Comments from 50sSNIPES

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Owl Drive-In on Sep 2, 2021 at 7:11 pm

It actually opened to the public on April 10, 1952 according to the front page of the Caldwell Watchman, with Fred Astaire in “Royal Wedding” in technicolor with no selected short subjects being its first attraction. Maybe it had a formal opening on the 9th, but I don’t know yet.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Royal Drive-In on Sep 2, 2021 at 5:38 pm

All I know is that the theater was remodeled, I’ve seen advertisements dating back to late June 1961 and there is a sign that reads that the theater is remodeling. This continued into the following month in July. No other descriptions has been determined from the Hattiesburg American until the announcement of the Royal. I believe the Royal was named right after A. Lloyd Royal himself from the Royal Theatres (MS) chain. Also do you know the first attraction(s) the East Forrest Drive-In ran when it opened in the fall of 1953, including short subjects?

Both Royal Drive-Ins in Petal and Meridian were definitely one of the funniest histories I’ve ever seen in CinemaTreasures, because the Meridian’s East Forest opened around the time the East Forrest in Petal opened, and it closed exactly a month (or 2) apart for both East Forest/East Forrests before both becoming Royals later that year.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Manville Theatre on Sep 2, 2021 at 4:08 pm

Opened As Early As 1919, Closed On September 20, 1959 With Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Bijou Theatre on Sep 2, 2021 at 1:45 pm

Opened on October 24, 1908, closed in 1914 after being destroyed by a fire.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Empire Theater on Sep 2, 2021 at 1:41 pm

The Empire opened its doors on September 20, 1909 under the management of Frank Evans and Perry Ryan of the borough of Fair Haven who has been in the theater business prior to the Empire opening.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Jackson Drive-In on Sep 2, 2021 at 1:32 pm

Update: The Jackson Drive-In stopped showing films right after the 1959 season. However it was used as a special event in 1960. So it might’ve been closed in 1960.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Jackson Drive-In on Sep 2, 2021 at 1:29 pm

Correction: The Jackson Drive-In is the second oldest drive-in in the Jackson area and in the state of Mississippi behind the Silver Slipper, opening its gates on October 17, 1941 with Cary Grant in the 1937 film “The Awful Truth” along with the Three Stooges short: “Violent Is The Word For Curley” (1938), and a Grantland Rice Sportlight: “Bowling Skill” (1940).

I mistakenly said something while typing this because I thought this is the first but its the second because the nearby Sliver Slipper opened 2 years prior to the Jackson, oops.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Royal Drive-In on Sep 2, 2021 at 1:24 pm

So yes I believe this has to be the former East Forrest Drive-In which opened between the last week of September and the first week of October 1953 and continuing until closing as the East Forrest in May 1961, then it became the Royal.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Regent Theatre on Sep 2, 2021 at 6:55 am

The earliest attraction I can find dates back to February 1926. So as on my thought, it opened as early as 1925.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Royal Drive-In on Sep 2, 2021 at 4:25 am

I might check if the East Forrest is in that same address.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Pico Drive-In on Aug 31, 2021 at 12:49 pm

It’s actually “The Wise Little Hen”, notable for Donald Duck’s first appearance and the only Silly Symphony short Donald Duck has an appearance on, before moving right along as a cameo in Mickey Mouse cartoons for a few years while under the United Artists' banner until his first full-titled Donald Duck self cartoon “Don Donald” in January 1937. United Artists continued with Donald himself (and the gang of course) until his last United Artists appearance in his own “Modern Inventions” short later that May, and then RKO had to take over the rest of Donald (including his gang)’s lineup with a darn load of Buena Vista reissues.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lyric Theater on Aug 30, 2021 at 7:11 pm

Actually, it opened on July 1, 1916 with “The Battle Of Cry And Peace”. Information goes as follows: It was constructed and built beginning on April 15, 1916 and took 70 days to complete it. The Lyric contains a 120x40 long auditorium with a capacity of 618 with mahogany seats. The walls are colored with light tan and cream color, At the north section of the theater contains the stage, a 20x24ft with 14ft high above. The loft for handling scenery is 29ft in height. A number of pieces of scenery from the Twin City Scenic Company has all been put in place. There is a roomy orchestra pit, large enough to give ample room for an orchestra of 12-15 musicians. The orchestra, is furnished by Weber’s orchestra of 6 pieces. Beneath the stage is the heating and ventilating plant. The former is a blower type while the ventilating is done by a 30in disc fan. 2 Motiograph machines have been installed in the operating room which were large and airy and is fireproof in all respects. The screen is known for the Danish Diamond and was imported. In case of an emergency, there are 8 large exits which would accommodate all persons in the building. Bathrooms for both genders were included.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Roxy Theatre on Aug 30, 2021 at 5:23 pm

The Theato is still in operation right when the Paramount-Publix operated Roxy Theatre opened in November 1928 and was short-lived, closing in 1932 and was later occupied by Berman’s Department Store in February 1933. The Rialto Theatre replaced the Theato Theatre on Christmas Day 1933.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Camelia Cinema IV on Aug 30, 2021 at 3:55 pm

Opened On November 20, 1974 With Walt Disney’s “The Bears And I” And Walt Disney’s Reissue Of The Original 1959 Classic “The Shaggy Dog” At Screen 1, And The Smash “The Sting” At Screen 2. It Was Closed On June 27, 2004.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Midway Drive-In on Aug 30, 2021 at 3:32 pm

It actually opened almost exactly a month after the Yam opened, with the Midway Drive-In opened on September 24, 1950 with a rerelease of “Trail Of The Lonesome Pine”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Rose Theatre on Aug 30, 2021 at 3:30 pm

The actual opening date is February 5, 1947 with “Tell The Clouds Roll By”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Skyvue Drive-In on Aug 30, 2021 at 3:08 pm

Opened On June 23, 1941 With “Tight Shoes” Along With A Few Short Subjects.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Showtown Twin Drive-In on Aug 30, 2021 at 2:55 pm

The Showtown Twin with a 1,500 car capacity and 2 120x60ft screens opened on June 19, 1969 with “Romeo & Juliet” along with “Love With Proper Stranger” at Screen 1 and “Destroy All Monsters” along with “House Of 1000 Dolls” at Screen 2 (Both Screens Listed As North And South Screens). It was closed in the 1990s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Barksdale Drive-In on Aug 30, 2021 at 2:29 pm

I believed that the Barksdale opened on November 23, 1950 with “Barricade”. I haven’t looked in the extra subjects yet though.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Weslin Theatre on Aug 29, 2021 at 11:42 am

With an estimate of $100K, the Weslin Theatre name was first planned on August 14, 1939. The name “Weslin” came from Mrs. M. E. Chaddock of 850 Danner Street NE in Massillon, and was selected from 2,000 other people. She suggests the name “WESTLIN” but they decided to drop the “T” to make it Weslin. She suggests that the name being a combination of “West” and “Lincoln”. There is also a second prize, which was hand out to Lucille Reese of 113 Erie Street N in Massillon for the name “Clarion”.

During construction of the Weslin on November 24, 1939, it was halted and suspended for only a single day due to an outgrowth of a strike called against the contracting company, the Johnson Lumber & Supply Company of Steubenville. Yep, and it occurred in Steubenville as well! A refusal of the company to sign a new agreement with the common laborers' union in the city was said by an official of the concern to have been the cause of the strike. General manager of the company, J. S. Bushfield, signed as an agreement with the inion covering public works jobs. Bushfield said that “insists that this agreement does not expire until December 30 (1939)”.

After a very hard construction site, the theater opened its doors on February 9, 1940. The theater opened with Melvyn Douglas and Joan Blondell in “The Amazing Mr. Williams” along with a chapter of Zorro’s Fighting Legion. Apparently enough, there were no other specialities on its first day, but added a giant kiddie show for the kids the following morning.

On January 13, 1954, manager Alden Brinham had announced that CinemaScope will be installed to the Weslin Theatre, and had an estimate cost of $25,000. The erection of the 18x28ft screen began that day. Other additions include the following: new equipment from the projection booth, amplifiers, curtains, and 2 costly anamorphic lenses for the projectors. 25 speakers are required to properly transmit stereophonic sound and high fidelity sound systems. The first CinemaScope film the Weslin Theatre ran is the one-and-only well-known CinemaScope beginners film: “The Robe”. An early bird show was added to its 7-week run as well.

The theater continued operating throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s in mixed formats. The closing date is not found yet, but was still in operation since 1977. So the hunt still continues.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Grand Theatre on Aug 29, 2021 at 11:05 am

The Grand stopped showing films in 1951. The Grand apparently enough then became a special events/politician house until ultimately closing its doors for the final time in 1957. The Grand then became a JCPenney in 1958.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Ribault Drive-In on Aug 29, 2021 at 5:02 am

The Ribault Drive-In is notable for an August 24, 1957 advertisement containing a quadruple run with films that began with the word “Hell”, and a r**ing investigation from the Jacksonville Police Department, reporting of a man and a little girl at the playground section of the Ribault Drive-In on March 3, 1955. Its opening/closing dates were not discovered yet.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Madill Drive-In on Aug 28, 2021 at 2:50 pm

Opened with Randolph Scott in “Albuquerque”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Ritz Theater on Aug 28, 2021 at 2:45 pm

The Ritz opened on November 24, 1933 with Lillian Harvey in “My Weakness”, along with a (simply named “Fast and Furious”) comedy and a performance. It was remodeled on May 29, 1941, reopening with Merle Oberon in “That Uncertain Feeling” along with the first chapter of “Sky Raider”. CinemaScope was installed on October 27, 1954, reopening once again. This time, with Robert Mitchum in “River Of No Return” along with a CinemaScope short “The Rose Bowl Tournament”. It was closed in 1962.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Woodford Theatre on Aug 28, 2021 at 2:24 pm

The theater actually closed in late-Spring 1982.