The San Juan Record (Monticello), Aug. 7, 1980: A local landmark, the screen to Monticello’s one and only drive-in theater, was razed Monday, August 4, by Leonard Howe, his son Riley, Hardy Redd, and with Julius Harvey as “supervisor.” This ended the hopes of any resurrection of the old “Nu Vu” theater which opened back in the early ‘50s. …
The construction of the “Nu Vu” was started in 1953 with Max Dalton furnishing the land and E.P. (Bud) Corbin doing the construction. It opened in 1954 and was operated by Bud and Arah Corbin. Arah ran the ‘snack bar’ which was constructed at the same time. In 1956 Max Dalton sold his interest in the theater to the Corbins.
Harry Randall purchased the “Nu Vu” from the Corbin family in 1957. At that time, Harry was also owner and operator of the “Little Theatre” in Monticello. Harry and his wife, Jerry, and family successfully ran the theater for 16 years selling to Leonard Howe in 1973. The Howe family ran the theater for four years and then sold it to Grayson Redd.
One minor clarification to Nick Genova’s excellent summary: According to a story in the March 20, 1986 Daily Sentinel, Westland/Commonwealth’s 10-year lease had expired. (Westland had leased the Rocket before the 1976 season.) Leonard Scales allowed his daughter and son-in-law, Melanie and Alan Gates, to manage the Rocket for what became its final two seasons.
Thanks for uploading this, Nick. In case you ever check this page, I have a couple of questions.
First, I didn’t notice any copyright notice on that issue’s front page or Page-4 masthead. My search of the US Copyright Office turned up the result that The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction first registered its copyright in 2003. So even if there was a copyright notice printed on that issue, its contents would have fallen into the public domain when it wasn’t renewed 26 years later. Did the Daily Sentinel folks tell you something different?
Second, who at the Daily Sentinel provides such permission for reuse? That would be handy to know!
Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, Aug. 11, 1968: The Rialto there was reopened by “Mitchell Kelloff, owner of the Uptown theatre in Pueblo and the Valley theatre in Fowler. … Kelloff has owned the Uptown theatre in Pueblo since October 1956.”
Same Rialto? Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, Aug. 11, 1968: “The Rialto theater, closed for nearly a year, opened for business Friday under the management of Mitchell Kelloff, owner of the Uptown theatre in Pueblo and the Valley theatre in Fowler.”
Trinidad CO’s Chronicle-News wrote the day before about the May 11, 1912 formal dedication of the Princess theatre, built by Mrs. S. Macaron at a cost of about $10,000. H. L. Carson was the manager. Between operas, it was to function as a “high class vaudeville and moving picture house.”
The 1922-23 Film Daily Year Book’s only mention of Aguilar was that the “Sarah & Yoeman” chain was in charge of the Princess there.
The Walsenburg World wrote on March 6, 1923 that Che Kelloff had sold the Princess to Mr. L. E. Summers, who had a brother running a theater in La Veta.
The 1926 Film Daily Year Book listed two theaters in Aguilar, the Princess (200 seats) and the Strand (140 seats). The 1927 theater list omitted the entire state of Colorado. (What the?) Colorado was back in the 1928 book, but Aguilar didn’t return until the 1929 edition, where it had the Colorado (200 seats) and the Strand (140 seats).
Walsenburg World, July 21, 1927: “The Aguilar Theatre Company, a concern with which several business men from this city are directly interested, has abandoned the lease on the Colorado Theatre which it has held for the past ten months and has leased the Strand Theatre of Aguilar. George Nickolds will continue as manager of the company and will manage the company’s new theatre.”
The 1930 Year Book said that both the Colorado (now 290 seats) and the Strand were wired for sound. By 1933, only the Colorado remained, still with 290 seats. By 1937, the seat number was bumped up to 300. It was still the Colorado in 1938, but was the Ute in the 1940 book.
Najeeb Kelloff’s obituary said he “operated the Ute Theatre in Aguilar since 1925.”
By 1952, Najeeb’s son George was running the Ute, as mentioned in a Trinidad State Junior College alumni article in the Trojan Tribute.
According to the Dec. 4, 1940 issue of the Craig Empire Courier, the Craig Theatre signed a 10-year lease on the West, effective Jan. 1, 1941. The announcement was made by the Craig’s owner, the redundantly named Stanfill Day Stanfill.
Stanfill said, “We are making plans for redecorating the front of the Craig and will make some few changes in the lobby to give us more display both in the lobby and on the front of the building.” Former West manager Bob Smith said he didn’t know what he’d be doing next.
The Jan. 1, 1925 issue of the Craig Courier ran an article titled “History of the Victory Theatre”. It called it “the only theatre and movie house in the county,” seating 450, run by Chapman and Evans, who bought it in December 1921 from Ora Card.
Card opened the theater “in the old building near the D. & O. Lumber yard, now used as a warehouse. The Evans Block, on Victory Way, was built about that time, and the theatre occupied a large part of its ground floor space. The new management called their place of amusement the "Gem” and by this name it was known until last summer when it was re-christened, the "Victory” theatre.”
Chapman and Evans planned improvements to start in Spring 1925 including “the installing of a slanting floor, the rearrangement of the lower floor and the building of an upper story which will be used for office rooms, the construction of a modern stage and dressing rooms,” and a high ceiling above the stage for hanging scenery.
Showman’s Trade Review, July 9, 1949: “Opening in Dallas last week were two drive-in theatres. The Hi-Vue, located at 5525 S. Beckley, owned by Tom Moran, Phil Isley and M. J. Konemann, to be managed by Mr. and Mrs. Konemann. The house accommodates 550 cars and is modernly equipped throughout.”
A cropped version of this photo by Duane Howell ran in the July 11, 1962 issue of the Denver Post. It was part of a puff piece titled “Edgewater: self-contained community”.
You can purchase a license to use that photo from Getty Images, known for active enforcement of its intellectual property. Unauthorized reuse is not recommended.
This photo by Ernie Leyba ran in the Nov. 5, 1971 issue of the Denver Post. It was atop an article reporting that American Indian Movement (AIM) members were urging Lake Shore patrons to leave because of movies that degraded Native Americans.
You can purchase a license to use that photo from Getty Images, known for active enforcement of its intellectual property. Unauthorized reuse is not recommended.
The Starlite held its Grand Opening on Saturday, April 15, 1950. Its screen was a modest 48 x 40 feet, and the first feature it showed was “The Return of October” with Glenn Ford. “Plus short subjects and cartoons.”
By the summer of 1990, the Starlite was showing movies on two screens, one movie per night per screen.
The Grand Opening ads in the local Gazette Telegraph add another vote for “Starlight,” the spelling they all used.
In addition to “That’s My Man,” the Starlight’s opening program promised the 1947 Technicolor short “Sweet and Low,” which included a young Sammy Davis Jr. as part of the Will Maston Trio.
The “Sky-Vue” held its Grand Opening on Thursday, July 28, 1955. Its first program was “The Glass Slipper” with Leslie Caron, “Battleground” with Van Johnson, and “cartoon”.
Aurora Democrat, August 31, 1928: “The Hollywood Theatre has been purchased by E. K. Menagh, of Fort Lupton. Mr, Menagh has had twelve years successful experience in the theatre business and is owner of the Star at Fort Lupton, as well as of the Hollywood, which he plans to re-decorate and upon re-opening the name of Aurora’s show house will be changed to the Parrot.”
The July 22, 1939 issue of Boxoffice, in an obituary of William Menagh, said that his son Eldon (sic) ran “a theatre at Ft. Lupton, Colo.” which would have to be the Star.
Although it was frequently written “Eldon,” the correct spelling of the first name was “Elden,” as written in census reports and in his obituary.
Highland Theatres split the old Starlite’s viewing field, added a second screen, and reopened as the “New” Holiday Twin Drive-In on Friday, April 9, 1976.
The “Vista Vue” held its grand opening on Friday, June 29, 1956. Its ad said that its 68x120-foot screen was the largest of its kind in the West. The opening program was “Many Rivers to Cross,” a CinemaScope film with Robert Taylor, and “Men of the Fighting Lady” with Van Johnson.
The San Juan Record (Monticello), Aug. 7, 1980: A local landmark, the screen to Monticello’s one and only drive-in theater, was razed Monday, August 4, by Leonard Howe, his son Riley, Hardy Redd, and with Julius Harvey as “supervisor.” This ended the hopes of any resurrection of the old “Nu Vu” theater which opened back in the early ‘50s. …
The construction of the “Nu Vu” was started in 1953 with Max Dalton furnishing the land and E.P. (Bud) Corbin doing the construction. It opened in 1954 and was operated by Bud and Arah Corbin. Arah ran the ‘snack bar’ which was constructed at the same time. In 1956 Max Dalton sold his interest in the theater to the Corbins.
Harry Randall purchased the “Nu Vu” from the Corbin family in 1957. At that time, Harry was also owner and operator of the “Little Theatre” in Monticello. Harry and his wife, Jerry, and family successfully ran the theater for 16 years selling to Leonard Howe in 1973. The Howe family ran the theater for four years and then sold it to Grayson Redd.
In 2010, the Rocket’s old sign was restored and placed in the Rocket Grille inside of the Fort Lewis College Student Union.
And they finally built something on the old Rocket site. The Rocket Pointe Apartments opened there in early 2019.
One minor clarification to Nick Genova’s excellent summary: According to a story in the March 20, 1986 Daily Sentinel, Westland/Commonwealth’s 10-year lease had expired. (Westland had leased the Rocket before the 1976 season.) Leonard Scales allowed his daughter and son-in-law, Melanie and Alan Gates, to manage the Rocket for what became its final two seasons.
Thanks for uploading this, Nick. In case you ever check this page, I have a couple of questions.
First, I didn’t notice any copyright notice on that issue’s front page or Page-4 masthead. My search of the US Copyright Office turned up the result that The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction first registered its copyright in 2003. So even if there was a copyright notice printed on that issue, its contents would have fallen into the public domain when it wasn’t renewed 26 years later. Did the Daily Sentinel folks tell you something different?
Second, who at the Daily Sentinel provides such permission for reuse? That would be handy to know!
From the cover of the June 4, 1955 issue of Boxoffice
A larger version of this remarkable photo is available for viewing at the Huntington Digital Library. Love those searchlights!
Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, Aug. 11, 1968: The Rialto there was reopened by “Mitchell Kelloff, owner of the Uptown theatre in Pueblo and the Valley theatre in Fowler. … Kelloff has owned the Uptown theatre in Pueblo since October 1956.”
Same Rialto? Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, Aug. 11, 1968: “The Rialto theater, closed for nearly a year, opened for business Friday under the management of Mitchell Kelloff, owner of the Uptown theatre in Pueblo and the Valley theatre in Fowler.”
A big bucket of notes:
Trinidad CO’s Chronicle-News wrote the day before about the May 11, 1912 formal dedication of the Princess theatre, built by Mrs. S. Macaron at a cost of about $10,000. H. L. Carson was the manager. Between operas, it was to function as a “high class vaudeville and moving picture house.”
The 1922-23 Film Daily Year Book’s only mention of Aguilar was that the “Sarah & Yoeman” chain was in charge of the Princess there.
The Walsenburg World wrote on March 6, 1923 that Che Kelloff had sold the Princess to Mr. L. E. Summers, who had a brother running a theater in La Veta.
The 1926 Film Daily Year Book listed two theaters in Aguilar, the Princess (200 seats) and the Strand (140 seats). The 1927 theater list omitted the entire state of Colorado. (What the?) Colorado was back in the 1928 book, but Aguilar didn’t return until the 1929 edition, where it had the Colorado (200 seats) and the Strand (140 seats).
Walsenburg World, July 21, 1927: “The Aguilar Theatre Company, a concern with which several business men from this city are directly interested, has abandoned the lease on the Colorado Theatre which it has held for the past ten months and has leased the Strand Theatre of Aguilar. George Nickolds will continue as manager of the company and will manage the company’s new theatre.”
The 1930 Year Book said that both the Colorado (now 290 seats) and the Strand were wired for sound. By 1933, only the Colorado remained, still with 290 seats. By 1937, the seat number was bumped up to 300. It was still the Colorado in 1938, but was the Ute in the 1940 book.
Najeeb Kelloff’s obituary said he “operated the Ute Theatre in Aguilar since 1925.”
By 1952, Najeeb’s son George was running the Ute, as mentioned in a Trinidad State Junior College alumni article in the Trojan Tribute.
According to the Dec. 4, 1940 issue of the Craig Empire Courier, the Craig Theatre signed a 10-year lease on the West, effective Jan. 1, 1941. The announcement was made by the Craig’s owner, the redundantly named Stanfill Day Stanfill.
Stanfill said, “We are making plans for redecorating the front of the Craig and will make some few changes in the lobby to give us more display both in the lobby and on the front of the building.” Former West manager Bob Smith said he didn’t know what he’d be doing next.
The Jan. 1, 1925 issue of the Craig Courier ran an article titled “History of the Victory Theatre”. It called it “the only theatre and movie house in the county,” seating 450, run by Chapman and Evans, who bought it in December 1921 from Ora Card.
Card opened the theater “in the old building near the D. & O. Lumber yard, now used as a warehouse. The Evans Block, on Victory Way, was built about that time, and the theatre occupied a large part of its ground floor space. The new management called their place of amusement the "Gem” and by this name it was known until last summer when it was re-christened, the "Victory” theatre.”
Chapman and Evans planned improvements to start in Spring 1925 including “the installing of a slanting floor, the rearrangement of the lower floor and the building of an upper story which will be used for office rooms, the construction of a modern stage and dressing rooms,” and a high ceiling above the stage for hanging scenery.
The Rancho 50 wasn’t in the 1952 edition in the Theatre Catalog, but it was included in the 1953-54 edition.
This 1980 photo by John Margolies is available at the Library of Congress, which says that it’s effectively in the public domain.
Showman’s Trade Review, July 9, 1949: “Opening in Dallas last week were two drive-in theatres. The Hi-Vue, located at 5525 S. Beckley, owned by Tom Moran, Phil Isley and M. J. Konemann, to be managed by Mr. and Mrs. Konemann. The house accommodates 550 cars and is modernly equipped throughout.”
That clipping is from the May 13, 1963 issue of the Denver Post.
This photo is from the Modern Theatre Section of the Nov. 24, 1951 issue of Boxoffice, which should be in the public domain.
A cropped version of this photo by Duane Howell ran in the July 11, 1962 issue of the Denver Post. It was part of a puff piece titled “Edgewater: self-contained community”.
You can purchase a license to use that photo from Getty Images, known for active enforcement of its intellectual property. Unauthorized reuse is not recommended.
This photo by Ernie Leyba ran in the Nov. 5, 1971 issue of the Denver Post. It was atop an article reporting that American Indian Movement (AIM) members were urging Lake Shore patrons to leave because of movies that degraded Native Americans.
You can purchase a license to use that photo from Getty Images, known for active enforcement of its intellectual property. Unauthorized reuse is not recommended.
The Starlite held its Grand Opening on Saturday, April 15, 1950. Its screen was a modest 48 x 40 feet, and the first feature it showed was “The Return of October” with Glenn Ford. “Plus short subjects and cartoons.”
By the summer of 1990, the Starlite was showing movies on two screens, one movie per night per screen.
The Grand Opening ads in the local Gazette Telegraph add another vote for “Starlight,” the spelling they all used.
In addition to “That’s My Man,” the Starlight’s opening program promised the 1947 Technicolor short “Sweet and Low,” which included a young Sammy Davis Jr. as part of the Will Maston Trio.
The “Sky-Vue” held its Grand Opening on Thursday, July 28, 1955. Its first program was “The Glass Slipper” with Leslie Caron, “Battleground” with Van Johnson, and “cartoon”.
Aurora Democrat, August 31, 1928: “The Hollywood Theatre has been purchased by E. K. Menagh, of Fort Lupton. Mr, Menagh has had twelve years successful experience in the theatre business and is owner of the Star at Fort Lupton, as well as of the Hollywood, which he plans to re-decorate and upon re-opening the name of Aurora’s show house will be changed to the Parrot.”
The July 22, 1939 issue of Boxoffice, in an obituary of William Menagh, said that his son Eldon (sic) ran “a theatre at Ft. Lupton, Colo.” which would have to be the Star.
Although it was frequently written “Eldon,” the correct spelling of the first name was “Elden,” as written in census reports and in his obituary.
Highland Theatres split the old Starlite’s viewing field, added a second screen, and reopened as the “New” Holiday Twin Drive-In on Friday, April 9, 1976.
The “Vista Vue” held its grand opening on Friday, June 29, 1956. Its ad said that its 68x120-foot screen was the largest of its kind in the West. The opening program was “Many Rivers to Cross,” a CinemaScope film with Robert Taylor, and “Men of the Fighting Lady” with Van Johnson.