The Comet Drive-In opened its gates on April 28, 1950 with Larry Parks in “Renegade” along with a few unnamed short subjects. It was first operated by John Blakeman and Jim Rochell.
Exactly two weeks later, Waite T. Kerr and Mrs. Izah Adams opened the Starlite Drive-In right next door on the opposite side on May 8, 1950 with William Bendix in “Life Of Riley” with no extra short subjects. Both the Comet and the Starlite battle with each other until the Starlite closed for the final time in 1955, leaving the Comet the only drive-in theater in Sulphur.
The Comet Drive-In continued operating into the late-1980s, but was gone by the mid-1990s.
I saw the building in a drone view on ABC World News Tonight.
And actually, this started life as the Ritz Theatre. I cannot find its opening date but it opened as early as 1937. It was renamed the Carlton Theatre on October 21, 1956. It did not had a short closure in early-1959, as it immediately changed its name back to Ritz Theatre during the first week of March 1959.
Edited from my December 7, 2022 (2:42 PM) comment:
The Stereo Drive-In, named after the theater’s sound equipment (very unusual), originally planned to open on Easter 1959 but postponed due to rain. It opened later in April 1959 and was renamed Drive-In Cinema in 1962.
The Drive-In Cinema closed for the final time on January 30, 2000 with a very UNUSUAL special event. The Drive-In Cinema did not close with a movie. But instead, it closed with the screen showing live WFTS-TV coverage of Super Bowl XXXIV playing from a digital projector being hooked up from a Time Warner Cable box.
The Tampa Bay Times reported the Drive-In Cinema as the most unusual drive-in theater in the world just before its closure.
It was demolished in 2001 to make way for a Walmart as a relocated store from the previous 1989-built 8900 US Highway 19 North location. The Walmart opened on October 24, 2001.
The Lincolndale Twin Drive-In appears to be EXTREMELY short-lived. The Indianapolis Star reported that the Lincolndale on US-30 East in Warsaw was completely closed in September 1986 and also stated that the buildings and equipment were at auction.
The Roxy Theatre opened its doors on January 23, 1909 on a site of a former local newspaper building.
Fun Fact: Several survivors of the December 28, 1908 Messina 7.1 magnitude earthquake (that killed around 80,000 people) attended its grand opening ceremonies.
It was renamed the Roxy Theatre on May 11, 1931 and closed in 1946.
The Capitol Theatre opened with Jane Withers in “Little Miss Nobody” along with a few short subjects (both unnamed and unlisted in grand opening ad), and was operated by the Comerford chain. Special ceremonies outside the theater were also presented before opening on grand opening.
The Capitol Theatre last operated as a seasonal theater, and closed in the early-1970s.
The Lyric Theatre that operated before 1922 opened in September 1910 in the Jones & Bagby building. At the time, Vinita had two other theaters as well, which were the Auditorium Theatre and the Vaudette Theatre. The original Lyric received an updated front in August 1912.
The current Lyric Theatre opened in 1919 following relocation. On December 10, 1950, it was renamed the Center Theatre.
The Capitol Theatre actually opened its doors on July 28, 1934 with Shirley Temple in “Baby Take A Bow” (unknown if any short subjects added). It originally had a capacity of 1,250 seats, with 850 in the main auditorium, 200 in the lounge, and 200 in the balcony.
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.
The Comet Drive-In opened its gates on April 28, 1950 with Larry Parks in “Renegade” along with a few unnamed short subjects. It was first operated by John Blakeman and Jim Rochell.
The Comet Drive-In continued operating into the late-1980s, but was gone by the mid-1990s.
I saw the building in a drone view on ABC World News Tonight.
And actually, this started life as the Ritz Theatre. I cannot find its opening date but it opened as early as 1937. It was renamed the Carlton Theatre on October 21, 1956. It did not had a short closure in early-1959, as it immediately changed its name back to Ritz Theatre during the first week of March 1959.
First operated by Martin Theatres.
Edited from my December 7, 2022 (2:42 PM) comment:
The Stereo Drive-In, named after the theater’s sound equipment (very unusual), originally planned to open on Easter 1959 but postponed due to rain. It opened later in April 1959 and was renamed Drive-In Cinema in 1962.
The Drive-In Cinema closed for the final time on January 30, 2000 with a very UNUSUAL special event. The Drive-In Cinema did not close with a movie. But instead, it closed with the screen showing live WFTS-TV coverage of Super Bowl XXXIV playing from a digital projector being hooked up from a Time Warner Cable box.
It was demolished in 2001 to make way for a Walmart as a relocated store from the previous 1989-built 8900 US Highway 19 North location. The Walmart opened on October 24, 2001.
Also, not to be confused with the Drive-In Cinema in nearby Pinellas Park (formerly known as the Stereo Drive-In).
The Lincolndale Twin Drive-In appears to be EXTREMELY short-lived. The Indianapolis Star reported that the Lincolndale on US-30 East in Warsaw was completely closed in September 1986 and also stated that the buildings and equipment were at auction.
The Roxy Theatre opened its doors on January 23, 1909 on a site of a former local newspaper building.
It was renamed the Roxy Theatre on May 11, 1931 and closed in 1946.
The Capitol Theatre opened with Jane Withers in “Little Miss Nobody” along with a few short subjects (both unnamed and unlisted in grand opening ad), and was operated by the Comerford chain. Special ceremonies outside the theater were also presented before opening on grand opening.
The Capitol Theatre last operated as a seasonal theater, and closed in the early-1970s.
The Lyric Theatre that operated before 1922 opened in September 1910 in the Jones & Bagby building. At the time, Vinita had two other theaters as well, which were the Auditorium Theatre and the Vaudette Theatre. The original Lyric received an updated front in August 1912.
The current Lyric Theatre opened in 1919 following relocation. On December 10, 1950, it was renamed the Center Theatre.
Final year of operation, 1996.
The Capitol Theatre actually opened its doors on July 28, 1934 with Shirley Temple in “Baby Take A Bow” (unknown if any short subjects added). It originally had a capacity of 1,250 seats, with 850 in the main auditorium, 200 in the lounge, and 200 in the balcony.
Opened in September 1944.
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.