Kenwood resident Roy L. Saxon opened the Elroy Theatre’s doors on February 5, 1942 with Bob Hope in “Nothing But The Truth” along with the Popeye cartoon “The Mighty Navy” and the musical number “Beauty And The Beach”.
On July 15, 1945, the Elroy Theatre was destroyed by an early morning fire, originated from the front area of the theater. Although the exterior was saved from the blaze, the interior suffered major destruction. The Eldon Theatre remained closed for 12 weeks while reconstruction was underway, alongside reinstallations of projection and sound equipment, which were Simplex’s E17 models with high intensity lamps and a dual amplifier sound system. The Elroy Theatre reopened on October 10, 1945 with Dennis O'Keefe in “Brewster’s Millions”.
On June 29, 1950, it was announced that the Welsh Brothers led by M.F. and M.J. Welsh will take over the Elroy Theatre following extensive remodeling. However it was still open, running movies during remodeling. It officially became the Welsh Theatre the following day.
Roy L. Saxon returned back to the theater office alongside his partner E.E. McMillan on January 26, 1955 and retook the theater ownership from the Welsh Brothers. McMillan officially became the owner while Saxon devotes their times to the theater. McMillan immediately upgraded the theater, including installations of CinemaScope days later. The theater was then renamed the McRoy Theatre the following month.
The McRoy Theatre was still open into as late as 1967.
The Empire Theatre was originally operated by J.O. Boatwright, and opened on May 4, 1914.
The Empire Theatre closed for the final time on May 13, 1916 before it was leased more than two months later by Mr. John Pryor to George Monos, a Greek restauranteur who decided to convert the former theater into a restaurant.
This started life as the Electric Theatre as early as the early-1910s, and was renamed multiple times over the years. It was renamed the Majestic Theatre in 1913, renamed the Wellman Theatre on April 4, 1930, and renamed the Grand Theatre on February 25, 1937. The Grand Theatre was originally operated by Marvin Fosse who also operated the Pastime Theatre in La Fosse City.
Several months later in October 1937, Fosse was treated at the University Hospital in Iowa City for more than a week after he was diagnosed with a bad malta fever despite it not being dangerously-ill.
The Grand Theatre closed in 1958 and its marquee was removed in May 1959.
Wellman had another Grand Electric Theatre beforehand as far early as 1907 but its history remains unknown.
This started life as the Grand Opera House, which opened in the 1880s and was renamed the Grand Theatre in 1916.
After the city’s massive fire in 1922, much of the south side of the Square sat empty or otherwise underutilized for a time before many of the buildings were reconstructed a short time afterward. Unfortunately it was unknown if the Grand Theatre was impacted by the 1922 fire, which was due to lost information.
The Grand Theatre received several upgrades in the late-1930s, and one of which was its major remodeling and then-newer marquee installations in 1939.
The Miami Theatre began screening movies on June 18, 1938 with Loretta Young in “3 Blind Mice” along with the short “The Truth About Your Doctor” and a March of Time reel.
If you go on Historic Aerials, there’s a twin-screen drive-in at the same exact spot. Also, I was wrong on the owner because I got really confused between both theaters.
Found it! The Buena Vista Drive-In is located across the street from 325 S Magnolia Ave, Buena Vista, VA 24416. It appears operational into as late as the early-1980s, but was gone by the 1990s.
The Mars Theatre at the site of a former Kline department store opened its doors on August 22, 1940 with Humphrey Bogart in “It All Came True” with no extra short subjects.
Information about the Mars Theater goes as follows: The Mars Theater is a replacement of the old Pastime Theater, which will have its own Cinema Treasures page soon. As of 1940, the building’s installations featured a large rectangle marquee with black changeable letters on a white board. The three orchid doors are chrome fitted and their glass crescent-shaped. Inside the lobby features walls carrying out the orchid shade, setting off the natural-colored birch doors. There is also a 4ft long fluorescent fixture overhead and the floors are marble. There is also an office leading up into the stairway and the cashier’s office next door. The foyers features a mix of turquoise, blue, and wine colors, featuring one soft blue wall nearby which contains a full-length hand-printed floral design in wine color. The dusty rose fountain has a horizonal fluorescent tube over at which casts a similar colored light. The furniture features a love seat, davenport and two matching straight chairs of chrome, turquoise, and wine leather. There is also a chrome table which with the chairs will be used for registering patrons for special evenings.
The auditorium floors features fluorescent carpeting that is woven with fluorescent materials in the yarn and when activated by invisible rays will glow in the dark making the aisles clearly visible in the darkened theater without interfering with the brilliance of the film. All of the 332 seats ware deep-upholstered in rust colored and automatically fold up giving a patron going between rows more room in which they move. The rows of seats marked by fluorescent tubes to prevent stumbling are slightly curved to provide better vision, and the seats are scientifically arranged on the floor so that the person ahead will not be in direct line between the patron and the screen. The walls of the auditorium are both beige and brown Nu-wood, arranged in a pattern to improve the acoustics. The wall fixtures are designed that combinations of red, blue, green, and yellow nay be used or a fusion of all may be created. The screen is a Dupont thin sheet of plastic which fastened to a fabric background making a seamless screen, and the surface is punched full of thousands of tiny holes about as big as a pinhead. These are invisible from a few feet away but allow the free passage of sound.
In the basement of the theater are both lounge and restrooms for both genders. Unfortunately the lounge wasn’t even finished on grand opening though due to the painters have been waiting for at approximately six weeks for the plaster to dry. Also in the basement is a room which owners plan in time to fix into a private game room. At the front of the theater above the lobby and foyer is the projection room and an apartment for the manager. A unique feature of projectors are the lenses which have been acquired. They are the same projection lenses that were used during the real original production of “Gone With The Wind” bringing it a very unique touch to the screen. The opening of the theater was even more unique due to the fact that famous actors from Bob Hope to Fred MacMurray to Claudette Colbert and Dorothy Lamour all congratulated the owner Marvin Fosse and the management of the Mars Theatre for their opening on the front page of the La Porte City Progress Review.
The Mars Theatre had several short closures from the mid-1950s to the early-1960s, but was later closed for the final time in the early-1960s.
Dr. Detlef Rossmann opened the Casablanca in 1981 as a single-screener. It was twinned in 1984 and tripled in 1996 following modernization. A fourth screen was added in the late-2000s or early-2010s.
The original Apollo Theatre before being destroyed in the September 6, 1944 bombings was built between 1928 and 1930, and opened its doors in 1931 featuring a capacity of 650 seats.
In order to satisfy the Emden population’s need for entertainment, distraction and information during the difficult war years, alternative cinemas were opened in Emden, as well as in Wilhelmshaven. The film screenings after the bombings then immediately took place in the hall of the “Sternburg” restaurant on Auricher Strasse, the hall of the “Mundt” restaurant on Wolthuser Landstrasse (now Wolthuser Strasse) and in the casino of the Emden barracks. The alternative cinema in the “Sternburg” restaurant, called “Lichtspiele” with 250 seats, were immediately belonged to the Jentsch family (possibly the same owners before their theater was destroyed). The operation of the alternative theaters “Lichtspiele” and “Die Kurbel” were then discontinued towards between the late-1940s and early-1950s.
Otto Neubauer reopened the Apollo Theatre in 1950 after a few years of reconstruction. Information serves as follows: The beige walls of the building were decorated with coffee-brown burlap and wood paneling and were atmospherically lit from the projection room, along with the ceiling made of acoustic panels that was divided into coffered sections and the gold-tinted curtain. The projection surface had an area of 30 square meters and was given acoustic life by a Eurodyn sound film amplifier.
Found it. The theater is located on 834 FM-168, Olton, TX 79064. The screen is still standing as of today alongside its entrance and exit traces and ticket booth, although the concession/projection booth is in very rough shape.
The Gastonia Drive-In opened its gates on May 12, 1948 with the Marx Brothers in “A Night At Casablanca” along with an unnamed cartoon and comedy, and was renamed the Sunset Drive-In on July 14, 1950.
The Sunset did receive multiple incidents in the 1970s and 1980s, many of which were operators getting arrested for obscene movies being played on screen. The Sunset Drive-In was still open in the 1980s but was demolished in the 1990s.
The theater itself was 1401 Neal Hawkins Rd, Gastonia, NC 28056.
Kenwood resident Roy L. Saxon opened the Elroy Theatre’s doors on February 5, 1942 with Bob Hope in “Nothing But The Truth” along with the Popeye cartoon “The Mighty Navy” and the musical number “Beauty And The Beach”.
On July 15, 1945, the Elroy Theatre was destroyed by an early morning fire, originated from the front area of the theater. Although the exterior was saved from the blaze, the interior suffered major destruction. The Eldon Theatre remained closed for 12 weeks while reconstruction was underway, alongside reinstallations of projection and sound equipment, which were Simplex’s E17 models with high intensity lamps and a dual amplifier sound system. The Elroy Theatre reopened on October 10, 1945 with Dennis O'Keefe in “Brewster’s Millions”.
On June 29, 1950, it was announced that the Welsh Brothers led by M.F. and M.J. Welsh will take over the Elroy Theatre following extensive remodeling. However it was still open, running movies during remodeling. It officially became the Welsh Theatre the following day.
Roy L. Saxon returned back to the theater office alongside his partner E.E. McMillan on January 26, 1955 and retook the theater ownership from the Welsh Brothers. McMillan officially became the owner while Saxon devotes their times to the theater. McMillan immediately upgraded the theater, including installations of CinemaScope days later. The theater was then renamed the McRoy Theatre the following month.
The McRoy Theatre was still open into as late as 1967.
The actual closing date is Christmas Eve 2008.
The actual opening date is August 18, 1967.
The Empire Theatre was originally operated by J.O. Boatwright, and opened on May 4, 1914.
The Empire Theatre closed for the final time on May 13, 1916 before it was leased more than two months later by Mr. John Pryor to George Monos, a Greek restauranteur who decided to convert the former theater into a restaurant.
Also opened with “Airborne”.
The Lee Drive-In was actually twinned in the early-to-mid 1970s.
This started life as the Tupelo Cinema 7 in June 1989. Three more screens were added in December 1989.
This started life as the Electric Theatre as early as the early-1910s, and was renamed multiple times over the years. It was renamed the Majestic Theatre in 1913, renamed the Wellman Theatre on April 4, 1930, and renamed the Grand Theatre on February 25, 1937. The Grand Theatre was originally operated by Marvin Fosse who also operated the Pastime Theatre in La Fosse City.
The Grand Theatre closed in 1958 and its marquee was removed in May 1959.
Renamed Rex Theatre in Fall 1937.
The actual opening date is August 13, 1949 with Ray Milland in “California” with no extra short subjects.
The actual closing date is April 5, 1960 with Gary Cooper in “The Wreck Of The Mary Deare”.
This started life as the Grand Opera House, which opened in the 1880s and was renamed the Grand Theatre in 1916.
After the city’s massive fire in 1922, much of the south side of the Square sat empty or otherwise underutilized for a time before many of the buildings were reconstructed a short time afterward. Unfortunately it was unknown if the Grand Theatre was impacted by the 1922 fire, which was due to lost information.
The Grand Theatre received several upgrades in the late-1930s, and one of which was its major remodeling and then-newer marquee installations in 1939.
The Miami Theatre began screening movies on June 18, 1938 with Loretta Young in “3 Blind Mice” along with the short “The Truth About Your Doctor” and a March of Time reel.
Gotcha, I know. I’m trying to find info on the older theater, but thanks for the fyi.
If you go on Historic Aerials, there’s a twin-screen drive-in at the same exact spot. Also, I was wrong on the owner because I got really confused between both theaters.
Found it! The Buena Vista Drive-In is located across the street from 325 S Magnolia Ave, Buena Vista, VA 24416. It appears operational into as late as the early-1980s, but was gone by the 1990s.
The Central Texas Drive-In is a twin-screen drive-in owned by Everett Bryant, and operated from the early-1970s until either the mid-or-late-1980s.
Opened on August 4, 1953 with “Bonzo Goes To College” (unknown if extras added), and closed after the 1984 season.
Twinned on June 24, 1983.
The Mars Theatre at the site of a former Kline department store opened its doors on August 22, 1940 with Humphrey Bogart in “It All Came True” with no extra short subjects.
Information about the Mars Theater goes as follows: The Mars Theater is a replacement of the old Pastime Theater, which will have its own Cinema Treasures page soon. As of 1940, the building’s installations featured a large rectangle marquee with black changeable letters on a white board. The three orchid doors are chrome fitted and their glass crescent-shaped. Inside the lobby features walls carrying out the orchid shade, setting off the natural-colored birch doors. There is also a 4ft long fluorescent fixture overhead and the floors are marble. There is also an office leading up into the stairway and the cashier’s office next door. The foyers features a mix of turquoise, blue, and wine colors, featuring one soft blue wall nearby which contains a full-length hand-printed floral design in wine color. The dusty rose fountain has a horizonal fluorescent tube over at which casts a similar colored light. The furniture features a love seat, davenport and two matching straight chairs of chrome, turquoise, and wine leather. There is also a chrome table which with the chairs will be used for registering patrons for special evenings.
The auditorium floors features fluorescent carpeting that is woven with fluorescent materials in the yarn and when activated by invisible rays will glow in the dark making the aisles clearly visible in the darkened theater without interfering with the brilliance of the film. All of the 332 seats ware deep-upholstered in rust colored and automatically fold up giving a patron going between rows more room in which they move. The rows of seats marked by fluorescent tubes to prevent stumbling are slightly curved to provide better vision, and the seats are scientifically arranged on the floor so that the person ahead will not be in direct line between the patron and the screen. The walls of the auditorium are both beige and brown Nu-wood, arranged in a pattern to improve the acoustics. The wall fixtures are designed that combinations of red, blue, green, and yellow nay be used or a fusion of all may be created. The screen is a Dupont thin sheet of plastic which fastened to a fabric background making a seamless screen, and the surface is punched full of thousands of tiny holes about as big as a pinhead. These are invisible from a few feet away but allow the free passage of sound.
In the basement of the theater are both lounge and restrooms for both genders. Unfortunately the lounge wasn’t even finished on grand opening though due to the painters have been waiting for at approximately six weeks for the plaster to dry. Also in the basement is a room which owners plan in time to fix into a private game room. At the front of the theater above the lobby and foyer is the projection room and an apartment for the manager. A unique feature of projectors are the lenses which have been acquired. They are the same projection lenses that were used during the real original production of “Gone With The Wind” bringing it a very unique touch to the screen. The opening of the theater was even more unique due to the fact that famous actors from Bob Hope to Fred MacMurray to Claudette Colbert and Dorothy Lamour all congratulated the owner Marvin Fosse and the management of the Mars Theatre for their opening on the front page of the La Porte City Progress Review.
The Mars Theatre had several short closures from the mid-1950s to the early-1960s, but was later closed for the final time in the early-1960s.
Opened on November 21, 1954.
Dr. Detlef Rossmann opened the Casablanca in 1981 as a single-screener. It was twinned in 1984 and tripled in 1996 following modernization. A fourth screen was added in the late-2000s or early-2010s.
The original Apollo Theatre before being destroyed in the September 6, 1944 bombings was built between 1928 and 1930, and opened its doors in 1931 featuring a capacity of 650 seats.
Otto Neubauer reopened the Apollo Theatre in 1950 after a few years of reconstruction. Information serves as follows: The beige walls of the building were decorated with coffee-brown burlap and wood paneling and were atmospherically lit from the projection room, along with the ceiling made of acoustic panels that was divided into coffered sections and the gold-tinted curtain. The projection surface had an area of 30 square meters and was given acoustic life by a Eurodyn sound film amplifier.
Found it. The theater is located on 834 FM-168, Olton, TX 79064. The screen is still standing as of today alongside its entrance and exit traces and ticket booth, although the concession/projection booth is in very rough shape.
The Gastonia Drive-In opened its gates on May 12, 1948 with the Marx Brothers in “A Night At Casablanca” along with an unnamed cartoon and comedy, and was renamed the Sunset Drive-In on July 14, 1950.
The Sunset did receive multiple incidents in the 1970s and 1980s, many of which were operators getting arrested for obscene movies being played on screen. The Sunset Drive-In was still open in the 1980s but was demolished in the 1990s.
The theater itself was 1401 Neal Hawkins Rd, Gastonia, NC 28056.