Plitt Theatres closed the Capitol as a first-run movie house on September 16, 1979 with “Hot Stuff” due to lease expiration. Exactly a few weeks later, local residents Bill Neville and Jerry Strain formed their own theater company called the Sunshine State Theatres and they immediately helped to relaunch the Capitol Theatre.
The Capitol Theatre reopened its doors as a 99-cent variety house on October 5, 1979 with two Charlie Chaplin movies, “The Gentlemen Tramp” and “City Lights”, with live organ music and live performances were presented before each showing. On its first day, guitar player Barbara Moore took the stage on grand opening.
Unfortunately, the Capitol Theatre closed on November 1, 1980 with “New York, New York” when the city purchased the theater. On December 3, 1981, the Capitol reopened as the Royalty Theatre with a live presentation of “Oliver”.
There’s another cinema in Steubenville called the Cinema Theatre, although I cannot find any information about it. All I know is that its located at the then-Hollywood Shopping Plaza, and it appears to have opened around 1968 as a single-screener.
Information about the Paramount Theatre as of 1951 goes as follows:
William C. Gates, the manager of the Imperial Theatre also in Moncton, served as the original manager for the Paramount. The dazzling marquee features a grand total of 2,400 lightbulbs spelling out Paramount creating a waterfall effect. The ticket booth features both an automatic vendor and an automatic changemaker being located in the outer lobby which is arranged so that way tickets may be purchased in the open air during the summer months, and inside the doors in colder weather. The walls are dipped with rose and green with a border of flowers make an attractive entrance to the Paramount. In the inner lobby is a sky blue luxuriously rug with a starlight effect. There is also a confection bar, featuring a maroon leather bar with large mirrors and glass shelves on a wall of sky blue matching the ceiling add to the attractive appearance of the bar. Comfortable chesterfield suits have been installed for the comfort of patrons who are waiting.
The original auditorium housed an original capacity of 1,176 modern special push-back holstered seats (with more space to add more but was unknown if the management did that) alongside the management adding a policy designed to prevent overcrowding and space has been left in the two aisles and at the sides. The walls of the auditorium are dipped in turquoise with light and dark shades of old roses at the front supplying a string accent to the color scheme. There is also a motif in gold line panels the walls, as in the lobby starlight lighting is featured in the ceiling. At the stage, a flowing arch with indirect lighting forms a striking frame for the screen, with golden curtains to protect the screen when not in use and a porthole design is used to camouflage the air conditioning system with which the air is kept pure, fresh, and the right temperature. The drinking fountain at the rear of the auditorium is a black marble with a lighted “goldfish bowl” backdrop, and a stepping stool was used for the kiddies.
On grand opening night before “The Lemon Drop Kid”, there was a special ceremony delivered by the eastern supervisor of Famous Players R.S. Roddick. The occasion features the Moncton Salvage Corps, officers of the Moncton Police Department, members of the Moncton Fire Department, Mayor T.B. Parlee along with his wife, and people who worked with the theater.
The Fern Theatre was built on the site of a Planters Mercantile garage, and opened its doors on May 30, 1938 with Tony Martin in “Kentucky Moonshine” along with an unnamed comedy and a newsreel, featuring Motiograph projection and an original capacity of 500 seats (with 350 seats in the orchestra pit and 150 in the balcony for colored patrons).
Actually, the building suffered three fires in its history (only two as the Princess Theatre). The Princess Theatre formerly housed the Elk’s Club until it was destroyed by a fire on March 31, 1911. The building was rebuilt as the Princess Theatre and the Elk’s Club was relocated a block away. The Princess Theatre would then suffer two more fires, one on June 10, 1918 and again on January 8, 1942.
The Princess Theatre closed in either September or October 1972.
The Martin Theatre opened its doors as a single-screener in the Spring of 1971. It was later renamed the Martin Twin when it was twinned in 1977. Three more screens were added in mid-1983 and it was renamed the Martin Five. While under Carmike, it was renamed the Martin 5 Theatres.
The Hopkinsville Drive-In started life as the B & W Drive-In and opened its gates on July 9, 1948 with Rod Cameron in “Pirates Of Monterey” (unknown if extras added). It has a total capacity of 250 cars and was operated by Charles J. Burgless of Cerulean, Kentucky. The theater was renamed the Hopkinsville Drive-In a couple years later.
Unlike most drive-ins before CinemaScope, the drive-in’s original screen was low-mounted to 10ft rather than the usual 20ft.
In 1960, the theater was briefly renamed the Starview Drive-In, and closed at the end of the season that same year.
Although there is no grand opening date, this opened on October 1, 1966 with “Get Yourself A College Girl” and “Wild Wild Winter”. Ads from a few days later determine that this is a new drive-in so it’s very possible that this opened with both of those attractions mentioned.
The July 4, 1996 tornado which destroyed both of the screens and damaged the concession/projection stand actually occurred during the final minutes of intermission before “Twister” started, not during the movie. The other screen was showing “Executive Decision” at the time of the tornado. The theater was quickly rebuilt and was able to reopen before the end of the 1996 season.
Opened on December 25, 1971 as Cinema I, renamed Cinema Twins in 1974, renamed Duffy’s Twin Theatres in late-1982, and finally Duffy’s Cinema 3 in 1983. It was closed on April 12, 1987.
Opened on April 13, 1952.
Closed as a first-run house on June 8, 1995 with “Crimson Tide” in Screen 1 and “Mad Love” in Screen 2.
The actual closing date is July 2, 1987 with “Benji The Hunted” in Screen 1 and “Project X” in Screen 2.
This also replaced the Lyric Theatre, also in Shediac.
Plitt Theatres closed the Capitol as a first-run movie house on September 16, 1979 with “Hot Stuff” due to lease expiration. Exactly a few weeks later, local residents Bill Neville and Jerry Strain formed their own theater company called the Sunshine State Theatres and they immediately helped to relaunch the Capitol Theatre.
The Capitol Theatre reopened its doors as a 99-cent variety house on October 5, 1979 with two Charlie Chaplin movies, “The Gentlemen Tramp” and “City Lights”, with live organ music and live performances were presented before each showing. On its first day, guitar player Barbara Moore took the stage on grand opening.
Unfortunately, the Capitol Theatre closed on November 1, 1980 with “New York, New York” when the city purchased the theater. On December 3, 1981, the Capitol reopened as the Royalty Theatre with a live presentation of “Oliver”.
There’s another cinema in Steubenville called the Cinema Theatre, although I cannot find any information about it. All I know is that its located at the then-Hollywood Shopping Plaza, and it appears to have opened around 1968 as a single-screener.
Still open in 1970, but was already closed in 1972.
The actual closing date is May 23, 1953 with “Prince Of Pirates” and “The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky”.
Information about the Paramount Theatre as of 1951 goes as follows:
William C. Gates, the manager of the Imperial Theatre also in Moncton, served as the original manager for the Paramount. The dazzling marquee features a grand total of 2,400 lightbulbs spelling out Paramount creating a waterfall effect. The ticket booth features both an automatic vendor and an automatic changemaker being located in the outer lobby which is arranged so that way tickets may be purchased in the open air during the summer months, and inside the doors in colder weather. The walls are dipped with rose and green with a border of flowers make an attractive entrance to the Paramount. In the inner lobby is a sky blue luxuriously rug with a starlight effect. There is also a confection bar, featuring a maroon leather bar with large mirrors and glass shelves on a wall of sky blue matching the ceiling add to the attractive appearance of the bar. Comfortable chesterfield suits have been installed for the comfort of patrons who are waiting.
The original auditorium housed an original capacity of 1,176 modern special push-back holstered seats (with more space to add more but was unknown if the management did that) alongside the management adding a policy designed to prevent overcrowding and space has been left in the two aisles and at the sides. The walls of the auditorium are dipped in turquoise with light and dark shades of old roses at the front supplying a string accent to the color scheme. There is also a motif in gold line panels the walls, as in the lobby starlight lighting is featured in the ceiling. At the stage, a flowing arch with indirect lighting forms a striking frame for the screen, with golden curtains to protect the screen when not in use and a porthole design is used to camouflage the air conditioning system with which the air is kept pure, fresh, and the right temperature. The drinking fountain at the rear of the auditorium is a black marble with a lighted “goldfish bowl” backdrop, and a stepping stool was used for the kiddies.
Closed with “Grease”.
Closed on August 18, 1985 with “National Lampoon’s European Vacation”, “Tightrope”, and “Police Academy 2”.
Opened on March 29, 1996.
Closed on May 7, 1984 with “Hardbodies”.
Opened in September 1949.
The Fern Theatre was built on the site of a Planters Mercantile garage, and opened its doors on May 30, 1938 with Tony Martin in “Kentucky Moonshine” along with an unnamed comedy and a newsreel, featuring Motiograph projection and an original capacity of 500 seats (with 350 seats in the orchestra pit and 150 in the balcony for colored patrons).
Actually, the building suffered three fires in its history (only two as the Princess Theatre). The Princess Theatre formerly housed the Elk’s Club until it was destroyed by a fire on March 31, 1911. The building was rebuilt as the Princess Theatre and the Elk’s Club was relocated a block away. The Princess Theatre would then suffer two more fires, one on June 10, 1918 and again on January 8, 1942.
The Princess Theatre closed in either September or October 1972.
The Martin Theatre opened its doors as a single-screener in the Spring of 1971. It was later renamed the Martin Twin when it was twinned in 1977. Three more screens were added in mid-1983 and it was renamed the Martin Five. While under Carmike, it was renamed the Martin 5 Theatres.
Closed as a movie house on January 6, 1983 for unknown reasons, but was likely due to the expansion of the nearby Martin Twin into a fiveplex.
The Hopkinsville Drive-In started life as the B & W Drive-In and opened its gates on July 9, 1948 with Rod Cameron in “Pirates Of Monterey” (unknown if extras added). It has a total capacity of 250 cars and was operated by Charles J. Burgless of Cerulean, Kentucky. The theater was renamed the Hopkinsville Drive-In a couple years later.
In 1960, the theater was briefly renamed the Starview Drive-In, and closed at the end of the season that same year.
This actually closed in the 1960s.
Closed on August 10, 2000.
This started life as the Georgia Twin in 1974, I cannot find its opening date though.
Closed in 1980.
Although there is no grand opening date, this opened on October 1, 1966 with “Get Yourself A College Girl” and “Wild Wild Winter”. Ads from a few days later determine that this is a new drive-in so it’s very possible that this opened with both of those attractions mentioned.
The July 4, 1996 tornado which destroyed both of the screens and damaged the concession/projection stand actually occurred during the final minutes of intermission before “Twister” started, not during the movie. The other screen was showing “Executive Decision” at the time of the tornado. The theater was quickly rebuilt and was able to reopen before the end of the 1996 season.
Opened on December 25, 1971 as Cinema I, renamed Cinema Twins in 1974, renamed Duffy’s Twin Theatres in late-1982, and finally Duffy’s Cinema 3 in 1983. It was closed on April 12, 1987.