Comments from 50sSNIPES

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Chief Auto Movies on Sep 5, 2024 at 10:29 am

Renamed Chief Auto Movies in September 1975.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Chief Auto Movies on Sep 5, 2024 at 9:28 am

Taken between October 24 and 26, 1957.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Chief Auto Movies on Sep 5, 2024 at 9:26 am

In September 1954, manager Robert Retzer became understandably perturbed at the remarks on a Cliff’s Dwelling section of the Daily Republic page that resembles the safeness of littering. After Solano Drive-In employees immediately gathered more than 400 discarded beer cans in 1/8th of a mile from Highway 40 to the County Hospital in a single day alongside crates of broken glass, cartons, and paper, Retzer received an idea by flashing a homemade slide on the theater screen reading “Don’t Be A Litterbug” as an appeal for discontinuance of the nuisance. He immediately rushed down at the board of directors meeting of the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture seeking action on the problem which he points out in his letter is not confined to the highway’s adjacent to the theater. Retzer angrily read a statement while pointing the finger in front of the Daily Republic’s Cliff’s Dwelling section from the previous week.

The “Litterbug” idea that he came up became very helpful for his theater. It became so helpful that in October 1954, Retzer received a letter from the Filmack Trailer Company in Chicago saying that the staff at Filmack really liked his Litterbug idea and asking if they want to steal his idea without any objection. Retzer accepted the deal and Filmack immediately started creating snipes that came through his idea.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Market Square 4 Cinemas on Sep 5, 2024 at 8:53 am

Opened on January 26, 1979 with “Superman” on both screens, closed on June 23, 2000.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Great Northern Theatre on Sep 5, 2024 at 8:44 am

Expanded to seven screens on April 5, 1986.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about AMC Regency Square 8 on Sep 5, 2024 at 8:26 am

Closed on February 3, 2000.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Hill Theatre on Sep 4, 2024 at 6:01 pm

Closed as a movie house on November 20, 1965 with Elvis in “Harum Scarum”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Jackson Cinema 2 on Sep 4, 2024 at 12:00 pm

The Hillcrest Twin opened as early as 1978.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Park-Vu Drive-In on Sep 4, 2024 at 11:32 am

The flooding actually occurred during the city’s worst flooding in years, which happened on April 28, 1952.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Solano Mall Cinema on Sep 3, 2024 at 3:14 pm

Opened on July 21, 1984, closed on May 18, 1999.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about AMC Eastgate on Sep 3, 2024 at 1:00 pm

This is also Indiana’s first THX certification theater when it became a 6-plex that day.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Centre Theatre on Sep 3, 2024 at 9:56 am

The Stowaway Theatre name did not last long at all. It was already renamed the Center Theatre by 1953.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Americana Cinemas 1 & 2 on Sep 2, 2024 at 4:17 pm

Actually, the last advertised showing dates forward to April 22, 1988 with one of the screens showing “Stand And Deliver”.

  • Also to note is that this was never once known as Showcase Cinemas I & II.
50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Cinemark Melrose Park on Sep 2, 2024 at 4:04 pm

This replaced a Builders Square which also replaced a former Kmart.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Americana Cinemas 1 & 2 on Sep 2, 2024 at 7:25 am

First managed by Ray Lakin of San Jose.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Chief Auto Movies on Sep 2, 2024 at 7:17 am

Opened with David Bruce in “Young Daniel Boone” and the Bowery Boys in “Lucky Losers” (unknown if extras added), featuring an original 42x61ft screen, Motiograph projection, and Western Electric Mirrophonic sound.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Fairfield Cinema II on Sep 2, 2024 at 7:12 am

I cannot find the exact opening date to the Fairfield Cinema II, but it opened between the final week of June and the first week of July 1974. Judging from my researches, it appears that it opened around July 1, 1974 with “S.P.Y.S” and “M.A.S.H”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Fairfield Cinema 1 on Sep 2, 2024 at 7:07 am

Renamed Fairfield Cinema I in late-June 1974 following the opening of the Fairfield Cinema II a few days later.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Burns Theater on Sep 1, 2024 at 7:41 pm

The Burns Theatre opened its doors on September 16, 1925 with Jack Holt in “The Thundering Herd” along with Pathe News, a Lyman H. Howe Hodge Podge reel, and musical performances by the Burroughs Orchestra.

Information about the Burns Theatre as of 1925 goes as follows: The theater is entered from a 12ft vestibule which were used for advertising purposes through four French styled doors into a lobby which measures 90x14ft. Four double action full plate glass doors open into the foyer which joins the lobby with the main theater. The original decorations featured panels of So. American Walnut finish in dark red birch extending over halfway from floor to ceiling with light cream plastered walls above and a steel ceiling of a lighter cream tilt. Heavy gray battleship linoleum with a 10in black border covers the floor through the lobby foyer and promenade to the extreme end of the theater. Seven electric fixtures in total extend through the entire length each with five light clusters of wrought iron, bronze trimmed with candle lights to match on the walls. At the extension left just beyond the entrance is the ticket office with a row of orange tinted lights above the window attracting attention to it. Beyond this is a stairway connects with the offices above, and there is a rented wall booth. At the left in the foyer is where a broad stairway ascends to the balcony. A booth is also placed where refreshments were sold and beyond this is the bathrooms. Farther along the hall is the manager’s office with the auditorium doors just beyond Handsome mirrors the woodwork of which matches the wall panels adorn the right-hand wall. A promenade 9ft in width extends 45ft along the back of the auditorium. A stairway from the extreme end of it descends to a smoking room and bathrooms. Both were protected by solid rail, standing 4ft2in in height finished in dark fir extends the back of the seats dividing the seat sections with the two aisles in the nearby Premier Theatre which closed a day before the Burns Theatre opened.

The seating space measures 14ft longer than the Premier and its original capacity of the Burns sit at 672 seats (with 526 in the orchestra pit and 146 in the balcony). The walls of the auditorium are in an old ivory finish with a bronze wainscoting, green tinted, and green rail bronze tinted. The ceiling is a light cream elaborated decorated in gold as well as electric light fixtures above are Florentine gold with Trojan glassware as well as six pendant lights with glass beaded shades and orange tinted bulbs shine from the walls. Two furnaces provide the necessary heat and the lobby was also being heated with vapor steam and the main theater with hot air. The building has a ventilating booth on the roof with a 36 inch motor driven exhaust which keeps the air continually changing. It is fully protected against any fire by self closing fire doors from auditorium to foyer, a brick wall between the theater and the connecting block, a fire escape from the extreme end of the balcony promenade and exit doors from either side of the lower theatre red lighted. And lastly, the ticket booth, manager’s office, foyer, and projection booth are all connected by a private telephone service.

The Burns Theatre was still open in the late-1970s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Premier Theatre on Sep 1, 2024 at 5:47 pm

Opened on March 14, 1914, minorly damaged by a projection booth fire in mid-June 1914, closed on September 15, 1925 when the Burns Theatre opened the following day.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Jeff Plaza 4 Theaters on Sep 1, 2024 at 10:48 am

The theater’s last owner, Leonard Miles, took over the theater in November 1995 after the theater went abandoned for 18 months straight. Throughout the remainder of 1995 and into the first half of 1996, the theater received very poor business.

Miles immediately gave up on his business afterward and he closed the theater for the final time on August 28, 1996 for many reasons. The theater closed due to massive projection issues, lack of a projectionist after its original projectionist left the theater before reopening, lack of money being given to employees, and the lack of older-aged employees.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Airport Drive-In on Sep 1, 2024 at 9:21 am

Opened with Leo Carillo in “Captain Caution” along with a few unnamed shorts.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Sky Vue Drive-In on Aug 31, 2024 at 4:26 pm

The Butler Drive-In originally scheduled to open on May 29, 1953 but was rescheduled to June 3, 1953 due to rain. It was first owned by Chet Borg of Fort Scott, Kansas.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Colonial Drive-In on Aug 31, 2024 at 11:17 am

Right after closure, the screen tower remained standing for over a decade, but was completely removed by 2010.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about University Square Cinema I, II & III on Aug 30, 2024 at 2:39 pm

Later operated by Cineplex Odeon, and finally Carmike until closing on June 21, 1995.