August 7, 1947 grand opening ad of the African American $60,000 Silver City Theatre in photos. The 700 seat theatre architects were Dunn & Quinn from Lake Charles. The theatre is liquidated in 1951 but finds a new operator reopening that same year. Ads stop after the shows on April 11, 1955 and is offered for sale. The theater could have continued without ads.
There was a race in Alexandria to see which of two new outdoor theatres could open first and, sadly for the Joy Drive-In, it finished second. The Joy did open but very late in the year on November 18, 1949 playing “Tulsa.” The Fox Drive-In was first to the tape opening July 8th of that same year. And the Joy was first to close in 1962 though it did host a movie-less fireworks show in 1963. The land was sold in 1966 with the theatre bulldozed.
The Fox Drive-In Theatre was named after its operator, Billy “Fox” Johnson who raced with the Joy Drive-In to see who could open first. Billy and the Fox won opening July 7, 1949 with “A Date With Judy” while the Joy opened months later in November.
In 1957, the operators of the downtown Don Theatre took on the Fox and renamed it the Don Drive-In. The theatre lasted into the video age.
Opened June 6, 1929, the Redwood was initially built for Paul H. Tessier and Pine Tree Amusement Circuit. It was apparently called the Redwood Theatre for its heavy use of redwood inside and out from the local sawmill. The Berenson Brothers, who were also building a theater in town, took on the theater prior to its completion.
Favrot and Livaudais were both architects and builders of the venue. The theatre was downgraded to five days a week operation and closed several times including a nearly two-year stretch. In 1942, it was modernized with cushioned seats, wood paneling and new marquee. It lasted into the television age
Opened March 8, 1929 for the Berenson Brothers Circuit. Lockett & Chachere were the architects. Simplex projection and Western Electric Sound were the choices for opening (though the latter was delayed). The $125,000 venue had a Reproducer pipe organ for its launch.
CC: Good question. The local paper reported that John T. Graham of Kansas City got permission from the War Production Board to transform an existing retail building owned by F.P Zbranek to what would become the Band Box Theatre. The short-lived Plaza Theatre was actually opened April 10, 1936 in the Odd Fellows Building on the East Side of the Square. The theatre looks to have gone out of business in 1937 and the building was severely damaged by a fire April 21, 1938.
The Fotosho (not Photosho) Theatre ads in Neosho from opening in 1921 to closing 1947 (upper left). This location of the Fotosho Theatre opened on September 30, 1922 in the Price Building on the South Side of the Neosho Square at 105 East Main Street. Its last show was “The Oklahoma Kid” on July 16, 1946. It was retrofitted for retail becoming the long-running Mode O'Day Clothing Store.
Grand opening as the Band Box Theatre was July 26, 1944. Closed again briefly reopening in 1948. When the Edgewood Drive-In opened, the Band Box was reduced to Winter usage only with its bookings at the ozoner. Appears to have closed April 3, 1954 perhaps at the end of a ten-year lease. After three years of inactivity, it became the new home to W.J. Hux Clothing Store in 1957. Proper name is “Band Box Theatre”
Bluechel and Lannan purchased the Armory and Rialto in 1929 equipping the Armory with Vitaphone disc-based sound. After its theatrical life, it became known as the Glenn Miller Armory as Clarinda was his birthplace.
The Orpheum Theatre opened on East Main Street in 1911 likely on a twenty-year lease. John Meehan bought the house running it from 1914 to its end of lease in 1931. Meehan had converted the theater to RCA sound on film technology in 1930. He sold it to new owners who relaunched on November 1, 1931 as the Uptown Theatre with “Big Boy” and “Rich People.” The Uptown closed on November 30, 1952 after a showing of “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.” It was converted to a piano store and demolished in 1992.
The Kaw Theatre had a film seized during its adult operation. On March 8, 1973, Judge A.B. Fletcher ruled that the Junction City theater’s presentation of the film, “Pornographic in New York” was obscene and ruled that the film had to be destroyed.
The Globe Theatre opened on November 2, 1912 with the films, “The Refugee’s Casket,” “White Treachery,” and “All Account of a Handkerchief.” The architect of the theatre was Frederick L. Brown.
The 10th Street Theatre opened in 1911 as a 480-seat venue at 15 Tenth Street in Kansas City. Located close to a major streetcar transfer point, the theater made heavy use of streetcar ads. It appears to have a brief name change under new ownership to the Columbia Theatre in 1918 but new operators gutted the theatre and with entrance moved returning to the Tenth Street Theatre moniker on September 25, 1920 at a grand reopening now with 650 seats. In 1928, the theatre went to a homemade disc sound system that had poor results before equipping to improved sound.
In 1937, the theatre under Ed F. Burgan went for a streamline modern makeover by architects Besecke & Swanson. The new theatre now had 877 seats.
The Sunair Drive-In Theatre opened October 3, 1950 and closed February 4, 1987 showing Hispanic films and a regularly-scheduled swap meet. It was demolished on March 3, 1987 to make way for an auto complex.
The theatre was said to have been named after Thomas Francis Enright, the first Pennsylvanian serviceman and was among the first three serviceman killed during World War I. The large mural entitled, “America Triumphant” was above the lobby exit as created by S. Tilden Stern (shown in photos) commemorated Enright’s service.
Ads for grand opening as the Savoy Theatreon May 30, 1912 in photos as the theatre competed against the Electric Theatre that had opened the previous year. The Savoy closed in 1920 but new operators relaunched as the Liberty Theatre with grand opening ad June 12, 1920 in photos. The last showing was on November 15, 1924 with new operators promising a Fall 1925 relaunch which never happened. It was converted to the Black Cat Indoor Miniature Golf Course.
The theater opened March 17th, 1969 with six films (Yours, Mine and Ours; Dracula Has Risen From the Grave; Paper Lion; The Night They Raided Minsky’s; The Boston Strangler; and Charro). It was marketed as the first six theatre complex in the Southwest and only the second in the U.S. closely followed by many more. It was one of those theaters the mall owner had hoped would last thirty years. And owner after owner — AMC, Trans Texas, Hollywood, and others kept that thing going somehow into its last days as a very lightly trafficked dollar house in 1997 or just two years before its 30th anniversary. The theatre became known as the Cinemore as the Northtown (enclosed) Mall was ending. Up to the end, it still had those iconic curtains opening before each show up. Its hey day was the 1970s when all of the major hits played there and people stopped going downtown to the palaces to see those same features. The space was converted away from theaters and to office space targeted at the then very fast growing telecommunications industry.
The original Rex Theatre opened December 7, 1911 in the Lund Building on Front Street as a motion picture house.
August 7, 1947 grand opening ad of the African American $60,000 Silver City Theatre in photos. The 700 seat theatre architects were Dunn & Quinn from Lake Charles. The theatre is liquidated in 1951 but finds a new operator reopening that same year. Ads stop after the shows on April 11, 1955 and is offered for sale. The theater could have continued without ads.
There was a race in Alexandria to see which of two new outdoor theatres could open first and, sadly for the Joy Drive-In, it finished second. The Joy did open but very late in the year on November 18, 1949 playing “Tulsa.” The Fox Drive-In was first to the tape opening July 8th of that same year. And the Joy was first to close in 1962 though it did host a movie-less fireworks show in 1963. The land was sold in 1966 with the theatre bulldozed.
The Fox Drive-In Theatre was named after its operator, Billy “Fox” Johnson who raced with the Joy Drive-In to see who could open first. Billy and the Fox won opening July 7, 1949 with “A Date With Judy” while the Joy opened months later in November.
In 1957, the operators of the downtown Don Theatre took on the Fox and renamed it the Don Drive-In. The theatre lasted into the video age.
Opened June 6, 1929, the Redwood was initially built for Paul H. Tessier and Pine Tree Amusement Circuit. It was apparently called the Redwood Theatre for its heavy use of redwood inside and out from the local sawmill. The Berenson Brothers, who were also building a theater in town, took on the theater prior to its completion.
Favrot and Livaudais were both architects and builders of the venue. The theatre was downgraded to five days a week operation and closed several times including a nearly two-year stretch. In 1942, it was modernized with cushioned seats, wood paneling and new marquee. It lasted into the television age
Opened March 8, 1929 for the Berenson Brothers Circuit. Lockett & Chachere were the architects. Simplex projection and Western Electric Sound were the choices for opening (though the latter was delayed). The $125,000 venue had a Reproducer pipe organ for its launch.
May 4, 1952 final day for the Bison in a protest over taxation.
Max Roche, architect
CC: Good question. The local paper reported that John T. Graham of Kansas City got permission from the War Production Board to transform an existing retail building owned by F.P Zbranek to what would become the Band Box Theatre. The short-lived Plaza Theatre was actually opened April 10, 1936 in the Odd Fellows Building on the East Side of the Square. The theatre looks to have gone out of business in 1937 and the building was severely damaged by a fire April 21, 1938.
The Fotosho (not Photosho) Theatre ads in Neosho from opening in 1921 to closing 1947 (upper left). This location of the Fotosho Theatre opened on September 30, 1922 in the Price Building on the South Side of the Neosho Square at 105 East Main Street. Its last show was “The Oklahoma Kid” on July 16, 1946. It was retrofitted for retail becoming the long-running Mode O'Day Clothing Store.
Grand opening as the Band Box Theatre was July 26, 1944. Closed again briefly reopening in 1948. When the Edgewood Drive-In opened, the Band Box was reduced to Winter usage only with its bookings at the ozoner. Appears to have closed April 3, 1954 perhaps at the end of a ten-year lease. After three years of inactivity, it became the new home to W.J. Hux Clothing Store in 1957. Proper name is “Band Box Theatre”
Bluechel and Lannan purchased the Armory and Rialto in 1929 equipping the Armory with Vitaphone disc-based sound. After its theatrical life, it became known as the Glenn Miller Armory as Clarinda was his birthplace.
Likely opened in 1952
The Orpheum Theatre opened on East Main Street in 1911 likely on a twenty-year lease. John Meehan bought the house running it from 1914 to its end of lease in 1931. Meehan had converted the theater to RCA sound on film technology in 1930. He sold it to new owners who relaunched on November 1, 1931 as the Uptown Theatre with “Big Boy” and “Rich People.” The Uptown closed on November 30, 1952 after a showing of “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.” It was converted to a piano store and demolished in 1992.
The 10th Ave. Drive-In is ready for its grand opening on September 30th, 1955
Received a new facade in 1937 for a more moderne look (see photo)
The Kaw Theatre had a film seized during its adult operation. On March 8, 1973, Judge A.B. Fletcher ruled that the Junction City theater’s presentation of the film, “Pornographic in New York” was obscene and ruled that the film had to be destroyed.
The Globe Theatre opened on November 2, 1912 with the films, “The Refugee’s Casket,” “White Treachery,” and “All Account of a Handkerchief.” The architect of the theatre was Frederick L. Brown.
The 10th Street Theatre opened in 1911 as a 480-seat venue at 15 Tenth Street in Kansas City. Located close to a major streetcar transfer point, the theater made heavy use of streetcar ads. It appears to have a brief name change under new ownership to the Columbia Theatre in 1918 but new operators gutted the theatre and with entrance moved returning to the Tenth Street Theatre moniker on September 25, 1920 at a grand reopening now with 650 seats. In 1928, the theatre went to a homemade disc sound system that had poor results before equipping to improved sound.
In 1937, the theatre under Ed F. Burgan went for a streamline modern makeover by architects Besecke & Swanson. The new theatre now had 877 seats.
The Sunair Drive-In Theatre opened October 3, 1950 and closed February 4, 1987 showing Hispanic films and a regularly-scheduled swap meet. It was demolished on March 3, 1987 to make way for an auto complex.
The theatre was said to have been named after Thomas Francis Enright, the first Pennsylvanian serviceman and was among the first three serviceman killed during World War I. The large mural entitled, “America Triumphant” was above the lobby exit as created by S. Tilden Stern (shown in photos) commemorated Enright’s service.
Transformed to a streamlined, deco look in 1933 by architect Ben Schlanger (one interior picture in photos).
Ads for grand opening as the Savoy Theatreon May 30, 1912 in photos as the theatre competed against the Electric Theatre that had opened the previous year. The Savoy closed in 1920 but new operators relaunched as the Liberty Theatre with grand opening ad June 12, 1920 in photos. The last showing was on November 15, 1924 with new operators promising a Fall 1925 relaunch which never happened. It was converted to the Black Cat Indoor Miniature Golf Course.
The theater opened March 17th, 1969 with six films (Yours, Mine and Ours; Dracula Has Risen From the Grave; Paper Lion; The Night They Raided Minsky’s; The Boston Strangler; and Charro). It was marketed as the first six theatre complex in the Southwest and only the second in the U.S. closely followed by many more. It was one of those theaters the mall owner had hoped would last thirty years. And owner after owner — AMC, Trans Texas, Hollywood, and others kept that thing going somehow into its last days as a very lightly trafficked dollar house in 1997 or just two years before its 30th anniversary. The theatre became known as the Cinemore as the Northtown (enclosed) Mall was ending. Up to the end, it still had those iconic curtains opening before each show up. Its hey day was the 1970s when all of the major hits played there and people stopped going downtown to the palaces to see those same features. The space was converted away from theaters and to office space targeted at the then very fast growing telecommunications industry.