Tower Theatre

I practically lived in this theatre in the early ‘60’s. But with more theatres being built in the suburbs where the audiences were, the Tower’s days were numbered. It was torn down in the late '60’s to make way for a new 7-11. It was directly on the corner of Belknap and Riverside—and was generally booked day-and-date with the Gateway.

In the mid 1960’s my older sister and brother tried to convince me to lick a 9 volt battery and when they finally did, I screamed like a banshee and my dad made my siblings, as punishment, take me to the Sat. pm matinee' of the movie Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster at the Tower. It was my first movie theatre experience. They had to spend all of both of their allowances on me that day. I was probably 4 or 5. We lived within walking distance so I remember the walk, the tall walls and carpeted floors, smell of the popcorn, and Godzilla fighting with Ghidorah and throwing him off the cliff. There was a great place to eat across the street called The Griddle System. When they tore the Tower down they put a 7-11 and a Jack in the Box in its place.

Jtv: You know, as soon as I read that I remembered. There was that old fashioned Jack in the Box head at the order box. In my minds eye it was life-size. I used to love the strange little tacos they sold; I tried some recently in Tulsa, OK and they are close, but no cigar. Nostalgia just can’t be relived.

The Tower Theatre closed at the end of a 25-year lease on January 1, 1967 with Dean Martin in “Texas Across the River.” The Interstate Circuit said it would put its efforts toward the Wedgwood Theatre would launch that same year.