Movies 1 & 2
3518 S. Staples Street,
Corpus Christi,
TX
78411
3518 S. Staples Street,
Corpus Christi,
TX
78411
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In 1972, Joseph Cooper Burks of American Automated Theatres Inc. (AATI) announced another one of the fledgling circuit’s locations as franchisee Cinemas Southwest Theaters (CSW) promised to open its twin in Corpus Christi in 1973. Like the Jerry Lewis Circuit and National General Circuit, AATI would show family films in theatres that were placed in strip shopping centers. The venue was built just three blocks away from National General’s Twin which had opened in 1970.
The delayed venue launched as The Movies! 1 & 2 (with an exclamation point) at 3518 S. Staples on February 2, 1974. CSW expanded into three other states before running into financial issues in 1977 with lawsuits claiming unpaid leases. Movie I Circuit of Dallas took on the venue with a new 10-year lease late in 1977 dropping the exclamation point.
The venue had runs of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at midnight and also had a brief run with adult films that didn’t meet with public favor. Movie I repositioned the venue as a sub-run one dollar discount house to success. However, it dropped the venue at the end of its lease on January 3, 1988 with “Flowers in the Attic” and “Less Than Zero.” The opening of Cinemark’s seven-screen discount house at Sunrise Mall was the reason that Movie I stated it would not pursue any extension. It had, however, outlasted the National Twin which had gone out of business seven months prior.
The former Movies! venue was retrofitted for other retail purposes becoming a stationery store followed by a long-running pawn shop.
The Movies opened on February 2nd, 1974. Grand opening ad posted.