Was there a Sights ‘N Sounds record store next to this theater? My father owned a Sights 'N Sounds in Beckley and there was a theater next to it. I believe I saw Flashdance there. Been so long ago.
When I built my home theater, I happened to finish it around mid August. For the finishing touches, I put this exact playbill in a frame and hung it on the wall. I then realized that we had shown Star Wars on August 23. I waited a few days to show my first movie in my theater—Star Wars, the original 1977 version at 7:00 pm, exactly 39 years to the date that my father premiered it in his theater.
I drove right by this several times without realizing it was there. I was hoping to find a theater with the old changeover system still operational, but it seems there are none in this area. I was the projectionist for one in WV in 1987.
Yes, Chris1982, that is correct—the reopening of both the Alpine and the Mountaineer Cinemas was in 1987. I’m aware that it was opened way prior to that.
A “complete” list of movies shown in the 1863 Cinema I compiled years ago. These are from memory and the projection booth wall (where we wrote the names of the movies).
The movies are listed by year of release, not necessarily the year they were shown in the 1863 Cinema. Titles with an asterisk (*) may not have been shown (again, going from memory).
MOVIES SHOWN AT THE 1863 CINEMA
[FROM 1974]
Blazing Saddles
[FROM 1976]
Car Wash
Eat My Dust! *
The Great Smokey Roadblock *
The Gumball Rallay *
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams
Ode to Billy Joe
Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare
[FROM 1977]
Across the Great Divide
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training *
Buck Rogers (This was a re-release of the 1950s serial converted into a full-length feature. It was promoted as “Star Wars Owes it all to Buck Rogers.”)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Damnation Alley *
End of the World
For the Love of Benji
Freaky Friday
The Gauntlet (the 1st Cinemascope movie ever shown in the 1863)
The Goodbye Girl
Grand Theft Auto *
Heroes
High Anxiety
High Velocity
In Search of Noah’s Ark
Pete’s Dragon
Saturday Night Fever
Slap Shot *
Smokey and the Bandit
Star Wars
Which Way is Up?
You Light Up My Life
[FROM 1978]
The Amazing Captain Nemo *
American Hot Wax
The Bad News Bears Go To Japan
Beyond and Back
Born Again
The Buddy Holly Story
Casey’s Shadow
The Cat From Outer Space
Coach
Convoy
Damien: Omen II
Deathsport
Every Which Way But Loose
F.I.S.T.
Foul Play
Goin' South *
Grease
Harper Valley PTA
Hooper
Hot Lead and Cold Feat
Ice Castles
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
It Lives Again
Jaws 2
Laserblast
Magic
Movie Movie *
Oliver’s Story *
The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2
Piranha
Return From Witch Mountain
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot
Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Stingray
Thank God It’s Friday
They Went That-A-Way and That-A-Way
Warlords of Atlantis
[FROM 1979]
Note: Most of the movies from 1979 are unconfirmed because, after the theater closed, my father and I went to the 7th Heaven theater which was owned by friends of his. I probably saw some of these at the 7th Heaven in Cheylan, WV.
Alien
The Black Stallion *
Breaking Away *
Escape from Alcatraz *
Fast Break *
A Little Romance (The last movie shown in the 1863 Cinema)
Mountain Family Robinson *
Norma Rae
North Dallas Forty *
On the Air Live with Captain Midnight *
[MISCELLANEOUS TITLES — I DIDN’T LOOK THE YEARS UP FOR THESE]
High Ballin'
Seven Blows of the Dragon
Horror of Dracula
Curse of Frankenstein
Superman: The Movie
The End
Raggedy Ann and Andy Movie
International Velvet
Death on the Nile * (may have been Murder on the Orient Express)
On the left, you can see a ladder and a collapsed wall. There used to be a viewing portal here. Someone had cut an opening below it to access the projection booth. I went into the booth with the ladder to the right of the opening – no problem. When I came out, I had the ladder resting above the opening so I could just hold onto the rungs and climb down. The wall collapsed and I feel to the auditorium (fortunately feet-first).
The opening on the right appears as it did in 1977-79 – no drywall. I remember my father telling me one night “Son, whatever you do, don’t lean against this.” Twenty-three years later, I was climbing out of the booth on a ladder resting against this wall. The wall collapsed and I fell (fortunately feet-first) to the auditorium. You can see the ladder and collapsed wall in one of the pictures here.
I forgot to mention that the original projection booth was much smaller – a concrete cube that sat above the lobby. There was barely enough room in it, so my father tore it out completely and made the projection booth span the entire width of the auditorum. Access in that era was via an external door.
Just a note, the Ritz had a balcony, but it was not open to the public while the theater was the Cinema 63. We (family) were allowed to sit up there, but after watching a movie once or twice, I spent my time in the projection booth.
The Kayton was open in the early 70s. I remember my father taking me there to see Westworld, which was released in November 1973. It’s likely that it was a bit later with Westworld being shown as a second run. I also remember seeing Herbie Rides Again (summer 1974), but not 100% sure it was at the Kayton (could have been 7th Heaven in Cheylan, WV).
The theater was torn down in the 70s to make way for a bank parking lot (Merchant’s National Bank, which is now City whose annex rests where the Kayton was).
On my blog, you can see a video tour of the 1863 Cinema as it was in 2000 operating as an auction house. The wallpaper was still intact and the writing in the projection booth was still legible.
I was looking for a theater in Anstead, WV called the Ritz, later reopened and renamed Cinema 63 by my father. I don’t see it on the site, but maybe I’m just missing it?
Yes, “1863” was to commemorate WV and was also used for a restaurant my father owned before he opened the theater. He kept the name “1863” for the theater when he reopened it in 1977.
If you look at the upper left of the building, “Fountain” is engraved above the air conditioners. It’s not legible in the picture though (and perhaps not in real life either).
Was there a Sights ‘N Sounds record store next to this theater? My father owned a Sights 'N Sounds in Beckley and there was a theater next to it. I believe I saw Flashdance there. Been so long ago.
When I built my home theater, I happened to finish it around mid August. For the finishing touches, I put this exact playbill in a frame and hung it on the wall. I then realized that we had shown Star Wars on August 23. I waited a few days to show my first movie in my theater—Star Wars, the original 1977 version at 7:00 pm, exactly 39 years to the date that my father premiered it in his theater.
I drove right by this several times without realizing it was there. I was hoping to find a theater with the old changeover system still operational, but it seems there are none in this area. I was the projectionist for one in WV in 1987.
Yes, Chris1982, that is correct—the reopening of both the Alpine and the Mountaineer Cinemas was in 1987. I’m aware that it was opened way prior to that.
This theater has TWO screens.
I can’t believe I forgot “Walking Tall: The Final Chapter” — it was the first movie shown in the 1863 Cinema.
A “complete” list of movies shown in the 1863 Cinema I compiled years ago. These are from memory and the projection booth wall (where we wrote the names of the movies).
The movies are listed by year of release, not necessarily the year they were shown in the 1863 Cinema. Titles with an asterisk (*) may not have been shown (again, going from memory).
MOVIES SHOWN AT THE 1863 CINEMA
[FROM 1974]
Blazing Saddles
[FROM 1976]
Car Wash
Eat My Dust! *
The Great Smokey Roadblock *
The Gumball Rallay *
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams
Ode to Billy Joe
Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare
[FROM 1977]
Across the Great Divide
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training *
Buck Rogers (This was a re-release of the 1950s serial converted into a full-length feature. It was promoted as “Star Wars Owes it all to Buck Rogers.”)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Damnation Alley *
End of the World
For the Love of Benji
Freaky Friday
The Gauntlet (the 1st Cinemascope movie ever shown in the 1863)
The Goodbye Girl
Grand Theft Auto *
Heroes
High Anxiety
High Velocity
In Search of Noah’s Ark
Pete’s Dragon
Saturday Night Fever
Slap Shot *
Smokey and the Bandit
Star Wars
Which Way is Up?
You Light Up My Life
[FROM 1978]
The Amazing Captain Nemo *
American Hot Wax
The Bad News Bears Go To Japan
Beyond and Back
Born Again
The Buddy Holly Story
Casey’s Shadow
The Cat From Outer Space
Coach
Convoy
Damien: Omen II
Deathsport
Every Which Way But Loose
F.I.S.T.
Foul Play
Goin' South *
Grease
Harper Valley PTA
Hooper
Hot Lead and Cold Feat
Ice Castles
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
It Lives Again
Jaws 2
Laserblast
Magic
Movie Movie *
Oliver’s Story *
The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2
Piranha
Return From Witch Mountain
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot
Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Stingray
Thank God It’s Friday
They Went That-A-Way and That-A-Way
Warlords of Atlantis
[FROM 1979]
Note: Most of the movies from 1979 are unconfirmed because, after the theater closed, my father and I went to the 7th Heaven theater which was owned by friends of his. I probably saw some of these at the 7th Heaven in Cheylan, WV.
Alien
The Black Stallion *
Breaking Away *
Escape from Alcatraz *
Fast Break *
A Little Romance (The last movie shown in the 1863 Cinema)
Mountain Family Robinson *
Norma Rae
North Dallas Forty *
On the Air Live with Captain Midnight *
[MISCELLANEOUS TITLES — I DIDN’T LOOK THE YEARS UP FOR THESE]
High Ballin'
Seven Blows of the Dragon
Horror of Dracula
Curse of Frankenstein
Superman: The Movie
The End
Raggedy Ann and Andy Movie
International Velvet
Death on the Nile * (may have been Murder on the Orient Express)
Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
The Shaggy D.A.
The Wiz
Young Frankenstein
Jason and the Argonauts
Simon, King of the Witches
Born Free
Digby, The Biggest Dog in the World
American Graffiti
Take This Job and Shove It
[Serials]
Captain Marvel
Batman
On the left, you can see a ladder and a collapsed wall. There used to be a viewing portal here. Someone had cut an opening below it to access the projection booth. I went into the booth with the ladder to the right of the opening – no problem. When I came out, I had the ladder resting above the opening so I could just hold onto the rungs and climb down. The wall collapsed and I feel to the auditorium (fortunately feet-first).
The opening on the right appears as it did in 1977-79 – no drywall. I remember my father telling me one night “Son, whatever you do, don’t lean against this.” Twenty-three years later, I was climbing out of the booth on a ladder resting against this wall. The wall collapsed and I fell (fortunately feet-first) to the auditorium. You can see the ladder and collapsed wall in one of the pictures here.
Not really visible in the online version is the calendar date. It’s April 1979. 9:25 pm.
I forgot to mention that the original projection booth was much smaller – a concrete cube that sat above the lobby. There was barely enough room in it, so my father tore it out completely and made the projection booth span the entire width of the auditorum. Access in that era was via an external door.
Just a note, the Ritz had a balcony, but it was not open to the public while the theater was the Cinema 63. We (family) were allowed to sit up there, but after watching a movie once or twice, I spent my time in the projection booth.
The Mountaineer Cinema wasn’t listed in Ripley. It was active in 1987 and prior (not sure how long). Not sure of its status now.
The Kayton was open in the early 70s. I remember my father taking me there to see Westworld, which was released in November 1973. It’s likely that it was a bit later with Westworld being shown as a second run. I also remember seeing Herbie Rides Again (summer 1974), but not 100% sure it was at the Kayton (could have been 7th Heaven in Cheylan, WV).
The theater was torn down in the 70s to make way for a bank parking lot (Merchant’s National Bank, which is now City whose annex rests where the Kayton was).
This shows the road leading to where the Princess Theater was in Boomer, WV.
http://goo.gl/maps/yyK2j
Google Street View doesn’t go far enough, but it would be just ahead on the righthand side.
Thanks, Ken.
Google Street View of where the Ritz/Cinema 63 was in Anstead, WV. The building is now a V.F.W. post.
http://goo.gl/maps/qAIGI
On my blog, you can see a video tour of the 1863 Cinema as it was in 2000 operating as an auction house. The wallpaper was still intact and the writing in the projection booth was still legible.
http://kpkilburn.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/1863-cinema/
I was looking for a theater in Anstead, WV called the Ritz, later reopened and renamed Cinema 63 by my father. I don’t see it on the site, but maybe I’m just missing it?
Yes, “1863” was to commemorate WV and was also used for a restaurant my father owned before he opened the theater. He kept the name “1863” for the theater when he reopened it in 1977.
Here’s the short URL of the same link above:
http://goo.gl/maps/pmLuT
If you look at the upper left of the building, “Fountain” is engraved above the air conditioners. It’s not legible in the picture though (and perhaps not in real life either).
The actual location is here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=smithers,+wv&hl=en&ll=38.180353,-81.306607&spn=0.000008,0.005284&sll=39.311576,-94.922868&sspn=0.292727,0.676346&t=h&hnear=Smithers,+Fayette+County,+West+Virginia&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.180267,-81.306571&panoid=kQwphkqaEeum4lZAwy2EZw&cbp=12,239.1,,0,-1.46
The building still exists as an indoor archery range.