McCook Theatre
1267 N. Keowee Street,
Dayton,
OH
45404
1267 N. Keowee Street,
Dayton,
OH
45404
3 people
favorited this theater
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A complete list of Cinemiracle and 70mm engagements at this theater is available at the In70mm website
This opened on July 10th, 1941. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Levin Services took over operation in 1974 and they programmed the theatre with second run discount. The theatre was operating first run all of 1972 playing such movies as CABARET, FILLMORE and THE OTHER. I worked for most of 1972 there as projectionist.
My first glimpse of the McCook Cinema happened in 1964. At that time, “Dr Zhivago” was showing. The theater tended to show epic type movies if I recall until around 1972 when it started showing B movies and 2nd run features. Saw the “Groove Tube” there along with the re-release of the Billy Jack movie “Born Losers.” The theater then went hardcore porn approx. 1978.
It was approx. 1979-1980 when the theater became a real sleaze pit. Glass partition booths were installed along with porn loop stalls and a hardcore magazine, book section. I knew a girl who worked there briefly behind the glass booth. No offence, but this girl was all of 300 lbs! Clientele couldn’t have been too selective. The place had a long standing history of using only burnt out skanks.
The theater continued their porn run until approx. 2005 (?) It then became a couples/love boutique business. It limped along for several years before closing. The theater is now completely demolished.
Herman Hunt was the exhibitor who ran Hunts McCook and Hunts Cinestage in Columbus, Ohio.
This was one of the finest RoadShow theatres in the area. It was a victim of the times when those theatres failed and died as single screen location. It did not deserve to finish its years as and adult store.
The McCook demise is Levin services fault since allowing the X rated movies.
The McCook Theatre should be listed as ‘demolished’.
With the McCook gone, the only theatre standing that I worked at in Dayton is the former Loews Ames on North Main Street next to the Northtown Shopping Center. I worked at 6 locations.
Dayton properties to be demolished for new development
Tristan Navera
Dayton Business Journal
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 1:26pm EDT
A Lexington-based real estate firm plans to demolish two properties along Keowee Street as part of a larger redevelopment plan.
Garrett Day LLC bought the former Love Boutique at 1267 N. Keowee St. from the Montgomery County Land Reutilization Corp., and bought the former Royal Motel at 1450 N. Keowee St. at auction for $15,000. Mike Heitz, president of Garrett Day, said the company plans to demolish both buildings by September for potential future retail use.
Heitz said he expects it will cost $40,000 to $50,000 to demolish 1267 N. Keowee St. and about $80,000 to demolish 1450 N. Keowee St., both of which were vacant buildings which had become eyesores, he said, adding that the company would like to buy more land in the area for future development.
Garrett Day has acquired several similar vacant properties in the city within the past year to demolish and redevelop, including the former Dayton Executive Inn at 2401 Needmore Road, the former Rita Construction site at 824 Leo St., and a former industrial site at 1801 Home Ave.
Heitz has said he believes systematic redevelopment of area brownfields — commercial properties kept from redevelopment because of potential contaminants — is the key to Dayton’s recovery and a good long-term investment for his company.
“We want to be in a good planning position when people start building again,” Heitz said.
http://m.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2013/06/12/dayton-properties-to-be-demolished-for.html?r=full
A friend reported to me that the McCook has been knocked down. Can anyone confirm with a picture?
The Dabel over on Smithville was the home of the WTUE midnight movies. Yes, there were pre-movie pyrotechnics, and short subjects, and such along with the features. By the time the movies started, there was so much haze in the auditorium, you couldn’t help by get a contact high.
It keeps me out of the bars. ;–)
Wallyum, thanks for the excellent pictures of the Dayton theatres.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyum/4999846362/
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According to the book “When Dayton Went to the Movies” the McCook Theatre opened on July 10, 1941. The house was designed and built by the F & Y Building Service. Originally seating 900, its capacity was reduced to 700 when Todd-AO projection equipment was installed in 1958.
Ran 3-strip CINEMIRACLE presentation of WINDJAMMER opening March 14, 1961.
Does anyone know if the McCook is gthe theater that used to host the WTUE Late Shows in the late 70’s early 80’s? I remember that is had a 70mm screen and they used to have a pyrotechnics show inside before the movies started.
The public housing is gone (Parkside Homes). It was demolished when they fixed I-75/malfunction Junction.
I just got back from the Dayton Amateur Radio Convention. This is what I saw. The bowling alley? Next door is for lease, and there appears to be a police precinct behind the theatre. Sorry, not much else. Theatre looks relatively the same from the outside as the available pictures of it I’ve found.
Here is a 2005 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/272nu5
It is an adult bookstore now, and all of the theater equipment was removed several years ago. The original theater seats are still under the flooring and some of the screens are behind walls, but Deja Vu owns it now…
http://boinko.com
Oh yeah, there was a bowling alley across the driveway from this theater that was neat in exterior design. I also remember that the area was somewhat dangeorus at night because of a public housing project a block away.
Saw Doctor Zhivago, Finians Rainbow, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone With The Wind and Song of Norway on this screen. I remember they had a huge curved screen. In those days tickets had seat numbers on them. Does anyone know if this theater is worth restoring??? Or has it been hacked up?