Comments from meheuck

Showing 1 - 25 of 157 comments

meheuck
meheuck commented about Guild Theatre on Mar 2, 2023 at 6:58 pm

It’s safe to say that the Guild’s lean to adult fare began in 1969, where they transitioned from R-rated art films and moveovers to straight up softcore. In the hierarchy of the active adult theatres in Cincinnati of the time, they would share higher-profile titles with Cinema X on Race St., while the Royal would effectively be second-run double features and the Imperial stressed their striptease performers more than the movies they played. Besides VIXEN, the Guild also opened PUTNEY SWOPE, Morrissey’s TRASH, and Art Napoleon’s THE ACTIVIST (ghost released by Universal under the “Regional Films” alias).

1972 saw some cracks in the fascade, interspersing a Charlie Chaplin compilation and the Black drama THE BUS IS COMING with the skin flicks. It looks like they went dark for a few months, and reopened in December of that year under a new owner, “Mark I Theatres,” and a new name, Midtown Cinema, and became a second-run double feature house. They even instituted super late night 2am shows on the weekend. More importantly, much like Black-attended theatres as the Regal and the State, they stopped listing showtimes in the Cincinnati papers and only occasionally put their name in display ads if joining a city-wide saturation run. They apparently dabbled back in adult films again, attempting to play DEEP THROAT in 1974 after it had already been shut down at the Alpha Fine Arts in Northside; they too had their run raided and ended early.

Some time before 1976, they entered a joint-operation agreement with the Alpha, and rebranded again as Eden Theatre. Looks like they still weren’t putting times in the papers, but reportedly they concentrated on exploitation fare like martial arts movies, and were only open on weekends.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Newsreel Theatre on Mar 2, 2023 at 1:39 am

In the ‘70s, the space was rebranded the “Video Theatre” and dabbled in countercultural programming. The original videotape version of Ken Shapiro’s THE GROOVE TUBE sketch program played there, followed by Ernest Pintoff’s “magazine” film DYNAMITE CHICKEN with Richard Pryor, and Emile de Antonio’s documentary MILLHOUSE.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Cinema X on Feb 28, 2023 at 4:31 pm

According to an article in The Cincinnati Post about adult businesses published on June 22, 1973, this Cinema X location was closed on January 12, 1972, by the Common Pleas Court, and its assets auctioned by the county to pay off the fines.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Monte Vista Theatre on Feb 28, 2023 at 4:25 pm

In a story on adult businesses in The Cincinnati Post on June 22, 1973, it states that the Monte Vista had been shut down by a Common Pleas Court order on November 1, 1972. Sometime later in 1973, the theatre reopened and returned to second-run double features.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Blanchester Movie Theater on Feb 25, 2023 at 4:45 am

Looks like they reopened again in November 2022, and as of this post, are still operating.

Screen count is down to 2 though.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Sandringham Drive-In on Jan 28, 2023 at 12:55 am

The Sandrigham was featured in Colin Eggleston’s infamous 1977 ‘white-coater’ FANTASM COMES AGAIN, in a sequence featuring Rainbeaux Smith.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Sandringham Drive-In on Jan 28, 2023 at 12:55 am

The Sandrigham was featured in Colin Eggleston’s infamous 1977 ‘white-coater’ FANTASM COMES AGAIN, in a sequence featuring Rainbeaux Smith.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Beecher Theatre on Aug 24, 2022 at 3:04 am

Origionally owned and operated by Jack Goldman, grandfather to current Esquire theatre operator Gary Goldman. It was part of a five-screen black theatre circuit Jack had in Cincinnati, along with the Regal and the Roosevelt downtown, the Lincoln in the West End, and the Roxy in Lockland.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Crossroads Cinema on Jul 24, 2022 at 5:39 pm

The plot thickens - in early 1975, it was known as the Studio Theatre and indeed listed at 120 N. State St.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Emery Theatre on Apr 5, 2022 at 2:05 pm

This photo is a little misdirecting because the actual theatre building is not the brown complex at the corner, it’s the white-painted structure to the far right.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Roselawn Theatre on Apr 5, 2022 at 1:09 pm

At some point, this building had served as a synagogue, with Hebrew text carved into its current facade. A banner hanging in front proclaims a business called “Truth Bar & Grill” Coming Soon, and looking it up shows documents drawn up in 2020, so it could be delayed by Covid or the venture aborted.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Elmwood Theatre on Apr 5, 2022 at 12:59 pm

An organization called Bonekrushers National Pro Wrestling Tranining Center is listed next door at 6105 Vine Street, and passing by the location, it would appear they are using the theatre space at 6109 to train their students and present exhibition matches to the public. Their alumni apparently includes former TNA champ Abyss and WWE Diva Jillian Hall.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Imperial Theatre on Apr 5, 2022 at 12:24 pm

I was able to get a tour of the theatre from the people working on renovating it. Their plans are very ambitious, involving developing the lot next door for more arts-based activity and hosting. They’re still looking for funding, but they appear to be well organized so I think they can pull it off. Can we change the status to “renovating”?

meheuck
meheuck commented about Shore Drive-In on Oct 24, 2021 at 11:36 pm

By process of elimination, I believe this drive-in was featured in a pivotal scene in Umberto Lenzi’s 1989 kidnap thriller HITCHER IN THE DARK with Josie Bissett, which was shot around the Virginia Beach area. Amusingly enough, during the scene, the movie being screened is the Italian caveman comedy GRUNT, which to the best of my knowledge, never actually got a U.S. release.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Crossroads Cinema on Aug 16, 2021 at 1:30 pm

Apparently, in 1974, it was then known as the Boondocks cinema.

meheuck
meheuck commented about State Theatre on Apr 17, 2021 at 12:51 pm

I never got to meet Phil, but I was always grateful to him as the “silent partner” behind The Movies repertory cinema downtown. I recall he invited investors to participate in his movie projects in their calendars. He also ran April Fools Distribution, who handled the Pink Floyd at Pompeii concert film.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Hi-Way 28 Drive-In on Apr 17, 2021 at 12:46 pm

YOUNG GANGS FROM WILDWOOD HIGH is a retitling of TEAM-MATES. ONE-NIGHT STAND is a retitling of PETS with Candice Rialson. HOT AND BOTHERED is a retitling of Sergio Martino’s LOVING COUSINS (CUGINI CARNALI) with Susan Player.

meheuck
meheuck commented about State Theatre on Apr 17, 2021 at 12:39 am

Marci, if you can scan any of that material, you can upload the jpegs as images in the photo gallery. Do you have any pix of the interior during that time? Since they didn’t list in the newspaper, did they print flyers for the neighborhood shops? Like, obviously people in the immediate vicinity would see the marquee and know what’s playing, but was that enough to draw substantial crowds for a given booking?

meheuck
meheuck commented about Mt. Adams Cinema on Apr 16, 2021 at 2:20 pm

Nitpicky thing, especially since I’m ultimately guilty of the mistake in my initial submission, but could the listing be changed to Mt. Adams instead of the full word Mount? Seeing as how that’s the manner of spelling it was always presented in, and it would bring it in line stylewise with other Greater Cincinnati towns like Mt. Healthy. I guess I’m compulsive like that. ;/

meheuck
meheuck commented about State Theatre on Apr 16, 2021 at 2:07 pm

That’s illuminating information, Mbeino - do you have any ads or other promotional material from when your dad and granddad ran it? Since they rarely did newspaper ads, I’m dying to know how they got word out about their bookings.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Captain Kidd Drive-In on Apr 16, 2021 at 2:03 pm

I did get that wrong - it was Holiday Amusements that booked the Auto-In, along with the Acme, Dent, Starlite, Hiway 28, Lake, and Mt. Healthy drive-ins. Levin Services booked the Ferguson Hills.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Auto-In Drive-In on Feb 7, 2021 at 7:12 pm

Both the ad for THE ROAD WARRIOR listing the Auto-In and for SWEET SIXTEEN listing it as the Captain Kidd read 2501 Anderson Ferry Rd.

I grew up in Cincinnati devouring the movie pages as a child, and I remember much fanfare in the drive-in listings promoting the “new” Captain Kidd, so that is not a misprint. Maybe they gave up the new name after one season and went back to calling the place Auto-In, but that alternate name is not a mistake.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8490/photos/334715

meheuck
meheuck commented about Captain Kidd Drive-In on Jan 30, 2021 at 6:16 pm

I just finally got confirmation that in the early ‘80s, Levin Services renamed the Auto-In on 2501 Anderson Ferry Rd. as the Captain Kidd, I guess intending it as a Cincinnati cousin to this Kettering location. That’s what confused me for years, since the “new” Captain Kidd came about shortly after the closing of the Tri-County located Jolly Roger.

meheuck
meheuck commented about Auto-In Drive-In on Jan 30, 2021 at 6:11 pm

Apparently, the Auto-In was rechristened Captain Kidd in the early ‘80s. I found a newspaper ad and uploaded it here.

Also, the address should be changed to 2501 Anderson Ferry Rd.

meheuck
meheuck commented about State Theatre on Sep 13, 2020 at 2:53 pm

This is another of the Cincinnati theatres that I occasionally heard about and would have loved to visit but they never posted showtimes in the paper. Gary Goldman must have really hated the press. Can anyone approximate a list of what played here and when?