “Buckskin Frontier”, a chapter of the serial “The Lost Planet”, and an unnamed Looney Tunes cartoon.
Closed in 1985.
The Ludlow Cinema’s adult policy didn’t last long. The theater switched back to first-run films in early 1971.
One of its original managers is Robert A. Schuler, who unfortunately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 18, 1932. Doctors also confirmed that the 47-year-old had suffered a stroke of paralysis before his suicide.