Park Auto Theatre

The Park Auto Theatre opened on June 10, 1948, screening the 1947 western the “Gunfighters” with Randolph Scoot and Barbra Britton. It was opened by Maurice S. Barck and Sam H. Barck from Cleveland, Ohio. Co-Op Theatres of Ohio was the buying and booking agency. In 1958, the Park Auto Theatre was sold to Edward Barch. The Park Auto Theatre featured a car capacity of 430 cars with in-a-car speakers.

In the last days of the Park Auto Theatre the movie fare was quite different from the family oriented films screened in the early days. In April in 1984 Herbert Burke Sr., was charged with pandering obscenity which is a first-degree misdemeanor for showing two adult films on April 21. In June, Burke pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $100 and costs. The jail sentence was suspended on the condition the Park Auto Theatre would not show any X-rated movies for the next three years. That sealed the fate of the Park Auto Theatre. Alan Barch closed it for good at the end of the season in September of 1984. The screen tower was taken down and the property was sold to Joe Sarchlone (dba Sarchlone Sales and Service). Later it was resold and now an auto salvage yard and a stone company.

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