I found the grand opening ad and a story on the closing.
The Theater actually opened on Friday, Nov 4, 1988.
A story appeared in the Aug. 26, 2000 Daily Press announcing the closing after Thursday night’s showing which would have been on Aug 31, 2000. This ended a 12 year run.
The York Theater in West Point, Virginia was in operation from the early Fifties to the late Seventies, with occasional “restart” attempts into the Eighties, as near as we can determine. Economics pushed the prior owner of the building, a now-deceased attorney and entrepreneur, to cease theater operations and to “renovate” the auditorium by adding several small offices into the auditorium space. The building has been used since that renovation variously as law offices, a florist, an insurance agency and now that we own it, as the home to Pullen Computing. The building would be incredibly cost-prohibitive to “resurrect” as a full working theater; it has undergone significant structural changes including installation of ground-to-roof pillars to prevent the roof from collapsing.
The Edge Hill opened in November 1931 and closed in May of 1956. Another theater, the Hillside Cinema , was built on property next to the Edge Hill vacant property in 1979 and is open to this day.
According to the Historical Marker placed, the Moton operated at a moving picture theater from 1941 – 1966. It was then converted into a Community Center.
The Asta Theater was one of two theaters operated in the Guinea area in the forties and fifties.
Both the Asta and the Globe were located at the intersection of Maryus and Maundy’s Creek Road in Maryus.
The Asta was built in 1941 by Leslie Williams. It burned in 1944 and was rebuilt within two months. It operated until 1955. Opening prices were .25 for adults and .13 for children.
I attended a seminar on Mathews Theaters at the Historical Society the other night. The leader told us that the children of Donks were kicked out of the Be Jo Theater and barred for life for misbehaving. Mr. Dunton (Donk) had a verbal altercation with the Be Jo owner and told him he would build his kid his own theater and did right next door to his BBQ Stand just down the road from the Courthouse area. That is how Donk’s Theater came to life.
The Scott opened at this location on Aug 25, 1919 and closed on March 12, 1932.
The Langley opened on April 18, 1932 and closed on Aug 19, 1967.
The Scott and the Langley looked very differently. A local old timer told me that the Scott front was remodeled but most of the building retained when it became the Langley.
This theater is actually in Hampton. The Newmarket theater across Mercury Blvd is in Newport News.
Just posted the Opening Ad for the theater dated Oct 10, 1975
I just posted a photo of the Opening Ad dated Dec. 22, 1972
I just posted a photo of the Grand Opening Ad dated July 23, 1952
I just posted a photo of the Opening Ad dated June 25, 1947
I just posted a photo of the Opening Ad for the Sidney Lust Drive In Theater dated April 15, 1949
I just posted a photo of the Grand Opening ad dated July 1, 1965
I just added a photo of the Grand Opening Ad
This theater opened Nov 18, 1994 per ad in Daily Press, Newport News, Va. See new photo posted for ad.
I found the grand opening ad and a story on the closing.
The Theater actually opened on Friday, Nov 4, 1988.
A story appeared in the Aug. 26, 2000 Daily Press announcing the closing after Thursday night’s showing which would have been on Aug 31, 2000. This ended a 12 year run.
This was the last ad – March 1989
opening date is Jan 13, 1933
June 6, 1941
Found this on the web:
The York Theater in West Point, Virginia was in operation from the early Fifties to the late Seventies, with occasional “restart” attempts into the Eighties, as near as we can determine. Economics pushed the prior owner of the building, a now-deceased attorney and entrepreneur, to cease theater operations and to “renovate” the auditorium by adding several small offices into the auditorium space. The building has been used since that renovation variously as law offices, a florist, an insurance agency and now that we own it, as the home to Pullen Computing. The building would be incredibly cost-prohibitive to “resurrect” as a full working theater; it has undergone significant structural changes including installation of ground-to-roof pillars to prevent the roof from collapsing.
The Edge Hill opened in November 1931 and closed in May of 1956. Another theater, the Hillside Cinema , was built on property next to the Edge Hill vacant property in 1979 and is open to this day.
According to the Historical Marker placed, the Moton operated at a moving picture theater from 1941 – 1966. It was then converted into a Community Center.
Just posted an ad for the Grand Opening.
Ad in Gloucester Mathews Gazette dated Sept. 6, 1947
The Asta Theater was one of two theaters operated in the Guinea area in the forties and fifties.
Both the Asta and the Globe were located at the intersection of Maryus and Maundy’s Creek Road in Maryus.
The Asta was built in 1941 by Leslie Williams. It burned in 1944 and was rebuilt within two months. It operated until 1955. Opening prices were .25 for adults and .13 for children.
see new photo for location of Pix
I attended a seminar on Mathews Theaters at the Historical Society the other night. The leader told us that the children of Donks were kicked out of the Be Jo Theater and barred for life for misbehaving. Mr. Dunton (Donk) had a verbal altercation with the Be Jo owner and told him he would build his kid his own theater and did right next door to his BBQ Stand just down the road from the Courthouse area. That is how Donk’s Theater came to life.
Per a lecture on this theater by the Mathews Historical Society:
The original theater was the Westville located on Main Street in Mathews. It operated from 1930 to 1936.
In 1936, it was sold and was renamed the Be-Jo after the new owner’s daughters. It operated from 1936 – 1949 when it closed.
It has since been remodeled into office building.
Got this note from a friend that lives close to the Newport:
The end of an era. The Newport Theater in Norfolk is now an empty lot.
The Scott opened at this location on Aug 25, 1919 and closed on March 12, 1932.
The Langley opened on April 18, 1932 and closed on Aug 19, 1967.
The Scott and the Langley looked very differently. A local old timer told me that the Scott front was remodeled but most of the building retained when it became the Langley.
The building has since been demolished.
The first theater at this site was the Apollo. It opened on Aug 15, 1915 and it closed on June 8, 1932.
The Rex opened at the same location on Feb. 2, 1940 and operated until March 2, 1951 showing mostly B-western movies.
After closing this building served as a site for the Peninsula Youth for Christ and later as the Hampton City Arts Center.
It is now demolished and a bank sits on this property.