The Motor-Vu closed on August 19, 1977 and was demolished that same year. However after being demolished, a 1981 aerial view shows that only some traces still remain on site, but was gone in the 1996 aerial view.
This theater was notable for an incident on February 18, 2003 that became local headlines. One of the projectionists who worked at the Hickory Creek 16 was stabbed multiple times with an 8-inch knife by two 20-year-old Arlington residents who were identified as Gary Paul Weston and Rene Ngoc Vu. They also once got into a robbery at one of the two movie theaters in Eureka, California until they were caught back in Texas in August 2003.
This started life as a twin known as the Mountain Valley Mall Cinemas I & II in the 1970s although I cannot find its grand opening date yet. The theater became a quad when two more screens were added in July 1984.
Unlike most theaters, this theater went under three different names through its first year of operation.
This started life as the New Theatre on June 24, 1931 with Leila Hyams in “Stepping Out” along with a couple short subjects, but a shorter time later it was renamed the New Conway Theatre by the end of the year. In May 1932, it was renamed the Majestic Theatre.
On December 8, 1980, the Eustis Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and the Leesburg Police Department arrested 15 people on drug charges (including charges of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and resisting arrest) while watching “Urban Cowboy” as part of a double feature (with the other feature being “Roadie”) at the Movie Garden. Out of the 15 arrested, four of them were juveniles. Employees and patrons at the theater witnessed the druggies smoking marijuana and swearing loudly. The detained people were all between the ages of 15 and 22 from Eustis, Tavares, Umatilla, Leesburg, Sorrento, Astatula, and Mount Dora. Only three people were released from bond a day later. It was a major scene that some officers have to jump over the fence in order to enter.
During the riff, two undercover policemen were injured in a scuffle by a 16-year-old Umatilla girl (who was arrested on battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence) as the two officers were then treated and released from Waterman Memorial Hospital. Only one detainee was sent to the hospital.
The Movie Garden closed on October 1, 1983, and was demolished on December 13, 1983.
The Clervue opened its gates on July 7, 1953, and was first operated by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin G. Calhoun of Montrose, Colorado. Later in the 1950s, it was operated by MCM Theatres.
Later operated by Sheldon Wimpfen of Winter Garden, the Clervue became local headlines in 1983 with its showing of explicit and foreign material during the very late hours. Wimpfen was interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel in February 1983 that they show the same average R-rated films that you can see anywhere in the state. He said that theater owners have difficult times to show G-rated features such as Disney stuff. He would rather show all Disney movies but they don’t make that many anymore which at the time instead shows special reissues. Wimpfen also recommend that foreign features were also screened since earlier that same year but were not sexually explicit, calling the films more tame. Clermont’s mayor, Charles Beals, sent a complaint letter to the owners asking that they would not show anymore explicit features.
Later that same year, citizens were tired of the explicit features they’ve shown, despite the direction of the screen it faced as people can witness the stuff from U.S. Highway 27 and Hooks Street. On November 10, 1983, city officials decided not to take legal action against the theater for showing nudity that are visible from nearby highways but they left open the possibility of future actions if more complaints continue.
It was renamed Shelby Theatre in 1937. The Shelby operated as an all-year theater until 1958 when it began only operating during the summer months until closure in late-1960. It became something else but was vacant in 1966. It was demolished in 1972.
The Latchis Theatre opened its doors on September 10, 1949.
Information about the Latchis Theatre goes as follows: First constructed in June 1948, the 60x108ft theater took 15 months for the theater to build. The Latchis was named after the owner’s last name, Peter D. Latchis. What’s unique about the construction of the theater is that it was built without the usage of blueprints. The main foyer features very unique designs including paintings of a double rainbow, the sun’s rays, the moon, Atlas carrying an angel on his shoulder, the earth with a five pointed star, a design of Centaur, a design of Apollo with his chariots, among others. The auditorium features an original capacity of 900 seats, a sky blue ceiling with a blue and gold stage font, an original stage measurement of 17x32ft, and doubledecker dressing rooms built on either side of the stage for both genders.
The Coniston opened on November 17, 1919 with Thomas Carrigan in “Checkers” with no extra short subjects. It was first operated by L.C. Fisher. It was later operated by Ersley A. Blanchard who joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1950s.
The Paramount Theatre opened its doors by Raymond R. Johnston Jr. on April 2, 1930 with Nancy Carroll in “Honey” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with an estimate $140,000 on the building.
The Paramount did receive a couple of ups-and-downs between 1958 and 1962 causing the theater to close a couple of times. The theater ended up closing for the final time on May 31, 1962, and was last operated by Donald L. Dorsey Jr.
Found some info! The Boundary Line Drive-In opened its gates in mid-July 1954 featuring an original capacity of 320 cars and the original screen size of 40x52ft. It was first operated by Stinson Deane with the original projectionist being Caribou native Clarence Dow.
Are you sure it gave away to Breary Farms apartment complex in 1971? Archives from the Sanford Tribute still advertises the Sanford Drive-In until after the 1976 season.
Opened on May 7, 1950 with Edmond O'Brien in “Fighter Squadron” and Jack Paar in “Variety Time” along with an unnamed cartoon. Closed after the 1976 season.
The Belfast Drive-In opened its gates on August 8, 1953 with David Wayne in “The I Don’t Care Girl” and Robert Mitchum in “One Minute To Zero” with no extra short subjects. It was first operated by Kenneth Kurson.
Update: It was tripled in 1982 following the closure of the State Theatre downtown, and in December 1983, the Cinema 3 was taken over by the Ford Theatres chain of Hardinsburg led by the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Ford.
And correction: The Cinema 3 closed in 1989 (not 1998) following the opening of the 6-screen (not 7) Movie Palace Cinemas.
This started life as the “Cinema Theatre”, opening as a single-screener on January 25, 1974 with Robert Redford in “The Way We Were”, and was operated by the Elizabethtown Amusements Company under the leadership of Bob Enoch who also operated the State Theatre at the time. It was later renamed “Elizabethtown Cinema” by the end of the decade, retaining as a single-screener.
It was tripled a couple of years later (probably around the same time the State Theatre closed as a first-run movie house in 1982), but I don’t know any info about it yet. The Cinema 3 continued to operate until it closed at the same time the nearby Movie Palace Cinemas opened as a 7-screen theater in 1989.
The Motor-Vu closed on August 19, 1977 and was demolished that same year. However after being demolished, a 1981 aerial view shows that only some traces still remain on site, but was gone in the 1996 aerial view.
This theater was notable for an incident on February 18, 2003 that became local headlines. One of the projectionists who worked at the Hickory Creek 16 was stabbed multiple times with an 8-inch knife by two 20-year-old Arlington residents who were identified as Gary Paul Weston and Rene Ngoc Vu. They also once got into a robbery at one of the two movie theaters in Eureka, California until they were caught back in Texas in August 2003.
Once heavily damaged by a fire on May 21, 1982.
This started life as a twin known as the Mountain Valley Mall Cinemas I & II in the 1970s although I cannot find its grand opening date yet. The theater became a quad when two more screens were added in July 1984.
Unlike most theaters, this theater went under three different names through its first year of operation.
This started life as the New Theatre on June 24, 1931 with Leila Hyams in “Stepping Out” along with a couple short subjects, but a shorter time later it was renamed the New Conway Theatre by the end of the year. In May 1932, it was renamed the Majestic Theatre.
Filmack
On December 8, 1980, the Eustis Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and the Leesburg Police Department arrested 15 people on drug charges (including charges of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and resisting arrest) while watching “Urban Cowboy” as part of a double feature (with the other feature being “Roadie”) at the Movie Garden. Out of the 15 arrested, four of them were juveniles. Employees and patrons at the theater witnessed the druggies smoking marijuana and swearing loudly. The detained people were all between the ages of 15 and 22 from Eustis, Tavares, Umatilla, Leesburg, Sorrento, Astatula, and Mount Dora. Only three people were released from bond a day later. It was a major scene that some officers have to jump over the fence in order to enter.
During the riff, two undercover policemen were injured in a scuffle by a 16-year-old Umatilla girl (who was arrested on battery on a police officer and resisting arrest with violence) as the two officers were then treated and released from Waterman Memorial Hospital. Only one detainee was sent to the hospital.
The Movie Garden closed on October 1, 1983, and was demolished on December 13, 1983.
The Clervue opened its gates on July 7, 1953, and was first operated by Mr. and Mrs. Edwin G. Calhoun of Montrose, Colorado. Later in the 1950s, it was operated by MCM Theatres.
Later operated by Sheldon Wimpfen of Winter Garden, the Clervue became local headlines in 1983 with its showing of explicit and foreign material during the very late hours. Wimpfen was interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel in February 1983 that they show the same average R-rated films that you can see anywhere in the state. He said that theater owners have difficult times to show G-rated features such as Disney stuff. He would rather show all Disney movies but they don’t make that many anymore which at the time instead shows special reissues. Wimpfen also recommend that foreign features were also screened since earlier that same year but were not sexually explicit, calling the films more tame. Clermont’s mayor, Charles Beals, sent a complaint letter to the owners asking that they would not show anymore explicit features.
Later that same year, citizens were tired of the explicit features they’ve shown, despite the direction of the screen it faced as people can witness the stuff from U.S. Highway 27 and Hooks Street. On November 10, 1983, city officials decided not to take legal action against the theater for showing nudity that are visible from nearby highways but they left open the possibility of future actions if more complaints continue.
The Clervue closed in 1988.
WISN just reported a short time ago that the theater has suddenly closed last night for unknown reasons.
It was renamed Shelby Theatre in 1937. The Shelby operated as an all-year theater until 1958 when it began only operating during the summer months until closure in late-1960. It became something else but was vacant in 1966. It was demolished in 1972.
The Amusu Theatre opened as early as 1923 and was renamed the Hart Theatre in 1931. The Hart closed in 1961.
Opened on July 7, 1950.
The Latchis Theatre opened its doors on September 10, 1949.
Information about the Latchis Theatre goes as follows: First constructed in June 1948, the 60x108ft theater took 15 months for the theater to build. The Latchis was named after the owner’s last name, Peter D. Latchis. What’s unique about the construction of the theater is that it was built without the usage of blueprints. The main foyer features very unique designs including paintings of a double rainbow, the sun’s rays, the moon, Atlas carrying an angel on his shoulder, the earth with a five pointed star, a design of Centaur, a design of Apollo with his chariots, among others. The auditorium features an original capacity of 900 seats, a sky blue ceiling with a blue and gold stage font, an original stage measurement of 17x32ft, and doubledecker dressing rooms built on either side of the stage for both genders.
The Coniston opened on November 17, 1919 with Thomas Carrigan in “Checkers” with no extra short subjects. It was first operated by L.C. Fisher. It was later operated by Ersley A. Blanchard who joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1950s.
The Coniston closed in 1963.
The Paramount Theatre opened its doors by Raymond R. Johnston Jr. on April 2, 1930 with Nancy Carroll in “Honey” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with an estimate $140,000 on the building.
The Paramount did receive a couple of ups-and-downs between 1958 and 1962 causing the theater to close a couple of times. The theater ended up closing for the final time on May 31, 1962, and was last operated by Donald L. Dorsey Jr.
Found some info! The Boundary Line Drive-In opened its gates in mid-July 1954 featuring an original capacity of 320 cars and the original screen size of 40x52ft. It was first operated by Stinson Deane with the original projectionist being Caribou native Clarence Dow.
Are you sure it gave away to Breary Farms apartment complex in 1971? Archives from the Sanford Tribute still advertises the Sanford Drive-In until after the 1976 season.
Opened on May 7, 1950 with Edmond O'Brien in “Fighter Squadron” and Jack Paar in “Variety Time” along with an unnamed cartoon. Closed after the 1976 season.
The Belfast Drive-In opened its gates on August 8, 1953 with David Wayne in “The I Don’t Care Girl” and Robert Mitchum in “One Minute To Zero” with no extra short subjects. It was first operated by Kenneth Kurson.
Became a quad in 1989.
Update: It was tripled in 1982 following the closure of the State Theatre downtown, and in December 1983, the Cinema 3 was taken over by the Ford Theatres chain of Hardinsburg led by the husband-and-wife team of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Ford.
And correction: The Cinema 3 closed in 1989 (not 1998) following the opening of the 6-screen (not 7) Movie Palace Cinemas.
The Showtime Cinemas actually opened as a twin in December 1980.
This started life as the “Cinema Theatre”, opening as a single-screener on January 25, 1974 with Robert Redford in “The Way We Were”, and was operated by the Elizabethtown Amusements Company under the leadership of Bob Enoch who also operated the State Theatre at the time. It was later renamed “Elizabethtown Cinema” by the end of the decade, retaining as a single-screener.
It was tripled a couple of years later (probably around the same time the State Theatre closed as a first-run movie house in 1982), but I don’t know any info about it yet. The Cinema 3 continued to operate until it closed at the same time the nearby Movie Palace Cinemas opened as a 7-screen theater in 1989.
Opened in August 1949.
Closed on May 11, 1974 with “Billy Jack”.