Village Theater
MacCorkle Avenue and 39th Street,
Kanawha City,
Charleston,
WV
25304
MacCorkle Avenue and 39th Street,
Kanawha City,
Charleston,
WV
25304
1 person
favorited this theater
A neighborhood theater in Kanawha City, a suburb of Charleston, WV. Unremarkable in appearance. It opened on April 2, 1941 with Bing Crosby in “Rhythm on the River”. It was closed in 1988, and converted to office space. Now not distinguishable as a former theater.
Contributed by
Charlie Cooper
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
Sorry, Mikey. I don’t remember the Burke’s but I sure do remember Roger Galloway. Roger!! We went to school together. Horace Mann, Charleston High and we were both into Children’s Theater.
I moved to California after our junior year in 1958. I’m now retired and living in Palm Springs. Where are you?
Jack — I remember you very well!! I’m about 200 miles from you.
E-mail me at (ah, Children’s Theatre —something you and I share also with Jennifer Garner —lol.)
My friend Roger Galloway told me about this site concerning the Village Theatre. I too worked as a projectionist at the Village Theatre from 1956-59. My brother Larry worked as a projectionist too as well as my sister Sharon working in the refreshment stand. I have vivid memories of those Saturdays and Sundays at the Village Theatre where I did double shifts with my brother Larry and eating popcorn and gold dome hot dogs. I also helped my friend Roger with putting up the marque letters on many occasions. I also worked for George Simon at his Putt-Putt Golf course after I graduated from high school and was waiting to go to college. The Village Theatre was a large part of my life during my high school years where I made friends and acquiantances and all my friends in Kanawha City knew that I worked at the Village Theatre and would come to see me in the projectionist’s booth. I will never forget the Village Theatre and that is where my love for movies began. I am now a lawyer in Arizona and this site has taken me down memory lane. It is with great love and fondness that I remember the Village Theatre.
The new posting was to correct my secretary’s misunderstanding of my dictation. What Mr. Smith said about the Village Theatre are his true thoughts about that period of his life.
Wow! Isn’t it amazing how one little theater, in one little town, affected so many people’s lives.
Yes Jack, so true. Yesterday “Scream Of Fear” was on TMC. I saw that film with my parents at the Village. Scared me to no end. You never know when you are making a memory. I really miss those times I spent at the Village and the other theatres in Charleston. I went through there in 1999 and found the building that used to be the Village. Sad. Same goes for the Marmet. Still standing but used as a church now. The manager of the Marmet was a gentleman by the name of Mr. Nichols. All the kids called him Mr. Five Pennies.
Mickey: My name is Mary Jo Galloway. I am Roger Galloway’s sister. I also worked the Village in the concession stand. I’m only a year younger than you but I don’t remember you. Do you recall me by any chance. I was around 16-17 when I worked there. As Roger said most of our family worked the Village. We lived just around the corner and could walk there which made it very convenient. When I was very little my mother would take us to the Saturday matinee almost every Saturday. I drove past the Village today. I am still here in Charleston
Hi Mary Jo. I am sorry to say that I do not recall knowing you from the Village. As little kids we packed that place especially on the weekends. At the age of 16 I was living in Toledo, Ohio and did not manage to return to Charleston until 1999 as previously stated. I am however, glad to meet you through this forum and to hear that you have remained in Charleston and can still see where the Village once stood. My earliest memories of seeing a film at the Village was “Green Mansions” with Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins. I loved being a kid in Charleston and especially loved all the great theatres that were there. My family lived on Roosevelt Avenue and my brother and I could see the screen of the Owens Drive-In from his bedroom at night. Mr. Simon’s Putt-Putt was located next to the drive-in theatre. Sadly it is now gone as well. Downtown Charleston had some beautiful theatres back then, as did Toledo, Ohio. Call me a preservationist, but I miss the days of single screen theatres that were operated by true show people.
This opened on April 2nd, 1941
you can see the ads at http://www.calameo.com/books/0002479287e38892e2bc3
Address is 3818 MacCorkle Ave