Comments from dallasmovietheaters

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Winslow Drive-In on Sep 12, 2015 at 7:11 am

The Ballantyne Company had a turn key operation in which they could construct a drive-in in three weeks. Having built 38 with many in Texas, the Abilene firm ventured to Maine in 1949 creating the Winslow quickly for the Lockwood & Gordon Circuit.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Hiland Theater on Sep 11, 2015 at 9:36 am

BamBam: The theatre cost $75,000 to build and seated 500 at opening in October of 1941. Conservative streamline moderne was used to describe the post-deco theatre. Seating was on a radial curve and it eliminated line of sight blockage. W.I. Bill Brotman had been a manager of Moline’s Ritz Theatre for 15 years and moved to the Hiland at opening. The Brotmans had five theaters in the Quad Cities with the Roxy, the Paradise, the Rialto in Rock Island, the Ritz, and the Hiland. Not one of their more successful properties, it ran into financial troubles in the television era.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Maumee Indoor Theatre on Sep 10, 2015 at 2:21 pm

Architected by George Howard Barrows of Cleveland with Anthony Wayne Development Co building the $500,000 theatre/bowling center.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Roxy Theater on Sep 8, 2015 at 3:00 pm

Georgia Theatres Circuit Inc. launched the Roxy Theatre for African American audiences in 1946 seating 520 patrons. Harry E. Martin was the operator of the theatre.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Crescent Drive-In on Sep 8, 2015 at 7:33 am

Opened March 15, 1947, the Crescent Drive-In held 620 cars and cost $90,000 for Consolidate Theatre Circuit of Charlotte.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Temple Drive-In on Sep 8, 2015 at 7:08 am

Opening in 1946 was the K&K Drive-in named for owners J.F. Knuth and L.A. Knowles. There’s room for 636 cars.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Twin 50 Drive-In on Sep 7, 2015 at 9:58 pm

Correction: The opening name of this theatre in May of 1949 was the 50 Hiwa Drive-In Theatre. (No “y” or “gh” in the name.)

The 50 Hiwa Drive-In Theatre was architected by Beverly Miller & Associates in Kansas City. Miller had designed similar ozoners in Kansas City and St. Joseph. The 40x50' image was projected on a 60' high tower. The 350-car theatre also had walk-up seating for 200 additional patrons. Durwood Theatres — operators of the local State and Capitol indoor theatre — didn’t take kindly to the Hiway and decided to build a bigger drive-in just west of the city called the Skylark with capacity for 500 cars. It was on.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Borderland Drive-In on Sep 7, 2015 at 5:59 pm

Opened as the Borderland Auto Theatre late in the 1949 season, the ozoner got its name for being so close to the U.S. / Canada boarder. Because drive-ins could legally operate on Sunday in Maine but not in Canada, the Maine location drew mostly Canadian customers from nearby Woodstock New Brunswick.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Lewiston Drive-In on Sep 7, 2015 at 5:44 pm

Opened July 1, 1949 with fireworks and the films “Coroner Creek” and Abbott and Costello’s “Pardon My Sarong.”

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Hills Drive-In on Sep 5, 2015 at 10:21 pm

Conceptualized as the Twin-City Drive-In Theatre between Spearfish and Deadwood, the theatre celebrated its grand opening on May 7, 1952 with “Treasure of Lost Canyon.” That December, however, a strong windstorm toppled the original screen. It was rebuilt easily in time for the 1953 season. The theatre is about where a Hills Pet Food Factory was in the mid-2010s on the opposite side of the road near the Black Hills Airport at 4025 E Colorado Blvd, Spearfish, SD 57783.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Bridge Drive-In on Sep 5, 2015 at 6:34 pm

Durwood Theatres had a movie lock in Jeff-City at the end of the 1940s with the established four-wall Capital and State. But an independent decided to build an ozoner ultimately named the Hiwa 50 Drive-In Theatre in 1949. Durwood decided to build an even larger drive-in to undercut the newly-created indy. And on September 22, 1949, the Skylark Drive-In Theatre launched for the Durwood Circuit.

Late in the 1955 season, a new bridge for Jeff-City opened giving an improved traffic flow for the drive-in. Ads said “ride the bridge to the Skylark.” But a light bulb went on, and for the 1956 season, the Skylark was renamed for the structure it was just past and was called the New Bridge Drive-In Theatre for the entire ‘56 season. In 1957, “new” was gone and it became the Drive-In Theatre which would receive significant upgrades for the 1959 season.

American Mutlicinema (AMC) took on the Durwood portfolio in 1961 including the Bridge.The Bridge would fall into controversy in 1971 while showing the X-rated “Myra Breckenridge.”

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Marty's Sky Vue III Drive-In on Sep 5, 2015 at 5:41 pm

This drive-in started as a 350-car drive-in on Highway 20 two miles north of the city launching in 1949.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Yucca Drive-In on Sep 5, 2015 at 5:31 pm

Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Sanguinet launched the predecessor to the Yucca with Alamogordo’s first drive-in, the Starlite Outdoor Theatre on December 9, 1949. The Starlite was located on Highway 70 two miles southwest of the city. In 1952, Sanguinet would begin to build the Yucca north of the city but — apparently — water hook-up was challenging and the theatre would construction, two miles north of the city also on Highway 70 / Highway 54, was halted. During that prolonged process, Sanguinet would sell out to Theatre Enterprises Inc. Circuit which operated the Mesa and White Sands theatres

The ozoner finally launched with a 457-car capacity and its 62x44' screen was the largest in southern New Mexico. Cliff Keim managed both the Yucca and Starlite as well as the White Sands and Mesa though now al in the Frontier Theatres Circuit Inc.’s portfolio. Grace Methodist Church began drive-in services in 1954 at the Yucca.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Family Drive-In on Sep 5, 2015 at 2:05 pm

Opened as the Family Drive-In by Fred Belcher in May of 1951. It advertised only as the Family Drive-In during its run.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Sky-Line Drive-In on Sep 5, 2015 at 1:58 pm

The Sky-Line Drive-In Theatre launched May 26, 1949 just two miles south of the Clifty Falls State Park northern-most entrance. The first film was “Black Bar.” The drive-in’s original configuration of the drive-in had spaces for 600 cars on an 8.5 acre site with its screen tower 53' high and a picture of 30'x40'. The concession speciality was its pronto pups.

Technically: It’s the Sky-Line and not the Skyline

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Theatair X on Sep 5, 2015 at 11:43 am

According to the local newspaper, Theatair was architected by G.H. Richardson & Associate of Jeffersonville and built by Ehirnger Construction in 1947. The April 15, 1947 grand opening was pushed back by Theater Enterprizes Inc. and General Manager Bob Harned due to lack of a projection lens as well as torrential rain. The steel screen tower contained its concession stand and banquet hall. Its grand opening was in July of 1947. It was robbed twice in its first season. It closed for the season and its 1948 season was delayed by yet more torrential rain. The drive-in was said to be about 1.5 miles south of Cementville on Highway 31. In 1955, it gets new operators.

But American Films Limited turned Theatair into Theatair-X causing an uproar and a First Amendment battle. Clark County prosecutors successfully brought an obscenity charge against AFL and Theatair-X against five films in 1989. I’m assuming those were overturned on appeal. Then in a clever move in 1991, the local government decided to push for an interchange off of nearby Interstate 65 and what once was US 31 that would go directly through the Theatair. The theater successfully fought against that proposal and was able to continue operations into the 21st Century. Indecency charges in 2008, protests from an interest group called Reclaim Our Culture, a prostitution sting in 2012, citations for peepholes in 2014, and charges of indecency for customers in 2015 were just part of the standard operating procedures at the drive-in-less Theatair-X.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Marhaus Theatre on Sep 4, 2015 at 7:29 pm

This theater’s history is rather challenging but it is clear that beginning as early as 1913, motion pictures are played at the multipurpose Morhaus Hall which was a local landmark in Marthasville. It also features speeches, dances, and concerts. It was demolished in 1966. Until 1925, another multipurpose hall called Mittler’s Hall is open and also features dances, concerts and events. That facility appears to be what this entry’s origin is on Depot Street.

Marthasville’s William T. Zimmerman who had shown moving pictures at the halls opened a regular movie house in nearby Warrenton. On October 17, 1925, he launches the New Marthasville Theater bringing regular moving pictures to what I’d assume was Mittler’s Hall as the hall is no longer mentioned. The theatre closes and the equipment is sold. But on May 12, 1928, the theatre comes back as the Morhaus Brothers rebrand the space as the Morhaus Theatre relaunching on May 12, 1928 with “The Cheerful Fraud.” It converts to talking pictures in 1930 opening with the film “Flight” on May 17, 1930. As noted, the theatre continues until August 11, 1933 when ads disappear. In 1937, the theatre makes a comeback known once again as the Marthasville Theatre. When that fails, it appears to end the life of this property as a CinemaTreasure. Movies are regularly shown at the aforementioned Morhaus Hall during the 1940s.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Sunset Drive-In on Sep 4, 2015 at 6:06 pm

The Sunset Drive-In Theatre was built in August 1952 and opened on May 29, 19 1953 with the film “The Lion and the Horse” on its 50 foot screen. RCA sound and Simplex projection were among the highlights. Fireworks and a horseshoe pitching contest allowed winners to get free passes. The kids had it good with pony rides and a playground. The 280-car drive-in launched for the Commonwealth Theatres Circuit which held on to the property closing it after a thirty-year lease expired.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Blue House Theatre on Sep 4, 2015 at 5:49 pm

On September 7, 1925, the New Warrington Theatre launched with “The Border Region.” On September 2, 1932, the New Warrington was rebranded as the Vita Theatre after getting a five-week makeover including better sound system. “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” was the Vita’s first film. By 1965, the Vita was the winter theatre for the area and the Moto-Vu was the summertime spot.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Moto Vu Drive-In on Sep 4, 2015 at 5:36 pm

Veteran Warrenton, Missouri movie-man William Zimmerman launched the Moto-Vu Drive-In Theatre on August 17, 1950. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” opened the drive-in.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Strand Theater on Sep 4, 2015 at 8:08 am

First film was Douglas Fairbanks' “His Picture in the Papers” on April 19, 1916 and final more than 50 years later was “Wait Until Dark” on February 1, 1968. That’s the day fire broke out on the third floor of the Strand Theatre Building with the patrons safely evacuated. But that was it as just months later, the building was demolished and replaced by a Sambo’s Restaurant within the three-story Braverman Building that replaced the 52 year old Strand.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Capitol Theatre on Sep 4, 2015 at 6:55 am

The Pastime Theatre — Fred E. Dever’s Motion Picture Palace – launched January 20, 1912 with a reported 1,670 people watching “Little Boy Blue” and “Parting of the Ways”. But Albert C. “Punch” Dunkel guided the theatre through its halcyon days with three different organs, installing radio equipment using the call letters KFBG to broadcast news — which was apparently news to the FCC which closed the station — and transitioning the Pastime to sound. Ray Lumsden (1938) followed by Fred McGee (1945) and finally Earnest Panos (1946) operated the Pastime.

Panos —on January 16, 1947 — changed the name of the theatre to the Capitol Theatre launching with “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “I Married a Witch.” The decades' old KFBG radio equipment was still under the stage of the old Pastime. Panos would try foreign language films soon thereafter but abandoned that policy. The theatre eked it out to its 50th anniversary before closing and was demolished.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Urbana Autoscope Drive-In on Sep 3, 2015 at 9:38 am

Original owners closed the Urbana Autoscope at the conclusion of the 1955 season after just two years of operation. New operators Truman Bridges and Don Eagy reopened the unique ozoner for the 1957 season, the third and final season for the Autoscope.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about Ritz Theatre on Sep 3, 2015 at 9:21 am

The above reads, “The Van Buren Theatre opened in 1931. In 1940 it was renamed the Ritz Theatre.” Nothing appears to be correct in that timeline. Van Buren had three different indoor theatres. The first was the Harding Theatre opening in 1920 in a 67x105 wood framed building. One of the three operators was Henry Albert Smalley who had a profound impact on Van Buren’s development. H.A. Smalley would also create Smalley’s Motel in 1928 which would operate for nine decades, a package liquor store, a lumber yard, gravel plant and a stave mill.

The city’s first theatre was taken over by John M. Haynes who turned the Harding Theatre into the Van Buren Theatre which was also known to locals as Haynes' Theatre. It operates primarily on weekends only. The theatre is destroyed by fire on August 20, 1931 apparently never converting to sound pictures.

A second Van Buren Theatre is constructed which opens with talking pictures in 1934. On January 25, 1936, Van Buren Theatre #2 also burns to the ground with “the entire city” showing up trying in vain to save the facility. A new theater is constructed but delayed. When the foundation is being prepared, a discovery of civil war soldier body or bodies was discovered. The Ritz Theatre was supposed to have opened in October of 1936 but is delayed opening February 6, 1937. Its address appears to be 701 Main Street in Van Buren.

The theatre closed October 30, 1961 suggesting the end of a 25-year lease. The theater gets one more chance in 1964 as the short-lived home of live Ozark Mountain music. The theatre is reconverted in 1973 for other retail purposes becoming Uncle Dudley’s and then the Craft Corner. And Mr. Smalley died in 1969 with his obituary mentioning his prominence including getting moving pictures to Van Buren. Fortunately, the community would be served by the 21 Drive-In Theatre as the ozoner made the digital conversion still surviving into — as the time of this writing — the mid 2010s.

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dallasmovietheaters commented about 21 Drive-In Movie on Sep 3, 2015 at 1:07 am

Opened July 17, 1952.