The North Houston Theatre launched January 30, 1947 by Long Theatres of Baytown as their 61st venue. It closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement on December 13, 1976 with “Fists of Fury” and “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.”
Oddly enough, the GCC Greenspoint V box office was still in place with ticketing dispensers - in July of 2025 - along with the theater behind it as Greenspoint was awaiting demolition.
Final showtimes were at the end of leasing contract at the 15-year mark on July 30, 1990 with “The Hunt for Red October” on Screen 2 and the double-feature of unrated “XXX” features in “The Love Shack” and “The Wrong Woman.” Also known as Theatre Deauville and originally operated by Nineteen Sixty, Inc. which operated four automated cinemas in suburban Houston in the 1970s before moving on from each.
Fans of the Kingwood Plaza already know that this cinema was part of the Phase 3 expansion that also included three restaurants and a Wackers' Variety Store. Robert Rousch’s Nineteen Sixty Corp. which had the Deauville Twin and partial operational control of the Champions Village and Lamar Plaza cinemas, was the developer and original operator here.
The 750 seat (identical 375 seat twins) venue’s December 23, 1977 grand opening ad in photos as the Kingwood Twin Cinema with “The Gauntlet” and “Greyeagle.” Simplex projection with Dolby sound aided in the presentations.
AMC took over the venue as the AMC Kingwood 2. It closed February 20, 1986 with “Rocky IV” and “White Knights.”
AMC took this venue on beginning with showtimes on December 11, 1998 from General Cinemas renaming it as the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6. General Cinema ceded control of the Baybrook Mall 6, Deebrook Mall, and Willowbrook Mall after its December 10, 1998 showtimes as it was in full-scale economic meltdown. AMC continued to operate its external 8-already-turned-10-plex screen facility across from the Willowbrook Mall, as well.
On November 18, 1999, AMC closed the exterior 10-screen not running evening shows as it was readying for the grand opening of its megaplex, the AMC Willowbrook 24 the next day. Also on November 19, 1999, AMC downgraded the six-plex facility to a sub-run discount house with all seats at $1.50 (and later $2). The AMC Willowbrook Mall 6 closed on July 27, 2000 permanently. Its proper name in the database should be the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6.
The Tidwell exited the ozoner world on April 16, 1979 with a triple feature of “Young Frankenstein,” “The Driver” and “Bad Georgia Road.” Swift Transportation used it for vehicle storage and logistics for the until 1989 likely taking it to the end of its lease. The entire facility was replaced by the Swiss Village on the Park Apartments with 163 units in the early 1990s.
In development in late 1970, the East Park Shopping Center was created mainly for anchor tenants W.T. Grant (which would have a store complete with an interior Brandon House restaurant and an exterior auto center) and J. Weingarten Supermarket #101 and its first “superstore” concept with clothing and other home goods. Weingarten was the landlord. Others in the center including Eckerd Drug Store, Alaskan Clothing Store (a local chain open since 1912), and a twin screen cinema designed by James A. Bishop & Associates, Inc. Architects for Tercar Theatres.
When the center opened on October 14, 1971, it had been fused into a single word, Eastpark Shopping Center. A shot in the dark guess here in looking at plans and pictures is that the attractor sign for the plaza came with a single word, “Eastpark,” and all of the leases were likely signed with “East Park.” But “Eastpark” was the name on the big sign so they rolled with it. The Twin Theatre got the name “East Park” in its grand opening ad as did all of the stores that had opened the previous Fall… but was “Eastpark” was in the cinema’s display ads from day 2 to its first, quick closure a year and a half later.
The Eastpark Twin Theatre I & II opened on February 16, 1972 with “Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “Wild Rovers” on Screen I and “Sometimes a Great Notion” on Screen II. Tercar discontinued operations on November 4, 1973 with “Horror High” and “Point of Terror” on Screen I and “One Little Indian” and “Walt Disney’s The Lady and the Tramp” on Screen II.
Tecar celebrated a grand (re-)opening on April 11, 1974 with a new programming policy of Blaxploitation films at night and kids matinees. It began with “Five on the Black Hand Side” on Screen I and “Sugar Hill” and “Scream, Blacula, Scream” on Screen II. Again, they opted for “East Park” in their grand opening ad and “Eastpark” in all subsequent ads. This policy was less successful with Tercar leaving for good on June 13, 1974 with Billy Dee Williams in “The Take” and “J.W. Coop” on Screen I and “The Dynamite Brothers” and “The Black Six” on Screen II. My guess is that Tercar said if they aren’t even coming to see that, we’re done. Less than a year later, the center also lost its main anchor when W.T. Grant’s pulled out of Houston and Eastpark on March 30, 1975 with the rest of the chain closing down soon after.
The theater that nobody remembered came back in 1979 when Entertainment Products, Inc. signed on as the new operator. It was going to be a bumpy ride. The venue’s projection was automated opening on July 27, 1979 as the Lakewood 2 with “The Wanderers” on Screen I and a John Travolta Double-Feature on Screen II with “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.” They tried Blaxploitation, they tried dollar, sub-run discount fare, and then - on December 7, 1979, they tried adult fare on Screen II.
“Love Airlines” and “Fulfillment” proved fulfilling as the seven-year old venue finally had an audience. And the off-kilter Screen I / Screen II mismatches were underway. For instance, on January 4, 1980, the family friendly “The Fish That Ate Pittsburgh” was on Screen II for a dollar and at full price on Screen II was the classic “Deep Throat” and “Devil in Miss Jones.” I don’t see any issues there. Devolving into a grindhouse, the theater had a double feature on November 30, 1981 of Seka in “On White Satin” and “Hot Lunch” on Screen I and they had stopped advertising Screen II because nobody was interested in those films anyway. There were a couple more listings in December that didn’t run as there was likely a mutual agreement that no more rent was forthcoming from Entertainment Products, Inc. - or any other cinema exhibitor - after November 30, 1981. The automated equipment ground to a halt at 11:46p following “Hot Lunch.” There was no dessert.
No expert, but believe the address is now considered 9658 East Mesa Drive. Also believe that its spot was demolished and is an outdoor playground with virtually all of the rest of the center intact although split use between retail and by KIPP Northeast College Prep High School.
Cartoon Carousel of America, Inc. opened the first of what was supposed to have been a franchised operation of multiple Cartoon Carousels - automated, supervised kids-centric theaters where parties could be had and kids could be dropped off. It was located behind the highly-popular Sharpstown Mall.
Cartoon Carousel’s long delayed opening happened on April 2, 1977. Their motto to potential franchisees was, “As long as there are kids, you can be making money!” Apparently, kids must have not been in or near Sharpstown or South Houston as this Carousel stopped suddenly, just shy of the venue’s second month party on June 26, 1977.
Dismay occurred for the neighborhood when the venue transitioned under new operators from kid-friendly to the porno chic Cinema Carousel on October 30, 1977. Its policy was double-feature X-rated fare where you could drop off adults beginning with Linda Wong in “Easy Alice” and Sandy Dempsey in “Shot on Location.”
The venue’s programming continued its trajectory on June 15, 1984 when - under a new operator - began showing unrated XXX double features in the home video era. It appears to have closed May 18, 1987 presumably at the opt-out point, half way through a 20-year leasing agreement. It was converted for other retail purposes.
Final day was Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the end of its 20-year leasing agreement. Though Regency ran it as a discount almost its entire run, the last stretch from June 3, 2023 to August 3, 2025 was on a first-run policy as sub-run discount houses were all but extinct by 2023.
The Roosevelt Shopping Center opened theatre-less on September 9, 1933. An independent theater proposed the addition of a theater at the far end of the complex but zoning issues hampered the project. The delay in zoning allowed A.H. Blank and Tri-Cities Theatres to become a partner and operator of the proposed Roosevelt Theater project with Blank adding air conditioning and other elements including its steel frame tripling the project’s budget which ultimately paid out nicely. The Roosevelt Theater’s architecture matched the Spanish Colonial theme of its center upon opening on Christmas Day 1934 with “Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch.”
The local Drama Association was ready to move from the Kendall Playhouse and purchased the building. They would move in once the December 1954 leases with Tri-Cities expired. Fortunately, the Roosevelt Theatre played Francis, the Talking Mule in “Francis Goes to West Point” on July 9, 1952. Francis got to the military academy and said, “The Roosevelt closed permanently after that showing. I didn’t think my film was that bad.” Co-star Donald O'Connor assured the animal thespian that it was, indeed, that bad.
Tri-Cities let Des Moines Community Drama take over the venue 18 months early and only after it removed the screen, projectors, and other movie related equipment from the building. The venue reopened for live plays January 11, 1953 as the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It continues as the Playhouse Theatre in contemporary times. Des Moines movie fans have yet to forgive Francis, however.
The Majestic Theatre was a high profile vaudeville house opened to house the Orpheum circuit performers at 206-210 8th Street. High dollars were associated in the puffery for the building to create excitement and for a chance to claim it as the most expensive theater built in the city of Des Moines to date. $175k, $150k. $125k. $100k. But the City listed the project at an austere $50k - not the most expensive theater in the city at that time. The building carried a 15-year lease but would be subleased out seasonally year over year - another clue that this was a lower cost shed than a grand theatrical palace.
So it began as the Majestic Theatre on November 17, 1907. Year one, season one - first day’s performance had the Kinodrome short films and Orpheum vaudeville attractions. Its first two years were as the Majestic Theatre with a mix of Orpheum and Orpheum-like performers. Things would change as one might expect in such a fluid subleasing situation. So be patient.
Its third year (9th season) began on November 14, 1909 as the Des Moines Orpheum Theatre. It would be actual Orpheum Orpheum every day. The venue booked W.C. Fields, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, the Foys, and many others. So the Majestic sign was removed on favor of an Orpheum Theatre sign making the Majestic sign available. It was one of the best built elements of the former Majestic so Elbert and Getchell purchased the Majestic sign and be-bopped it over to the Empire Theatre at 313-315 8th Street for the New Majestic beginning August 21, 1910 with “popular vaudeville” (aka cheaper).
During World War I, profits had definitely swung to cinematic exhibition and live stage programming in mid-sized cities and lower dropped considerably as opera houses and vaudeville theaters struggled for survival. In Des Moines, alone, the Berchel and Princess had gone dark, Foster’s Opera House/Theatre was demolished; the Majestic was showing many more films than ever before, and the Orpheum Circuit was fighting for survival closing here for a brief period in 1919.
The reorganized Orpheum took on the Des Moines Orpheum in late 1919 reopening for its season. It was a major vote of confidence for the house. That confidence lasted until the end of the venue’s 15 year leasing agreement in 1922. The Orpheum decided to move to new digs over at the Sherman / Pantages / Empress / Hippodrome wannabe at 412 8th Street. So it was time for a new name here and that became the Iowa Theatre (not the one you’re thinking of, likely) on September 24th, 1922 with third-tier vaudeville on the building’s second and final 15-year leasing cycle. The Iowa’s live presentation was - as you might expect - not a programmatic winner. So there was only one direction for the Majestic/Orpheum/Iowa to go: burley house! And so it began as the renamed Garrick Theatre on August 24, 1924 and The Kandy Girls dancing across the burlesque stage.
For its 20th birthday (77th season), it got a new partner and name. The burlesque house was picked up by the “Tiffany” of the burley circuit - The Mutual Burlesque Association (MBA) and known as the “Mutual Wheel” as it bicycled adult acts across the country. The venue was renamed as the Mutual Garrick Theatre in late 1927. Rube Bernstein’s Bathing Beauties opened the season with Erin Jackson - known as one of the main Mutual beauties on the “wheel.” In other words, a vote of confidence for the theater. Omer Kenyon was the programmer but it wasn’t a big hit. The Mutual Garrick was done after a single year.
So for its 21st birthday (81st season), it was the first of many indy operators trying to wring a nickel out of the old dog and under its new and final operational name - The President Theatre. It opened its season with a live play in 1928, “Why Men Leave.” Generally, this presidential dog was not up for the hunt. But at least its direction was familiar. After failing as a legit stage, it tried to be an event hall including wrestling, and it would finally end up as a second- and sometimes third-tier burley house - the kind with a “k” or burlesk theater - complete with a police raid and some local controversy. But there were some good shows toward its final days. In February of 1937, “Sliding” Billy Watson brought his “Beef Trust” show entitled, “Krausemeyer’s Alley” headlined by Bobbie Lee and with Babe Davis and Nadine Marsh performing the way they performed. And its final Burlesk presentation was on November 15-21, 1937 with “Running Wild” starring the “Creole Fashion Plate” herself, Karyl Norman. Not a bad swan song.
The venue’s 30th Anniversary had been reached and - having already reached the lower tier burley house stage - there would be no re-upping by anyone for a third 15-year cycle as there was nowhere to go but down. Literally. The last contract was signed by the Cohen Brothers - demolition experts. They had a salvage sale in early 1938. Orpheum Booker / Manager Clyde Fairless retrieved the booking ledger (!) listing all of the house’s live performances. He reviewed the ledger tracing the building’s demise in the reduction of booked acts year over year as the theater devolved to closure. The Majestic/Des Moines Orpheum/Iowa/Garrick/Mutual Garrick/President Theatre had few distinctions especially as not being the city’s most expensive theater built. But at least in 1938 it could claim to be the first Des Moines Theatre razed for a car parking garage.
Sadly… that distinction is also not the Majestic-President’s as the Berchel Theatre was torn down in 1931 for - yes - a parking lot. But at least it was the second theater razed for a parking lot and the first theater to be torn down and replaced by a parking lot with six operational names. That’s something, I guess.
Factually - it wasn’t really ever a silent movie house, per se, although short silent films were a part of vaudeville presentations here. Also, it wasn’t known as the Orpheum in 1908. And, it wasn’t closed in 1929.
The Princess Theatre was a legit stage theater that opened on November 1, 1909. It went dark in 1919 - likely at the expiry of a 10-year lease but also struggling against movie theaters making legit and opera houses harder to program profitably. The Princess made a comeback in March of 1920 and performed their final play of the Spring 1923 season on May 12, 1923 with “The Cave Girl.” On May 14, 1923, just two days later, the Princess Theater burned down. Imagine that! Operators Elbert and Getchell vowed to rebuild after receiving a sizable insurance check. However, more 100 years later, the Princess Theatre has yet to have been rebuilt. And that gets you a second, “imagine that.”
This new-build retail building began as a Food 4 Less in 1988 then Value Fair grocery store in 1992 quickly folding. Carmike decided to turn the grocery store into a discount movie theater.
This venue was built by Richard L. Davis' Davis Theatres under the Eastgate Cinemas, Inc. (one word) moniker and designed by Winkler-Goewey Architects. (General Cinema would have used its own architect had they developed this venue; but they didn’t.) The $350,000 complex had 770 seats at launch - 462 in the large house and 308 in the smaller auditorium. R.L. Davis Theatres' Eastgate Cinemas I & II had a World Premiere of “The Hostage” at launch on Oct. 26, 1966. It was controlled by 1,600 stockholders. There is little doubt that the booking and marketing of the venue was being handled by General Cinema for its first two years before moving solely under Davis Theatres' aegis. Davis added a third screen and all of the Davis Theatres locally were marketed internally by that point in 1969.
In the porno chic era, adult theaters were commonplace. Davis built a Cinema III to handle adult titles in late 1969. Like many shopping centers of its era, Eastgate toyed with being a Mall but it was developed theatre-lessly in 1963 as the Eastgate Shopping Center. The first 20 years were good for all with lessees in place and under contract. The next 20 years weren’t good and a number of local critics blamed the adult cinema for the lack of re-ups. And they may have been right as Eastgate scuffled in its second leasing cycle and didn’t really make it to its third potential leasing cycle.
From a cinematic perspective, the Des Moines' East-side was supportive of the adult Cinema III and Cinema 1536 but not so much any others. In 1976, Davis Theatres cited an impossible environment to operate to its stockholders and sold its portfolio to the competing Dubinsky Bros. Circuit including the Eastgate twin. Under Dubinsky, the twin was renamed as the Eastgate Cinema 1 & 2 closing permanently as a 99 cent, sub-run discount house. Its final advertised shows were August 4, 1988 with “Willow” and “Red Heat.” Cinema III would continue 16 more years going down with the Eastgate Shopping Center in demolition in late 2004.
R.V Keeney launched the Urban Theatre apparently on June 10, 1948 with “Bringing Up Father” and “Rainbow over the Rockies.” They closed in 1950 and reopened as the New Urban Theatre in 1953. It stopped advertising likely closing as the New Urban Theatre on January 2, 1954 with “Walt Disney’s Peter Pan.” In 1955, it is home to a roofing company.
A Des Moines' grindhouse that played third-run, five- and six-hour long shows without a break from noon until people were gone. Prices in the 1950s were still as low as a dime for entry on certain days. The Iowa Theatre closed on January 1, 1957 with a triple-feature of “Anything Goes,” Fastest Gun Alive,“ and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.”
The Palace’s grand opening was October 25, 1913 with “A Sister to Carmen.” The Palace appears to have closed on June 22, 1929 with “Flying Buckaroo” unable to make the conversion to sound. It was used as a retail building beginning in 1931.
The North Houston Theatre launched January 30, 1947 by Long Theatres of Baytown as their 61st venue. It closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement on December 13, 1976 with “Fists of Fury” and “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.”
Oddly enough, the GCC Greenspoint V box office was still in place with ticketing dispensers - in July of 2025 - along with the theater behind it as Greenspoint was awaiting demolition.
Final showtimes were at the end of leasing contract at the 15-year mark on July 30, 1990 with “The Hunt for Red October” on Screen 2 and the double-feature of unrated “XXX” features in “The Love Shack” and “The Wrong Woman.” Also known as Theatre Deauville and originally operated by Nineteen Sixty, Inc. which operated four automated cinemas in suburban Houston in the 1970s before moving on from each.
Fans of the Kingwood Plaza already know that this cinema was part of the Phase 3 expansion that also included three restaurants and a Wackers' Variety Store. Robert Rousch’s Nineteen Sixty Corp. which had the Deauville Twin and partial operational control of the Champions Village and Lamar Plaza cinemas, was the developer and original operator here.
The 750 seat (identical 375 seat twins) venue’s December 23, 1977 grand opening ad in photos as the Kingwood Twin Cinema with “The Gauntlet” and “Greyeagle.” Simplex projection with Dolby sound aided in the presentations.
AMC took over the venue as the AMC Kingwood 2. It closed February 20, 1986 with “Rocky IV” and “White Knights.”
AMC took this venue on beginning with showtimes on December 11, 1998 from General Cinemas renaming it as the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6. General Cinema ceded control of the Baybrook Mall 6, Deebrook Mall, and Willowbrook Mall after its December 10, 1998 showtimes as it was in full-scale economic meltdown. AMC continued to operate its external 8-already-turned-10-plex screen facility across from the Willowbrook Mall, as well.
On November 18, 1999, AMC closed the exterior 10-screen not running evening shows as it was readying for the grand opening of its megaplex, the AMC Willowbrook 24 the next day. Also on November 19, 1999, AMC downgraded the six-plex facility to a sub-run discount house with all seats at $1.50 (and later $2). The AMC Willowbrook Mall 6 closed on July 27, 2000 permanently. Its proper name in the database should be the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6.
The Tidwell exited the ozoner world on April 16, 1979 with a triple feature of “Young Frankenstein,” “The Driver” and “Bad Georgia Road.” Swift Transportation used it for vehicle storage and logistics for the until 1989 likely taking it to the end of its lease. The entire facility was replaced by the Swiss Village on the Park Apartments with 163 units in the early 1990s.
In development in late 1970, the East Park Shopping Center was created mainly for anchor tenants W.T. Grant (which would have a store complete with an interior Brandon House restaurant and an exterior auto center) and J. Weingarten Supermarket #101 and its first “superstore” concept with clothing and other home goods. Weingarten was the landlord. Others in the center including Eckerd Drug Store, Alaskan Clothing Store (a local chain open since 1912), and a twin screen cinema designed by James A. Bishop & Associates, Inc. Architects for Tercar Theatres.
When the center opened on October 14, 1971, it had been fused into a single word, Eastpark Shopping Center. A shot in the dark guess here in looking at plans and pictures is that the attractor sign for the plaza came with a single word, “Eastpark,” and all of the leases were likely signed with “East Park.” But “Eastpark” was the name on the big sign so they rolled with it. The Twin Theatre got the name “East Park” in its grand opening ad as did all of the stores that had opened the previous Fall… but was “Eastpark” was in the cinema’s display ads from day 2 to its first, quick closure a year and a half later.
The Eastpark Twin Theatre I & II opened on February 16, 1972 with “Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “Wild Rovers” on Screen I and “Sometimes a Great Notion” on Screen II. Tercar discontinued operations on November 4, 1973 with “Horror High” and “Point of Terror” on Screen I and “One Little Indian” and “Walt Disney’s The Lady and the Tramp” on Screen II.
Tecar celebrated a grand (re-)opening on April 11, 1974 with a new programming policy of Blaxploitation films at night and kids matinees. It began with “Five on the Black Hand Side” on Screen I and “Sugar Hill” and “Scream, Blacula, Scream” on Screen II. Again, they opted for “East Park” in their grand opening ad and “Eastpark” in all subsequent ads. This policy was less successful with Tercar leaving for good on June 13, 1974 with Billy Dee Williams in “The Take” and “J.W. Coop” on Screen I and “The Dynamite Brothers” and “The Black Six” on Screen II. My guess is that Tercar said if they aren’t even coming to see that, we’re done. Less than a year later, the center also lost its main anchor when W.T. Grant’s pulled out of Houston and Eastpark on March 30, 1975 with the rest of the chain closing down soon after.
The theater that nobody remembered came back in 1979 when Entertainment Products, Inc. signed on as the new operator. It was going to be a bumpy ride. The venue’s projection was automated opening on July 27, 1979 as the Lakewood 2 with “The Wanderers” on Screen I and a John Travolta Double-Feature on Screen II with “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.” They tried Blaxploitation, they tried dollar, sub-run discount fare, and then - on December 7, 1979, they tried adult fare on Screen II.
“Love Airlines” and “Fulfillment” proved fulfilling as the seven-year old venue finally had an audience. And the off-kilter Screen I / Screen II mismatches were underway. For instance, on January 4, 1980, the family friendly “The Fish That Ate Pittsburgh” was on Screen II for a dollar and at full price on Screen II was the classic “Deep Throat” and “Devil in Miss Jones.” I don’t see any issues there. Devolving into a grindhouse, the theater had a double feature on November 30, 1981 of Seka in “On White Satin” and “Hot Lunch” on Screen I and they had stopped advertising Screen II because nobody was interested in those films anyway. There were a couple more listings in December that didn’t run as there was likely a mutual agreement that no more rent was forthcoming from Entertainment Products, Inc. - or any other cinema exhibitor - after November 30, 1981. The automated equipment ground to a halt at 11:46p following “Hot Lunch.” There was no dessert.
No expert, but believe the address is now considered 9658 East Mesa Drive. Also believe that its spot was demolished and is an outdoor playground with virtually all of the rest of the center intact although split use between retail and by KIPP Northeast College Prep High School.
Cartoon Carousel of America, Inc. opened the first of what was supposed to have been a franchised operation of multiple Cartoon Carousels - automated, supervised kids-centric theaters where parties could be had and kids could be dropped off. It was located behind the highly-popular Sharpstown Mall.
Cartoon Carousel’s long delayed opening happened on April 2, 1977. Their motto to potential franchisees was, “As long as there are kids, you can be making money!” Apparently, kids must have not been in or near Sharpstown or South Houston as this Carousel stopped suddenly, just shy of the venue’s second month party on June 26, 1977.
Dismay occurred for the neighborhood when the venue transitioned under new operators from kid-friendly to the porno chic Cinema Carousel on October 30, 1977. Its policy was double-feature X-rated fare where you could drop off adults beginning with Linda Wong in “Easy Alice” and Sandy Dempsey in “Shot on Location.”
The venue’s programming continued its trajectory on June 15, 1984 when - under a new operator - began showing unrated XXX double features in the home video era. It appears to have closed May 18, 1987 presumably at the opt-out point, half way through a 20-year leasing agreement. It was converted for other retail purposes.
Seating capacity : 2 @ 400 each (70mm capability at launch) and 4@ 200 each for a total of 1,600 seats.
Final day was Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the end of its 20-year leasing agreement. Though Regency ran it as a discount almost its entire run, the last stretch from June 3, 2023 to August 3, 2025 was on a first-run policy as sub-run discount houses were all but extinct by 2023.
The Roosevelt Shopping Center opened theatre-less on September 9, 1933. An independent theater proposed the addition of a theater at the far end of the complex but zoning issues hampered the project. The delay in zoning allowed A.H. Blank and Tri-Cities Theatres to become a partner and operator of the proposed Roosevelt Theater project with Blank adding air conditioning and other elements including its steel frame tripling the project’s budget which ultimately paid out nicely. The Roosevelt Theater’s architecture matched the Spanish Colonial theme of its center upon opening on Christmas Day 1934 with “Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch.”
The local Drama Association was ready to move from the Kendall Playhouse and purchased the building. They would move in once the December 1954 leases with Tri-Cities expired. Fortunately, the Roosevelt Theatre played Francis, the Talking Mule in “Francis Goes to West Point” on July 9, 1952. Francis got to the military academy and said, “The Roosevelt closed permanently after that showing. I didn’t think my film was that bad.” Co-star Donald O'Connor assured the animal thespian that it was, indeed, that bad.
Tri-Cities let Des Moines Community Drama take over the venue 18 months early and only after it removed the screen, projectors, and other movie related equipment from the building. The venue reopened for live plays January 11, 1953 as the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It continues as the Playhouse Theatre in contemporary times. Des Moines movie fans have yet to forgive Francis, however.
Address - 610 Mulberry
End of the line - August 7, 2025 as the venue reached the expiry of its 30-year leasing agreement.
The Majestic Theatre was a high profile vaudeville house opened to house the Orpheum circuit performers at 206-210 8th Street. High dollars were associated in the puffery for the building to create excitement and for a chance to claim it as the most expensive theater built in the city of Des Moines to date. $175k, $150k. $125k. $100k. But the City listed the project at an austere $50k - not the most expensive theater in the city at that time. The building carried a 15-year lease but would be subleased out seasonally year over year - another clue that this was a lower cost shed than a grand theatrical palace.
So it began as the Majestic Theatre on November 17, 1907. Year one, season one - first day’s performance had the Kinodrome short films and Orpheum vaudeville attractions. Its first two years were as the Majestic Theatre with a mix of Orpheum and Orpheum-like performers. Things would change as one might expect in such a fluid subleasing situation. So be patient.
Its third year (9th season) began on November 14, 1909 as the Des Moines Orpheum Theatre. It would be actual Orpheum Orpheum every day. The venue booked W.C. Fields, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, the Foys, and many others. So the Majestic sign was removed on favor of an Orpheum Theatre sign making the Majestic sign available. It was one of the best built elements of the former Majestic so Elbert and Getchell purchased the Majestic sign and be-bopped it over to the Empire Theatre at 313-315 8th Street for the New Majestic beginning August 21, 1910 with “popular vaudeville” (aka cheaper).
During World War I, profits had definitely swung to cinematic exhibition and live stage programming in mid-sized cities and lower dropped considerably as opera houses and vaudeville theaters struggled for survival. In Des Moines, alone, the Berchel and Princess had gone dark, Foster’s Opera House/Theatre was demolished; the Majestic was showing many more films than ever before, and the Orpheum Circuit was fighting for survival closing here for a brief period in 1919.
The reorganized Orpheum took on the Des Moines Orpheum in late 1919 reopening for its season. It was a major vote of confidence for the house. That confidence lasted until the end of the venue’s 15 year leasing agreement in 1922. The Orpheum decided to move to new digs over at the Sherman / Pantages / Empress / Hippodrome wannabe at 412 8th Street. So it was time for a new name here and that became the Iowa Theatre (not the one you’re thinking of, likely) on September 24th, 1922 with third-tier vaudeville on the building’s second and final 15-year leasing cycle. The Iowa’s live presentation was - as you might expect - not a programmatic winner. So there was only one direction for the Majestic/Orpheum/Iowa to go: burley house! And so it began as the renamed Garrick Theatre on August 24, 1924 and The Kandy Girls dancing across the burlesque stage.
For its 20th birthday (77th season), it got a new partner and name. The burlesque house was picked up by the “Tiffany” of the burley circuit - The Mutual Burlesque Association (MBA) and known as the “Mutual Wheel” as it bicycled adult acts across the country. The venue was renamed as the Mutual Garrick Theatre in late 1927. Rube Bernstein’s Bathing Beauties opened the season with Erin Jackson - known as one of the main Mutual beauties on the “wheel.” In other words, a vote of confidence for the theater. Omer Kenyon was the programmer but it wasn’t a big hit. The Mutual Garrick was done after a single year.
So for its 21st birthday (81st season), it was the first of many indy operators trying to wring a nickel out of the old dog and under its new and final operational name - The President Theatre. It opened its season with a live play in 1928, “Why Men Leave.” Generally, this presidential dog was not up for the hunt. But at least its direction was familiar. After failing as a legit stage, it tried to be an event hall including wrestling, and it would finally end up as a second- and sometimes third-tier burley house - the kind with a “k” or burlesk theater - complete with a police raid and some local controversy. But there were some good shows toward its final days. In February of 1937, “Sliding” Billy Watson brought his “Beef Trust” show entitled, “Krausemeyer’s Alley” headlined by Bobbie Lee and with Babe Davis and Nadine Marsh performing the way they performed. And its final Burlesk presentation was on November 15-21, 1937 with “Running Wild” starring the “Creole Fashion Plate” herself, Karyl Norman. Not a bad swan song.
The venue’s 30th Anniversary had been reached and - having already reached the lower tier burley house stage - there would be no re-upping by anyone for a third 15-year cycle as there was nowhere to go but down. Literally. The last contract was signed by the Cohen Brothers - demolition experts. They had a salvage sale in early 1938. Orpheum Booker / Manager Clyde Fairless retrieved the booking ledger (!) listing all of the house’s live performances. He reviewed the ledger tracing the building’s demise in the reduction of booked acts year over year as the theater devolved to closure. The Majestic/Des Moines Orpheum/Iowa/Garrick/Mutual Garrick/President Theatre had few distinctions especially as not being the city’s most expensive theater built. But at least in 1938 it could claim to be the first Des Moines Theatre razed for a car parking garage.
Sadly… that distinction is also not the Majestic-President’s as the Berchel Theatre was torn down in 1931 for - yes - a parking lot. But at least it was the second theater razed for a parking lot and the first theater to be torn down and replaced by a parking lot with six operational names. That’s something, I guess.
Factually - it wasn’t really ever a silent movie house, per se, although short silent films were a part of vaudeville presentations here. Also, it wasn’t known as the Orpheum in 1908. And, it wasn’t closed in 1929.
The Princess Theatre was a legit stage theater that opened on November 1, 1909. It went dark in 1919 - likely at the expiry of a 10-year lease but also struggling against movie theaters making legit and opera houses harder to program profitably. The Princess made a comeback in March of 1920 and performed their final play of the Spring 1923 season on May 12, 1923 with “The Cave Girl.” On May 14, 1923, just two days later, the Princess Theater burned down. Imagine that! Operators Elbert and Getchell vowed to rebuild after receiving a sizable insurance check. However, more 100 years later, the Princess Theatre has yet to have been rebuilt. And that gets you a second, “imagine that.”
This new-build retail building began as a Food 4 Less in 1988 then Value Fair grocery store in 1992 quickly folding. Carmike decided to turn the grocery store into a discount movie theater.
This venue was built by Richard L. Davis' Davis Theatres under the Eastgate Cinemas, Inc. (one word) moniker and designed by Winkler-Goewey Architects. (General Cinema would have used its own architect had they developed this venue; but they didn’t.) The $350,000 complex had 770 seats at launch - 462 in the large house and 308 in the smaller auditorium. R.L. Davis Theatres' Eastgate Cinemas I & II had a World Premiere of “The Hostage” at launch on Oct. 26, 1966. It was controlled by 1,600 stockholders. There is little doubt that the booking and marketing of the venue was being handled by General Cinema for its first two years before moving solely under Davis Theatres' aegis. Davis added a third screen and all of the Davis Theatres locally were marketed internally by that point in 1969.
In the porno chic era, adult theaters were commonplace. Davis built a Cinema III to handle adult titles in late 1969. Like many shopping centers of its era, Eastgate toyed with being a Mall but it was developed theatre-lessly in 1963 as the Eastgate Shopping Center. The first 20 years were good for all with lessees in place and under contract. The next 20 years weren’t good and a number of local critics blamed the adult cinema for the lack of re-ups. And they may have been right as Eastgate scuffled in its second leasing cycle and didn’t really make it to its third potential leasing cycle.
From a cinematic perspective, the Des Moines' East-side was supportive of the adult Cinema III and Cinema 1536 but not so much any others. In 1976, Davis Theatres cited an impossible environment to operate to its stockholders and sold its portfolio to the competing Dubinsky Bros. Circuit including the Eastgate twin. Under Dubinsky, the twin was renamed as the Eastgate Cinema 1 & 2 closing permanently as a 99 cent, sub-run discount house. Its final advertised shows were August 4, 1988 with “Willow” and “Red Heat.” Cinema III would continue 16 more years going down with the Eastgate Shopping Center in demolition in late 2004.
R.V Keeney launched the Urban Theatre apparently on June 10, 1948 with “Bringing Up Father” and “Rainbow over the Rockies.” They closed in 1950 and reopened as the New Urban Theatre in 1953. It stopped advertising likely closing as the New Urban Theatre on January 2, 1954 with “Walt Disney’s Peter Pan.” In 1955, it is home to a roofing company.
A Des Moines' grindhouse that played third-run, five- and six-hour long shows without a break from noon until people were gone. Prices in the 1950s were still as low as a dime for entry on certain days. The Iowa Theatre closed on January 1, 1957 with a triple-feature of “Anything Goes,” Fastest Gun Alive,“ and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.”
Status - Demolished
Opened in 1911 - likely on a 5-year lease - and closed June of 1916.
The Strand closed on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 1953 with “The Moon is Blue.” Work started the next day converting to a retail store that opened in Feb. 1958
Closed Dec. 19, 2014 with “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.” Operated by ABC Theatres from 1967-1972.
The Ingersoll closed with a rep double feature of “Lady from Shanghai” and “Lady By Choice” on June 28, 1977.
The Palace’s grand opening was October 25, 1913 with “A Sister to Carmen.” The Palace appears to have closed on June 22, 1929 with “Flying Buckaroo” unable to make the conversion to sound. It was used as a retail building beginning in 1931.
Last advertised “My Dinner with Andre” on April 29, 1982 and was torn down in October of 1982.