The 702-Capacity (540 for main auditorium and 162 for balcony) Dan Theatre opened its doors on December 19, 1939 with Arthur Lake in “Blondie Takes A Vacation” with no extra subjects. When the theater opened its doors, the nearby 690-capacity Broadway Theatre immediately closed permanently until being bought by R. Lea, and the Broadway Theatre changed its name to the Lea Theatre named after the operator.
The Dan was last owned by Wilby-Kincey and last managed by W.S. Shepherd Jr., and closed for the final time on March 27, 1954 with John Wayne in “Fort Apache” and Ann Sheridan in “Take Me To Town” with no extras. A S.S. Kresge store would later sit in the theater’s spot including extra expansion of floor space.
The Plaza Cinema Theatre had a very strange start at first. Opening as a single-screener on Christmas Day 1970 with “Tora! Tora! Tora!”, the Cinecom operated Cinema Plaza Theatre was constructed by the Delco Development Company of New York and contains the following: a capacity of 599 seats, RCA sound system, and Xenon lamp projection. A red, gold, and black interior decor has been used, and the drapes were flameproof burlop fabric.
After just 11 MONTHS of operation as a Cinecom theater, the Plaza Cinema ceased operations and closed its doors for a few months beginning on November 30, 1971 with “Going Home”. Exactly a few months later, the Plaza Cinema Theatre reopened under new local management by Wayne Petty, reopening with “The Godfather” on May 24, 1972. Wayne Petty is a 12-year veteran at the theater business who formerly worked as the manager of the popular Capitol Theatre for three years, and also worked at the North, Riverside, Lea, and Schoolfield Theatres. He was assisted by Dallas Riggan, a former disc jockey at Martinsville, Virginia radio station (now defunct since January 28, 2019) 1450 AM WMVA.
William West would later take over operations of the Plaza. It remained as a single-screener throughout the rest of the 1970s, with the only twin theater in Danville being the ABC Southeastern operated Riverside I & II which operated as a twin since Christmas Day 1974. The Plaza would later twinned in 1979.
The Rialto began life as the Bijou Theatre during the 1900s until around 20 to 25 years later. On May 5, 1926, nearly half of downtown Danville was devastated in the city’s historic fire of 1926, which destroyed the following: Gilmers, The Kaufman Store, Harnsburger’s, Woolworth’s 5/10 Cent Store, Crews Coffee Company, Dunford’s Studio And Local Armory, and the Bijou Theatre (which the Bijou after the fire was completely destroyed).
Exactly a month before the Capitol Theatre opened its doors, J.C. Hester, secretary of the Southern Amusement Company announced that a “new” Rialto Theatre would be constructed at the former Bijou on January 18, 1927. As for starters before construction: The original announced capacity for the Rialto is an estimate of 1,000 (with 750 on the lower floor and 250 in balcony) the floor considering an 8 foot drop so persons in any part of the house will have perfect viewing, and the seats will be arranged and heavily upholstered to allow complete comfort. The regulation stage brings tabloid shows and smaller productions, while the big road stuff continues at the Majestic and the mainstreamers at the “then new” Capitol. The entrance since being announced “will” occupied a 17ft frontage on Main Street leading back into an ornate lobby. Right at the end of the lobby could have major expansion to a width of 46ft cutting behind two stores which will be on both sides of the lobby. The wiring of the theater was done by the Stigall Electric Company of Danville which included a $3,000 automatic switchboard.
During construction on June 28, 1927, Hammond Staples of 714 Dame Street, a young employee of Carter And Son’s was severely injured after a falling brick struck him on the head while standing next to the constructed Rialto building. The 4½ pound brick fell at a distance of 60ft from the bricklayer’s scaffold, his scalp was split open and a fractured skull was resulted. He was taken to Edmunds hospital by ambulance and was later released where Dr. H.A. Wiseman reported that the outer plate of the skull was cracked but the physician did not believe that the brain had been penetrated as there was no pressure on the brain. After X-rays were taken in order to define more clearly the extent of the fracture, Wiseman said that he had “react very well though but the outcome could not be foretold.
Meanwhile on July 9, 1927, Rialto’s seats arrived by the American Seating Company of Richmond, Virginia. The original seats of the theater were Silverman’s “On The Corner” seats and it represents a soft sanitary Spanish leather. The cushion was 6 inches thick with full spring edges, doing away with any hard surface underneath a person’s knees, especially to smaller people or children whose feet not exactly reach the floor. The hinges are ball-bearing which makes it possible to raise or lower the seat bottom with ease. There is also a hat rack beneath as well. At the end of each row contains an aisle light, and with rows being placed at a distance separate apart sufficient enough to permit room to patrons sitting in cramped position. The theater was also equipped with Arctic Nu-Air Corp air conditioners.
After all that construction, the Rialto Theatre is ready to open its doors. The Rialto Theatre opened its doors to the public on September 19, 1927 with Lewis Stone in “The Prince Of Headwaiters” along with Francis X. Bushman in “The Flag” in “very early color”, and a newsreel. Including the following before showing: Performances by Alvin Eley, Chas. Shopland and the theater’s orchestra performing “My Maryland”, and Thelma Berger with the Rialto’s organ.
On January 25, 1929, G.H. Melson of Western Electric and a force of 10 men had announced that the Rialto would be installing talkies. It was the first theater in Danville to install talkies, with the Rialto installing Vitaphone equipment. On February 4, 1929, the theater ran its first sound film: Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer” along with a Laurel And Hardy short in “We Faw Down”, and Will Hayes' Address. It was originally scheduled to show “The Singing Fool” as its first sound film but was scrapped.
Danville Police on January 6, 1930 were investigating reports of many break-ins in various places, one of which is the Rialto Theatre where police investigated a rear door of the Rialto Theatre had been forced open when a robbery took place there. It was reported that Jack Moser of High Point, North Carolina, was charged at attempting to defraud two Danville theaters (the Broadway and the Rialto). He was sentenced to jail for 10 days until court. He was released on the 16th after Judge C.K. Carter declared that “there was no doubt in his mind that the man was guilty but evidence did not substantiate the charge”.
Vitaphone didn’t last for long at the Rialto as on Groundhog Day 1931 (February 2, 1931), Western Electric took over the Rialto.
The Rialto continued operations throughout World War II and into the Korean War, as the Rialto was the first theater in Danville to show 3-D films beginning with “Bwana Devil” on April 12, 1953. Right when 1954 came along, the Capitol, Lea, North, and Schoolfield Theatres were the only indoor theaters in Danville to have CinemaScope only in 1954. One year later in 1955, CinemaScope was then installed at the Rialto.
On February 26, 1967, it was announced that the Rialto Theatre would close for the final time later in March in connection of a remodeling project of a Glenmore store. The Rialto Theatre closed for the final time on March 12, 1967.
The Capitol Theatre was first operated by R.C. Frost, who had a wife and two children originated from Tampa, Florida. They moved to Danville a day prior to the Capitol’s grand opening.
The Capitol Theatre opened its doors to the public on February 21, 1927 with Pat O'Malley in “The Midnight Sun” along with an unnamed comedy and a newsreel. The Capitol’s original capacity is listed as 900.
R.C. Frost was formerly a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, who was also actively interested in a Boy Scout movement. Since before World War I, Frost is a showman for years, having been operated theaters for Southern Enterprises, a S.A. Lynch operated organization and chain from Tampa, Florida and Dallas, Texas. However, his service was interrupted right when World War I struck the United States. It happened twice. Once when he secured to take his place in the combat division of the flying service in France, and again when he resigned to handle the state of Florida’s realty during the recent boom in the Peninsula State. Frost is a World War I veteran who survived the attacks, as he carries honorable of his service even after a bullet struck him in the leg, patched upper lip, and a long scalp wound securing in a skirmish with the Hun while at 5000ft in the air. His comrades replied that his laws of chance did not operate when he fell 5000ft and came out with his life intact. He was called “Luck Spot” since then. Frost has been in Danville since 1926.
However, after just more than 10 months, the theater immediately closed its doors on December 31, 1927 after reports of a merger of the Tribute Theatres Corporation and the Southern Amusement Company which was in course of negotiation but whether the closing of the Capitol is not indicated as a result of its development. From its opening in February until closing in December, it has been reported that the theater patronage provided a fair return on the investments. The cost of films and that of operating a more modern theater is considerably larger than it previously used. This left Danville with three other theaters by Southern, which were the Rialto, Broadway, and Majestic Theatres.
The Capitol Theatre those had a huge surprising return after more than a year as a vacant building under the leadership of Frank Garner, including former Rialto organist Harold Price who moved to the Capitol shortly right after the Rialto Theatre received sound on February 5, 1929. The Rialto is the first theater to install sound in Danville, which the installation of Western Electric.
The Capitol Theatre reopened its doors on February 11, 1929 with Colleen Moore in “Synthetic Sin” along with a performance by Garner’s own orchestra, Price’s own organ who also sings as well, an Our Gang short in “Growing Pains”, and a newsreel. Sound would later install at the Capitol later on.
The Capitol would later gain its strength as Danville’s dominant mainstream theater. The Capitol operated throughout World War II and into the Korean War era.
The Capitol was the first in Danville to receive CinemaScope as announced on January 5, 1954, and ran its first CinemaScope film “The Robe” on February 4, 1954.
Its first-run mainstream success continues into the 1960s and the first quarter of the 1970s. But on December 2, 1971, an announcement from Danville’s The Bee announces that the Capitol would temporarily close on December 4, 1971 (with Charlton Heston in “The Omega Man”) according to manager Paul Jones from the nearby ABC Southeastern operated Riverside Theatre. However, it was announced that there is a possibly of reopening by new management after its operation by Clements & Parker.
However, after closing throughout 1972 and most of 1973, the Capitol made a surprise fanfare and was refurbished by R-C Theatres of Fredericksburg. The Capitol reopened its doors on November 21, 1973 with “Cleopatra Jones”.
There were a handle of robberies in Danville throughout October 1976, one in case was the Capitol Theatre on October 3, 1976 when $4 was stolen from the cash register and entry was made by climbing the fire escape and prying open one of the doors.
The Capitol was still in operation as late as 1977, but its closing date hasn’t been found yet.
Opening Date Was Lost, But The Elite Closed In 1912 In Connection Of The Opening To The Columbia Theatre Nearby Which Operated For An Estimate 45½ Years In Total.
The Lakewood Cinema 15 (back as an Act III theater) made an appearance on an episode of COPS (Season 13, Episode 11, Airdate: November 25, 2000), which was shot almost or around a year the theater celebrated its first anniversary of operation.
The Lakewood 15’s building and sign were featured when Lakewood Police responded to a suspicious man being taken down in front of the marquee. Portions of it you can see the inside of the lobby by doors.
After A Decade, The State Theatre Began Construction And Opened Its Doors On February 17, 1938 With Bob Burns In “Mountain Music” Along With A Popeye Cartoon In “Never Kick A Woman”, With An Original Capacity Of 397.
The Bristol Mall 4 Began Construction On August 6, 1975 And Opened In 1976. AMC Would Later Operate The Theater Beginning Around 1981, And Two More Screens Were Added During The Same Year. 10 Years Later In 1991, Carmike Took Over The Bristol 6.
The Paramount-Publix Operated Paramount Theatre Opened On February 20, 1931 With “It Pays To Advertise” Along With A Talkartoons #17: Betty Boop And Bimbo In “Teacher’s Pest”, And Paramount News (Including Performances By Jean Van Arsdale In The Paramount’s Organ).
The Columbia First Opened On May 27, 1912 With The Following: Comedian Charles E. Mack Taking A Blackface Performance, Morse (Unclear If It Was The First Owner Lewis Morse) And Clark In A Piano Act, Performances By May Archer And Billy Carr, And An Unknown Amount Of PhotoPlays. After Showing, Guests Were Invited To Dinner At A Hotel In Bristol By Theater Operators And Owners.
The Columbia Closed Its Doors For The Final Time And Placed On Sale On November 3, 1957 With A One-Day Showing Of James Stewart In “Night Passage”, William Holden In “Proud And Profame”, And An Unnamed Cartoon, By The Last Owner Bill Wilson, Who Operated The Theater Since 1951 And Is A Production Manager At Radio Station 1490 AM WOPI (Now An ESPN Radio Affiliate As “ESPN Tri-Cities”).
The Johnson City Press-Chronicle Reports That Showings Were Still Running At The Skyline Throughout The 1983 Season, Including A Mix Of Fanfare From Disney To X. The Last Attractions The Skyline Ran On October 14, 1983 Was “Xtro” And “Deadly Force”. If You Look At Page 2 Of The March 27, 1984 Johnson City-Press Chronicle, It Demonstrates The Projection Booth Fire Story.
The Aerial Picture May Have Been Taking Shortly After The Projection Booth Fire In 1984, And The Aerial Shot May Have An Errored Year.
The Skyline Closed For The Final Time At The End Of The 1983 Season On October 14, 1983. The Theater Did Not Reopen For The 1984 Season Due To The Projection Room Being Extensively Damaged In A Fire Alongside An Apartment Next To The Drive-In Itself On March 26, 1984.
Yes, The Grand Became The Betsy Theatre On January 14, 1951. This Comes Right After The Grand Theatre Had Been Leased From Former Ritz Theatre Operator F.E. Perryman By Owners And Operators Dr. B.K. Barker And S.W. Baker Of The Nearby Capitol On December 1, 1950.
The Ritz was built by B.W. Birchfield and opened on January 2, 1929. The Ritz was managed by D.M. Nuttall, Jerry M. Thomas as the contractor, and Vitaphone installation by John M. Jones. Shortly after opening, it closed for a few days in connection of two motors been burned out and other minor difficulties have been detected.
Nuttall replied that “the machinery for producing the sound effects was installed without any preliminary tests having been made causing various difficulties which would have ordinarily been corrected before any public exhibition.” John left Elizabethton for New Jersey to obtain and brought back heavier motors to Elizabethton for replacement of its original installations, bringing his opinion that the presents were unsuited to carry the power load of electricity. Nuttall, Thomas and Birchfield had many compliments on the Ritz since its opening and had enjoyed capacity attendance. Nuttall formerly before the Ritz opened its doors took several trips around the Charlotte, North Carolina area where he conferred with the leading southern distributors obtaining its first rights on all of his best sound pictures being produced at the time.
Vitaphone’s installations led into a short life at the Ritz, which would later replace it with RCA Protophone on November 14, 1930.
The Ritz had a lot of ownership and operator changes since its first 7 to 8 years, with F.E. Perryman becoming the theater’s manager in 1930 followed by Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Sherrill.
On October 26, 1934, J.S. Browning, who has been the operator of the dominant Bonnie Kate Theatre since 1927, later became the operator of the Ritz. Remodeling of the Ritz later took next week following the Sherrills taking ownership of another theater they owned in North Carolina. Browning operated the theater until being taking over by new ownership, Elizabethton Theatres Incorporated of 529 Elk Avenue incorporated by H.G. Fowler, J.C. Babcock, and W.C. Wilson, on April 10, 1938.
The Ritz did not receive CinemaScope at all when it arrived in town, as the Bonnie Kate Theatre was the city’s dominant first-run mainstream theater. The Ritz closed for the final time in the middle of 1956. However, later that December 17 of that year, a fire broke out at the Ritz building.
Actually, The Lyric Theatre Closed Its Doors For The Final Time On June 24, 1963 With Walt Disney’s “The Son Of Flubber” After It Failed To Gain Sufficient Boost To Continue Operating. It Was Closed For A Short Time Years Prior Before Taken Over By Mr. And Mrs. Ray Boyd Due To Lack Of Business.
The Theater Was First Known As The “Waemore Theatre” (Not “Waymore”) With An Estimate Of $25,000, Opening On June 30, 1930 With William Haines In “The Girl Said No”, Along With Many Short Subjects, Including Harry Langdon In “The King” And A Fox Movietone Newsreel.
Thomas E. Wilhoit Was The Original Owner Of The 500-Seat Capacity Lyric Since The Waemore Became The Lyric On September 28, 1937, Reopening With “Broadway Melody Of 1938” Along With An Our Gang Comedy And A Popeye Cartoon.
Once owned by 44-year-old Harry Brey of unknown and managed by 24-year-old Anthony Pastor of Westport until around that time (but papers say that October 11, 1974 marked the day the obscenity occurred), when both Harry and Anthony were arrested and taken into custody after counts of obscenity over the showing of those two films. It was filed on a complaint from two 17-year-old girls after viewing the film.
Less than two years later on March 26, 1976, Harry was fined after sentencing 10 days in mail and 4 days of trial.
The 702-Capacity (540 for main auditorium and 162 for balcony) Dan Theatre opened its doors on December 19, 1939 with Arthur Lake in “Blondie Takes A Vacation” with no extra subjects. When the theater opened its doors, the nearby 690-capacity Broadway Theatre immediately closed permanently until being bought by R. Lea, and the Broadway Theatre changed its name to the Lea Theatre named after the operator.
The Dan was last owned by Wilby-Kincey and last managed by W.S. Shepherd Jr., and closed for the final time on March 27, 1954 with John Wayne in “Fort Apache” and Ann Sheridan in “Take Me To Town” with no extras. A S.S. Kresge store would later sit in the theater’s spot including extra expansion of floor space.
The Riverside became a twin on Christmas Day 1974.
The Plaza Cinema Theatre had a very strange start at first. Opening as a single-screener on Christmas Day 1970 with “Tora! Tora! Tora!”, the Cinecom operated Cinema Plaza Theatre was constructed by the Delco Development Company of New York and contains the following: a capacity of 599 seats, RCA sound system, and Xenon lamp projection. A red, gold, and black interior decor has been used, and the drapes were flameproof burlop fabric.
After just 11 MONTHS of operation as a Cinecom theater, the Plaza Cinema ceased operations and closed its doors for a few months beginning on November 30, 1971 with “Going Home”. Exactly a few months later, the Plaza Cinema Theatre reopened under new local management by Wayne Petty, reopening with “The Godfather” on May 24, 1972. Wayne Petty is a 12-year veteran at the theater business who formerly worked as the manager of the popular Capitol Theatre for three years, and also worked at the North, Riverside, Lea, and Schoolfield Theatres. He was assisted by Dallas Riggan, a former disc jockey at Martinsville, Virginia radio station (now defunct since January 28, 2019) 1450 AM WMVA.
William West would later take over operations of the Plaza. It remained as a single-screener throughout the rest of the 1970s, with the only twin theater in Danville being the ABC Southeastern operated Riverside I & II which operated as a twin since Christmas Day 1974. The Plaza would later twinned in 1979.
The Rialto began life as the Bijou Theatre during the 1900s until around 20 to 25 years later. On May 5, 1926, nearly half of downtown Danville was devastated in the city’s historic fire of 1926, which destroyed the following: Gilmers, The Kaufman Store, Harnsburger’s, Woolworth’s 5/10 Cent Store, Crews Coffee Company, Dunford’s Studio And Local Armory, and the Bijou Theatre (which the Bijou after the fire was completely destroyed).
Exactly a month before the Capitol Theatre opened its doors, J.C. Hester, secretary of the Southern Amusement Company announced that a “new” Rialto Theatre would be constructed at the former Bijou on January 18, 1927. As for starters before construction: The original announced capacity for the Rialto is an estimate of 1,000 (with 750 on the lower floor and 250 in balcony) the floor considering an 8 foot drop so persons in any part of the house will have perfect viewing, and the seats will be arranged and heavily upholstered to allow complete comfort. The regulation stage brings tabloid shows and smaller productions, while the big road stuff continues at the Majestic and the mainstreamers at the “then new” Capitol. The entrance since being announced “will” occupied a 17ft frontage on Main Street leading back into an ornate lobby. Right at the end of the lobby could have major expansion to a width of 46ft cutting behind two stores which will be on both sides of the lobby. The wiring of the theater was done by the Stigall Electric Company of Danville which included a $3,000 automatic switchboard.
During construction on June 28, 1927, Hammond Staples of 714 Dame Street, a young employee of Carter And Son’s was severely injured after a falling brick struck him on the head while standing next to the constructed Rialto building. The 4½ pound brick fell at a distance of 60ft from the bricklayer’s scaffold, his scalp was split open and a fractured skull was resulted. He was taken to Edmunds hospital by ambulance and was later released where Dr. H.A. Wiseman reported that the outer plate of the skull was cracked but the physician did not believe that the brain had been penetrated as there was no pressure on the brain. After X-rays were taken in order to define more clearly the extent of the fracture, Wiseman said that he had “react very well though but the outcome could not be foretold.
Meanwhile on July 9, 1927, Rialto’s seats arrived by the American Seating Company of Richmond, Virginia. The original seats of the theater were Silverman’s “On The Corner” seats and it represents a soft sanitary Spanish leather. The cushion was 6 inches thick with full spring edges, doing away with any hard surface underneath a person’s knees, especially to smaller people or children whose feet not exactly reach the floor. The hinges are ball-bearing which makes it possible to raise or lower the seat bottom with ease. There is also a hat rack beneath as well. At the end of each row contains an aisle light, and with rows being placed at a distance separate apart sufficient enough to permit room to patrons sitting in cramped position. The theater was also equipped with Arctic Nu-Air Corp air conditioners.
After all that construction, the Rialto Theatre is ready to open its doors. The Rialto Theatre opened its doors to the public on September 19, 1927 with Lewis Stone in “The Prince Of Headwaiters” along with Francis X. Bushman in “The Flag” in “very early color”, and a newsreel. Including the following before showing: Performances by Alvin Eley, Chas. Shopland and the theater’s orchestra performing “My Maryland”, and Thelma Berger with the Rialto’s organ.
On January 25, 1929, G.H. Melson of Western Electric and a force of 10 men had announced that the Rialto would be installing talkies. It was the first theater in Danville to install talkies, with the Rialto installing Vitaphone equipment. On February 4, 1929, the theater ran its first sound film: Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer” along with a Laurel And Hardy short in “We Faw Down”, and Will Hayes' Address. It was originally scheduled to show “The Singing Fool” as its first sound film but was scrapped.
Danville Police on January 6, 1930 were investigating reports of many break-ins in various places, one of which is the Rialto Theatre where police investigated a rear door of the Rialto Theatre had been forced open when a robbery took place there. It was reported that Jack Moser of High Point, North Carolina, was charged at attempting to defraud two Danville theaters (the Broadway and the Rialto). He was sentenced to jail for 10 days until court. He was released on the 16th after Judge C.K. Carter declared that “there was no doubt in his mind that the man was guilty but evidence did not substantiate the charge”.
Vitaphone didn’t last for long at the Rialto as on Groundhog Day 1931 (February 2, 1931), Western Electric took over the Rialto.
The Rialto continued operations throughout World War II and into the Korean War, as the Rialto was the first theater in Danville to show 3-D films beginning with “Bwana Devil” on April 12, 1953. Right when 1954 came along, the Capitol, Lea, North, and Schoolfield Theatres were the only indoor theaters in Danville to have CinemaScope only in 1954. One year later in 1955, CinemaScope was then installed at the Rialto.
On February 26, 1967, it was announced that the Rialto Theatre would close for the final time later in March in connection of a remodeling project of a Glenmore store. The Rialto Theatre closed for the final time on March 12, 1967.
The Capitol Theatre was first operated by R.C. Frost, who had a wife and two children originated from Tampa, Florida. They moved to Danville a day prior to the Capitol’s grand opening.
The Capitol Theatre opened its doors to the public on February 21, 1927 with Pat O'Malley in “The Midnight Sun” along with an unnamed comedy and a newsreel. The Capitol’s original capacity is listed as 900.
R.C. Frost was formerly a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, who was also actively interested in a Boy Scout movement. Since before World War I, Frost is a showman for years, having been operated theaters for Southern Enterprises, a S.A. Lynch operated organization and chain from Tampa, Florida and Dallas, Texas. However, his service was interrupted right when World War I struck the United States. It happened twice. Once when he secured to take his place in the combat division of the flying service in France, and again when he resigned to handle the state of Florida’s realty during the recent boom in the Peninsula State. Frost is a World War I veteran who survived the attacks, as he carries honorable of his service even after a bullet struck him in the leg, patched upper lip, and a long scalp wound securing in a skirmish with the Hun while at 5000ft in the air. His comrades replied that his laws of chance did not operate when he fell 5000ft and came out with his life intact. He was called “Luck Spot” since then. Frost has been in Danville since 1926.
However, after just more than 10 months, the theater immediately closed its doors on December 31, 1927 after reports of a merger of the Tribute Theatres Corporation and the Southern Amusement Company which was in course of negotiation but whether the closing of the Capitol is not indicated as a result of its development. From its opening in February until closing in December, it has been reported that the theater patronage provided a fair return on the investments. The cost of films and that of operating a more modern theater is considerably larger than it previously used. This left Danville with three other theaters by Southern, which were the Rialto, Broadway, and Majestic Theatres.
The Capitol Theatre those had a huge surprising return after more than a year as a vacant building under the leadership of Frank Garner, including former Rialto organist Harold Price who moved to the Capitol shortly right after the Rialto Theatre received sound on February 5, 1929. The Rialto is the first theater to install sound in Danville, which the installation of Western Electric.
The Capitol Theatre reopened its doors on February 11, 1929 with Colleen Moore in “Synthetic Sin” along with a performance by Garner’s own orchestra, Price’s own organ who also sings as well, an Our Gang short in “Growing Pains”, and a newsreel. Sound would later install at the Capitol later on.
The Capitol would later gain its strength as Danville’s dominant mainstream theater. The Capitol operated throughout World War II and into the Korean War era.
The Capitol was the first in Danville to receive CinemaScope as announced on January 5, 1954, and ran its first CinemaScope film “The Robe” on February 4, 1954.
Its first-run mainstream success continues into the 1960s and the first quarter of the 1970s. But on December 2, 1971, an announcement from Danville’s The Bee announces that the Capitol would temporarily close on December 4, 1971 (with Charlton Heston in “The Omega Man”) according to manager Paul Jones from the nearby ABC Southeastern operated Riverside Theatre. However, it was announced that there is a possibly of reopening by new management after its operation by Clements & Parker.
However, after closing throughout 1972 and most of 1973, the Capitol made a surprise fanfare and was refurbished by R-C Theatres of Fredericksburg. The Capitol reopened its doors on November 21, 1973 with “Cleopatra Jones”.
There were a handle of robberies in Danville throughout October 1976, one in case was the Capitol Theatre on October 3, 1976 when $4 was stolen from the cash register and entry was made by climbing the fire escape and prying open one of the doors.
The Capitol was still in operation as late as 1977, but its closing date hasn’t been found yet.
Opening Date Was Lost, But The Elite Closed In 1912 In Connection Of The Opening To The Columbia Theatre Nearby Which Operated For An Estimate 45½ Years In Total.
The actual opening date is August 25, 1947 with Dick Haymes in “Carnival Of Costa Rica” with no extra subjects.
The Lakewood Cinema 15 (back as an Act III theater) made an appearance on an episode of COPS (Season 13, Episode 11, Airdate: November 25, 2000), which was shot almost or around a year the theater celebrated its first anniversary of operation.
The Lakewood 15’s building and sign were featured when Lakewood Police responded to a suspicious man being taken down in front of the marquee. Portions of it you can see the inside of the lobby by doors.
The Eagle Theatre Operated From 1910 Until 1927.
After A Decade, The State Theatre Began Construction And Opened Its Doors On February 17, 1938 With Bob Burns In “Mountain Music” Along With A Popeye Cartoon In “Never Kick A Woman”, With An Original Capacity Of 397.
The Bristol Mall 4 Began Construction On August 6, 1975 And Opened In 1976. AMC Would Later Operate The Theater Beginning Around 1981, And Two More Screens Were Added During The Same Year. 10 Years Later In 1991, Carmike Took Over The Bristol 6.
I Can’t Find The Closing Date To This One.
Opened On March 30, 1925.
Opened On January 7, 1917, Closed In 1931.
The Paramount-Publix Operated Paramount Theatre Opened On February 20, 1931 With “It Pays To Advertise” Along With A Talkartoons #17: Betty Boop And Bimbo In “Teacher’s Pest”, And Paramount News (Including Performances By Jean Van Arsdale In The Paramount’s Organ).
The Columbia First Opened On May 27, 1912 With The Following: Comedian Charles E. Mack Taking A Blackface Performance, Morse (Unclear If It Was The First Owner Lewis Morse) And Clark In A Piano Act, Performances By May Archer And Billy Carr, And An Unknown Amount Of PhotoPlays. After Showing, Guests Were Invited To Dinner At A Hotel In Bristol By Theater Operators And Owners.
The Columbia Closed Its Doors For The Final Time And Placed On Sale On November 3, 1957 With A One-Day Showing Of James Stewart In “Night Passage”, William Holden In “Proud And Profame”, And An Unnamed Cartoon, By The Last Owner Bill Wilson, Who Operated The Theater Since 1951 And Is A Production Manager At Radio Station 1490 AM WOPI (Now An ESPN Radio Affiliate As “ESPN Tri-Cities”).
The Family Closed In 1977, Which Later Announced That A Kmart (As Part Of A Shopping Center Project) Will Replace The Theater A Year Later.
The Johnson City Press-Chronicle Reports That Showings Were Still Running At The Skyline Throughout The 1983 Season, Including A Mix Of Fanfare From Disney To X. The Last Attractions The Skyline Ran On October 14, 1983 Was “Xtro” And “Deadly Force”. If You Look At Page 2 Of The March 27, 1984 Johnson City-Press Chronicle, It Demonstrates The Projection Booth Fire Story.
The Aerial Picture May Have Been Taking Shortly After The Projection Booth Fire In 1984, And The Aerial Shot May Have An Errored Year.
The Skyline Closed For The Final Time At The End Of The 1983 Season On October 14, 1983. The Theater Did Not Reopen For The 1984 Season Due To The Projection Room Being Extensively Damaged In A Fire Alongside An Apartment Next To The Drive-In Itself On March 26, 1984.
Yes, The Grand Became The Betsy Theatre On January 14, 1951. This Comes Right After The Grand Theatre Had Been Leased From Former Ritz Theatre Operator F.E. Perryman By Owners And Operators Dr. B.K. Barker And S.W. Baker Of The Nearby Capitol On December 1, 1950.
The Ritz was built by B.W. Birchfield and opened on January 2, 1929. The Ritz was managed by D.M. Nuttall, Jerry M. Thomas as the contractor, and Vitaphone installation by John M. Jones. Shortly after opening, it closed for a few days in connection of two motors been burned out and other minor difficulties have been detected.
Nuttall replied that “the machinery for producing the sound effects was installed without any preliminary tests having been made causing various difficulties which would have ordinarily been corrected before any public exhibition.” John left Elizabethton for New Jersey to obtain and brought back heavier motors to Elizabethton for replacement of its original installations, bringing his opinion that the presents were unsuited to carry the power load of electricity. Nuttall, Thomas and Birchfield had many compliments on the Ritz since its opening and had enjoyed capacity attendance. Nuttall formerly before the Ritz opened its doors took several trips around the Charlotte, North Carolina area where he conferred with the leading southern distributors obtaining its first rights on all of his best sound pictures being produced at the time.
Vitaphone’s installations led into a short life at the Ritz, which would later replace it with RCA Protophone on November 14, 1930.
The Ritz had a lot of ownership and operator changes since its first 7 to 8 years, with F.E. Perryman becoming the theater’s manager in 1930 followed by Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Sherrill.
On October 26, 1934, J.S. Browning, who has been the operator of the dominant Bonnie Kate Theatre since 1927, later became the operator of the Ritz. Remodeling of the Ritz later took next week following the Sherrills taking ownership of another theater they owned in North Carolina. Browning operated the theater until being taking over by new ownership, Elizabethton Theatres Incorporated of 529 Elk Avenue incorporated by H.G. Fowler, J.C. Babcock, and W.C. Wilson, on April 10, 1938.
The Ritz did not receive CinemaScope at all when it arrived in town, as the Bonnie Kate Theatre was the city’s dominant first-run mainstream theater. The Ritz closed for the final time in the middle of 1956. However, later that December 17 of that year, a fire broke out at the Ritz building.
By the looks of the background, this looks circa 1956 or a bit later, not around 1952.
Actually, The Lyric Theatre Closed Its Doors For The Final Time On June 24, 1963 With Walt Disney’s “The Son Of Flubber” After It Failed To Gain Sufficient Boost To Continue Operating. It Was Closed For A Short Time Years Prior Before Taken Over By Mr. And Mrs. Ray Boyd Due To Lack Of Business.
The Theater Was First Known As The “Waemore Theatre” (Not “Waymore”) With An Estimate Of $25,000, Opening On June 30, 1930 With William Haines In “The Girl Said No”, Along With Many Short Subjects, Including Harry Langdon In “The King” And A Fox Movietone Newsreel.
Thomas E. Wilhoit Was The Original Owner Of The 500-Seat Capacity Lyric Since The Waemore Became The Lyric On September 28, 1937, Reopening With “Broadway Melody Of 1938” Along With An Our Gang Comedy And A Popeye Cartoon.
This Marcus Theater Replaced A Longtime Sears, Operated From 1967 Until 2018.
Opened As Early As The Early 1970s.
Once owned by 44-year-old Harry Brey of unknown and managed by 24-year-old Anthony Pastor of Westport until around that time (but papers say that October 11, 1974 marked the day the obscenity occurred), when both Harry and Anthony were arrested and taken into custody after counts of obscenity over the showing of those two films. It was filed on a complaint from two 17-year-old girls after viewing the film.
Less than two years later on March 26, 1976, Harry was fined after sentencing 10 days in mail and 4 days of trial.
Closed After The 1974 Season.