Commonwealth Theatres bought the Sky-Vu, along with the Edgewood, State, Campus, Co-Ed and 14 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Edgewood, along with the Skyvue, State, Campus, Co-Ed and 14 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the then-unnamed Plaza project, along with the Colonial, the Junction and 16 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Hiaway, along with the Chief Theatre and 17 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Fiesta, along with the Beloit Theatre and 17 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
The 1950 Film Daily Year Book listed two theaters in Lexington MS: the Star with 362 seats and the Strand with 464. So I guess one closed and one changed its name by the time this happened.
Boxoffice, Dec. 14, 1957: “LEXINGTON, MISS. - This town’s only theatre, the Center, was destroyed by fire November 20. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Myers, who owned and operated the Center, placed the loss at $50,000.”
Not sure how this matches the timeline posted here much earlier.
Boxoffice, Dec. 7, 1957: (under San Francisco notes) “El Capitan, one of the local theatres, is expected to be reopened soon by owner Ralph Dostal. It was closed October 30”
Boxoffice, Nov. 30, 1957: “W. C. Silver, owner of the Silver Theatre, Cameron, Mo., … also has a drive-in, the Patio, which has 332 speakers, for summer showings.”
It’s undeniable that whatever is on the old drive-in site gets its mail from an Akron post office, but Google Maps indicates that the Montrose was actually in, well, Montrose. The Akron city limit is over a mile away, if Google Maps is to be believed. Contemporary sources also placed the drive-in in Montrose. Maybe CT should join them?
Boxoffice, Nov. 16, 1957: “Nahoon (sic, should be Nathan) Sawaya, 74, longtime theatre man, died at his Trinidad home following a long illness. He owned the Strand as well as the Peak Drive-In there. He is survived by four daughters and two sons - Georgette, Julian, Marie, Salma, George and John.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 9, 1957: “Donald Coffee, manager of the Car View Drive-In, Louisberg, N. C., utilizes small newspaper ad space to the fullest extent. In one recent one-column, three-inch ad, Coffee included a full week’s programs, including a triple feature on Friday-Saturday, plus the offer of free prizes for children on those nights; his Sunday-Monday program, plus an offer of one dollar in free trade to the first seven cars arriving; the fact that the theatre is closed Tuesdays; then his Wednesday-Thursday bill, and his Lucky License night.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 9, 1957: “Irvin Westenskow has leased his two local theatres, the Pix and the Woodburn Drive-In, to Mr. and Mrs. Lafe Potter, present operators of the drive-in, for five years, beginning Jan. 1, 1958. Westenskow has been in the theatre business here for nine years, building both the Pix and the airer during that period. He has no definite future plans beyond a vacation in California.”
That Yumpu-stomped image is fron the Nov. 2, 1957 issue of Boxoffice, which is in the public domain. The original caption:
Here is the front display arranged by Manager Ray Vassler of the James Theatre in Newport News, Va., for “Jet Pilot.” Of course, Vassley got the cooperation of the nearby Langley Air Force base, and he used it imaginatively. He and two air base tech sergeants put on a stage show, “Talent in Blue,” with boys from the base, on opening night. To cap this, Vassler added seven beautiful girl contestants for Queen Loreli VIII, to reign at the New Port News Lions Club annual Seafood Festival.
There was an article last month in the Copperas Cove Leader Press about a sort-of reopening of the Joy. Jodie Nobles has refurbished the screen, which now faces an RV park. It’s fun for the park residents, plus “there will be room for about 30 automobiles” when it opens around January 2026.
A bit of Joy history from Nobles: “Cotton Lightfoot built the Joy originally and Reed Whatley ran it in the 70’s and 80’s … I wanted to bring back something that special to so many generations beginning from 1953”.
The Baytown Historical Preservation Society put out a 2025 Christmas ornament with a photo of the original Decker screen tower. On the back, it listed its dates as 1949-1985. All shown in the Baytown Sun article.
CapeCod.com says that Falmouth officials have picked the old, old Cod Drive-In site, owned by “the Augusta family”, for a new police station.
According to Google Maps, Teaticket is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth. (And of course, the Cod is completely within Falmouth.) If it were up to me, I’d include the Cod Drive-In under Falmouth.
Boxoffice, Nov. 20, 1972: “Construction is at a standstill for the Harold Thompson Twin Drive-In outside of Galion. The concession stand and tower already have been erected”
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Sky-Vu, along with the Edgewood, State, Campus, Co-Ed and 14 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Edgewood, along with the Skyvue, State, Campus, Co-Ed and 14 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the then-unnamed Plaza project, along with the Colonial, the Junction and 16 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Hiaway, along with the Chief Theatre and 17 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Commonwealth Theatres bought the Fiesta, along with the Beloit Theatre and 17 other theaters, from Mid-Central Theatres on Dec. 11, 1957, per a story in that week’s issue of Boxoffice.
Boxoffice, Dec. 14, 1957: “The Molino Theatre, Porterville, Principal Theatres, was reopened November 25”
The 1950 Film Daily Year Book listed two theaters in Lexington MS: the Star with 362 seats and the Strand with 464. So I guess one closed and one changed its name by the time this happened.
Boxoffice, Dec. 14, 1957: “LEXINGTON, MISS. - This town’s only theatre, the Center, was destroyed by fire November 20. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Myers, who owned and operated the Center, placed the loss at $50,000.”
I guess he was more than just a manager.
Boxoffice, Dec. 14, 1957: “Leaman Marshall, owner, reported cigarets and other merchandise were stolen from the Terrell Drive-In recently.”
A slightly wider version of this photo appeared in the Dec. 7, 1957 issue of Boxoffice, which is in the public domain.
This photo of the dance pavilion in front of the screen is from the Dec. 7, 1957 issue of Boxoffice, which is in the public domain.
This photo is from the Dec. 7, 1957 issue of Boxoffice, which is in the public domain.
Not sure how this matches the timeline posted here much earlier.
Boxoffice, Dec. 7, 1957: (under San Francisco notes) “El Capitan, one of the local theatres, is expected to be reopened soon by owner Ralph Dostal. It was closed October 30”
Boxoffice, Dec. 7, 1957: (in San Francisco notes) “Sam S. Millard is doing quite nicely since reopening the local Lyceum Theatre.”
Boxoffice, Dec. 7, 1957: “The Hi-Ho Theatre, Paso Robles, Fox West Coast theatre, has been renamed the Fox.”
Updated speaker count. Maybe Silver expanded?
Boxoffice, Nov. 30, 1957: “W. C. Silver, owner of the Silver Theatre, Cameron, Mo., … also has a drive-in, the Patio, which has 332 speakers, for summer showings.”
It’s undeniable that whatever is on the old drive-in site gets its mail from an Akron post office, but Google Maps indicates that the Montrose was actually in, well, Montrose. The Akron city limit is over a mile away, if Google Maps is to be believed. Contemporary sources also placed the drive-in in Montrose. Maybe CT should join them?
Boxoffice, Nov. 16, 1957: “Nahoon (sic, should be Nathan) Sawaya, 74, longtime theatre man, died at his Trinidad home following a long illness. He owned the Strand as well as the Peak Drive-In there. He is survived by four daughters and two sons - Georgette, Julian, Marie, Salma, George and John.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 9, 1957: “Donald Coffee, manager of the Car View Drive-In, Louisberg, N. C., utilizes small newspaper ad space to the fullest extent. In one recent one-column, three-inch ad, Coffee included a full week’s programs, including a triple feature on Friday-Saturday, plus the offer of free prizes for children on those nights; his Sunday-Monday program, plus an offer of one dollar in free trade to the first seven cars arriving; the fact that the theatre is closed Tuesdays; then his Wednesday-Thursday bill, and his Lucky License night.”
Boxoffice, Nov. 9, 1957: “Irvin Westenskow has leased his two local theatres, the Pix and the Woodburn Drive-In, to Mr. and Mrs. Lafe Potter, present operators of the drive-in, for five years, beginning Jan. 1, 1958. Westenskow has been in the theatre business here for nine years, building both the Pix and the airer during that period. He has no definite future plans beyond a vacation in California.”
That Yumpu-stomped image is fron the Nov. 2, 1957 issue of Boxoffice, which is in the public domain. The original caption:
Here is the front display arranged by Manager Ray Vassler of the James Theatre in Newport News, Va., for “Jet Pilot.” Of course, Vassley got the cooperation of the nearby Langley Air Force base, and he used it imaginatively. He and two air base tech sergeants put on a stage show, “Talent in Blue,” with boys from the base, on opening night. To cap this, Vassler added seven beautiful girl contestants for Queen Loreli VIII, to reign at the New Port News Lions Club annual Seafood Festival.
There was an article last month in the Copperas Cove Leader Press about a sort-of reopening of the Joy. Jodie Nobles has refurbished the screen, which now faces an RV park. It’s fun for the park residents, plus “there will be room for about 30 automobiles” when it opens around January 2026.
A bit of Joy history from Nobles: “Cotton Lightfoot built the Joy originally and Reed Whatley ran it in the 70’s and 80’s … I wanted to bring back something that special to so many generations beginning from 1953”.
The Baytown Historical Preservation Society put out a 2025 Christmas ornament with a photo of the original Decker screen tower. On the back, it listed its dates as 1949-1985. All shown in the Baytown Sun article.
CapeCod.com says that Falmouth officials have picked the old, old Cod Drive-In site, owned by “the Augusta family”, for a new police station.
According to Google Maps, Teaticket is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth. (And of course, the Cod is completely within Falmouth.) If it were up to me, I’d include the Cod Drive-In under Falmouth.
According to the Guthrie News Page, the Beacon was sold a few days ago for $2.2 million and will be replaced by a credit union building. :(
Maybe winter weather note?
Boxoffice, Nov. 20, 1972: “Construction is at a standstill for the Harold Thompson Twin Drive-In outside of Galion. The concession stand and tower already have been erected”