The Minaret Cinemas were opened in 1994 by Bill Walters, owner and operator of the Plaza Theatre since 1989. Walters retired in 2019, selling the house to D'Place Entertainment, who officially took over operation on March 1. A lengthy article about Walters' three decades in the local theater business published at the time of his retirement can be found on this page of the web site of the local newspaper, The Sheet.
According to the February 5, 1979 issue of Boxoffice, the Plaza Theatre opened on Thanksgiving Day (November 23), 1978. It was designed by Bruce Kassler, architect of the Sherwin Plaza shopping center, in which the house was located. Advice was provided by the design department of the Filbert Company, the Glendale, California, theater services company that outfitted the new house.
The Plaza Theatre closed in 2006. Since 1989 it had been owned by Bill Walters, who later opened the Minaret Cinemas.
This web page says that Anthony Blanco, who had bought the Mountain View Theatre in 1929, opened the Cinema Theatre in 1934 in a building remodeled from a tractor garage. It had 650 seats on the main floor and 100 in a small balcony. Blanco sold both of his local movie houses to Sunnymount Theater Inc. in 1941, at which time the Cinema was remodeled. The Teatro Cinema closed in 1955, and the building was demolished in 1960.
This web page, though it misspells architect A. A. Cantin’s name as “Canton”, has some information about the early days of the Mountain View Theatre. The house was opened on May 8, 1926, by Fritz Campen Jr., who had previously operated the Glenn Theatre. Campen sold the theater to Anthony Blanco of San Francisco in 1929.
Konrad Schiecke’s book Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois, 1883-1960 lists the Auditorium but mistakenly places it on the second floor. An article about the March, 1943 fire that destroyed the building said that “[t]he rear part of the Breed block served as an auditorium and was used extensively until the erection of the Erie Community high school. The high school basketball games were also played in the auditorium and it was used as a dance hall, skating rink, theater building and general meeting place.”
The use of the Auditorium for dances, basketball games and roller skating suggests that it was probably a typical small town multi-purpose hall of the period with a flat floor. Schiecke notes two later movie theaters in Erie, both located on Main Street and both since demolished: the 240-seat Erie Theatre, in operation from 1932 to 1947, and the 360-seat J&G Theatre, in operation from 1947 to 1952.
The Lyric Theatre was listed at 220 S. El Paso Street in a 1914 city directory, but was not listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. It isn’t listed (at least under the name Lyric) in the 1926 FDY either, and I suspect that the Lyric operated primarily as a legitimate house, though I haven’t found it in any Cahn guides so far. I did find a December 28, 1906 ad for an opera company appearing at the Lyric.
The Grecian opened on October 26, 1911, not 1912, according to the 1914 edition of A History of Texas and Texans, published by the American Historical Society. The Grecian’s owners, Joseph Lewis and V. B. Andrews, also owned a movie house in El Paso called the Princess Theatre, but I’ve been unable to find out anything about it so far.
The Bond Theatre is not listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Yearbook, nor is any theater listed at 303 W. Madison. The address 311 W. Madison is listed twice, though, once as the Alcazar Theatre and once as the Photoplay Theatre. The absence of the Bond could have been simply an oversight.
A letter from F. M. Bond of the Bond Theatre appears in an issue of the IMP film company’s publication, The Implet, published in January, 1912. The Bond Theatre and its owner F. M. Bond are mentioned in the June 3, 1916 Moving Picture World, and in the July 2, 1921 Exhibitors Herald. By 1923, the Bond Theatre was owned by Hal Opperman, who also owned the Crescent Theatre at that time, according to the July 14 MPW.
Incidentally, the other theaters listed at Pontiac in the 1914-1915 Directory were the 5c Theatre at 228 W. Madison and the Star Theatre at 207 N. Mill.
The Crescent and Hal Opperman were mentioned multiple times in issues of Moving Picture World in May, 1921. Opperman is also mentioned in connection with Pontiac in the November 6, 1920 MPW, but at that time he was operating a house called the Strand Theatre.
The Bond and Crescent Theatres, both owned by Hal Opperman, were mentioned in the July 14, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World. The 1926 FDY lists both houses, but each had only 500 seats, so the Crescent must have been expanded at some later time.
The “Theater Changes” report in Film Daily of June 18, 1936 listed a house in Panaca called the Star as a new theater. I don’t know if it was actually a new theater or just the Panaca Theatre reopened with a new name, but Panaca being such a small town it’s unlikely that it would have had two theaters at once.
The Paramount was one of the three Nebraska City theaters operated by Booth Brothers that was remodeled in 1927 with plans by architect Charles W. Steinbaugh, as noted in this article from the August 20 issue of Movie Age:
“Booth Bros. Improving Nebraska City Theatres; Modern Stage At Empress
“The three theatres at Nebraska City, owned by Booth Brothers are undergoing extensive alterations and improvements, according to Wesley Booth who was in Omaha last week.
“The Paramount Theatre, which is an exclusive picture house, is to have a Spanish front with a tile roof. New storm doors are also added. Music in the Paramount is furnished by a $10,000 Hilgren-Lane organ.
“At the Empress Theatre the building has been extended to the alley to make room for a large modern stage with fly room. When completed it will be equipped for vaudeville or stock shows. At the present it is planned to use the Empress for pictures and tabloid shows. A five piece orchestra is used in this house.
“The Overland Theatre is being repainted, recarpeted and will have a new stage set and new draperies. In this house the Booth Brothers plan to have pictures and bigger vaudeville acts as well as road shows. A ten piece orchestra furnishes the music at this house.
“When the work is finished on these houses, Booth Brothers will have three modern theatres in Nebraska City with a total seating capacity of over 1800 seats. They are spending over $15,000 in their remodeling program, and the work is being done by James Welch, contractor. Plans for the changes were handled by Chas. Steinbaugh, Omaha architect.”
A “Twenty Years Ago” column in Boxoffice of October 23, 1948 ran this news about Auburn from 1928:
“Work is progressing rapidly on the new Masonic temple at Auburn, Neb., the lower floor of which will be operated by the Booth Bros, of Nebraska City. It is rumored the Booths contemplate a chain for that section of the state.”
The March 2, 1937 issue of Film Daily reported that “William J. Schulte Circuit’s new Radio City Theater opened recently in Ferndale, Mich., with the Mayor, Council and other officials present.”
The Colby was most likely built as a replacement for a 500-seat upstairs house called the Bingham Theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1937, as reported in the March 2 issue of Film Daily.
The Minaret Cinemas were opened in 1994 by Bill Walters, owner and operator of the Plaza Theatre since 1989. Walters retired in 2019, selling the house to D'Place Entertainment, who officially took over operation on March 1. A lengthy article about Walters' three decades in the local theater business published at the time of his retirement can be found on this page of the web site of the local newspaper, The Sheet.
According to the February 5, 1979 issue of Boxoffice, the Plaza Theatre opened on Thanksgiving Day (November 23), 1978. It was designed by Bruce Kassler, architect of the Sherwin Plaza shopping center, in which the house was located. Advice was provided by the design department of the Filbert Company, the Glendale, California, theater services company that outfitted the new house.
The Plaza Theatre closed in 2006. Since 1989 it had been owned by Bill Walters, who later opened the Minaret Cinemas.
This web page says that Anthony Blanco, who had bought the Mountain View Theatre in 1929, opened the Cinema Theatre in 1934 in a building remodeled from a tractor garage. It had 650 seats on the main floor and 100 in a small balcony. Blanco sold both of his local movie houses to Sunnymount Theater Inc. in 1941, at which time the Cinema was remodeled. The Teatro Cinema closed in 1955, and the building was demolished in 1960.
This web page, though it misspells architect A. A. Cantin’s name as “Canton”, has some information about the early days of the Mountain View Theatre. The house was opened on May 8, 1926, by Fritz Campen Jr., who had previously operated the Glenn Theatre. Campen sold the theater to Anthony Blanco of San Francisco in 1929.
Konrad Schiecke’s book Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois, 1883-1960 lists the Auditorium but mistakenly places it on the second floor. An article about the March, 1943 fire that destroyed the building said that “[t]he rear part of the Breed block served as an auditorium and was used extensively until the erection of the Erie Community high school. The high school basketball games were also played in the auditorium and it was used as a dance hall, skating rink, theater building and general meeting place.”
The use of the Auditorium for dances, basketball games and roller skating suggests that it was probably a typical small town multi-purpose hall of the period with a flat floor. Schiecke notes two later movie theaters in Erie, both located on Main Street and both since demolished: the 240-seat Erie Theatre, in operation from 1932 to 1947, and the 360-seat J&G Theatre, in operation from 1947 to 1952.
The Lyric Theatre was listed at 220 S. El Paso Street in a 1914 city directory, but was not listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. It isn’t listed (at least under the name Lyric) in the 1926 FDY either, and I suspect that the Lyric operated primarily as a legitimate house, though I haven’t found it in any Cahn guides so far. I did find a December 28, 1906 ad for an opera company appearing at the Lyric.
The Grecian opened on October 26, 1911, not 1912, according to the 1914 edition of A History of Texas and Texans, published by the American Historical Society. The Grecian’s owners, Joseph Lewis and V. B. Andrews, also owned a movie house in El Paso called the Princess Theatre, but I’ve been unable to find out anything about it so far.
I just noticed that the 1919 Rialto grand opening ad has the notation “Formerly Texas Grand,” so that must have been an aka.
The Bond Theatre is not listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Yearbook, nor is any theater listed at 303 W. Madison. The address 311 W. Madison is listed twice, though, once as the Alcazar Theatre and once as the Photoplay Theatre. The absence of the Bond could have been simply an oversight.
A letter from F. M. Bond of the Bond Theatre appears in an issue of the IMP film company’s publication, The Implet, published in January, 1912. The Bond Theatre and its owner F. M. Bond are mentioned in the June 3, 1916 Moving Picture World, and in the July 2, 1921 Exhibitors Herald. By 1923, the Bond Theatre was owned by Hal Opperman, who also owned the Crescent Theatre at that time, according to the July 14 MPW.
Incidentally, the other theaters listed at Pontiac in the 1914-1915 Directory were the 5c Theatre at 228 W. Madison and the Star Theatre at 207 N. Mill.
The Crescent and Hal Opperman were mentioned multiple times in issues of Moving Picture World in May, 1921. Opperman is also mentioned in connection with Pontiac in the November 6, 1920 MPW, but at that time he was operating a house called the Strand Theatre.
The Bond and Crescent Theatres, both owned by Hal Opperman, were mentioned in the July 14, 1923 issue of Moving Picture World. The 1926 FDY lists both houses, but each had only 500 seats, so the Crescent must have been expanded at some later time.
The Main Street Theatre was one of several small town Nebraska movie houses operated by the Booth Brothers circuit.
The “Theater Changes” report in the June 18, 1936 Film Daily lists the Palace at Allen, Oklahoma as a new theater.
The “Theater Changes” report in Film Daily of June 18, 1936 listed the Gordon Theatre as a new house.
The “Theater Changes” report in the June 18, 1936 issue of Film Daily listed the Juliet Theatre as a new house.
The “Theater Changes” report in Film Daily of June 18, 1936, listed the Community Theatre at Monroe City as a new house.
The “Theater Changes” report in Film Daily of June 18, 1936 listed the Star at Aberdeen as a new theater. No details were provided.
The “Theater Changes” report in Film Daily of June 18, 1936 listed the Ruth as a new theater. No details were provided.
The “Theater Changes” report in Film Daily of June 18, 1936 listed a house in Panaca called the Star as a new theater. I don’t know if it was actually a new theater or just the Panaca Theatre reopened with a new name, but Panaca being such a small town it’s unlikely that it would have had two theaters at once.
The Paramount was one of the three Nebraska City theaters operated by Booth Brothers that was remodeled in 1927 with plans by architect Charles W. Steinbaugh, as noted in this article from the August 20 issue of Movie Age:
A “Twenty Years Ago” column in Boxoffice of October 23, 1948 ran this news about Auburn from 1928:
The Strand Theatre is listed at Wadsworth in the 1926 FDY, though with only 400 seats.
The March 2, 1937 issue of Film Daily said “[t]he new Palace at Childress, Tex., will open in [a] few days.”
The March 2, 1937 issue of Film Daily reported that “William J. Schulte Circuit’s new Radio City Theater opened recently in Ferndale, Mich., with the Mayor, Council and other officials present.”
The Colby was most likely built as a replacement for a 500-seat upstairs house called the Bingham Theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1937, as reported in the March 2 issue of Film Daily.