Became the Shrewsbury Plaza Cinema I,II, & III on June 16, 1977. It then Closed October 23, 1994 with “Forrest Gump,” “Clear & Present Danger” and “Little Giants.”
The Strathmore Shopping Center opened theatre-less. But a $200,000 expansion to the center in 1971 brought about a twin mini-theater. The Matawan Twin Cinema launched in the Strathmore Shopping Center on New Jersey State Route 34 on December 22, 1971 with “Lady & the Tramp” and “Kotch.” A year later on December 2, 1972, the location’s name was changed to the Strathmore Cinema Twin I and II. Under Clearview Circuit operation, the theatre was closed to quadplex the theatre relaunching as,the Strathmore Cinema 4 on Sept 3, 1999
Music Makers opened its 14th location in the Jamesway Shopping Center on June 27, 1973 with the film, “The Class of ‘72.” The single-screen The Cinema became the East Windsor Cinema until it was twinned. On May 26, 1976, it relaunched as the East Windsor Cinema Twin I & II. In 1986, Loews acquired Music Makers Circuit and renamed the theatre Loews East Windsor Cinema Twin which it operated until April of 1994. The theatre soldiered on for the Real Entertainment Circuit until closing on March 30, 2000 as the East Windsor Twin Cinema.
Deco – No… I had assumed it was at 570 Park Avenue in the Park Plaza Shopping Center where the Trevi Pizza is based on the building shape and what looks to be an attractor on the facade but am likely wrong. Sorry that I don’t have that.
Bayville’s Berekley Plaza launches here with “Soylent Green” and “Walt Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete” on April 18, 1973 for Music Makers Circuit.
Bayville’s Berekley Plaza launches here with “Soylent Green” and “Walt Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete” on April 18, 1973 for Music Makers Circuit.
Bayville’s Berekley Plaza at 451 U.S. 9 had a long-running A&P Grocery Store as its anchor and at the opposite end it had Music Makers Circuit’s 12th location in its Berkeley Cinema I & II. The Berkeley Cinema I & II launched with “Soylent Green” and “Walt Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete” on April 18, 1973. When Music Makers sold to Loews in 1986, the cinema became known as Loews Cinema I & II. Loews dropped the theatre on June 7, 1990. It cited the opening of the 10-screen Seacourt Pavillion seven miles away as its reason.
On March 27, 1992 and under new operators, the theatre relaunched as the Friendly Cinema. It closed after completing a 25-year leasing cycle with “Black Dog,” “City of Angels,” and “Dirty Work” on July 23, 1998.
This was a theater in the Park Plaza Shopping Center launching as a Jerry Lewis Cinema and the 12th in the chain. Ground was broken for the 350-seat automated theatre in April of 1971. The theatre launched March 4th, 1972. It was renamed the Park Avenue Cinema on July 2, 1974 when the Jerry Lewis Circuit went under.
The Park Avenue Cinema became a 99 cent sub-run, discount theatre. It appears to have closed for six months in 1977 and reopened in 1978 under new management and pricing policy before closing in May of 1982. In July of 1982, it changed names to Cinema 33, the highway on which the theatre was located. It closed as Cinema 33 on January 2, 1984 with the film, “Return of the Jedi.”
Music Makers Circuit renamed this the Freehold Triplex Cinema on February 4, 1977. It then became the Freehold Quad Cinema on October 22, 1982. On November 18, 1983, it became the Freehold Cinema 6. Loews Circuit took over the Music Makers theaters and closed the theatre. It was given one last chance by Cinemagic as a sub-run discount house. August 28, 1997. This location closed December 7, 2000 as the Cinemagic Discount Theater at Freehold with “Almost Famous,” “Best in Show,” “The Contender,” “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” “The Little Vampire,” and “Remember the Titans.” The cinema was replaced by a gym.
Belmar Mall opened theatre-less in 1963. In 1971, an automated theatre was added when the Belmar Cinema launched at 829 Plaza. The 344-seat cinema opened August 18, 1971 with the film, “Love Story.” In 1979, picketers protested the playing of “Life of Brian” at the Belmar. The facility became the Man Ray Cinema on January 1, 1980. The Man Ray appears to have closed January 15, 1981 after a showing of “Elephant Man” likely fulfilling a 10-year lease.
The Circle Twin Cinema opened for United General Circuit in 1971. The Spanish motif matched the adjoining El Greco Restaurant. It was United General’s tenth theatre and the theatres each seated 250 patrons and was designed to be an automated facility. United was much like the Jerry Lewis Cinema concept in which franchisees bought locations and tried to survive the competition from much more established operators. Music Makers Circuit took on the location and expanded it to a triplex known as the Circle Triplex.
In 1986, the theatre became a 5-screen facility, the Circle Cinema 5 and Music Makers became Loews in November of that year. It was known as the Loews Circle Cinema 5 and Sony Circle Cinema 5 when Loews rebranded as Sony. Sony closed it on January 28, 1998. Cinemagic took over in February initially calling it Cinemagic Theater at Brick before relegating it to discount status. It closed as Cinemagic Discount Theater at Brick on September 28, 2000, final features were Art of War, Autumn in New York, Original Kings of Comedy, The Patriot, Scary Movie and Saving Grace.
The ozoner appears to have closed after a double feature of “Love Story” and “Kelly’s Heroes” on August 29, 1971 as the Brielle Drive-In Theatre. Its phone number is reassigned to a NJ plumbing service not long after.
Associated Independent Theatres (A.I.T.) Circuit had launched the Brick Plaza Theatre on October 8, 1964 in the expansion of the Brick Plaza Shopping Center. Its success spurred this second theatre designed by Charles H. Gottwalt. When conceptualized in 1966, it was given the working project name of Brick Plaza South. By the time the cinema opened, it was called The Mall Cinema and was in the Kennedy Shopping Mall directly across the Brick Plaza. The Mall Cinema launched as a single-screen theatre for A.I.T. on April 2, 1969 with “Gone with the Wind.” The 800-seat theatre matched the new colonial architectural style of its neighbor.
Music Makers Circuit took on the theatre and created the two-screen operation, Mall Cinema 1 and 2, beginning on December 22, 1971 with “Carnal Knowledge” and “Diamonds are Forever.” The Brick Plaza Theatre also twinned on October 15, 1975.
On May 27, 1976, that the Mall Cinema became a triplex, the Mall Cinema 1, 2 & 3. It was Ocean County’s first triplex.
On October 11, 1985, the Mall Cinema became the Cinema Centre 5. On January 2, 1987, the Music Makers Theatres became Loews Theatres. Loews vacillated between the name of Cinema Center 5 and Cinema Centre 5. The theatre was operated under the circuit’s Sony Theatre nameplate from 1994 from 1999 before reverting to its final two years as the Loews Cinema Centre 5. On March 26, 2001, Loews closed the theatre with Cast Away, Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hannibal, Recess, Sweet November and the Wedding Planner.
The Binghamton Plaza opened theatre-less on August 20, 1964 anchored by W.T. Grants. On August 20, 1971, the theatre launched as part of Carrolls Development Corp. / Carrolls Equities Corp. Circuit and Cinema National. The theatre was an automated twin-screen facility opening as Carrols Cinema Twin 1 & 2 – Binghamton Plaza. The theatre replaced the Manor House Bowling Lanes. The auditoriums had 352 seats each and the mayor was on hand for the ribbon cutting followed by the films, “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “The Omega Man.”
USACinemas took over Cinema National operations on November 7, 1986 calling the theatre the Binghamton Plaza 1 & 2. In December of 1989, Loew’s took on the facility. It reduced it to sub-run discount status on May 6, 1994. After a year and a half of discount operation, Loew’s closed the theatre in October of 1995.
A year later, it re-emerged as the $1.49 Binghamton Plaza Theaters relaunching on December 6, 1996 with “Last Man Standing” and “Long Kiss Goodnight.” Operating in its final months as the Binghamton Plaza Theatre, the facility closed on October 28, 2001 showing “Shrek,” “Princess Diaries” and “Jeepers Creepers” on Screen 1 and “American Pie 2” and “Rush Hour 2” on Screen 2. It had fulfilled its 30-year lease.
Closed after showings on December 31, 1983, the theatre was offered for sale for $59,000. A last ditch effort by a businessman to restore the theatre occurred in January of 2000 but the city’s building inspectors appear to have advised against it.
The architects of the Empress Theatre were Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson built in 1913 for B.F. Elbert & J.A. Getchell. The new build theatre cost $150,000 and launched on September 14, 1913. The theatre’s animated neon sign – the first in Des Moines – was said to be a crowd attractor and wowed the locals.
On March 5, 1921, the theatre relaunched as the Pantages Theatre playing films exclusively. On October 16, 1921, the theatre became the Sherman Theatre under the new management of Harry A. Sherman who switched the venue back to live vaudeville. On August 27, 1922, the theatre switched vaudeville shows to the Orpheum Circuit and the theatre was renamed the Orpheum Theatre.
RKO closed out the theatre’s vaudeville days on May 24, 1931 for a refresh and the theatre re-emerged as the RKO Orpheum relaunching with movies on August 29, 1931 with Barbara Stanwyck in “The Miracle.” Stage show entertainment designed to accompany feature films continued into the 1940s. A streamline makeover of the theater’s interior in 1936 wiped away the original charm of the theatre but added air conditioning and revitalized the theatre. The theatre closed on September 26, 1965 with a showing of “Shennandoah.”
Under Dubinky Brothers management in 1965, the theatre became the Galaxy Theatre and the balcony was quickly walled off, the Orpheum sign was removed and the Galaxy signage installed. The theatre relaunched on October 8, 1965 with “The Great Spy Mission.” The theatre closed on April 24, 1977 with a double feature of “Squirm” and “Food of the Gods.” In June of 1977, an ad offered all of the fixtures for a demolition sale after which it was demolished in 1977. Like many theatres, the demolition of the former Empress proved to be a much more time consuming and difficult process as the theatre held tight as the wrecking ball swung. But on August 7, 1977, the theatre could take no more and the crew finished the job in August of 1977. The theatre became home to a parking lot.
The Grand Theatre replaced the former Comet Theatre which was razed. The Grand launched August 25, 1915 with “The Heart of a Painted Woman.” Fox dropped the house and, after a period of independent operation, Standard Theatres took on the house renaming it the Packer Theatre on October 7, 1939. Bathed in the NFL' team’s green and gold, the Packer was given a streamline moderne makeover. It relaunched as the Pix Theatre on November 3, 1950. The Pix closed in 1954. In 1955, the space was retrofitted as an Osco Drugs retail store.
The trade press reports the opening of the Strand Theatre at 14 Coryell Street in 1915. It had a 14x18' gold fibre screen and Seeburg Orchestral at its launch. The theatre was enlarged ten years later.
The Lucky Twin Theatre was a $750,000 operation architected by John A. Madison and was purportedly the first in the nation equipped with four-track stereophonic sound. Even though that’s highly questionable, the theatre’s sound system combined with widescreen, curved outdoor screens measuring 64' by 128' showed attention to presentation.
The theatre launched June 4, 1955 – though not as its formal grand opening – as only one of the two screens was ready. The first films were to be “Son of Sinbad” and “The Conqurer.” However, “Son of Sinbad” was the official first film and congratulatory telegrams came in from Hollywood including those from John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck,Dale Robertson, Dick Powell and Jane Russell. On July 4, 1955, the second screen was ready and the official Grand Opening took place.
In-car heaters came in giving the the theatre year-round operation. And then things got a bit strange…. or stranger if you think year-round operation in Minnesota is normal.
Cranfill H. Cox opened in September of 1952. He also operated the two downtown Gilmer theatres – the Strand and the Crystal. The Carol Drive-In closed at the end of the 1961 season likely fulfilling a 10-year leasing agreement. The drive-in was torn town in 1967 making room for the local airfield.
Designed to be the first Jerry Lewis Cinema in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, bankruptcy of the circuit delayed the intended November 1, 1973 opening to February 8, 1974 when the theatre opened independently as the Safari Twin Cinema with the films, “Sounder” and “On Any Sunday.” The theatre was not a success and closed. It reopened with a second grand opening on May 23, 1975 under Texas Amusement Circuit. The theatre did not stay open continuously.
NTAC took on the theatre with a road show engagement of “Gone With The Wind” changing the name of the theatre to G.P. (Grand Prairie) Cinema I & II in January of 1976. New operators in April of 1976 changed it to the Safari Cinemas. The theatre got what appears to be its fifth and final new management in November of 1976 trying again as a sub-run, discount theatre called the New Safari Cinema 1 & 2. But like those who had come before them, the Safari did not bag its audience and appears to have closed after three years and five operators. In the 2010s, the venue was home to the Bibleway Apostolic Family Church.
The Buena Vista launched August 22, 1968 with the film, “Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?” In 1976, the Buena Vista showed two X-rated films, “Misty Beethoven” and “Alice in Wonderland” finding an audience but also prompting a boycott, action by the landlord of the Northgate Plaza Shopping Center banning “obscene” content, and finally a police raid while the film was showing the X-Rated, “Through the Looking Glass” in March of 1977. Giving in to pressure, the Buena Vista management attended an open meeting and adopted a new “G” rated only policy to the cheers of Irving. And the citizenry stopped coming to the theatre altogether with the Buena Vista closing prior to its tenth anniversary.
Launched June 11, 1964 with the films, “Island of the Blue Dolphins” and “The Raiders.” The ozoner added swap meets in the afternoon hours. Ads for the drive-in are discontinued during the 1980 season and the site was demolished in 1981. The Anheuser Busch Entertainment / Children’s Television Workshop opened a $10 million Sesame Street-themed Sesame Place Amusement Park on the site in June of 1982. It was the second such amusement park – larger than the Pennsylvania original – and part of a projected major launch of Sesame Places. Despite the Muppets best efforts, this location’s failure tapped the brakes on the ambitious roll out of Sesame Places.
Became the Shrewsbury Plaza Cinema I,II, & III on June 16, 1977. It then Closed October 23, 1994 with “Forrest Gump,” “Clear & Present Danger” and “Little Giants.”
The Strathmore Shopping Center opened theatre-less. But a $200,000 expansion to the center in 1971 brought about a twin mini-theater. The Matawan Twin Cinema launched in the Strathmore Shopping Center on New Jersey State Route 34 on December 22, 1971 with “Lady & the Tramp” and “Kotch.” A year later on December 2, 1972, the location’s name was changed to the Strathmore Cinema Twin I and II. Under Clearview Circuit operation, the theatre was closed to quadplex the theatre relaunching as,the Strathmore Cinema 4 on Sept 3, 1999
Music Makers opened its 14th location in the Jamesway Shopping Center on June 27, 1973 with the film, “The Class of ‘72.” The single-screen The Cinema became the East Windsor Cinema until it was twinned. On May 26, 1976, it relaunched as the East Windsor Cinema Twin I & II. In 1986, Loews acquired Music Makers Circuit and renamed the theatre Loews East Windsor Cinema Twin which it operated until April of 1994. The theatre soldiered on for the Real Entertainment Circuit until closing on March 30, 2000 as the East Windsor Twin Cinema.
Deco – No… I had assumed it was at 570 Park Avenue in the Park Plaza Shopping Center where the Trevi Pizza is based on the building shape and what looks to be an attractor on the facade but am likely wrong. Sorry that I don’t have that.
Bayville’s Berekley Plaza launches here with “Soylent Green” and “Walt Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete” on April 18, 1973 for Music Makers Circuit.
Bayville’s Berekley Plaza launches here with “Soylent Green” and “Walt Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete” on April 18, 1973 for Music Makers Circuit.
Music Makers Circuit’s 12th location was announced in Wayville in 1972 with its Berkeley Cinema I & II shown here in architect’s rendering.
Bayville’s Berekley Plaza at 451 U.S. 9 had a long-running A&P Grocery Store as its anchor and at the opposite end it had Music Makers Circuit’s 12th location in its Berkeley Cinema I & II. The Berkeley Cinema I & II launched with “Soylent Green” and “Walt Disney’s The World’s Greatest Athlete” on April 18, 1973. When Music Makers sold to Loews in 1986, the cinema became known as Loews Cinema I & II. Loews dropped the theatre on June 7, 1990. It cited the opening of the 10-screen Seacourt Pavillion seven miles away as its reason.
On March 27, 1992 and under new operators, the theatre relaunched as the Friendly Cinema. It closed after completing a 25-year leasing cycle with “Black Dog,” “City of Angels,” and “Dirty Work” on July 23, 1998.
This was a theater in the Park Plaza Shopping Center launching as a Jerry Lewis Cinema and the 12th in the chain. Ground was broken for the 350-seat automated theatre in April of 1971. The theatre launched March 4th, 1972. It was renamed the Park Avenue Cinema on July 2, 1974 when the Jerry Lewis Circuit went under.
The Park Avenue Cinema became a 99 cent sub-run, discount theatre. It appears to have closed for six months in 1977 and reopened in 1978 under new management and pricing policy before closing in May of 1982. In July of 1982, it changed names to Cinema 33, the highway on which the theatre was located. It closed as Cinema 33 on January 2, 1984 with the film, “Return of the Jedi.”
Music Makers Circuit renamed this the Freehold Triplex Cinema on February 4, 1977. It then became the Freehold Quad Cinema on October 22, 1982. On November 18, 1983, it became the Freehold Cinema 6. Loews Circuit took over the Music Makers theaters and closed the theatre. It was given one last chance by Cinemagic as a sub-run discount house. August 28, 1997. This location closed December 7, 2000 as the Cinemagic Discount Theater at Freehold with “Almost Famous,” “Best in Show,” “The Contender,” “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” “The Little Vampire,” and “Remember the Titans.” The cinema was replaced by a gym.
Belmar Mall opened theatre-less in 1963. In 1971, an automated theatre was added when the Belmar Cinema launched at 829 Plaza. The 344-seat cinema opened August 18, 1971 with the film, “Love Story.” In 1979, picketers protested the playing of “Life of Brian” at the Belmar. The facility became the Man Ray Cinema on January 1, 1980. The Man Ray appears to have closed January 15, 1981 after a showing of “Elephant Man” likely fulfilling a 10-year lease.
The Circle Twin Cinema opened for United General Circuit in 1971. The Spanish motif matched the adjoining El Greco Restaurant. It was United General’s tenth theatre and the theatres each seated 250 patrons and was designed to be an automated facility. United was much like the Jerry Lewis Cinema concept in which franchisees bought locations and tried to survive the competition from much more established operators. Music Makers Circuit took on the location and expanded it to a triplex known as the Circle Triplex.
In 1986, the theatre became a 5-screen facility, the Circle Cinema 5 and Music Makers became Loews in November of that year. It was known as the Loews Circle Cinema 5 and Sony Circle Cinema 5 when Loews rebranded as Sony. Sony closed it on January 28, 1998. Cinemagic took over in February initially calling it Cinemagic Theater at Brick before relegating it to discount status. It closed as Cinemagic Discount Theater at Brick on September 28, 2000, final features were Art of War, Autumn in New York, Original Kings of Comedy, The Patriot, Scary Movie and Saving Grace.
The ozoner appears to have closed after a double feature of “Love Story” and “Kelly’s Heroes” on August 29, 1971 as the Brielle Drive-In Theatre. Its phone number is reassigned to a NJ plumbing service not long after.
Associated Independent Theatres (A.I.T.) Circuit had launched the Brick Plaza Theatre on October 8, 1964 in the expansion of the Brick Plaza Shopping Center. Its success spurred this second theatre designed by Charles H. Gottwalt. When conceptualized in 1966, it was given the working project name of Brick Plaza South. By the time the cinema opened, it was called The Mall Cinema and was in the Kennedy Shopping Mall directly across the Brick Plaza. The Mall Cinema launched as a single-screen theatre for A.I.T. on April 2, 1969 with “Gone with the Wind.” The 800-seat theatre matched the new colonial architectural style of its neighbor.
Music Makers Circuit took on the theatre and created the two-screen operation, Mall Cinema 1 and 2, beginning on December 22, 1971 with “Carnal Knowledge” and “Diamonds are Forever.” The Brick Plaza Theatre also twinned on October 15, 1975.
On May 27, 1976, that the Mall Cinema became a triplex, the Mall Cinema 1, 2 & 3. It was Ocean County’s first triplex.
On October 11, 1985, the Mall Cinema became the Cinema Centre 5. On January 2, 1987, the Music Makers Theatres became Loews Theatres. Loews vacillated between the name of Cinema Center 5 and Cinema Centre 5. The theatre was operated under the circuit’s Sony Theatre nameplate from 1994 from 1999 before reverting to its final two years as the Loews Cinema Centre 5. On March 26, 2001, Loews closed the theatre with Cast Away, Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hannibal, Recess, Sweet November and the Wedding Planner.
The Binghamton Plaza opened theatre-less on August 20, 1964 anchored by W.T. Grants. On August 20, 1971, the theatre launched as part of Carrolls Development Corp. / Carrolls Equities Corp. Circuit and Cinema National. The theatre was an automated twin-screen facility opening as Carrols Cinema Twin 1 & 2 – Binghamton Plaza. The theatre replaced the Manor House Bowling Lanes. The auditoriums had 352 seats each and the mayor was on hand for the ribbon cutting followed by the films, “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “The Omega Man.”
USACinemas took over Cinema National operations on November 7, 1986 calling the theatre the Binghamton Plaza 1 & 2. In December of 1989, Loew’s took on the facility. It reduced it to sub-run discount status on May 6, 1994. After a year and a half of discount operation, Loew’s closed the theatre in October of 1995.
A year later, it re-emerged as the $1.49 Binghamton Plaza Theaters relaunching on December 6, 1996 with “Last Man Standing” and “Long Kiss Goodnight.” Operating in its final months as the Binghamton Plaza Theatre, the facility closed on October 28, 2001 showing “Shrek,” “Princess Diaries” and “Jeepers Creepers” on Screen 1 and “American Pie 2” and “Rush Hour 2” on Screen 2. It had fulfilled its 30-year lease.
Another former operator – Carrols Development Corp.
Closed after showings on December 31, 1983, the theatre was offered for sale for $59,000. A last ditch effort by a businessman to restore the theatre occurred in January of 2000 but the city’s building inspectors appear to have advised against it.
The architects of the Empress Theatre were Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson built in 1913 for B.F. Elbert & J.A. Getchell. The new build theatre cost $150,000 and launched on September 14, 1913. The theatre’s animated neon sign – the first in Des Moines – was said to be a crowd attractor and wowed the locals.
On March 5, 1921, the theatre relaunched as the Pantages Theatre playing films exclusively. On October 16, 1921, the theatre became the Sherman Theatre under the new management of Harry A. Sherman who switched the venue back to live vaudeville. On August 27, 1922, the theatre switched vaudeville shows to the Orpheum Circuit and the theatre was renamed the Orpheum Theatre.
RKO closed out the theatre’s vaudeville days on May 24, 1931 for a refresh and the theatre re-emerged as the RKO Orpheum relaunching with movies on August 29, 1931 with Barbara Stanwyck in “The Miracle.” Stage show entertainment designed to accompany feature films continued into the 1940s. A streamline makeover of the theater’s interior in 1936 wiped away the original charm of the theatre but added air conditioning and revitalized the theatre. The theatre closed on September 26, 1965 with a showing of “Shennandoah.”
Under Dubinky Brothers management in 1965, the theatre became the Galaxy Theatre and the balcony was quickly walled off, the Orpheum sign was removed and the Galaxy signage installed. The theatre relaunched on October 8, 1965 with “The Great Spy Mission.” The theatre closed on April 24, 1977 with a double feature of “Squirm” and “Food of the Gods.” In June of 1977, an ad offered all of the fixtures for a demolition sale after which it was demolished in 1977. Like many theatres, the demolition of the former Empress proved to be a much more time consuming and difficult process as the theatre held tight as the wrecking ball swung. But on August 7, 1977, the theatre could take no more and the crew finished the job in August of 1977. The theatre became home to a parking lot.
The Grand Theatre replaced the former Comet Theatre which was razed. The Grand launched August 25, 1915 with “The Heart of a Painted Woman.” Fox dropped the house and, after a period of independent operation, Standard Theatres took on the house renaming it the Packer Theatre on October 7, 1939. Bathed in the NFL' team’s green and gold, the Packer was given a streamline moderne makeover. It relaunched as the Pix Theatre on November 3, 1950. The Pix closed in 1954. In 1955, the space was retrofitted as an Osco Drugs retail store.
The trade press reports the opening of the Strand Theatre at 14 Coryell Street in 1915. It had a 14x18' gold fibre screen and Seeburg Orchestral at its launch. The theatre was enlarged ten years later.
The Lucky Twin Theatre was a $750,000 operation architected by John A. Madison and was purportedly the first in the nation equipped with four-track stereophonic sound. Even though that’s highly questionable, the theatre’s sound system combined with widescreen, curved outdoor screens measuring 64' by 128' showed attention to presentation.
The theatre launched June 4, 1955 – though not as its formal grand opening – as only one of the two screens was ready. The first films were to be “Son of Sinbad” and “The Conqurer.” However, “Son of Sinbad” was the official first film and congratulatory telegrams came in from Hollywood including those from John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck,Dale Robertson, Dick Powell and Jane Russell. On July 4, 1955, the second screen was ready and the official Grand Opening took place.
In-car heaters came in giving the the theatre year-round operation. And then things got a bit strange…. or stranger if you think year-round operation in Minnesota is normal.
Cranfill H. Cox opened in September of 1952. He also operated the two downtown Gilmer theatres – the Strand and the Crystal. The Carol Drive-In closed at the end of the 1961 season likely fulfilling a 10-year leasing agreement. The drive-in was torn town in 1967 making room for the local airfield.
Designed to be the first Jerry Lewis Cinema in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, bankruptcy of the circuit delayed the intended November 1, 1973 opening to February 8, 1974 when the theatre opened independently as the Safari Twin Cinema with the films, “Sounder” and “On Any Sunday.” The theatre was not a success and closed. It reopened with a second grand opening on May 23, 1975 under Texas Amusement Circuit. The theatre did not stay open continuously.
NTAC took on the theatre with a road show engagement of “Gone With The Wind” changing the name of the theatre to G.P. (Grand Prairie) Cinema I & II in January of 1976. New operators in April of 1976 changed it to the Safari Cinemas. The theatre got what appears to be its fifth and final new management in November of 1976 trying again as a sub-run, discount theatre called the New Safari Cinema 1 & 2. But like those who had come before them, the Safari did not bag its audience and appears to have closed after three years and five operators. In the 2010s, the venue was home to the Bibleway Apostolic Family Church.
The Buena Vista launched August 22, 1968 with the film, “Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?” In 1976, the Buena Vista showed two X-rated films, “Misty Beethoven” and “Alice in Wonderland” finding an audience but also prompting a boycott, action by the landlord of the Northgate Plaza Shopping Center banning “obscene” content, and finally a police raid while the film was showing the X-Rated, “Through the Looking Glass” in March of 1977. Giving in to pressure, the Buena Vista management attended an open meeting and adopted a new “G” rated only policy to the cheers of Irving. And the citizenry stopped coming to the theatre altogether with the Buena Vista closing prior to its tenth anniversary.
Launched June 11, 1964 with the films, “Island of the Blue Dolphins” and “The Raiders.” The ozoner added swap meets in the afternoon hours. Ads for the drive-in are discontinued during the 1980 season and the site was demolished in 1981. The Anheuser Busch Entertainment / Children’s Television Workshop opened a $10 million Sesame Street-themed Sesame Place Amusement Park on the site in June of 1982. It was the second such amusement park – larger than the Pennsylvania original – and part of a projected major launch of Sesame Places. Despite the Muppets best efforts, this location’s failure tapped the brakes on the ambitious roll out of Sesame Places.