Comments from 50sSNIPES

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Tomahawk Theatre on Oct 25, 2023 at 2:28 pm

The actual opening date is November 6, 1936 with Pat O'Brien in “China Clipper” along with the Buster Keaton short in “The Chemist” and the Popeye cartoon “What! No Spinach?”. It was first managed by Will H. Eddy.

Some information about the theater as of 1936 features a black and agate art glass box office, cream-colored walls inside the lobby, gold-colored walls inside the auditorium, and scarlet inside the stage. There are also original installations of 15 amber, blue, green, and red light fixtures creating 15 different combinations, as well as a 2600-pound fan for air-conditioning proposes.

On June 16, 1974, the Empress Theatre closed with “Where The Lilies Bloom” for a few months. The theater reopened as the Tomahawk Theatre on October 3, 1974 with “Conrack”.

In November 1988, it was announced by Fridley Theatres that the Tomahawk Theatre would close the following year due to the construction of a triplex cinema being built east of the city located on the site of a former Ford dealership. Unfortunately, it was unclear if that triplex theater actually opened or not due to lost information, as Indianola and Fridley Theatres would later open the Paramount 7 Theatres on August 31, 1990.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Pleasant Hill Motor Movies on Oct 24, 2023 at 7:47 pm

Closed on December 1, 1977 and demolished on February 27, 1978.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Elite Theater on Oct 24, 2023 at 3:45 pm

The Elite Theatre opened in 1915. The theater was once abandoned for a few years when it was once closed on December 31, 1957 until the theater reopened in early March 1964. The Elite closed its doors for the final time during the first week of February 1975.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Stockade Auto-Torium on Oct 24, 2023 at 1:30 pm

Actual opening date is June 9, 1941 featuring a 31x43ft screen.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Ben Bolt Theatre on Oct 23, 2023 at 11:02 am

Correction: It was Warner Pathe News. It was listed as Pathe News on grand opening ad.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Spencer 3 Theater on Oct 21, 2023 at 10:12 pm

Opened on September 3, 1931 with Walter Huston with “The Star Witness” along with the Wheeler & Woolsey short “Oh, Oh, Cleopatra”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Cinema 5 Theatres on Oct 21, 2023 at 10:07 pm

Opened on April 25, 2003.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about East Bend Twin Drive-In on Oct 21, 2023 at 9:57 pm

Shortly before the East Bend Drive-In started construction in 1998, former WCPO-TV staff engineer David Schwarberg of Hamilton, Ohio, originally planned on constructing a drive-in theater in Maysville, Kentucky but the land deal fell through. Schwarberg immediately then found an ideal piece of farm land across the Ohio River near Decatur.

Schwarberg opened up the East Bend Drive-In along with his manager Wally Kemmeyer during a weekend of August 2000 as a single-screen drive-in. Schwarberg replied that what’s weird about the East Bend Drive-In is that the concession stand is in a tent rather than an actual building, and its ticket booth was located inside the owner’s barn. Another weird fact is that there are no strips of traces being found, as Google Earth shows only the screen (later screens), the barn, and the projection booth which was its actual small booth building.

But unfortunately on March 13, 2001, its 100x50ft screen was completely destroyed by severe thunderstorms. Schwarberg did not have any money to rebuild, so area residents and officials came to the rescue organizing bake sales and other fundraisers in order to rebuilt the screens.

On the 4th of July 2002, the East Bend Drive-In reopened its gates with an 80x40ft screen and two radio frequencies for sound (88.1 and 95.5 FM). According to Schwarberg, they replied that the current films they screened were not as bright and it takes a lot of light to project the screen. A second screen was added in mid-2005.

The East Bend Twin Drive-In closed after the 2012 season and was demolished a short time later that same year.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Ben Bolt Theatre on Oct 20, 2023 at 1:54 pm

The Ben Bolt Theatre also opened with the Bugs Bunny cartoon “Mississippi Hare”, the FrizPatrick’s Traveltalks short “Calling On Michigan”, and Pathe News.

In 1971, Commonwealth Theatres took over operations of the Ben Bolt, and in March 1985, an attempt on converting the single-screener into a triplex by adding two more screens in the upstairs section of the building failed for unknown reasons.

The Ben Bolt Theatre closed for the final time in February 1999 when the Grand 6 Cinemas opened on North Grand Drive, and was sadly demolished in September of that same year.

However in April 1999 while the theater was still abandoned, a group of members of the Fine Arts Theater Group of Kansas City rescued scavenged parts of the theater and managed to save items before demolition.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Osage Theatre on Oct 20, 2023 at 1:05 pm

The Colonial Theatre was built as a replacement of the Lyric Theatre (also in Osage) that got burned down in July 1920. The Colonial Theatre opened its doors on October 15, 1920 with a seven-act vaudeville presentation of “Raffles”. The theater housed an original capacity of 425 seats.

On November 5, 1937, the Colonial Theatre was renamed Osage Theatre following extensive remodeling, reopening with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in “Pick A Star” with no extra short subjects. Some of these include nu-wood treatment been used throughout the auditorium and foyer, as well as an updated marquee featuring neon lights around the entire face and the neon sign reading “Osage”. Structural glass in ivory and gray were used as the entrance. The box office features an ivory glass exterior, and updated establishments of sound equipment were featured embodying wide-range and high-fidelity.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Roxy Theatre on Oct 20, 2023 at 11:47 am

The Roxy Theatre opened on August 4, 1937 with David Carlyle in “Meet The Boy Friend”, along with the Three Stooges short “Dizzy Doctors”, a musical short “Swing Hutton Swing”, an unnamed color cartoon, and a newsreel (on a 12x16ft screen). The Roxy closed its doors in 1956.

However, this does not mark the end of the Roxy. After being abandoned for 20 years, the 260-seat Roxy made a surprise comeback and reopened under the name “Cinema Capri” on October 7, 1976. Unfortunately, this did not last at all. After three years of bringing back movies, the Capri closed in 1979.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Bel Air Fly-In Drive-In on Oct 20, 2023 at 11:32 am

This started life as the Roxy Outdoor Drive-In in July 1953 with an original capacity of 300 cars and a 50ft Glatex screen. The concession stand measures 25x50ft, while the snack bar measuring 30x16ft and the projection booth measuring 14x14ft.

Way before the theater officially became a fly-in drive-in in 1964, free airplane rides were presented for the kiddies near the drive-in as well. During the 1964 season, Anderson opened a strip for airplanes, which eventually downgraded its car capacity to 100 cars.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Post Oak Mall III on Oct 20, 2023 at 10:59 am

Actual closing date is January 7, 1999 and its final features in screen order are “Mighty Joe Young”, “Jack Frost”, and “The Rugrats Movie”.

The Post Mall 3 did survive the opening of the Cinemark Hollywood USA 16 in December 1993 but the Schulman family who operated the Post Mall 3 switched the three-screen theater’s policy from first-run to $1 second-run discount due to the four-mile exclusivity rule as both the Cinemark 16 and the Post Mall 3 were located less than a mile away from each other and the staff at the Post Mall 3 are not allowed to play the same first-run movies as what the Cinemark had due to its location.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Skyway Drive-In on Oct 20, 2023 at 10:47 am

Actual closing date is August 26, 1969 with John Wayne’s “Hellfighters” and George Peppard’s “House Of Cards”.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Manor East 3 on Oct 20, 2023 at 10:42 am

In December 1993, Morris Schulman switched the Manor East 3’s policy from first-run to $1 second-run because of the opening to the Hollywood USA 16 in College Station nearby. He closed the Manor East 3 in mid-June 1994.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Great Lakes Cinema 7 on Oct 20, 2023 at 10:24 am

Opened on June 13, 1997.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Royal Theater on Oct 20, 2023 at 10:14 am

The Royal Theatre opened in 1918 but closed for a short time in Spring 1931 following building reconstruction. The Royal Theatre then reopened its doors by manager Kenneth Parkinson of LeMars on May 30, 1931 with a one-day showing of Lowell Sherman in “Bachelor Apartment” along with an unnamed cartoon and a newsreel.

From World War II until July 1976, the Royal Theatre was operated by the March family led by Jack March, and was then taken over by Jay Kohl that same year. Throughout the late-1970s and early-1980s, the theater had multiple manager changes. First there’s Dave Anderson, and later Milford resident Walter Hanson on November 8, 1983 (who was also a certified auto mechanic and owns his own business in Arnolds Park, called the Iowa Great lakes Auto Repair).

The Royal Theatre closed for the final time on mid-January 1998 and the marquee was removed in October 1998.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Midland Theatre on Oct 19, 2023 at 11:29 pm

The fire of February 1, 1909 started practically underneath the auditorium of the theater located in a sort of sub-basement separating the dressing rooms of the theater and the rooms that was occupied as a workshop by W.W. Payne’s plumbing establishment. The alarm sounded right at the time smoke was spotted. Manager H.V. Rule and his wife were at the ticket office of the theater when the alarm was given. There was people that night and all of them made it out safely, but some difficulty encounter in getting Guy Seaver out of the dressing rooms by the other members of the party. Seaver was confused and was being separated from the others twice. Fred Loeber, who had characteristic fearlessness also made a sprint for the apartments on the third floor of the building to give warning to occupants of the flats. The Fort Dodge Fire Department then responds out of the Central Station in full house. Although it was a prompt response but it was owing to the wintery severe weather that occurred in the latter part of the week when Winter Storm Warnings slam the area.

The entire basement was completely destroyed before the first tongue of flame was being observed, consuming nearly an hour of time but with the falling floor of the auditorium room onto the basement is when the flames shot to the roof like a rocket. Three lines of hose played constantly on the blaze. Water was also thrown outside the theater for dangerous situations.

Right after the fire was completely extinguished, stage manager Floyd Adkins immediately checked the heating plant of the building and replied that it had occasion to visit the basement of the theater to look after the fire for the night. The Midland Theatre, the Ware & Leland Commission Company, and the W.W. Payne Plumbing Establishment were the ones impacted by the flames, but the Midland received the most out of it all, estimating a $50,000 in loss from the complete and devastating fire destruction of the 70x140ft building that was erected on July 26, 1899. The Majestic Theatre itself, which opened on January 4, 1900, was located on the main first floor fronted by two store rooms facing the south of the theater, one measuring 31x25 and the other 31x20. Between the two store rooms is a 12x16ft vestibule, and at the north side of the theater is the lobby).

Afterward, Brothers Floyd and Earl Loeber and Guy Seaver fitted up the basement (that used to be 25ft of space being devoted to the orchestra pit) for some help before eventually returning back to their apartments with a little trouble walking through the heavy snow. Loeber replied that it expressed the belief that he detected the smell of smoke and later opened the door leading to the sub-basement was driven back by a cloud of smoke which came pouring into the dressing rooms.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Rialto Theatre on Oct 19, 2023 at 10:47 pm

Henry Luebke and William Johnson opened Fort Dodge’s largest movie house known as the Rialto Theatre on January 1, 1920 with Mildred Reardon in “Everywoman” with no extra short subjects.

Original information about the Rialto Theatre as of 1920 goes as follows: According to a December 23, 1919 article about the then-upcoming opening of the Rialto Theatre, the Rialto originally housed 630 seats, which featured 522 seats in the main section and 108 seats in the balcony (the total amount of seats would later upgrade to 755 seats later into the Rialto’s life). The type of seats that were used in its early heydays were spring-leathered upholstered. Much of the lobby and the balcony in the rear of the theater features a colonial design, which that same exact design in mahogany and white leads to the stairways. Inside the lobby features a concession stand located at the west side of the lobby, and the basement of the theater is attractively fitted up as restrooms painted in gray and mahogany with mirrors, tables, and comfortable chairs for the patrons. The isles were carpeted in brown with the same colony-style shade.

The designs and colors of the walls were satin finish of colonial panels in gray, cream, ivory, and gold with colonial bracket lights in harmonizing colors, all done by Halle Hanson (who was known as “The Danish Artist”) who is very familiar with his arts and paintings grace the walls of some palaces in Europe, as well as the state capitols of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Oregon, and Illinois. The ceiling lights were also semi-indirect drop lights with shades of gold, and the gray ceiling was finished in panel style and was attractive latticed beams to the gray colored ceiling. Those lights were also equipped with changeable dimmers that were used either showtime or intermission. The front of the theater features a very attractive screen of gold lobe, shadow boxed and a border of cut leg drops and wood foliage in fall tones which makes it additionally effective. For comfort inside the theater, eight automatic heating and cooling ventilating systems were installed, five at the theater and three at the balcony.

However during construction of the theater in May 1919, Luebke ordered a pipe organ that hasn’t arrive on time before opening. Luebke had no choice but to invite an orchestra to join in until the pipe organ arrives.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Strand Theatre on Oct 19, 2023 at 10:18 pm

The actual opening date is November 28, 1916 with Francis X. Bushman in “Romeo And Juliet”, and was first managed by Edward Awe. The building where the Strand is was originally called the “Butler Building”, and the building itself was built on the site of an another building that was destroyed by a fire earlier that year. This was the third motion picture theater to open in Fort Dodge.

The Strand originally housed 556 seats when it opened, and some original information includes two sets of projectors in the balcony, restrooms in the basement, a ventilating system that changes cycles every two minutes, and an $8,000 Bartola pipe organ.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Focus Filmtheater on Oct 18, 2023 at 3:45 pm

This started life as the “Filmhuis Arnhem” and opened in 1973 as a single-screener. It was later twinned, and a third screen was added in November 2005. A short time later, it was renamed “Focus Filmtheater” on February 17, 2006.

The Focus Filmtheater’s current functions include first-run films, special showings, special events, live performances, and performing arts.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Strand Theatre on Oct 16, 2023 at 3:23 pm

Closed in 2020, still closed today.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about El Rancho Drive-In on Oct 16, 2023 at 3:18 pm

It was on Flickr. I just searched up “Drive-In” and set the dates between 1950 and 1990, there are at least a fine load of pictures with drive-in theaters in it.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Warsaw Theatre on Oct 16, 2023 at 11:09 am

Update: The Warsaw Theatre also opened with a newsreel.

And correction: It’s Vivo, not Vival. The Vivo replaced the Dreamland and later became the Royal before the Warsaw replaced the Royal.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Warsaw Theatre on Oct 15, 2023 at 1:01 pm

The Warsaw Theatre opened its doors on October 1, 1947 with “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now” (unclear if any short subjects were added), as a replacement of the nearby Royal Theatre which closed a day prior to the opening of the Warsaw Theatre.

What’s strange about movie houses in Warsaw is that the total of four movie theaters in history that served Warsaw replaced one after another. First there was the Dreamland, then the Vivid who replaced the Dreamland, then the Royal who replaced the Vivid, and then the Warsaw that replaced the Royal.

The Warsaw Theatre closed in the early-1970s.