The Cord Theatre opened its doors on October 11, 1914 with an unknown vaudeville by the Pantages Circuit. It was first operated by E.W. Trenbeth. It was renamed the Liberty Theatre in 1939.
The Liberty Theatre was a first-run movie house for most of its life, but in 1971, the Liberty Theatre briefly began screening X-rated movies as well as selected Spanish features.
This didn’t last long, and the Liberty Theatre closed for the final time in November 1971. It was originally scheduled to be closed for two weeks due to repairs, but it never reopened.
The Benton Theatre opened its doors on February 9, 1945 with Alan Carney in “Girl Rush” along with several short subjects. It was first operated by Midstate Amusement, who operated most theaters in the area at the time, and the theater building was constructed by Salem, Oregon’s Halvorsen Construction Company. It was first managed by C.C. Miller.
The Benton Theater closed for the final time on January 31, 1971 with Walt Disney’s “Son Of Flubber” and “The Cockeyed Cowboys Of Calico County”.
Construction of the Clearwater Cinemas started on February 7, 1980 by SRO Theatres, who also operated many other theaters across the tri-cities. It was originally planned to be built as a 600-seat twin (with 400 seats at Screen 1 and 200 seats at Screen 2) but ended up adding another screen before construction started.
The Clearwater Cinemas opened its doors by SRO on June 20, 1980 with “Rough Cut” at Screen 1, “Can’t Stop The Music” at Screen 2, and “The Black Stallion” at Screen 3.
After SRO was sold in December 1986, all of its indoor theaters there became part of Cineplex Odeon and later Act III Theatres. It was last operated by Regal before closing for the final time in December 2000, alongside the nearby Metro 4 in Richland, due to financial troubles.
Cineplex Odeon took over the Columbia Center 3 alongside other SRO operated theaters in December 1986. Act III began taking control of all indoor theaters in the tri-cities in 1992.
The Ragtag Cinema’s original name was called the “Ragtag Cinemacafe” when it first opened in July 2000, but the name was shorten to just Ragtag Cinema in early 2001.
The Boyd Theatre last operated as a Frank Buhler operated theater before closing for the final time on June 12, 1970 with the 1939 classic “Gone With The Wind”.
The Sooner Drive-In was still open in the 1980s, but was gone by the mid-1990s. Traces were left remaining until a relocated Walmart occupied the former drive-in across the street in 2001.
FUN FACT: Miami’s Walmart was relocated three times since its first one opened in May 1971. The first Walmart (located on 2001 North Main) closed in 1987 when it was relocated to 2414 North Main and was located across the street from the Sooner Drive-In until 2001. The ex-Walmart became a church across the street from the current Walmart that once occupied the drive-in.
If you put in the address on Historic Aerials, it just takes you to downtown. The drive-in is way north of the city next to Illinois Drive as seen in the 1983 aerial view. It was gone by 1994.
I think we’ve just solved the mystery there. Since there was a Joy Drive-In somewhere, I was the one who found the original Joy Drive-In before the nearby Joy Outdoor Twin was built. And yes, I’m very sure that the Loop Drive-In was the only drive-in in Texarkana that was once known as the Red River Drive-In.
I’m very sure that the Joy Outdoor Twin opened around 1973, that’s my wild guess. A 1972 topo didn’t list the theater, but it was listed in 1976’s though. The Cinema City 4 (later Cinema City 6) later opened in the late-1970s and both theaters were operating at the same time.
This started life as the Cinema City 4 with a total of 1,150 seats in the late-1970s, and expanded to six in the mid-1980s before closing on December 10, 1987 when Cinemark opened the Movies 8 nearby.
I have to agree, my brain is scrambling. CinemaTour got the address wrong, that’s why it said Arkansas instead of Texas. I’m very sure that the only drive-in theater the Arkansas side of Texarkana got is the 67 Drive-In which opened in 1965.
It was renamed King Cal Drive-In in May 1964. I can’t find any evidence about the theater being known as the Little Dixie Drive-In. It was still named Fulton Drive-In in 1963 and was renamed the King Cal at the start of the 1964 season.
The drive-in theater across the street was called the Red River Drive-In (which will have its own Cinema Treasures page soon), and yes there are two Red River Drive-Ins in both Texarkanas.
Opened on July 3, 1920 as Liberty, renamed Roxy in April 1939, closed in early 1953.
The Cord Theatre opened its doors on October 11, 1914 with an unknown vaudeville by the Pantages Circuit. It was first operated by E.W. Trenbeth. It was renamed the Liberty Theatre in 1939.
The Liberty Theatre was a first-run movie house for most of its life, but in 1971, the Liberty Theatre briefly began screening X-rated movies as well as selected Spanish features.
This didn’t last long, and the Liberty Theatre closed for the final time in November 1971. It was originally scheduled to be closed for two weeks due to repairs, but it never reopened.
The Benton Theatre opened its doors on February 9, 1945 with Alan Carney in “Girl Rush” along with several short subjects. It was first operated by Midstate Amusement, who operated most theaters in the area at the time, and the theater building was constructed by Salem, Oregon’s Halvorsen Construction Company. It was first managed by C.C. Miller.
The Benton Theater closed for the final time on January 31, 1971 with Walt Disney’s “Son Of Flubber” and “The Cockeyed Cowboys Of Calico County”.
Construction of the Clearwater Cinemas started on February 7, 1980 by SRO Theatres, who also operated many other theaters across the tri-cities. It was originally planned to be built as a 600-seat twin (with 400 seats at Screen 1 and 200 seats at Screen 2) but ended up adding another screen before construction started.
The Clearwater Cinemas opened its doors by SRO on June 20, 1980 with “Rough Cut” at Screen 1, “Can’t Stop The Music” at Screen 2, and “The Black Stallion” at Screen 3.
After SRO was sold in December 1986, all of its indoor theaters there became part of Cineplex Odeon and later Act III Theatres. It was last operated by Regal before closing for the final time in December 2000, alongside the nearby Metro 4 in Richland, due to financial troubles.
Cineplex Odeon took over the Columbia Center 3 alongside other SRO operated theaters in December 1986. Act III began taking control of all indoor theaters in the tri-cities in 1992.
Actual opening date is November 19, 1999.
Opened by Act III on November 14, 1997.
Closed in December 2000.
Once operated by SRO, later by Cineplex Odeon, later by Act III, and finally Regal.
The Ragtag Cinema’s original name was called the “Ragtag Cinemacafe” when it first opened in July 2000, but the name was shorten to just Ragtag Cinema in early 2001.
Expanded to three screens on March 6, 1979, four screens on May 6, 1983, and five screens on May 13, 1983.
The Boyd Theatre last operated as a Frank Buhler operated theater before closing for the final time on June 12, 1970 with the 1939 classic “Gone With The Wind”.
The Sooner Drive-In was still open in the 1980s, but was gone by the mid-1990s. Traces were left remaining until a relocated Walmart occupied the former drive-in across the street in 2001.
The 88 Drive-In survives a possible final closure last year with 2024 reopening, according to KUSA.
https://www.9news.com/article/life/style/colorado-guide/88-drive-in-denver-colorado-theaters/73-5255d187-eb92-4f64-9e5e-bece7f67cee2
If you put in the address on Historic Aerials, it just takes you to downtown. The drive-in is way north of the city next to Illinois Drive as seen in the 1983 aerial view. It was gone by 1994.
Closed on May 15, 2008.
So it appears that Commonwealth operated the Tri-State for most of its life.
I think we’ve just solved the mystery there. Since there was a Joy Drive-In somewhere, I was the one who found the original Joy Drive-In before the nearby Joy Outdoor Twin was built. And yes, I’m very sure that the Loop Drive-In was the only drive-in in Texarkana that was once known as the Red River Drive-In.
I’m very sure that the Joy Outdoor Twin opened around 1973, that’s my wild guess. A 1972 topo didn’t list the theater, but it was listed in 1976’s though. The Cinema City 4 (later Cinema City 6) later opened in the late-1970s and both theaters were operating at the same time.
This started life as the Cinema City 4 with a total of 1,150 seats in the late-1970s, and expanded to six in the mid-1980s before closing on December 10, 1987 when Cinemark opened the Movies 8 nearby.
This page is a duplicate.
I have to agree, my brain is scrambling. CinemaTour got the address wrong, that’s why it said Arkansas instead of Texas. I’m very sure that the only drive-in theater the Arkansas side of Texarkana got is the 67 Drive-In which opened in 1965.
It was renamed King Cal Drive-In in May 1964. I can’t find any evidence about the theater being known as the Little Dixie Drive-In. It was still named Fulton Drive-In in 1963 and was renamed the King Cal at the start of the 1964 season.
Closed in 1991.
The drive-in theater across the street was called the Red River Drive-In (which will have its own Cinema Treasures page soon), and yes there are two Red River Drive-Ins in both Texarkanas.