Comments from 50sSNIPES

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Lakeview Drive-In on Jan 13, 2023 at 5:49 pm

The Lakeview Drive-In opened on June 7, 1951, and closed at the end of the 1986 season. It was demolished a few years later.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Showplace Family Cinemas on Jan 13, 2023 at 5:27 pm

The Showplace Cinemas first opened its doors as a twin by Powell Cinemas Corporation/Absher Enterprises on October 21, 1981, the same day the entire Somerset Mall opened its doors to the public. It was first managed by Norma Leveridge.

Two more screens were added in the late 1980s or early 1990s bringing a total of four screens, and in 1996, five more screens were added bringing a total to nine screens. However, it was unclear why one of the nine screens was converted though in the 2010s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about AMC Classic Uniontown 6 on Jan 9, 2023 at 4:34 pm

Manos Amusement opened the “Twin 40 I & II” on May 23, 1973. On December 17, 1983, the twin theater was converted into a quad and was renamed “Quad 40 Cinema”. The theater remained as a Manos theater until being purchased by Carmike in 1993. Two more screens were added in May 1995 and became the Cinema 6.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about 49 Drive-In on Jan 9, 2023 at 2:08 pm

The 49 Drive-In was an African-American drive-in, and opened its gates on June 28, 1952 with Jackie Robinson in “The Jackie Robinson Story” with no extra short subjects. Indeed it was short-lived as it was closed after two or three seasons.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Moonlite Drive-In on Jan 8, 2023 at 10:19 pm

Closed in the mid-1980s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Kuna Theatre on Jan 6, 2023 at 4:44 pm

The Kuna Theatre was in operation as early as the early 1920s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Drive-In on Jan 6, 2023 at 11:25 am

Closed after the 1989 season.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about White Beauty Drive-In on Jan 1, 2023 at 3:19 pm

Opened in 1949 and closed in the 1980s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Pocono Drive-In on Jan 1, 2023 at 3:14 pm

The popularity of the Skyline Drive-In which opened two months prior to the closure of the Pocono Drive-In was the main cause of the closure of the Pocono Drive-In. However, the Skyline Drive-In in East Stroudsburg operated as a single-screen theater until late 1973 when it was twinned. Previously that same year, the Skyline Drive-In changed its name to the East Stroudsburg Drive-In (forgot to add that in my own Cinema Treasures page) and remained in operation until its closure in 1989.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Pocono Drive-In on Jan 1, 2023 at 12:31 pm

The Pocono Drive-In (named after the surrounding beauties of the Pocono Mountains) held its private opening for four days before its grand opening to the public by St. Clair native Melvin L. Heimbach on June 22, 1951, with Larry Parks in “The Swordsmen” along with a comedy and a Grantland Rice Sportlight. Heimbach previously operated Ringtown’s Brandonville (later Starlite) Drive-In for the previous two years.

The theater featured installations of a Western Electric sound system, 35mm Matiograph sound projectors, and Hi-Power Ashcraft Arc high-intensity projection lamps by Vincent T. Mate and his Altee Service Corporation of 1618-20 Wyoming Drive of Wilkes-Barre led by J.L. Pyle as the area engineer. The original 60x50ft steel-framed screen was done by Wilson Reitz of Sunbury, and the 60ftsq concession building which also features restrooms for both genders was done by Claude M. Werkheiser of Stroudsburg.

On April 26, 1960, the construction of a new drive-in was announced two-and-a-half miles north of Stroudsburg. Stanley Lesinski, a local manager who worked for Heimbach announced that it will feature installations of a 50x120ft CinemaScope screen and an 800-car capacity compared to the 550-car capacity at Bartonville’s Pocono Drive-In and the 300-car capacity of the longtime Blue Ridge Drive-In in Saylorsburg. And the answer is the Skyline Drive-In in East Stroudsburg. The Skyline held its grand opening by Charles Locke and Jack Lusky who also did attend its help from Heimbach on July 27, 1960 (which will have its Cinema Treasures page soon).

Because of the Skyline’s popularity, the Pocono Drive-In closed for the final time at the end of the 1960 season. The Pocono closed on September 25, 1960, with Van Heflin in “Under Ten Flags” and Robert Youngson in “When Comedy Was King”. Although it was originally closed for three days before being expected to reopen on the 28th, unfortunately, I didn’t see any evidence of the theater being reopened.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Poconos Movieplex on Dec 31, 2022 at 7:10 pm

Opened in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about AMC Loews Stroud Mall 7 on Dec 31, 2022 at 6:54 pm

Throughout 1977 and 1978, the Stroud Mall slowly opened many stores such as J.C. Penney, Stewarts, and Hess’s. However, around that same time, a movie theater was planned inside the Strouds Mall in August 1977. It did and the theater was built inside the mall shortly after the mall opened its first stores.

The Stroud Mall Cinema 1-5 opened in 1978 with five screens and was first managed by Pat Boyle. Two more screens were added in the 1980s bringing a total to 7 screens and was renamed the “Stroud Mall Cinema 1-7” and later “Loews Stroud Mall 7” after being taken over by Loews. I cannot find who first operated the Stroud Mall Cinema before its Loews takeover.

In 1994, the theater became a Sony theater and was renamed “Sony Stroud Mall 7” but retained its Loews signages. The theater went back to Loews in 1996 and rechanged its name back to “Loews Stroud Mall 7” and remained as a Loews theater until its bankruptcy in 2006.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Classic Theatre on Dec 30, 2022 at 1:44 pm

The Classic Theatre continued operating into the 1960s. It did not close by 1957.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Sherman Theater on Dec 30, 2022 at 1:19 pm

On January 27, 1971, the Sherman Theatre became a twin theater as the Sherman I & II Theatre. The theater remained as a twin until closing as a movie house in the mid-1980s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Carib Theatre exterior on Dec 29, 2022 at 6:42 pm

This picture was actually Clearwater’s Carib Theatre, not Miami Beach’s.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Santa Barbara Drive-In on Dec 28, 2022 at 10:01 pm

Yes, this was a twin when it originally operated from 1966 until 1991.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Sutton Motor-In on Dec 28, 2022 at 9:45 pm

The Sutton Motor-In closed for the final time on August 4, 1996 due to nonpayment of a $2,692 bill for police details.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Santa Barbara Drive-In on Dec 28, 2022 at 5:41 pm

Did it demolish right after closure?

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Show Place Twin on Dec 28, 2022 at 10:35 am

Short-lived. The Showplace closed in 1977.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Rio Theatre on Dec 27, 2022 at 9:26 pm

I mistakenly said 1948 on accident on the older page, but this is taken way earlier than that. So I apologized, I get my brain completely scrambled sometimes.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Paradise Theatre on Dec 23, 2022 at 10:22 pm

Correction: It’s the west section of Baxter County, not north section.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Paradise Theatre on Dec 23, 2022 at 10:20 pm

The theater first opened with a different name but was unknown at this time. It changed its name to the Cotter Theatre in 1917 after manager Frank Dawson remodeled the theater, and three years later it changed its name once again to the Hopkins Theatre in May 1920 after being purchased by C.E. Hopkins of Cotter from W.M. DeLapp of Mountain Home and remodeled the theater including new improvements being installed.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Sun Valley Cinema 6 on Dec 22, 2022 at 11:30 am

First opened as the Sundance Cinemas 6 in 2003, and changed its name to the Sun Valley Cinemas 6 two years later in 2005.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Royal Drive-In on Dec 22, 2022 at 10:11 am

Looks like it did close in the 1970s. The theater was almost completely gone in the 1981 aerial.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES commented about Cicero Twin Drive-In on Dec 20, 2022 at 9:21 am

Opened on May 2, 1969.