Emagine Entertainment took on the venue with renovations to include two of the circuit’s branded premium large format EFX screens in an announcement just four days after AMC’s departure on September 7, 2025.
The Plaza Theatre closed in the early morning of Sunday, August 16, 1987 likely with Honey Wilder in “Private Teacher” and Little Oral Annie in “Succulent” as those were the last advertised titles. One year later (August 23, 1987), the building’s demolition commenced.
Louis Clabon’s Clabon Theatre launched with that name on June 6, 1946. At the ten-year point, he closed for a refresh. The Gallo’s reopening ad on October 19, 1956 and with a new policy catering to African American patrons is in photos.
The “new” Jewel Theatre opened on May 25, 1938 for J.G. Long’s Long-Griffith Theatre Circuit with W.P. “Peck” Westmoreland as manager. It closed on June 9, 1951 with “The Great Caruso.” It was repurposed for a retailer in 1952.
The 1940 partial demolition of the Mystic to create the Plaza Theatre began in September of 1940 to the plans of Little Rock architects Brueggerman, Swaim and Allen. It appears to have closed following a January 28, 1968 of Angie Dickinson in “Last Challenge.” Their plans are in photos.
The Sky-Vue Drive-In Theatre opened June 27, 1950 with “Tap Roots” suppoted by the short subject, “Calgary Stampede” and two Warner Bros. cartoons “Knight Must Fall” and “Calgary Stampede”. The Sky-Vue closed for the season on September 7, 1986 with “Born American” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2.”
RCE Theaters - Elizabeth City which had been open in Elizabeth City since October 1, 2018 after expanding to 4 screens - announced it would be closing at the end of its lease in September of 2025.
The local report reported that Paul Sungenis closed on January 30, 2007 with “We Are Marshall,” “Casino Royale” and “Flushed Away.” (The last ad suggests February 8, 2007 with “Casino Royale,” “Eragon” and “Arthur & the Invisibles” though those almost certainly did not run. And it may have continued unadvertised, as well.)
The theater was located behind the Vineland Shopping Center. That report recalls that Sungenis reopened on December 14, 2001 with “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” “Monty Python &THG,” “Extreme Days,” and “Tape” while retaining the previous operator’s seat capacity of 1,290. The next occupant operated a house of worship likely to reduce taxing liability.
Cumberland Mall opened theatre-less on October 30, 1973. But months earlier, General Cinema Corp. (GCC) signed on to be the Mall’s theatre with a twin. It launched there on February 8, 1974 with Sleeper and Robin Hood. Each auditorium seated 352 at opening of 704 total. It featured an art gallery in its lobby for local artists. On November 21, 1983, it became the Budco Cumberland Mall Cinema 1 & 2. In December of 1986, AMC acquired Budco operating until the end of a 20-year lease in 1994 as AMC Cumberland Mall 2.
Name after 2022 refresh is - Malco Fort Smith Cinema (no #). A summer 2025 refresh converted all auditoriums to luxury recliner seating and added Malco’s premium largescreen format, MXT “Extreme” Theatre, and both expanded food and arcade options.
The Royal Theatre opened on February 9, 1940 with “The Amazing Mr. Williams” and “In Old Caliente.” Robert L Lippert of Lippert Theatres and Action Pictures Inc. took on the venue in 1943. A deal that would have demolished the theater in favor of a car lot in 1948 wasn’t consummated with the theater carrying onward for another 30 plus years. The final film appears to have been “The Wilderness Family 2” on February 3, 1980 - undoubtedly at the end of a second 20-year leasing cycle. It had a brief run as the Cine Mexican showing Spanish language films and a brief run back as the Royal Theatre hosting religious themed events. The project was then supposed to be demolished for the Mexican Plaza project which also appears to have stalled. But the venue was finally demolished.
The Royal Theatre opened on February 9, 1940 with “The Amazing Mr. Williams” and “In Old Caliente.” The final film appears to have been “The Wilderness Family 2” on February 3, 1980 - undoubtedly at the end of a second 20-year leasing cycle.
There were three Sanger Theatres in three different buildings. The first operated by M.C. Armstrong until 1928. Then Mr. and Mrs. William R. Gustine and Frank Kummeth opened in his existing Kummeth Building as the New Sanger Theatre on June 2, 1928 with Buster Keaton in “Steamboat Bill.” They added sound on February 28, 1929. Meanwhile, the 13-year old Bell Theatre closed on May 5, 1929.
Realizing they needed a better facility, Kummeth wenteth as the trio teamed on a new, new Sanger Theatre here. Going for a Spanish Colonial look, the pair dumped the disc-based sound system for a new Western Electric sound on film technology. They opened new, new Sanger Theatre on January 17, 1930 with “Untamed.” Grand opening ad and theater picture in photos. George Hendrix operated the confectaurant that served as the venue’s de facto concessionnaire.
The theater closed after Lippert Theatres took over for a refresh relaunching with a new look on May 6, 1949 with “The Four Dudes” and new rocking chair seats in the loge. It had its own snack bar. New operator William Meyers took over at the end of the building’s 30-year leasing contract in 1959. He operated it to end of a 10-year lease hoping to renew. But in early 1969, building inspectors saw cracks that indicated that the building was unsafe and, after a salvage auction, it was demolished in May and June of 1969.
The Bell Theatre opened in 1916 by Mr. and Mrs. M.S. Owings. But 13 years later the bells tolled for the venue when the competing New Sanger got sound in 1929 and a new Sanger was under construction. Mrs. Owings and M.C. Armstrong operated to closure on May 5, 1929 under competition from the sound film era’s New Sanger Theatre and an even better theater under construction.
The Pussycat Theatre and moniker was discontinued following the June 22, 1989 showings. It briefly became el Teatro Mexicana on July 7, 1989 showing third-run, 99 cent double feature, Spanish language films. It switched back to Hollywood sub-run films as the New Mayfair Theatre on October 27, 1989 with “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.” That lasted until Christmas Eve closing with “Sea of Love. ”
Second City refreshed it for live events in 1990 followed by its run as a repertory house - the Mayfair Theatre - beginning on October 19, 1990 with “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” It lasted for a short time closing. It reopened October 4, 1991 by Starplex Entertainment of Hollywood with “Regarding Henry” and “Soapdish” as a sub-run house working into 1992. It went to live events . It went dark in November of 1993 and was offered for sale for $750k. It was demolished in 2004 as the Mayfair Theatre.
The original Isis Theate was opened by druggist Delacy Clarke on September 4, 1911 on Main Street. A local historian says the Isis debuted August 19, 1914 with “The Valley of the Moon.” The Isis was rebooted 15 years after the original reopening as the Ojai Theatre on May 10, 1926.
The theater basically survived to the end of a second 20-year leasing agreement closing with mainstream films in 1965. William Glasgow took on the venue after a refresh relaunching as an art film venue as the Glasgow Playhouse on June 15, 1966 with the Merchant Ivory film, “Shakespeare Wallah.” That policy runs for a year and a note about unpaid taxes. Ted Morris' B&B Amusements took on the venue relaunching with “The Mad Woman of Chaillot” “Rachel Rachel” on January 29, 1970. It appears to have closed August 5, 1982 with “Chariots of Fire.”
Khaled Al-Awar took on the venue in 1983 renaming it as the Ojai Playhouse with Roy Scheider in “Blue Thunder” on August 5, 1983. It ran with mainstream movies to March 2, 2008 with “No Country for Old Men.” The Hartleys took it over from there as a film society and art house venue. After a $10 million renovation David Berger reopened it with repertory films on November 22, 2024 with “Heat.”
Emagine Entertainment took on the venue with renovations to include two of the circuit’s branded premium large format EFX screens in an announcement just four days after AMC’s departure on September 7, 2025.
The Plaza Theatre closed in the early morning of Sunday, August 16, 1987 likely with Honey Wilder in “Private Teacher” and Little Oral Annie in “Succulent” as those were the last advertised titles. One year later (August 23, 1987), the building’s demolition commenced.
Appears to have closed on Feb. 29, 1964 with “Diary of a Madman” and “Five Gates to Hell”
Had a very brief run as the Esquire Theatre with adult films (also known as)
Louis Clabon’s Clabon Theatre launched with that name on June 6, 1946. At the ten-year point, he closed for a refresh. The Gallo’s reopening ad on October 19, 1956 and with a new policy catering to African American patrons is in photos.
The “new” Jewel Theatre opened on May 25, 1938 for J.G. Long’s Long-Griffith Theatre Circuit with W.P. “Peck” Westmoreland as manager. It closed on June 9, 1951 with “The Great Caruso.” It was repurposed for a retailer in 1952.
The Bayou Drive opened on July 25, 1949 with Northwest Stampede
The Showboat Theatre was opened April 26, 1949 with Ma and Pa Kettle.
August 22, 1951 grand opening ad with “The Desert Hawk” in photos.
Opened September 30, 1937 with “Something to Sing About”
The 1940 partial demolition of the Mystic to create the Plaza Theatre began in September of 1940 to the plans of Little Rock architects Brueggerman, Swaim and Allen. It appears to have closed following a January 28, 1968 of Angie Dickinson in “Last Challenge.” Their plans are in photos.
The Sky-Vue Drive-In Theatre opened June 27, 1950 with “Tap Roots” suppoted by the short subject, “Calgary Stampede” and two Warner Bros. cartoons “Knight Must Fall” and “Calgary Stampede”. The Sky-Vue closed for the season on September 7, 1986 with “Born American” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2.”
Closed August 2, 2001 with the Malco 16 opening the next day.
RCE Theaters - Elizabeth City which had been open in Elizabeth City since October 1, 2018 after expanding to 4 screens - announced it would be closing at the end of its lease in September of 2025.
The local report reported that Paul Sungenis closed on January 30, 2007 with “We Are Marshall,” “Casino Royale” and “Flushed Away.” (The last ad suggests February 8, 2007 with “Casino Royale,” “Eragon” and “Arthur & the Invisibles” though those almost certainly did not run. And it may have continued unadvertised, as well.)
The theater was located behind the Vineland Shopping Center. That report recalls that Sungenis reopened on December 14, 2001 with “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” “Monty Python &THG,” “Extreme Days,” and “Tape” while retaining the previous operator’s seat capacity of 1,290. The next occupant operated a house of worship likely to reduce taxing liability.
Cumberland Mall opened theatre-less on October 30, 1973. But months earlier, General Cinema Corp. (GCC) signed on to be the Mall’s theatre with a twin. It launched there on February 8, 1974 with Sleeper and Robin Hood. Each auditorium seated 352 at opening of 704 total. It featured an art gallery in its lobby for local artists. On November 21, 1983, it became the Budco Cumberland Mall Cinema 1 & 2. In December of 1986, AMC acquired Budco operating until the end of a 20-year lease in 1994 as AMC Cumberland Mall 2.
Name after 2022 refresh is - Malco Fort Smith Cinema (no #). A summer 2025 refresh converted all auditoriums to luxury recliner seating and added Malco’s premium largescreen format, MXT “Extreme” Theatre, and both expanded food and arcade options.
Closed permanently on August 24, 2025 to become Airtopia Adventure Park.
The Royal Theatre opened on February 9, 1940 with “The Amazing Mr. Williams” and “In Old Caliente.” Robert L Lippert of Lippert Theatres and Action Pictures Inc. took on the venue in 1943. A deal that would have demolished the theater in favor of a car lot in 1948 wasn’t consummated with the theater carrying onward for another 30 plus years. The final film appears to have been “The Wilderness Family 2” on February 3, 1980 - undoubtedly at the end of a second 20-year leasing cycle. It had a brief run as the Cine Mexican showing Spanish language films and a brief run back as the Royal Theatre hosting religious themed events. The project was then supposed to be demolished for the Mexican Plaza project which also appears to have stalled. But the venue was finally demolished.
The Royal Theatre opened on February 9, 1940 with “The Amazing Mr. Williams” and “In Old Caliente.” The final film appears to have been “The Wilderness Family 2” on February 3, 1980 - undoubtedly at the end of a second 20-year leasing cycle.
There were three Sanger Theatres in three different buildings. The first operated by M.C. Armstrong until 1928. Then Mr. and Mrs. William R. Gustine and Frank Kummeth opened in his existing Kummeth Building as the New Sanger Theatre on June 2, 1928 with Buster Keaton in “Steamboat Bill.” They added sound on February 28, 1929. Meanwhile, the 13-year old Bell Theatre closed on May 5, 1929.
Realizing they needed a better facility, Kummeth wenteth as the trio teamed on a new, new Sanger Theatre here. Going for a Spanish Colonial look, the pair dumped the disc-based sound system for a new Western Electric sound on film technology. They opened new, new Sanger Theatre on January 17, 1930 with “Untamed.” Grand opening ad and theater picture in photos. George Hendrix operated the confectaurant that served as the venue’s de facto concessionnaire.
The theater closed after Lippert Theatres took over for a refresh relaunching with a new look on May 6, 1949 with “The Four Dudes” and new rocking chair seats in the loge. It had its own snack bar. New operator William Meyers took over at the end of the building’s 30-year leasing contract in 1959. He operated it to end of a 10-year lease hoping to renew. But in early 1969, building inspectors saw cracks that indicated that the building was unsafe and, after a salvage auction, it was demolished in May and June of 1969.
The Bell Theatre opened in 1916 by Mr. and Mrs. M.S. Owings. But 13 years later the bells tolled for the venue when the competing New Sanger got sound in 1929 and a new Sanger was under construction. Mrs. Owings and M.C. Armstrong operated to closure on May 5, 1929 under competition from the sound film era’s New Sanger Theatre and an even better theater under construction.
The Pussycat Theatre and moniker was discontinued following the June 22, 1989 showings. It briefly became el Teatro Mexicana on July 7, 1989 showing third-run, 99 cent double feature, Spanish language films. It switched back to Hollywood sub-run films as the New Mayfair Theatre on October 27, 1989 with “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.” That lasted until Christmas Eve closing with “Sea of Love. ”
Second City refreshed it for live events in 1990 followed by its run as a repertory house - the Mayfair Theatre - beginning on October 19, 1990 with “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” It lasted for a short time closing. It reopened October 4, 1991 by Starplex Entertainment of Hollywood with “Regarding Henry” and “Soapdish” as a sub-run house working into 1992. It went to live events . It went dark in November of 1993 and was offered for sale for $750k. It was demolished in 2004 as the Mayfair Theatre.
The original Isis Theate was opened by druggist Delacy Clarke on September 4, 1911 on Main Street. A local historian says the Isis debuted August 19, 1914 with “The Valley of the Moon.” The Isis was rebooted 15 years after the original reopening as the Ojai Theatre on May 10, 1926.
The theater basically survived to the end of a second 20-year leasing agreement closing with mainstream films in 1965. William Glasgow took on the venue after a refresh relaunching as an art film venue as the Glasgow Playhouse on June 15, 1966 with the Merchant Ivory film, “Shakespeare Wallah.” That policy runs for a year and a note about unpaid taxes. Ted Morris' B&B Amusements took on the venue relaunching with “The Mad Woman of Chaillot” “Rachel Rachel” on January 29, 1970. It appears to have closed August 5, 1982 with “Chariots of Fire.”
Khaled Al-Awar took on the venue in 1983 renaming it as the Ojai Playhouse with Roy Scheider in “Blue Thunder” on August 5, 1983. It ran with mainstream movies to March 2, 2008 with “No Country for Old Men.” The Hartleys took it over from there as a film society and art house venue. After a $10 million renovation David Berger reopened it with repertory films on November 22, 2024 with “Heat.”
Set for demolition for senior citizen housing (2025)