Shenandoah Theatre

swtaysun on March 1, 2010 at 5:50 pm

The late 1960’s-early 1970’s era of the Shenandoah was a second-run paradise for kids with re-releases of “Swiss Family Robinson”, “The Parent Trap” and new fare such as “The Aristocats”. It was a magical place because when the lights went down there it was Very dark and the side lights were orange and blue neon. By that time the balcony was closed off so that was a mysterious place. And up front it was clear there was a stage along with the huge screen. One could wonder what performances Might pop out between the double features…but never did.

To drive by the sleepy parking lot where the Shenandoah once stood one might never know how much fun the local theatre there once provided. I recall a packed house for “The Trouble with Angels” in 1967 with kids, adults and everyone else from the neighborhood.

The specialty films that took over the Shenandoah in the mid-1970’s arrived as the once busy South Grand shopping areas that culminated in the big Sears store just past Grand and Gravois disappeared as the malls in the suburbs took the business and ended the long run of the Shenandoah, the bright light just off the Shaw neighborhood.

Kerry Manderbach on February 17, 2008 at 11:11 pm

Lots of great Kung-Fu films were shown there in the mid-late 70s, I still have one of the newspaper ads I saved from ‘77 with a roster of “Return of the Dragon”, “Karado” and “Deadly China Doll”. After it closed we still had the ratty Ritz up the street to see the best of Hong Kong cinema…