Wasn’t there an older, single screen theater in Hardy called the Ozark? I recall it was still in operation around 1965/66 and probably had been the one and only for many years prior.
As mentioned above, Elvis Presley supposedly was at this theater the night Dewey Phillips played That’s All Right Mama on the radio. I’m not sure what the exact date of that is, but if indeed Elvis was at the Suzore #2 on North Main, then here is a list of what was showing there around the time:
Monday, July 5, 1954: Carnival Story and Siege At Red River.
Tuesday, July 6, and Wednesday, July 7: Best Years Of Our Lives.
Thursday, July 8 and Friday, July, 9: Kansas City Confidential and War Paint.
Saturday, July 10: Great Diamond Robbery and Goldtown Ghost Raiders.
Sunday, July 11, and Monday, July 12: Stranger Wore A Gun and Miami Story.
Tuesday, July 13, and Wednesday, July 14: Sasketchewan.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME began its first Memphis run at three locations on July 22, 1977: UA Southbrook 4, Malco (Highland) Quartet and Malco Ridgeway 4. It did not play at the Whitehaven 2 (General Cinema). By Friday, August 12, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME was in its “fourth exclusive week” at the three theaters stated above. At that point, the Whitehaven Cinema was showing THE BAD NEWS BEARS IN BREAKING TRAINING on one screen and THE RESCUERS on the other. When Elvis rented theaters after hours, he often saw movies that were not actually playing at the theaters at the time. However, it would seem that since the Southbrook was showing THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, it would have been easier to just see it there instead of having a print supplied for the Whitehaven 2. Of course, these are theaters under different chains/ownerships, and maybe only one was willing to stay open after hours for him on the day in question.
I’m unsure exactly when Elvis worked as an usher at the Loew’s State. I’ve seen varied dates for the two instances he worked there.
However, some sources give the times as Sept. 1950 and June 1951.
If those are correct, it’s interesting to note what was showing at the theater while Elvis worked there.
1950:
Friday—Sept.1—Last Day—SUMMER STOCK
Starts tomorrow—A LIFE OF HER OWN
Friday—Sept. 8—Starts tomorrow—LOVE THAT BRUTE
Friday, Sept. 15—THE MEN {plus Pete Smith’s Football Thrills)
Friday, Sept.22—THE SLEEPING CITY
Friday, Sept. 29—SADDLE TRAMP. Starts Thursday: THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS
There’s two things to note in the above. THE MEN was Marlon’s Brando’s first movie and maybe the sort of thing Elvis imagined himself doing as an actor. THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS was a Mario Lanza movie produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Norman Taurog. If Elvis saw this movie, or at least the trailer and posters for it, he saw his basic movie future as this pictre was not too far afield from the bulk of the Elvis films. In fact, SPINOUT. produced by Pasternak and directed by Taurog, played its first Memphis run at the State in 1966.
I don’t have the listings for June, 1951, but I may enter them here at a later time. I would like to know for sure what the actual timeframes of Elvis' two rounds of employment were. As I said, the info above may not be from one of the actual times he worked there, but some sources cite it as one of the two.
West Memphis also had the Holiday Twin theater, a two screen indoor theater that was open from the early70’s and, I think, inot some part of the 80’s. It was in the Holiday shopping center, or so I presume.
Wasn’t there also a theater in Siloam Springs called the Spring? It was not downtown but sort of off to the side off a main thoroughfare out in another part of town? It was in operation in the 70’s, if I recall correctly.
Elvis supposedly went to see the movie, Sing Boy Sing, at a drive in a night or two before going into the Army. If that is indeed the movie he saw, it wasn’t at the Bellevue but instead at the Lamar Drive In, or so I think as I recall when I looked at newspaper microfilm for the ads.
I looked at a City Directory from 1978 and indeed saw the Jackson Street Theater at the Suzore address. I think it was open under this name in part of 1977 and perhaps it lasted into 1978. I may still have a handbill/flyer advertising the theater; I don’t think there were any newspaper ads.
So, the Suzore #1 was a movie theater again in the 70’s for a short while.
As I mentioned above, the theater had closed in 1960 or maybe a year or so later. (Newspaper ads had stopped sometime in 1958, but the theater had still operated at least into 1960 to my recollection). I guess the place was empty all those years until the short-lived 1977 reopening.
I believe the 70 Drive In was advertised as being 2 miles west of West Memphis. I don’t know any specifics beyond that. It was in operation around 1951, operating in competition I guess with the Sunset. I don’t think it was around but a couple of years.
On Tuesday, March 2, 1965, the Rosemary was advertised as playing a double feature of Rio Conchos and Fate Is The Hunter.
On Thursday, March 4, it was advertised as playing The Americanization Of Emily and Looking For Love.
That double bill was still advertised for Sunday, March 7. It was still advertised for Tuesday, March 9.
On Friday, March 12, the Rosemary was advertised as playing Get Yourself A College Girl and Go Naked In The World. Those were still playing on Monday per advertising.
On Thursday, March 18, the advertised double bill was Father Goose and The Chalk Garden. Those were still showing on Tuesday, March 23.
On Friday, March 26, the Rosemary was advertised as showing Behold A Pale Horse and Lilith.
That double feature was still advertised for Sunday, March 28, 1965. That also was the last day for any Rosemary newspaper ad as far as I know.
I presume the Rosemary closed that day. Ads continued for the Northgate and Plaza, which I think were still at that time sister theaters. So, unless someone else operated the Rosemary for a while after that without bothering to run an ad in the paper, that’s the story of its final attractions.
As far as I know, the Princess didn’t bother with an ad in the newspapers after March or so, 1966. But, as mentioned above, I think it continued to operate until early in 1969.
I’m not sure when the Hollywood closed as a movie theater. It was still in operation in 1962, and I guess it could have continued without bothering with ads in the paper for a while.
I believe it again was a movie theater for a little while in the 1970’s, around 1973/74.
I recall that when this theater opened, it was advertised as being the place “where your feet don’t stick to the floor” and that you got real butter on popcorn.
I think it opened with Rooster Cogburn in possibly an exclusive first run. It did play other first runs like The Outlaw Josie Wales in tandem with with one or more other theaters. However, after a year or two it may have been having trouble competing with other chains as it was an independent.
It later played foreign films as an arthouse for a while. Then, it became a discount third-run venue for some years, allied, I think, with the Village Cinema at that point.
I believe this theater was called the UA Minitek in 1977 and 1978. At the same time, there was a two screen theater located inside a mall. I can’t recall the name of the mall or that theater’s name. There was also the Malco 3 at the other mall, which I think was called Central Mall.
I went to movies there in 1980 and 1981. I’m not sure, but I don’t think it was a 6 screener then. I thought it was just 4 at that time, though I could be wrong. Movies were all first run stuff there at that time.
In 1980 and 1981, the Joy Twin Drive In was in operation along with the Joy indoor multiplex next door to it.
The drive in was not paved, as I recall.
Iceberg
commented about
Movieon
Oct 17, 2017 at 7:21 pm
I went to one movie there in 1976—-The Big Bus, which I guess was in its first Ogden run. While I recall the theater being fairly small and certainly unusual to be inside a hotel as it was, I didn’t realize it was a converted dining room area.
I think the Bristol closed around May of 1977 unless it operated for a while without newspaper ads (which a few theaters did at some point). However, I think it did close in 1977 with seats being removed, etc.
The Airway ended its days as a regular theater around September of 1965. It reopened shortly thereafter as an adult/porn venue. It was still in operation as such as late as 1987, though it may have closed that year.
A Burger King now sits on part of the basic grounds.
I think the Mills had once closed when a new theater, the Iuka, opened. Then, the Iuka burned and the Mills was reopened.
The Mills was still operating in 1965, but I don’t know how much longer after that it was showing movies prior to being demolished.
I think Smithville also had an indoor movie theater in the downtown area. I don’t know its name or when it closed, but the basic building may be something else now.
Wasn’t there an older, single screen theater in Hardy called the Ozark? I recall it was still in operation around 1965/66 and probably had been the one and only for many years prior.
This theater was open earlier than 1975. I know I saw a movie there in 1972.
As mentioned above, Elvis Presley supposedly was at this theater the night Dewey Phillips played That’s All Right Mama on the radio. I’m not sure what the exact date of that is, but if indeed Elvis was at the Suzore #2 on North Main, then here is a list of what was showing there around the time: Monday, July 5, 1954: Carnival Story and Siege At Red River. Tuesday, July 6, and Wednesday, July 7: Best Years Of Our Lives. Thursday, July 8 and Friday, July, 9: Kansas City Confidential and War Paint. Saturday, July 10: Great Diamond Robbery and Goldtown Ghost Raiders. Sunday, July 11, and Monday, July 12: Stranger Wore A Gun and Miami Story. Tuesday, July 13, and Wednesday, July 14: Sasketchewan.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME began its first Memphis run at three locations on July 22, 1977: UA Southbrook 4, Malco (Highland) Quartet and Malco Ridgeway 4. It did not play at the Whitehaven 2 (General Cinema). By Friday, August 12, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME was in its “fourth exclusive week” at the three theaters stated above. At that point, the Whitehaven Cinema was showing THE BAD NEWS BEARS IN BREAKING TRAINING on one screen and THE RESCUERS on the other. When Elvis rented theaters after hours, he often saw movies that were not actually playing at the theaters at the time. However, it would seem that since the Southbrook was showing THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, it would have been easier to just see it there instead of having a print supplied for the Whitehaven 2. Of course, these are theaters under different chains/ownerships, and maybe only one was willing to stay open after hours for him on the day in question.
The Park ended its days as a theater in 1984. I think FLASHPOINT may have been its final attraction.
I’m unsure exactly when Elvis worked as an usher at the Loew’s State. I’ve seen varied dates for the two instances he worked there. However, some sources give the times as Sept. 1950 and June 1951. If those are correct, it’s interesting to note what was showing at the theater while Elvis worked there. 1950: Friday—Sept.1—Last Day—SUMMER STOCK Starts tomorrow—A LIFE OF HER OWN Friday—Sept. 8—Starts tomorrow—LOVE THAT BRUTE Friday, Sept. 15—THE MEN {plus Pete Smith’s Football Thrills) Friday, Sept.22—THE SLEEPING CITY Friday, Sept. 29—SADDLE TRAMP. Starts Thursday: THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS There’s two things to note in the above. THE MEN was Marlon’s Brando’s first movie and maybe the sort of thing Elvis imagined himself doing as an actor. THE TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS was a Mario Lanza movie produced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Norman Taurog. If Elvis saw this movie, or at least the trailer and posters for it, he saw his basic movie future as this pictre was not too far afield from the bulk of the Elvis films. In fact, SPINOUT. produced by Pasternak and directed by Taurog, played its first Memphis run at the State in 1966. I don’t have the listings for June, 1951, but I may enter them here at a later time. I would like to know for sure what the actual timeframes of Elvis' two rounds of employment were. As I said, the info above may not be from one of the actual times he worked there, but some sources cite it as one of the two.
West Memphis also had the Holiday Twin theater, a two screen indoor theater that was open from the early70’s and, I think, inot some part of the 80’s. It was in the Holiday shopping center, or so I presume.
Wasn’t there also a theater in Siloam Springs called the Spring? It was not downtown but sort of off to the side off a main thoroughfare out in another part of town? It was in operation in the 70’s, if I recall correctly.
Elvis supposedly went to see the movie, Sing Boy Sing, at a drive in a night or two before going into the Army. If that is indeed the movie he saw, it wasn’t at the Bellevue but instead at the Lamar Drive In, or so I think as I recall when I looked at newspaper microfilm for the ads.
I looked at a City Directory from 1978 and indeed saw the Jackson Street Theater at the Suzore address. I think it was open under this name in part of 1977 and perhaps it lasted into 1978. I may still have a handbill/flyer advertising the theater; I don’t think there were any newspaper ads. So, the Suzore #1 was a movie theater again in the 70’s for a short while.
As I mentioned above, the theater had closed in 1960 or maybe a year or so later. (Newspaper ads had stopped sometime in 1958, but the theater had still operated at least into 1960 to my recollection). I guess the place was empty all those years until the short-lived 1977 reopening.
I believe the 70 Drive In was advertised as being 2 miles west of West Memphis. I don’t know any specifics beyond that. It was in operation around 1951, operating in competition I guess with the Sunset. I don’t think it was around but a couple of years.
On Tuesday, March 2, 1965, the Rosemary was advertised as playing a double feature of Rio Conchos and Fate Is The Hunter. On Thursday, March 4, it was advertised as playing The Americanization Of Emily and Looking For Love. That double bill was still advertised for Sunday, March 7. It was still advertised for Tuesday, March 9. On Friday, March 12, the Rosemary was advertised as playing Get Yourself A College Girl and Go Naked In The World. Those were still playing on Monday per advertising. On Thursday, March 18, the advertised double bill was Father Goose and The Chalk Garden. Those were still showing on Tuesday, March 23. On Friday, March 26, the Rosemary was advertised as showing Behold A Pale Horse and Lilith. That double feature was still advertised for Sunday, March 28, 1965. That also was the last day for any Rosemary newspaper ad as far as I know. I presume the Rosemary closed that day. Ads continued for the Northgate and Plaza, which I think were still at that time sister theaters. So, unless someone else operated the Rosemary for a while after that without bothering to run an ad in the paper, that’s the story of its final attractions.
As far as I know, the Princess didn’t bother with an ad in the newspapers after March or so, 1966. But, as mentioned above, I think it continued to operate until early in 1969.
The Village Cinema opened in 1970. I don’t think it ever had more than a single screen.
I’m not sure when the Hollywood closed as a movie theater. It was still in operation in 1962, and I guess it could have continued without bothering with ads in the paper for a while. I believe it again was a movie theater for a little while in the 1970’s, around 1973/74.
I recall that when this theater opened, it was advertised as being the place “where your feet don’t stick to the floor” and that you got real butter on popcorn. I think it opened with Rooster Cogburn in possibly an exclusive first run. It did play other first runs like The Outlaw Josie Wales in tandem with with one or more other theaters. However, after a year or two it may have been having trouble competing with other chains as it was an independent.
It later played foreign films as an arthouse for a while. Then, it became a discount third-run venue for some years, allied, I think, with the Village Cinema at that point.
In 1983 I saw double features there of: King Kong (1933) and The Most Dangerous Game Fort Apache and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
I believe this theater was called the UA Minitek in 1977 and 1978.
At the same time, there was a two screen theater located inside a mall. I can’t recall the name of the mall or that theater’s name.
There was also the Malco 3 at the other mall, which I think was called Central Mall.
I went to movies there in 1980 and 1981. I’m not sure, but I don’t think it was a 6 screener then. I thought it was just 4 at that time, though I could be wrong. Movies were all first run stuff there at that time.
In 1980 and 1981, the Joy Twin Drive In was in operation along with the Joy indoor multiplex next door to it. The drive in was not paved, as I recall.
I went to one movie there in 1976—-The Big Bus, which I guess was in its first Ogden run. While I recall the theater being fairly small and certainly unusual to be inside a hotel as it was, I didn’t realize it was a converted dining room area.
I think the Bristol closed around May of 1977 unless it operated for a while without newspaper ads (which a few theaters did at some point). However, I think it did close in 1977 with seats being removed, etc.
The Airway ended its days as a regular theater around September of 1965. It reopened shortly thereafter as an adult/porn venue. It was still in operation as such as late as 1987, though it may have closed that year. A Burger King now sits on part of the basic grounds.
I think the Mills had once closed when a new theater, the Iuka, opened. Then, the Iuka burned and the Mills was reopened. The Mills was still operating in 1965, but I don’t know how much longer after that it was showing movies prior to being demolished.
I think Smithville also had an indoor movie theater in the downtown area. I don’t know its name or when it closed, but the basic building may be something else now.