The Cozy Theatre (not Cosy) opened as early as 1912. One of the first few operators of the theater is the one-and-only E.D. Luna, who installed Vitaphone at the Cozy on May 16, 1929. “Two Weeks Off” is the first sound film being played, no extras. The Thompson Theatres Circuit began operating the theater in 1948.
It remained as the only indoor theater in Wagoner after the closure of the Plaza Theatre in 1953.
CinemaScope was installed in September 1954, running its first CinemaScope titles that October.
In late December 1962, the Cozy Theatre closed for six weeks, and reopened on February 1, 1963 with “Hatari” after being taken over by Betty Cook. It was still in operation as late as the mid-1960s.
C.G. Kemble of Davis, Oklahoma, opened the Kemble Theatre on June 20, 1936. He previously purchased the building that first week of May. It was renamed the Plaza Theatre on January 30, 1941 after an inside remodeling, and being purchased by longtime nearby Cozy Theatre operator E.D. Luna.
The Plaza ended its movie-house run in the Spring of 1953, but left as a special events theater until the end of the year.
The Cherokee Drive-In opened its gates on April 1, 1953 with Jean Peters in “Anne of the Indies” with no extra short subjects. The Cherokee was first operated by town’s favorite Charles Ralls, who also operated the town’s Cosy, and was managed by Bill Dilbeck of Marlow, Oklahoma.
Only a bit of information serves as the Cherokee Drive-In’s marquee at the front featured a huge Indian (or Chief based on Oklahoma tribe), with the installations of RCA Sound Systems and a mammoth screen.
The Sky Vu Drive-In was notable for a September 17, 1957 shooting of a Dallas man who was visiting the area being shot in the chest by another man simply named as Connor.
There is another theater in North Reading called the North Reading Cinemas not too far away from the Starlite also on Route 28, which will have its own Cinema Treasures page soon.
Actually, the Palace Theatre name was left attached after being sold Mr. and Mrs. George Hite in 1947.
The Palace Theatre in the third week of February 1953 began operating under receivership ordering by the 15th District Court, which ended their three-week run when the Palace Theatre closed for more than three months beginning on March 2, 1953. Robert Doss was appointed receiver by the court in connection with its property settlement agreement upon the divorce suit of Carl and Jewel Moses who were owners of the property. Doss told the court that their operation was not getting enough paying customers to pay operating expenses. Despite being a first-run theater, people in Whitewright had to travel to either the Ritz in Sherman or the Ritz in McKinney to see first-runs such as “Peter Pan” or “Bear Country” among others. Otherwise the closest theater out of Whitewright being the New Theatre in neighboring Trenton pretty much had a push on mixed-formatted films (which both the New Theatre and the silent-era Queen Theatre would have their own pages on CinemaTreasures soon).
After being taken over by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gillespie three-and-a-half months later, an announcement to rename the theater was introduced. David Layman (Rt. 4), L.A. Watkins Sr., Richard Dean Cook, Mrs. W.K. Alexander, and Shirley Brown suggested the Linda name (or a variation). With the theater becoming the Linda Theatre being remodeled including seats and updates on a cry room, smoke room, bathrooms for both genders, new screen, a larger lobby, and an updated sound system, the theater reopened as the Linda Theatre on June 25, 1953 with Ann Sheridan in “Take Me To Town” (unknown if any short subjects were added due to The Whitewright Sun not demonstrating extras beneath its showing schedule). Five days later, the theater introduced a frequent schedule. They first introduced Cash Night, which picked up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, similar to a Darto game. And later on September 24, 1953, the Gillespies updated the schedule and introduced “Family Night” on Thursdays and Fridays with a 50 cent admit.
Sad to say that the “newly installed” screen that was used since the Linda Theatre reopening only lasted for a year-and-a-half. CinemaScope was introduced and installed on November 11, 1954, with “Brigadoon” as the first CinemaScope film two days later, taking over as a Saturday prevue and a Sunday matinee.
Opened as early as 1924. Once partially destroyed by a fire caused by projection on May 26, 1945. The operator of the theater suffered burns, but otherwise no other injuries were reported. Later changed its name to the Rio Theatre.
The Steele Theatre (opened as early as 1922) was destroyed by a fire twice. First on May 8, 1945 and the other on January 25, 1963.
The first fire occurred during V-C, the near-death of World War II, in the early morning hours at approximately 2:15 AM on May 8, 1945. The first fire was actually an explosion at Jack’s Cafe, next door to the theater, costing an estimate $20,000 in damage on the building and equipment (owned and operated by A.D. Fielder). Departments from Steele and Caruthersville responded to the call. Fielder said that the machinery at the projection booth was repairable, saying that it had minor damage. Fielder would later purchased the lot from T.C. Beasley who planned to rebuilt the theater. The Steele Theatre reopened a couple of months later with an upgraded capacity to 450.
The second fire occurred on January 25, 1963 at approximately the 3:00 AM hour caused by an electricity failure, which also destroyed the house of Mrs. Anne Broker behind the theater. The electric power of the theater suddenly went out at 3:40 PM. This cost an estimate $50,000 in destructible damage, and the power was restored 6 hours and 5 minutes later. Other departments from Hayti and Blytheville AFB responded to the scene but were badly handicapped by the shortage of water.
The Greenwood Park 14 was located a mile away from both defunct General Cinemas Greenwood Park 1-4 and 5-7 at the Greenwood Park Mall (which both closed before the time the Greenwood Park 14 opened) and the Loews Greenwood off Frye Road and U.S. South Highway 31.
The Greenwood Park 14 operated as a General Cinema from its start on March 24, 2000 until the first week of April 2002 when it became an AMC theater. But strangely enough, the nearby 9-screen Loews off of Frye and 31 however flipped the table over with a three-week stunt as a General Cinema theater before becoming an AMC theater for a very short time during the second week of April 2002 before closing due to competition being beaten out by the Greenwood Park 14. The Greenwood Park 14 already switched to AMC in the middle of the stunt nearby.
So after closing around 1982, the theater sat abandoned for nearly six years until an announcement on the entrance to the Michigan City Municipal Airport being planned in the site of the theater on June 1, 1988. It was demolished during the same year.
The Cozy Theatre (not Cosy) opened as early as 1912. One of the first few operators of the theater is the one-and-only E.D. Luna, who installed Vitaphone at the Cozy on May 16, 1929. “Two Weeks Off” is the first sound film being played, no extras. The Thompson Theatres Circuit began operating the theater in 1948.
It remained as the only indoor theater in Wagoner after the closure of the Plaza Theatre in 1953.
CinemaScope was installed in September 1954, running its first CinemaScope titles that October.
In late December 1962, the Cozy Theatre closed for six weeks, and reopened on February 1, 1963 with “Hatari” after being taken over by Betty Cook. It was still in operation as late as the mid-1960s.
C.G. Kemble of Davis, Oklahoma, opened the Kemble Theatre on June 20, 1936. He previously purchased the building that first week of May. It was renamed the Plaza Theatre on January 30, 1941 after an inside remodeling, and being purchased by longtime nearby Cozy Theatre operator E.D. Luna.
The Plaza ended its movie-house run in the Spring of 1953, but left as a special events theater until the end of the year.
The Cherokee Drive-In opened its gates on April 1, 1953 with Jean Peters in “Anne of the Indies” with no extra short subjects. The Cherokee was first operated by town’s favorite Charles Ralls, who also operated the town’s Cosy, and was managed by Bill Dilbeck of Marlow, Oklahoma.
Only a bit of information serves as the Cherokee Drive-In’s marquee at the front featured a huge Indian (or Chief based on Oklahoma tribe), with the installations of RCA Sound Systems and a mammoth screen.
It was actually “A Hare Grows in Manhattan”, despite being listed as “Hares in Manhattan” as an accidental error.
The Sky Vu Drive-In was notable for a September 17, 1957 shooting of a Dallas man who was visiting the area being shot in the chest by another man simply named as Connor.
There is another theater in North Reading called the North Reading Cinemas not too far away from the Starlite also on Route 28, which will have its own Cinema Treasures page soon.
The LaNar Actually Closed In 1967.
A Super 8, Advance Auto Parts, and a PepBoys sit in the theater’s former site.
First opened with six screens as “Loews College Park”.
Opened on November 3, 1913, closed in 1918.
Opened in the early 2000s.
Taken over by Loews in 1989.
Actually, the Palace Theatre name was left attached after being sold Mr. and Mrs. George Hite in 1947.
The Palace Theatre in the third week of February 1953 began operating under receivership ordering by the 15th District Court, which ended their three-week run when the Palace Theatre closed for more than three months beginning on March 2, 1953. Robert Doss was appointed receiver by the court in connection with its property settlement agreement upon the divorce suit of Carl and Jewel Moses who were owners of the property. Doss told the court that their operation was not getting enough paying customers to pay operating expenses. Despite being a first-run theater, people in Whitewright had to travel to either the Ritz in Sherman or the Ritz in McKinney to see first-runs such as “Peter Pan” or “Bear Country” among others. Otherwise the closest theater out of Whitewright being the New Theatre in neighboring Trenton pretty much had a push on mixed-formatted films (which both the New Theatre and the silent-era Queen Theatre would have their own pages on CinemaTreasures soon).
After being taken over by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gillespie three-and-a-half months later, an announcement to rename the theater was introduced. David Layman (Rt. 4), L.A. Watkins Sr., Richard Dean Cook, Mrs. W.K. Alexander, and Shirley Brown suggested the Linda name (or a variation). With the theater becoming the Linda Theatre being remodeled including seats and updates on a cry room, smoke room, bathrooms for both genders, new screen, a larger lobby, and an updated sound system, the theater reopened as the Linda Theatre on June 25, 1953 with Ann Sheridan in “Take Me To Town” (unknown if any short subjects were added due to The Whitewright Sun not demonstrating extras beneath its showing schedule). Five days later, the theater introduced a frequent schedule. They first introduced Cash Night, which picked up on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, similar to a Darto game. And later on September 24, 1953, the Gillespies updated the schedule and introduced “Family Night” on Thursdays and Fridays with a 50 cent admit.
Sad to say that the “newly installed” screen that was used since the Linda Theatre reopening only lasted for a year-and-a-half. CinemaScope was introduced and installed on November 11, 1954, with “Brigadoon” as the first CinemaScope film two days later, taking over as a Saturday prevue and a Sunday matinee.
Opened as early as 1924. Once partially destroyed by a fire caused by projection on May 26, 1945. The operator of the theater suffered burns, but otherwise no other injuries were reported. Later changed its name to the Rio Theatre.
The Steele Theatre (opened as early as 1922) was destroyed by a fire twice. First on May 8, 1945 and the other on January 25, 1963.
The first fire occurred during V-C, the near-death of World War II, in the early morning hours at approximately 2:15 AM on May 8, 1945. The first fire was actually an explosion at Jack’s Cafe, next door to the theater, costing an estimate $20,000 in damage on the building and equipment (owned and operated by A.D. Fielder). Departments from Steele and Caruthersville responded to the call. Fielder said that the machinery at the projection booth was repairable, saying that it had minor damage. Fielder would later purchased the lot from T.C. Beasley who planned to rebuilt the theater. The Steele Theatre reopened a couple of months later with an upgraded capacity to 450.
The second fire occurred on January 25, 1963 at approximately the 3:00 AM hour caused by an electricity failure, which also destroyed the house of Mrs. Anne Broker behind the theater. The electric power of the theater suddenly went out at 3:40 PM. This cost an estimate $50,000 in destructible damage, and the power was restored 6 hours and 5 minutes later. Other departments from Hayti and Blytheville AFB responded to the scene but were badly handicapped by the shortage of water.
It actually opened on August 22, 1936 with “Three Kids And A Queen” supported by a newsreel and two shorts “Going Places” and “A Great Idea”.
The Greenwood Park 14 was located a mile away from both defunct General Cinemas Greenwood Park 1-4 and 5-7 at the Greenwood Park Mall (which both closed before the time the Greenwood Park 14 opened) and the Loews Greenwood off Frye Road and U.S. South Highway 31.
The Greenwood Park 14 operated as a General Cinema from its start on March 24, 2000 until the first week of April 2002 when it became an AMC theater. But strangely enough, the nearby 9-screen Loews off of Frye and 31 however flipped the table over with a three-week stunt as a General Cinema theater before becoming an AMC theater for a very short time during the second week of April 2002 before closing due to competition being beaten out by the Greenwood Park 14. The Greenwood Park 14 already switched to AMC in the middle of the stunt nearby.
It appears that the Georgetown Theatre may’ve closed around 1983.
Correction: The Meridian Drive-In opened its gates on June 6, 1950.
The Meridian Drive-In had major additional updates on May 16, 1952. The Meridian was still running as late as 1975.
So after closing around 1982, the theater sat abandoned for nearly six years until an announcement on the entrance to the Michigan City Municipal Airport being planned in the site of the theater on June 1, 1988. It was demolished during the same year.
Correction: This dates June 1953.
Correction: This dates June 1953.
Opened On October 24, 1931.
Opened with Susan Hayward in “Tap Roots” along with a Bugs Bunny cartoon, a Woody Woodpecker cartoon, and an Andy Panda cartoon (all unnamed).
Yes.