The Williams Theatre opened its doors on September 17, 1937 with Deanna Durbin in “100 Men And A Girl” (unclear if any short subjects were added). The opening of the Williams Theatre forced the closure to the nearby Liberty Theatre five days prior.
Once remodeled on July 29, 1954 in connection to its installation of CinemaScope.
On the evening of March 5, 1971, the Williams Theatre was destroyed by a fire. The Union Fire Department reported that there is not just a fire but a typical brush fire taking over the theater as they described.
After a rebuilt, the Williams Theatre changed its name to Cinema 101, and reopened on November 20, 1973 with “White Lightning”.
It was still in operation as a movie house in the early 1980s, but the closing date hasn’t been found yet.
As of 1974, Nashville had a total of eight adult theaters.
They are the Midtown, the Capri Art Theatre (1819 Madison), the Lamar Adult Theatre (1360 Poplar), the Cinema (10 S. Second), the Paris Theatre (2432-34 Summer), the Pussycat Theatre (2355 Lamar), the Cleveland St. Adult Theatre (12 Cleveland at Madison, unclear if its counts as an address), and the Sixth Avenue Cinema/Fantasy Cinema (118 N 6th) which the Sixth Avenue Cinema would have its own CinemaTreasures page soon.
First operated by General Cinema. According to this one article on Norbert Dannett, the manager of GCC, it appears that this later became a triplex as the Citadel Cinemas I-II-III.
I just found out that the Highway Twin Cinema was formerly known as the Ark Twin Cinema since the 1970s according to the Baxter Bulletin. It changed its name to the Highland Twin Cinema in 1990.
Yes there is. Hardy had a single-screener theater called the Ozark Theatre. The earliest attractions I can find dates back as early as 1938, but the opening date was lost.
Opened on November 16, 1937 with “A Star Is Born” along with a few selected short subjects.
CinemaScope was installed at the Chief on December 5, 1954 with “River Of North Return” as its first CinemaScope film. Exactly a year after its installation of CinemaScope, the Chief closed for the final time in January 1956. The nearby Palace would then had the chance to install CinemaScope later on.
The building was established in 1905, and the Palace Theatre opened on April 19, 1921 with a live “Minstrel Follies” show benefitted by the Boy Scouts of America.
On April 29, 1944, the Palace suffered major damage by a fire that first broke out at the projection booth, which the fire completely destroyed the booth costing an estimate $45,000 in damage. Right at the time of the fire, nobody was at the theater. The fire also suffered damaged at Homan’s Store with a $5,000 estimate. Owner Roy Creson rebuilt the theater with a cost of $25,000 and reopened in late 1944.
The Palace Theatre continued to run films as late as the 1970s.
The first fire occurred on January 29, 1950 according to the Ellis County Capital. It was suggested to be rebuilt as a new “fireproof” theater, but the “fireproof” process failed as the theater was once again devastated in another fire on the evening of June 24, 1958.
The comparison between both fires is that the 1950 fire destroyed the theater entirely, and the 1958 fire heavily damaged the building and the projection booth, but the projector was not damaged at all.
Opened on April 29, 1935 with Will Rogers in “Life Begins At 40”, along with a Columbia Color Rhapsody (“Make Believe Revue”), a Goofytone newsreel, and a normal newsreel.
The short-lived 300-capacity Y opened in October 1949 after M.A. Harris, F.B. Coffey, and R.H. Coffey, all of Oklahoma City, purchased a five-acre tract near junctions of 270 and 271.
The Y closed at the end of the 1950 season (December 16, 1950 with “Johnnie One Eye” and “Texas, Brooklyn, and Heaven” along with a comedy reel) in connection on competing over the nearby Tower Drive-In.
The only fact about the Y is that the theater was once burglarized on June 28, 1950.
Formerly occupied by a Central National Bank, this short-lived Ritz Theatre was operated by Spencer Kyle, and opened on March 23, 1944 (originally scheduled to open a week prior but rescheduled for unknown reasons), running an all-western film format.
The Ritz closed for the final time by O.K. Kemp due to price admission issues on November 1, 1947 after more than three whomping years in operation. After being leased by the Poteau Jewelry company on July 7, 1949, the 25x90 building was remodeled.
O.K. Kemp opened the Tower Drive-In on June 10, 1950 with John Wayne in “The Fighting Kentuckian” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unknown amount of unnamed shorts, chosen by Ray Hughes who traveled to Oklahoma City for selection. The theater originally had a playground in front of the screen, and its original capacity sits 250 cars.
This theater had a very interesting start. The Kemp Theatre’s original name was the K&H Theatre but immediately changed to the Kemp Theatre before opening its doors on September 1, 1937 with Jack Oakie in “Super Sleuth”. W.O. Kemp, former Victory Theatre operator, named the theater after himself.
Right when the 1950s rolled along, the Kemp Theatre was starting to fall apart on films. Films completely ended at the Kemp Theatre during the first week of 1952 and the Kemp started to shift gears towards special events and church services until ultimately closing in 1954. After sitting abandoned for three years, the building was placed for sale in June 1957.
Closed on January 14, 1962 with “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”, and was demolished on October 28, 1964.
Correction: This dates 1969 from an Eastmancolor scan (+), made by Filmack.
The Williams Theatre did indeed once closed in 1956, and sat empty until new management reopened the theater in early 1958.
Closed on September 12, 1937 with “It’s All Yours” along with a sportreel, in connection to the opening of the Williams Theatre five days later.
The Williams Theatre opened its doors on September 17, 1937 with Deanna Durbin in “100 Men And A Girl” (unclear if any short subjects were added). The opening of the Williams Theatre forced the closure to the nearby Liberty Theatre five days prior.
Once remodeled on July 29, 1954 in connection to its installation of CinemaScope.
On the evening of March 5, 1971, the Williams Theatre was destroyed by a fire. The Union Fire Department reported that there is not just a fire but a typical brush fire taking over the theater as they described.
After a rebuilt, the Williams Theatre changed its name to Cinema 101, and reopened on November 20, 1973 with “White Lightning”.
It was still in operation as a movie house in the early 1980s, but the closing date hasn’t been found yet.
Actually, the Ozark Theatre dates back as early as 1927.
The Ozark Theatre abruptly closed for the final time in 1962 due to many reports of teenagers vandalizing around the theater.
As of 1974, Nashville had a total of eight adult theaters.
They are the Midtown, the Capri Art Theatre (1819 Madison), the Lamar Adult Theatre (1360 Poplar), the Cinema (10 S. Second), the Paris Theatre (2432-34 Summer), the Pussycat Theatre (2355 Lamar), the Cleveland St. Adult Theatre (12 Cleveland at Madison, unclear if its counts as an address), and the Sixth Avenue Cinema/Fantasy Cinema (118 N 6th) which the Sixth Avenue Cinema would have its own CinemaTreasures page soon.
First operated by General Cinema. According to this one article on Norbert Dannett, the manager of GCC, it appears that this later became a triplex as the Citadel Cinemas I-II-III.
Closed on November 1, 1972 with Slim Pickens in “Outdoor Rambling” as its last film. It was demolished during the first week of June 1973.
Opened in the Mid-2000s.
This either closed in the late 1980s or early 1990s. A 1994 aerial demonstrates its parking traces fading in.
I just found out that the Highway Twin Cinema was formerly known as the Ark Twin Cinema since the 1970s according to the Baxter Bulletin. It changed its name to the Highland Twin Cinema in 1990.
Yes there is. Hardy had a single-screener theater called the Ozark Theatre. The earliest attractions I can find dates back as early as 1938, but the opening date was lost.
Opened on November 16, 1937 with “A Star Is Born” along with a few selected short subjects.
CinemaScope was installed at the Chief on December 5, 1954 with “River Of North Return” as its first CinemaScope film. Exactly a year after its installation of CinemaScope, the Chief closed for the final time in January 1956. The nearby Palace would then had the chance to install CinemaScope later on.
The building was established in 1905, and the Palace Theatre opened on April 19, 1921 with a live “Minstrel Follies” show benefitted by the Boy Scouts of America.
On April 29, 1944, the Palace suffered major damage by a fire that first broke out at the projection booth, which the fire completely destroyed the booth costing an estimate $45,000 in damage. Right at the time of the fire, nobody was at the theater. The fire also suffered damaged at Homan’s Store with a $5,000 estimate. Owner Roy Creson rebuilt the theater with a cost of $25,000 and reopened in late 1944.
The Palace Theatre continued to run films as late as the 1970s.
The first fire occurred on January 29, 1950 according to the Ellis County Capital. It was suggested to be rebuilt as a new “fireproof” theater, but the “fireproof” process failed as the theater was once again devastated in another fire on the evening of June 24, 1958.
The comparison between both fires is that the 1950 fire destroyed the theater entirely, and the 1958 fire heavily damaged the building and the projection booth, but the projector was not damaged at all.
This apparently closed in the late 1980s. The theater was then replaced by the Fiesta Square 10 (later 16, now 12).
This replaced the 71 Drive-In.
Opened on April 29, 1935 with Will Rogers in “Life Begins At 40”, along with a Columbia Color Rhapsody (“Make Believe Revue”), a Goofytone newsreel, and a normal newsreel.
On June 24, 1958, the Arnett Theatre was heavily damaged by a fire. It was rebuilt and reopened later on. It was still in operation in the 1960s.
Opened on December 18, 1916 with an original capacity of 300 seats.
The short-lived 300-capacity Y opened in October 1949 after M.A. Harris, F.B. Coffey, and R.H. Coffey, all of Oklahoma City, purchased a five-acre tract near junctions of 270 and 271.
The Y closed at the end of the 1950 season (December 16, 1950 with “Johnnie One Eye” and “Texas, Brooklyn, and Heaven” along with a comedy reel) in connection on competing over the nearby Tower Drive-In.
The only fact about the Y is that the theater was once burglarized on June 28, 1950.
Formerly occupied by a Central National Bank, this short-lived Ritz Theatre was operated by Spencer Kyle, and opened on March 23, 1944 (originally scheduled to open a week prior but rescheduled for unknown reasons), running an all-western film format.
The Ritz closed for the final time by O.K. Kemp due to price admission issues on November 1, 1947 after more than three whomping years in operation. After being leased by the Poteau Jewelry company on July 7, 1949, the 25x90 building was remodeled.
O.K. Kemp opened the Tower Drive-In on June 10, 1950 with John Wayne in “The Fighting Kentuckian” along with an unnamed cartoon and an unknown amount of unnamed shorts, chosen by Ray Hughes who traveled to Oklahoma City for selection. The theater originally had a playground in front of the screen, and its original capacity sits 250 cars.
This theater had a very interesting start. The Kemp Theatre’s original name was the K&H Theatre but immediately changed to the Kemp Theatre before opening its doors on September 1, 1937 with Jack Oakie in “Super Sleuth”. W.O. Kemp, former Victory Theatre operator, named the theater after himself.
Right when the 1950s rolled along, the Kemp Theatre was starting to fall apart on films. Films completely ended at the Kemp Theatre during the first week of 1952 and the Kemp started to shift gears towards special events and church services until ultimately closing in 1954. After sitting abandoned for three years, the building was placed for sale in June 1957.