The building housed the original Majestic Theatre which launched June 3, 1907 likely on a ten-year lease. It closed at the end of July 1917. New operators came in and, like many other cities' theaters who had theaters open during the Great War, was renamed the Liberty Theater. The Liberty closed in November of 1959 with “Song of the South” being one of the last shows. It was torn down in 1962 for a parking lot. It is definitely not being used as an office building.
The Young Block Building housing the former Strand Theatre was a hardware store in 1884. The Strand Theatre moved in launching on May 29, 1916. The theatre closed on February 4, 1979 with the adult film, “Little Orphan Dusty. It was torn down six months later in 1979.
The Wysor Grand Opera House launched September 15, 1892. It closed on September 3, 1961 with a horror double feature of Shadow of the Cat and Curse of the Werewolf. It was sold and razed in 1963.
The Movies at Muncie Mall was a three-screen venue by United Artists that launched July 25, 1975 on a 25-year lease. The three theatres had 296 seats each for a total count of 888. After celebrating its 15th anniversary in 1990, the UA was sold to Goodrich Quality Theatres becoming the Muncie Mall 3.
On May 15, 1992, Kerasotes – which had all but one of the other indoor theaters in Muncie – took on the location renaming it slightly as the Muncie Mall Cinema. Kerasotes would reduce the location to sub-run, discount status closing it at the end of its lease on September 28, 2000. In 2002, Teicher Theatres took on the location in 2002 operating as Dollar Movies at Muncie Mall until November 8, 2006. The theatre was boarded off until the mall owners could figure out what to do with the space.
The Northwest Plaza Shopping Center opened theatreless in 1956/7. General Cinema Corp. (GCC) built a single screen, 950-seat theater on a 20-year lease. The lobby had an art gallery featuring artwork for sale by Ball State students. Following an open house showing short subjects from September 19-21, 1968, the Northwest Plaza Cinema launched September 26, 1968 with “The Christmas Tree.”
On December 23, 1971 GCC expanded with an additional 276-seat theatre to increase seat count to 1,226 becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I & II. “Star Wars” was a big hit for the main theatre in 1977. But in 1979, the main screen was twinned with the complex becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I, II & III. Fortunes slid in 1987 when matinees were dropped and labor costs were a factor in GCC’s decision not to renew its lease.
The next operator was Kerasotes which hired non-union projectionists which led to a picket upon its opening March 18. 1988. Kerasotes expanded the theatre on July 21, 1989 to eight screens renaming the theatre the Northwest Plaza Cinema 8.
Kerasotes dropped the theatre and Teicher Theaters became its last operator converting it to a short-lived Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza. The theater closed as Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza (and should be its official name here) on April 5, 2007. In June of 2007, the theatre was demolished for a proposed project involving multiple restaurants. In 2014, Teicher Theaters would shutter its other remaining locations.
Technically, the theatre was at 207 Central in the 1888-built Dunn Block Building at 205-207 Central. The first 20-year lease was for retail followed by the theaters mentioned above. The last movie was “Sky Devils” and “Scarface” on January 31, 1942 at the, then, Intermountain Fox Ritz. It became home to a church for a short period and hosted a Democratic rally in 1944. The American Legion Hall took it over in 1945. The building was demolished in 1982 when the Blue Cross decided to build a new facility.
The Robin Theater opened in 1910 at the corner or Harney and Robin in the Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis in an existing building. The theatre opened with vaudeville with short films in the programming mix. But the trade press reports installation of a new Minusa Gold Fibre screen and new projectors as the theatre goes almost exclusively to motion pictures. New operators in 1928/9 switch the silent house to talking pictures.
On April 2, 1947, the theater paid for its annual operating license only to be shut down five days later over a fire code restriction put in by the city. The theatre lost its legal battle on appeal to the State Supreme Court making the last showing there as “The Showoff” on April 5, 1947. Tthe vacant theater was damaged by a fire in 1952 and was eventually demolished.
A number of Unique Theatres were associated with the Edison Unique Theatre circuit and would play, Edison-made films with Edison-centric equipment within their vaudeville shows.
Given its 1905 origin, it was very likely an Edison-heavy location but in their ads they just say they are showing “Unique-graph” films (see ad in photos). The films must have worked as the Unique turned all motion picture in 1910 according to the local paper.
The short lived Rainbow Theatre #1 in Grand Falls – unrelated – opened in 1909. This theater’s run as the Pantages ran for only weeks from its opening on August 10, 1914 to its epic failure closing after September 6, 1914 amidst financial troubles it could not overcome.
The Palace Theatre took over the spot of the dormant Pantages on July 1, 1915. On March 23, 1926, this Rainbow took over the Palace Theatre which had its final show on February 11, 1926. The Rainbow continuously booked until closing May 23, 1965 after a showing of “Harlow.” Fox Intermountain went outside the CBD to launch its Fox Holiday Village. Also, it’s 601 Central (not 6011). The fire referenced was on May 24, 2009. (Ads in photos.)
The Village Twin opened November 12, 1976 with “Marathon Man” and “Next Man”.Mel C. Glatz was the architect. It closed February 8, 2001 likely at the end of a 25-year lease as a dollar house. The space became a clinic.
Closed September 3, 1978 after “Close Encounters” and “You Light Up My Life”. The original screen tower burned down June 18, 1956 and was closed while building a new tower.
The trade press reports say this theatre opened as the Liberty Theatre in March of 1918. The Bush Circuit purchases the theatre and remodels the auditorium reducing seat count to 600 opening in November of 1920 as a second-run double-feature venue. The theatre transitions to sound and is supposedly renamed the Forum Theatre briefly. The theatre gets Western Electric sound in 1932 and is back under the Vista Theatre nameplate. Looks have discontinuity in operation and is transferred to Kaplan & Klein in 1935 which, for competitive reasons, likely closed and/or retrofitted the theatre building as it was opening the new Adams about two miles away.
The New Plaza Theatre was launched on December 24, 1927. It competed with the nearby Five Points Theatre that had opened in 1920 as a Fall to Spring non-air conditioned house. The competitive situation didn’t work for either theatre and they merged concentrating their efforts at the newer Plaza.
Grand opening as the Gennett Theatre was December 22, 1899 with Otis Skinner and Company doing the live play, “The Liars.” On September 16, 1916, it relaunched as the Washington Theatre with the film, “Undine” and booking legitimate theatre in 1917. On October 14, 1926, it rebooted as the Lawrence Theatre doing live legit performances. For all intense and purpose, the Lawrence closed in February of 1931 as a legit house. Some rehearsals and high school shows occur until 1933. A demolition sale in October of 1935 preceded its demolition in November of 1935.
The building housed the original Majestic Theatre which launched June 3, 1907 likely on a ten-year lease. It closed at the end of July 1917. New operators came in and, like many other cities' theaters who had theaters open during the Great War, was renamed the Liberty Theater. The Liberty closed in November of 1959 with “Song of the South” being one of the last shows. It was torn down in 1962 for a parking lot. It is definitely not being used as an office building.
The Young Block Building housing the former Strand Theatre was a hardware store in 1884. The Strand Theatre moved in launching on May 29, 1916. The theatre closed on February 4, 1979 with the adult film, “Little Orphan Dusty. It was torn down six months later in 1979.
The Wysor Grand Opera House launched September 15, 1892. It closed on September 3, 1961 with a horror double feature of Shadow of the Cat and Curse of the Werewolf. It was sold and razed in 1963.
The Movies at Muncie Mall was a three-screen venue by United Artists that launched July 25, 1975 on a 25-year lease. The three theatres had 296 seats each for a total count of 888. After celebrating its 15th anniversary in 1990, the UA was sold to Goodrich Quality Theatres becoming the Muncie Mall 3.
On May 15, 1992, Kerasotes – which had all but one of the other indoor theaters in Muncie – took on the location renaming it slightly as the Muncie Mall Cinema. Kerasotes would reduce the location to sub-run, discount status closing it at the end of its lease on September 28, 2000. In 2002, Teicher Theatres took on the location in 2002 operating as Dollar Movies at Muncie Mall until November 8, 2006. The theatre was boarded off until the mall owners could figure out what to do with the space.
Teicher ran the Airline Drive-In 2 in Winchester when the portfolio was shut down in 2014. I believe that was their only one.
The Northwest Plaza Shopping Center opened theatreless in 1956/7. General Cinema Corp. (GCC) built a single screen, 950-seat theater on a 20-year lease. The lobby had an art gallery featuring artwork for sale by Ball State students. Following an open house showing short subjects from September 19-21, 1968, the Northwest Plaza Cinema launched September 26, 1968 with “The Christmas Tree.”
On December 23, 1971 GCC expanded with an additional 276-seat theatre to increase seat count to 1,226 becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I & II. “Star Wars” was a big hit for the main theatre in 1977. But in 1979, the main screen was twinned with the complex becoming the Northwest Plaza Cinemas I, II & III. Fortunes slid in 1987 when matinees were dropped and labor costs were a factor in GCC’s decision not to renew its lease.
The next operator was Kerasotes which hired non-union projectionists which led to a picket upon its opening March 18. 1988. Kerasotes expanded the theatre on July 21, 1989 to eight screens renaming the theatre the Northwest Plaza Cinema 8.
Kerasotes dropped the theatre and Teicher Theaters became its last operator converting it to a short-lived Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza. The theater closed as Dollar Movies at Northwest Plaza (and should be its official name here) on April 5, 2007. In June of 2007, the theatre was demolished for a proposed project involving multiple restaurants. In 2014, Teicher Theaters would shutter its other remaining locations.
George H. Shanley and Johannes Van Teylingen architectural sketching of the Civic Center in 1938 in photos.
Grand opening ad July 3, 1947 for Muncie’s Drive-In Theatre and September 1, 1986 closing ad at the Muncie Drive-In Theatre in photos
Technically, the theatre was at 207 Central in the 1888-built Dunn Block Building at 205-207 Central. The first 20-year lease was for retail followed by the theaters mentioned above. The last movie was “Sky Devils” and “Scarface” on January 31, 1942 at the, then, Intermountain Fox Ritz. It became home to a church for a short period and hosted a Democratic rally in 1944. The American Legion Hall took it over in 1945. The building was demolished in 1982 when the Blue Cross decided to build a new facility.
Closed after a March 30, 1957 double feature of “The Private War of Major Benson” and “A Bullet is Waiting.”
The Robin Theater opened in 1910 at the corner or Harney and Robin in the Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis in an existing building. The theatre opened with vaudeville with short films in the programming mix. But the trade press reports installation of a new Minusa Gold Fibre screen and new projectors as the theatre goes almost exclusively to motion pictures. New operators in 1928/9 switch the silent house to talking pictures.
On April 2, 1947, the theater paid for its annual operating license only to be shut down five days later over a fire code restriction put in by the city. The theatre lost its legal battle on appeal to the State Supreme Court making the last showing there as “The Showoff” on April 5, 1947. Tthe vacant theater was damaged by a fire in 1952 and was eventually demolished.
Appears to have ended its run on December 31, 1987 with a double-feature of “Little American Maid” and “Lilith Unleashed”
Correction: Rainbow Theatre #1 at bottom.
A number of Unique Theatres were associated with the Edison Unique Theatre circuit and would play, Edison-made films with Edison-centric equipment within their vaudeville shows.
Given its 1905 origin, it was very likely an Edison-heavy location but in their ads they just say they are showing “Unique-graph” films (see ad in photos). The films must have worked as the Unique turned all motion picture in 1910 according to the local paper.
The short lived Rainbow Theatre #1 in Grand Falls – unrelated – opened in 1909. This theater’s run as the Pantages ran for only weeks from its opening on August 10, 1914 to its epic failure closing after September 6, 1914 amidst financial troubles it could not overcome.
The Palace Theatre took over the spot of the dormant Pantages on July 1, 1915. On March 23, 1926, this Rainbow took over the Palace Theatre which had its final show on February 11, 1926. The Rainbow continuously booked until closing May 23, 1965 after a showing of “Harlow.” Fox Intermountain went outside the CBD to launch its Fox Holiday Village. Also, it’s 601 Central (not 6011). The fire referenced was on May 24, 2009. (Ads in photos.)
Appears to have closed on September 1, 1974 with “The Revengers” and “The Red Sun” which times out with a twenty-year lease.
The Village Twin opened November 12, 1976 with “Marathon Man” and “Next Man”.Mel C. Glatz was the architect. It closed February 8, 2001 likely at the end of a 25-year lease as a dollar house. The space became a clinic.
Closed September 3, 1978 after “Close Encounters” and “You Light Up My Life”. The original screen tower burned down June 18, 1956 and was closed while building a new tower.
Launched July 1, 1919 with 650 seats and a $10,000 Wurlitzer organ.
The $25,000 theater opened December 12, 1918 for Ball & Barry out of Kansas City.
The trade press reports say this theatre opened as the Liberty Theatre in March of 1918. The Bush Circuit purchases the theatre and remodels the auditorium reducing seat count to 600 opening in November of 1920 as a second-run double-feature venue. The theatre transitions to sound and is supposedly renamed the Forum Theatre briefly. The theatre gets Western Electric sound in 1932 and is back under the Vista Theatre nameplate. Looks have discontinuity in operation and is transferred to Kaplan & Klein in 1935 which, for competitive reasons, likely closed and/or retrofitted the theatre building as it was opening the new Adams about two miles away.
The New Plaza Theatre was launched on December 24, 1927. It competed with the nearby Five Points Theatre that had opened in 1920 as a Fall to Spring non-air conditioned house. The competitive situation didn’t work for either theatre and they merged concentrating their efforts at the newer Plaza.
Attributed architects as Yost & Packard of Dayton
Grand opening as the Gennett Theatre was December 22, 1899 with Otis Skinner and Company doing the live play, “The Liars.” On September 16, 1916, it relaunched as the Washington Theatre with the film, “Undine” and booking legitimate theatre in 1917. On October 14, 1926, it rebooted as the Lawrence Theatre doing live legit performances. For all intense and purpose, the Lawrence closed in February of 1931 as a legit house. Some rehearsals and high school shows occur until 1933. A demolition sale in October of 1935 preceded its demolition in November of 1935.
The local paper said that the architectural plans were drawn by Yost & Packard of Dayton in 1899