Some clarity provided here to previous postings. Porno X-rated films were played only for a little more than a year in the waning days of the Gopher Theatre. The last advertising in the Minneapolis papers was in mid-August 1979 and the theatre was demolished in September. The block became “City Center”, one of several retail-office complexes built in downtown Minneapolis which bombed.
F & R (Finkelstein and Ruben) did not have the theatre as late as 1949. F & R sold out to Paramount-Publix in 1928 after enjoying a partnership deal with Paramount. Noted Minneapolis theatre architects Liebenberg and Kaplan were hired to remodel this and several Paramount-owned theatres in Minnesota and the Dakotas in the 1930s to the ‘50s. They did the 1938 streamline-style remodeling whereupon the name was changed from Grand to Gopher.
Paramount (subsidiary name Minnesota Amusement Company) ran the Gopher until 1950 as a moveover house, first-run B pictures, or the occasional A picture when the other Paramount theatres were tied up. Paramount’s #1 and #2 houses in downtown Minneapolis were the State and Minnesota (name changed to Radio City in 1944). #3 was the Century and #4 the Lyric. (Paramount also had an interest in the RKO Orpheum in a pooling arrangement but that was dissolved in the early 1940s). Minnesota Amusement also ran the Aster Theatre which was on the same block as the Gopher, and ran first-run B double bills.
The Gopher and Aster were among a few theatres that Paramount was forced to dispose of in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area after the decree. In 1950, Ted Karatz took over the theatres with partner Ben Berger, who was the owner of the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team. Berger had several theatres and was a leader of the North Central wing of the Allied States Association, a theatre operators organization. Berger was instrumental in fighting against film distributors’ block booking, bidding and clearance practices. Berger initiated several lawsuits and testified on behalf of others. He also wrote an autobiography, “Thank You America.”
Berger’s operation of the Gopher immediately sent downtown Minneapolis into bidding wars and made first-run bookings even more competitive. In the 1950’s Berger had the best luck with MGM and Universal, playing several of their films as first-runs that decade.
Late-run double features continued at the Aster Theatre until 1965, when Berger changed the format to 60’s-style porn. The Aster remained a porn theatre until its closing in 1979.
“Jaws” did play 6 months at the Gopher, up through Christmas Eve. Then it was replaced by “The Hindenburg” (also Universal) which played two months.
(Another long run for the Gopher was “The Exorcist”, which played 6 months beginning Dec. 26, 1973. The first 2 months of the run were as a Twin Cities exclusive – the film did not even open in St. Paul until March 1, 1974).
Berger sold both theatres in June 1977 to Ferris Alexander, a porno kingpin. “The Deep” was already booked and the engagement went ahead (it played two months). In the fall of 1977 to early 1978, second run Hollywood features at a $1 or $2 admission were played, and a few higher-grade X-rated films included. In April 1978 the Gopher had a first run (but not exclusive) of “F.I.S.T.” Lower-grade X-rated films however became the sole fare from June 1978 to its closing in August 1979.
To add to the historical confusion, Alexander briefly ran a two-screen X-rated storefront theatre on the opposite side of Hennepin Avenue, called “Gopher 1 & 2” around 1979-1980. Strangely, for a short time in 1980 this twin played some late-run Hollywood pictures at $1 admission.
June 2019: this former theatre is for sale ($115,000) http://realestate.swreescanaba.com/idx/details/listing/a450/1080375/907-Ludington-St-Escanaba-MI-49829
Photo is probably from the early 1950s – on the marquee is an advertisement for the radio WREX, and its newsman Loren Paynter. WREX (1080 AM) went off the air around June 1953 when ownership pursued a television license in Duluth.
The name was changed to “Tower” in 1950, closed in the mid-50s for a time, reopened 1957. Later known as “Tower Fine Arts” in mid-60s with a mixture of art and porn. Closing was around 1967. More details when I locate specific material.
Film Daily says the closing of this was 1/1/38. It was owned by Roy McMinn at the time. He started construction of the Beacon Theatre in mid-1937 and closed the Capitol. Another trade mag said McMinn planned to open the Beacon on 1/20/38 but was having squabbles with the union and Film Daily reported the Beacon opening occurred on 2/5/38.
A bit confusing to someone who is not from the area. Seems there were two (more?) Staten Island Lewis locations. I have a NY Times theatre directory page that lists two Lewis theatres – this is from 6-22-1981: “Mariner’s Harbor – Jerry Lewis Cinema (yes, still using the Lewis name) phone 720-9300. No street address given. "tentative” booking was “Bustin' Loose”. The Surfside in Rockaway Park (formerly a Lewis theatre) street address given as “103-22 Rockaway Beach Blvd. phone 945-4632” Playing “Hardly Working”(!) and “Tribute.”
There were many owners of the Arcade Theatre. It did not close in ‘69. It ran to at least late 1977, possibly into 1978. Donald Guttman acquired it from Harry Dickerman in 1944 along with the Roxy in St Paul and the Alhambra and Northtown in north Minneapolis. In the 1970s the programming was X-rated or 2nd run Hollywood films. Two articles about it were in the St Paul papers, 12/8/76 and 9/20/77. There were probably a few closings and then reopenings post-1969 which may explain the confusion. The theatre definitely was operating in late 77.
Another lawsuit, earlier, 1987:
http://www.leagle.com/decision/19871335681FSupp654_11241/THE%20MOVIE%201%20&%202%20v.%20UNITED%20ARTISTS%20COMMUNICATIONS,%20INC.
Movie 1 & 2 filed a lawsuit against UA Theatres and distributors: http://www.leagle.com/decision/19902154909F2d1245_11941/MOVIE%201%20&%202%20v.%20UNITED%20ARTISTS%20COMMUNICATIONS
Wayne, NJ was the first Lewis theatre anywhere. The first publicity, press conferences, etc., about the start of the company was in Sept. 1969. The problems came to a head in 1973; it took until 1980 for the bankruptcy to go through, apparently. 1970-71 were the better years but the downfall was 1972-73. At that time many of the theatre operators were bolting from the Lewis franchise and either closing or went independent and dropped the Lewis name.
The Capitol Theatre’s final closing was probably 1978, so it lasted far longer than 1950.
It was a Finkelstein & Ruben house; the circa 1930 remodel was a Jack Liebenberg project. The theatre was in the atmospheric style and was a Paramount neighborhood house until 1954, when it was let go, after the decree and the downturn of the early ‘50s. Martin Lebedoff acquired it then; it ran until April 1973. Then it was sold to porno kings Ferris and Edward Alexander, who wanted to show “Deep Throat”. There was a huge neighborhood protest, and the city council fought against it. In June however, a judge ordered the St Paul City Council to issue a license, but whatever manuevering went on behind the scenes, the Alexanders backed down and leased the theatre to David Levy, according to the Mpls Tribune of 7-28-73, who was also operating the Midtown Theatre in St. Paul. Hollywood product began to be shown again in Aug. 1973, “you asked for it — family entertainment.”
The following May, the newspaper advertising suggests that Levy’s tenure had ended and Alexanders may been the exhibitors of some soft X and R pictures. No advertising in the newspapers after May 20, 1974.
No advertising seen until May 1975 when the operation was taken over by Richard Ebensteiner, who was operating the Astor Theatre as well. A few classics were shown occasionally — Marx Bros., and W. C. Fields, and the Capitol scored a coup in Feb. 1976 when with one other theatre, got the first break of “Jaws” after the first run. “The only shark in Minnesota”. A frozen shark was displayed in the theatre, “directly from Sarasota, Florida — bring your camera.”
By April 1976, according to the Minneapolis Star, 6-4-76, Ebensteiner’s operation had suffered numerous break-ins and vandalism, and since the theatre was not doing well, he turned it back to Alexander, who in turn placed a display ad in the Minneapolis Star (6-3-76) selling the theatre, and to contact “Mr. Ferris.” There were also “For Sale” ads in the 3-21-77 and 4-4-77 issues of Boxoffice magazine.
There was some newspaper advertising for only a couple weeks in Sept. 1976 (Hollywood films); a kiddie matinee sponsored by a business association was held on Dec. 18, 1976. A neighborhood newspaper soon reported that Mark Schmitz had taken over the theatre.
Newspaper advertising was confirmed in March, April and June 1977, with the last ad 6-20-77 for “The Child” at 99 cent admission. A 6-15-77 St Paul Dispatch article showed indications that upcoming attractions were booked into July.
Nothing to be found in either St Paul paper until Bill Diehl reported on 2-15-78 that in a couple days Schmitz would reopen the theatre again. In his Boxoffice Magazine column of 2-27-78, he described theatre as being “open again”. No advertising could be found to verify this Feb. 1978 reopening and how long it lasted.
http://www.moviesbystarlight.com/drivein-list/closed-driveins/stardusk-superior/superior.htm has the opening ad. Closed in June 1985 (did not finish out the season). According to trade magazines, a fire in July 1963 destroyed the concession stand.
Latts is correct. 1914 was the opening. Closing was April 1957. A 2-25-57 article in the Ashland Daily Press said the last performance in the theatre was going to be a legit show “Showboat Minstrel Days” on April 24-25, 1957 put on by “Irish Bill” Dormady, who had put on many shows in the city’s theaters. The photo “take your family to the movies tonight” was featured in this article but the date of that photo(?) it could have been a file photo. And, no confirmation found yet as to when the last films were actually shown here.
This isn’t a real theatre, lest anyone gets the wrong idea. This is a screening room inside the visitor’s center and it’s on the level of some (more affluent) people’s home theaters.
Some clarity provided here to previous postings. Porno X-rated films were played only for a little more than a year in the waning days of the Gopher Theatre. The last advertising in the Minneapolis papers was in mid-August 1979 and the theatre was demolished in September. The block became “City Center”, one of several retail-office complexes built in downtown Minneapolis which bombed.
F & R (Finkelstein and Ruben) did not have the theatre as late as 1949. F & R sold out to Paramount-Publix in 1928 after enjoying a partnership deal with Paramount. Noted Minneapolis theatre architects Liebenberg and Kaplan were hired to remodel this and several Paramount-owned theatres in Minnesota and the Dakotas in the 1930s to the ‘50s. They did the 1938 streamline-style remodeling whereupon the name was changed from Grand to Gopher.
Paramount (subsidiary name Minnesota Amusement Company) ran the Gopher until 1950 as a moveover house, first-run B pictures, or the occasional A picture when the other Paramount theatres were tied up. Paramount’s #1 and #2 houses in downtown Minneapolis were the State and Minnesota (name changed to Radio City in 1944). #3 was the Century and #4 the Lyric. (Paramount also had an interest in the RKO Orpheum in a pooling arrangement but that was dissolved in the early 1940s). Minnesota Amusement also ran the Aster Theatre which was on the same block as the Gopher, and ran first-run B double bills.
The Gopher and Aster were among a few theatres that Paramount was forced to dispose of in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area after the decree. In 1950, Ted Karatz took over the theatres with partner Ben Berger, who was the owner of the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team. Berger had several theatres and was a leader of the North Central wing of the Allied States Association, a theatre operators organization. Berger was instrumental in fighting against film distributors’ block booking, bidding and clearance practices. Berger initiated several lawsuits and testified on behalf of others. He also wrote an autobiography, “Thank You America.”
Berger’s operation of the Gopher immediately sent downtown Minneapolis into bidding wars and made first-run bookings even more competitive. In the 1950’s Berger had the best luck with MGM and Universal, playing several of their films as first-runs that decade.
Late-run double features continued at the Aster Theatre until 1965, when Berger changed the format to 60’s-style porn. The Aster remained a porn theatre until its closing in 1979.
“Jaws” did play 6 months at the Gopher, up through Christmas Eve. Then it was replaced by “The Hindenburg” (also Universal) which played two months.
(Another long run for the Gopher was “The Exorcist”, which played 6 months beginning Dec. 26, 1973. The first 2 months of the run were as a Twin Cities exclusive – the film did not even open in St. Paul until March 1, 1974).
Berger sold both theatres in June 1977 to Ferris Alexander, a porno kingpin. “The Deep” was already booked and the engagement went ahead (it played two months). In the fall of 1977 to early 1978, second run Hollywood features at a $1 or $2 admission were played, and a few higher-grade X-rated films included. In April 1978 the Gopher had a first run (but not exclusive) of “F.I.S.T.” Lower-grade X-rated films however became the sole fare from June 1978 to its closing in August 1979.
To add to the historical confusion, Alexander briefly ran a two-screen X-rated storefront theatre on the opposite side of Hennepin Avenue, called “Gopher 1 & 2” around 1979-1980. Strangely, for a short time in 1980 this twin played some late-run Hollywood pictures at $1 admission.
It is running as of June 2019. Had an ad in the local Shopper paper. Website: https://cedarstreetcinemas.com/
June 2019: building, screen and * part * of the sign are still standing.
June 2019: this former theatre is for sale ($115,000) http://realestate.swreescanaba.com/idx/details/listing/a450/1080375/907-Ludington-St-Escanaba-MI-49829
http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/printview/collection/nemhc/id/4419/type/singleitem
Photo is probably from the early 1950s – on the marquee is an advertisement for the radio WREX, and its newsman Loren Paynter. WREX (1080 AM) went off the air around June 1953 when ownership pursued a television license in Duluth.
According to Motion Picture Herald, it was “dismantled” in March 1940.
The name was changed to “Tower” in 1950, closed in the mid-50s for a time, reopened 1957. Later known as “Tower Fine Arts” in mid-60s with a mixture of art and porn. Closing was around 1967. More details when I locate specific material.
Operated from 1937 to 1960; will confirm more after finding my notes.
Film Daily says the closing of this was 1/1/38. It was owned by Roy McMinn at the time. He started construction of the Beacon Theatre in mid-1937 and closed the Capitol. Another trade mag said McMinn planned to open the Beacon on 1/20/38 but was having squabbles with the union and Film Daily reported the Beacon opening occurred on 2/5/38.
The ad in the photos section says the theatre was in “La Grange”. The ad is from 11/8/72
I have a poor photo of it from late 1997 and it was out of business at that time.
A bit confusing to someone who is not from the area. Seems there were two (more?) Staten Island Lewis locations. I have a NY Times theatre directory page that lists two Lewis theatres – this is from 6-22-1981: “Mariner’s Harbor – Jerry Lewis Cinema (yes, still using the Lewis name) phone 720-9300. No street address given. "tentative” booking was “Bustin' Loose”. The Surfside in Rockaway Park (formerly a Lewis theatre) street address given as “103-22 Rockaway Beach Blvd. phone 945-4632” Playing “Hardly Working”(!) and “Tribute.”
There were many owners of the Arcade Theatre. It did not close in ‘69. It ran to at least late 1977, possibly into 1978. Donald Guttman acquired it from Harry Dickerman in 1944 along with the Roxy in St Paul and the Alhambra and Northtown in north Minneapolis. In the 1970s the programming was X-rated or 2nd run Hollywood films. Two articles about it were in the St Paul papers, 12/8/76 and 9/20/77. There were probably a few closings and then reopenings post-1969 which may explain the confusion. The theatre definitely was operating in late 77.
Another lawsuit, earlier, 1987: http://www.leagle.com/decision/19871335681FSupp654_11241/THE%20MOVIE%201%20&%202%20v.%20UNITED%20ARTISTS%20COMMUNICATIONS,%20INC.
http://www.leagle.com/decision/19872223828F2d1395_12000/THEEE%20MOVIES%20OF%20TARZANA%20v.%20PACIFIC%20THEATRES,%20INC.
1987 lawsuit Theee Movies of Tarzana vs. Pacific Theatres
Movie 1 & 2 filed a lawsuit against UA Theatres and distributors: http://www.leagle.com/decision/19902154909F2d1245_11941/MOVIE%201%20&%202%20v.%20UNITED%20ARTISTS%20COMMUNICATIONS
Wayne, NJ was the first Lewis theatre anywhere. The first publicity, press conferences, etc., about the start of the company was in Sept. 1969. The problems came to a head in 1973; it took until 1980 for the bankruptcy to go through, apparently. 1970-71 were the better years but the downfall was 1972-73. At that time many of the theatre operators were bolting from the Lewis franchise and either closing or went independent and dropped the Lewis name.
Demolished March 2002.
Closed early 1980s because the street was being widened. Demolished.
the opening may have to be double-checked. An article in the Des Moines Register on Oct. 26, 2001 says “opening today”
The Capitol Theatre’s final closing was probably 1978, so it lasted far longer than 1950.
It was a Finkelstein & Ruben house; the circa 1930 remodel was a Jack Liebenberg project. The theatre was in the atmospheric style and was a Paramount neighborhood house until 1954, when it was let go, after the decree and the downturn of the early ‘50s. Martin Lebedoff acquired it then; it ran until April 1973. Then it was sold to porno kings Ferris and Edward Alexander, who wanted to show “Deep Throat”. There was a huge neighborhood protest, and the city council fought against it. In June however, a judge ordered the St Paul City Council to issue a license, but whatever manuevering went on behind the scenes, the Alexanders backed down and leased the theatre to David Levy, according to the Mpls Tribune of 7-28-73, who was also operating the Midtown Theatre in St. Paul. Hollywood product began to be shown again in Aug. 1973, “you asked for it — family entertainment.”
The following May, the newspaper advertising suggests that Levy’s tenure had ended and Alexanders may been the exhibitors of some soft X and R pictures. No advertising in the newspapers after May 20, 1974.
No advertising seen until May 1975 when the operation was taken over by Richard Ebensteiner, who was operating the Astor Theatre as well. A few classics were shown occasionally — Marx Bros., and W. C. Fields, and the Capitol scored a coup in Feb. 1976 when with one other theatre, got the first break of “Jaws” after the first run. “The only shark in Minnesota”. A frozen shark was displayed in the theatre, “directly from Sarasota, Florida — bring your camera.”
By April 1976, according to the Minneapolis Star, 6-4-76, Ebensteiner’s operation had suffered numerous break-ins and vandalism, and since the theatre was not doing well, he turned it back to Alexander, who in turn placed a display ad in the Minneapolis Star (6-3-76) selling the theatre, and to contact “Mr. Ferris.” There were also “For Sale” ads in the 3-21-77 and 4-4-77 issues of Boxoffice magazine.
There was some newspaper advertising for only a couple weeks in Sept. 1976 (Hollywood films); a kiddie matinee sponsored by a business association was held on Dec. 18, 1976. A neighborhood newspaper soon reported that Mark Schmitz had taken over the theatre.
Newspaper advertising was confirmed in March, April and June 1977, with the last ad 6-20-77 for “The Child” at 99 cent admission. A 6-15-77 St Paul Dispatch article showed indications that upcoming attractions were booked into July.
Nothing to be found in either St Paul paper until Bill Diehl reported on 2-15-78 that in a couple days Schmitz would reopen the theatre again. In his Boxoffice Magazine column of 2-27-78, he described theatre as being “open again”. No advertising could be found to verify this Feb. 1978 reopening and how long it lasted.
Theatre is for sale, June 2015. “By Bank. 920-459-5600, ext. 5812” said sign in the window
http://www.moviesbystarlight.com/drivein-list/closed-driveins/stardusk-superior/superior.htm has the opening ad. Closed in June 1985 (did not finish out the season). According to trade magazines, a fire in July 1963 destroyed the concession stand.
Latts is correct. 1914 was the opening. Closing was April 1957. A 2-25-57 article in the Ashland Daily Press said the last performance in the theatre was going to be a legit show “Showboat Minstrel Days” on April 24-25, 1957 put on by “Irish Bill” Dormady, who had put on many shows in the city’s theaters. The photo “take your family to the movies tonight” was featured in this article but the date of that photo(?) it could have been a file photo. And, no confirmation found yet as to when the last films were actually shown here.
This isn’t a real theatre, lest anyone gets the wrong idea. This is a screening room inside the visitor’s center and it’s on the level of some (more affluent) people’s home theaters.