Star Theatre
1557 Front Street,
Richlands,
VA
24641
1557 Front Street,
Richlands,
VA
24641
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Nearby Theaters
The original Star Theatre was opened by Robert Guy “R.G.” Flanary in 1912. He converted a livery stable into a motion picture house. It converted to sound to remain viable. The former Star Theatre was replaced by this venue, the “New” Star Theatre, on November 2, 1936. It is believed that the former Star Theatre would later come back to life as the Richlands Theatre and then as Guy’s Theatre.
Less than three weeks after it celebrated its first anniversary, the new Star Theatre was “totally” destroyed by fire on November 22, 1937. However, all the walls remained and the theatre was rebuilt in place and quickly relaunching in 1938.
The Star Theatre was refreshed and expanded in 1945. The town continued with the smaller Guy Theatre and the Star Theatre until the creation of the Flanary Theatre in memory of the original R.G. Flanary. R.G. Flanary, Jr. ran the theatre’s and it appears that R.G. Flanary III also had a hand in the operations. In September of 1950, the Flanary family added Guy’s Drive-In for a three-theatre operation. The Star Theatre finally closed around 1953 and was converted for other purposes.
Contributed by
dallasmovietheaters
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
It was touted as the finest in the area when it opened in 1936.
Dallas -At the time Robert Sr, died in 1946 the obituary indicated he had been the owner of the Star and Guy’s Theatres. At the time the drive in opened in 1950 you indicated there were now three theatres run by the family. The question would be whether the second hardtop would be the Guy’s or the Flanary.
I came upon a joint ad for the Star and the Flanary in January 1953 and an ad solely for the Flanary in 1975.
Guys Theatre and the new Star were run by Flanary, Sr, from 1939 until his death in 1946. Flanary Jr. designed the new-build Flanary to replace the Guys in December 1948. The Star and Flanary were then joined by the Guy’s Drive-In in 1950. The Flanary converted to widescreen and the Star would fade. The town operated wrh just two theaters - the hardtop Flanary and Guy’s Drive-in thereafter. Both closed at the end of 30-year leases.