The Pettit’s Drive-In opened its doors on May 23, 1952 With Jon Hall in “Gypsy Wildcat” (unknown if any short subjects). It was part of the Pettit Theatres chain who also operated other theaters across Ava and several other towns.
The Pettit’s Drive-In closed after the 1956 season, sat abandoned for two years, and reopened as the Drive-In of Ava (later Ava Drive-In which closed in 1978; which has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
It never opened in the 2000s at all, it’s just a goof I accidentally misadded.
When the Avalon Theatre opened its doors on October 26, 1955 with Robert Mitcheum in “River Of No Return” along with the Donald Duck cartoon “Bearly Asleep”, it had a capacity of 360 seats in a 30x90ft auditorium with a 15x60ft lobby and a 13x25ft screen. The Avalon Theatre actually did not close in 1972. It actually operated as a seasonal-theater during its later years at the time, only running through winter months. This continued throughout the remainder of the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s.
After closing in 1986, Ava was left without any movie business, leaving moviegoers to see first-run features in either Seymour or Springfield. The theater reopened on March 28, 1995 by Chuck and Lee Borrow under live performances called the Ava Live Theatre, and in December 1999, movies returned to Ava and became the Ava Family Theatre following ownership changes led by Tim and Deirdra Carnell.
It closed in 2016 for a full-year and reopened on December 15, 2017 under the current ownership of Patricia Ketzler and Kent Hicks, and was renamed back the Avalon Theatre.
The Riverview Drive-In opened its gates on May 18, 1950 with Ralph Morgan in “Blue Grass Of Kentucky” along with the travelogue “Your Kentucky”, an unnamed cartoon (I’m very sure it could be Mighty Mouse in “My Old Kentucky Home”, but I could definitely be wrong), and a newsreel.
The Riverview Drive-In closed for the final time on November 1, 1964 with Frankie Avalon in “Bikini Beach” and Jimmy Clanton in “Teenage Millionaire”.
The Preston Drive-In opened its gates on October 22, 1949 with Mark Stevens in “Sand” (unknown if any short subjects added). The theater closed after the 1984 season.
The Skyway opened its gates in mid-1947. Construction started that May and started its operation by August of that same year. The Skyway closed after the 1972 season.
The Riverside Drive-In actually closed after the 1984 season. Martin Theatres operated the Riverside throughout most of its history since the early-1960s.
The Mall Cinema III opened its doors in 1976 by Mann Theaters. Later operated by Commonwealth Theatres, United Artists, and First International before becoming a Carmike theater in 1998.
NOTE: Michael Paul managed the theater throughout most of its history from 1983 until 2005.
The Mall Cinema III closed on November 17, 2005 with “Chicken Little” at Screen 1, “Legend Of Zorro” at Screen 2, and “Dreamer” at Screen 3 when Carmike opened the six-screener nearby.
It looks identical but it appears that it’s not the right building. I recently looked it up on Historic Aerials, and the building is not old at all. The building did not appear in any of the older aerials, meaning that it was built between the 1990s or 2000s.
It also appears that a 2005 Google Earth view shows that it was used as its current Lasseter John Deere dealership.
NOTE: Businesses on Bowen Mills Road did receive growth in the 1980s, but the current John Deere building wasn’t even built yet.
Edited from my May 31, 2020 (7:47 AM) comment:
The Pettit’s Drive-In opened its doors on May 23, 1952 With Jon Hall in “Gypsy Wildcat” (unknown if any short subjects). It was part of the Pettit Theatres chain who also operated other theaters across Ava and several other towns.
The Pettit’s Drive-In closed after the 1956 season, sat abandoned for two years, and reopened as the Drive-In of Ava (later Ava Drive-In which closed in 1978; which has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
When the Avalon Theatre opened its doors on October 26, 1955 with Robert Mitcheum in “River Of No Return” along with the Donald Duck cartoon “Bearly Asleep”, it had a capacity of 360 seats in a 30x90ft auditorium with a 15x60ft lobby and a 13x25ft screen. The Avalon Theatre actually did not close in 1972. It actually operated as a seasonal-theater during its later years at the time, only running through winter months. This continued throughout the remainder of the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s.
After closing in 1986, Ava was left without any movie business, leaving moviegoers to see first-run features in either Seymour or Springfield. The theater reopened on March 28, 1995 by Chuck and Lee Borrow under live performances called the Ava Live Theatre, and in December 1999, movies returned to Ava and became the Ava Family Theatre following ownership changes led by Tim and Deirdra Carnell.
It closed in 2016 for a full-year and reopened on December 15, 2017 under the current ownership of Patricia Ketzler and Kent Hicks, and was renamed back the Avalon Theatre.
Closed on September 26, 1965 with Dick Van Dyke in “The Art Of Love”.
The Riverview Drive-In opened its gates on May 18, 1950 with Ralph Morgan in “Blue Grass Of Kentucky” along with the travelogue “Your Kentucky”, an unnamed cartoon (I’m very sure it could be Mighty Mouse in “My Old Kentucky Home”, but I could definitely be wrong), and a newsreel.
The Riverview Drive-In closed for the final time on November 1, 1964 with Frankie Avalon in “Bikini Beach” and Jimmy Clanton in “Teenage Millionaire”.
Nice! Have you ever met Orero Bernardini, the longtime person who worked at the Mountain View, before?
Edited from my May 10, 2022 (7:53 AM) comment:
The Preston Drive-In opened its gates on October 22, 1949 with Mark Stevens in “Sand” (unknown if any short subjects added). The theater closed after the 1984 season.
The Skyway opened its gates in mid-1947. Construction started that May and started its operation by August of that same year. The Skyway closed after the 1972 season.
Closed on October 4, 1966 with “Battle Of The Bulge” and “Inside Daisy Clover”.
Closed on July 4, 1966 with “The Singing Nun” and “Kissin' Cousins”.
Closed in the mid-to-late 1970s.
The actual opening date is May 12, 1921 with Elliott Dexter in “The Witching Hour” (unknown if any short subjects were added).
First operated by Lockwood-Friedman Theatres, then USA Cinemas, then Loews, then Sony, then Loews Cineplex, and finally Entertainment Cinemas.
Traces were still in clear shape as of 1954 and 1955, but was faded by 1958.
Actual opening date is June 3, 1977.
Closed on January 13, 2000.
Last operated by Martin Theatres.
Also opened with Walt Disney’s “The Legend Of The Boy And The Eagle”.
Once operated by Mann Theaters.
The Riverside Drive-In actually closed after the 1984 season. Martin Theatres operated the Riverside throughout most of its history since the early-1960s.
The Mall Cinema III opened its doors in 1976 by Mann Theaters. Later operated by Commonwealth Theatres, United Artists, and First International before becoming a Carmike theater in 1998.
The Mall Cinema III closed on November 17, 2005 with “Chicken Little” at Screen 1, “Legend Of Zorro” at Screen 2, and “Dreamer” at Screen 3 when Carmike opened the six-screener nearby.
It looks identical but it appears that it’s not the right building. I recently looked it up on Historic Aerials, and the building is not old at all. The building did not appear in any of the older aerials, meaning that it was built between the 1990s or 2000s.
It also appears that a 2005 Google Earth view shows that it was used as its current Lasseter John Deere dealership.
Correction: It was an EF3.
The actual opening date is May 8, 1950 with William Bendix in “Life Of Riley” with no extra short subjects.
Opened in 1913, closed in March 1937 when the Ritz Theatre nearby opened.
Closed in 1955.