Lake 7 Cinemas
3100 S. Main Street,
Rice Lake,
WI
54869
3100 S. Main Street,
Rice Lake,
WI
54869
1 person
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P.S., the new page already had the 1981 photo. I just added the photo and history credit source. Drive-Ins.com never updated other than the photo. It would have been the same info anyway.
Cool. Will do. I also originally tried updating the Drive-Ins.com page for the 53 Auto-Vue. If that worked I’ll post a link. I think that was were I got the original car capacity.
DavidZornig:I have created a page for the 53 Auto-Vue, so you can post your photo there. Thanks for the information.
Well, apparently the Admins removed the 53 Auto-Vue marquee photo from 1981 I added. Not sure why.
Here is the history of the 53 Auto-Vue that preceded the Lake 7 Cinemas at the same location.
1981 photo, history & caption credit Old School Rice Lake Facebook page. 53 Auto Vue Drive In Marquee – Rice Lake,Wi. – 1981 —
The 53 Auto Vue drive in opened on Friday 6-15-1951. The first movie on Friday/Saturday June 15-16,1951 was “Frenchie” starring Joel McCrae & Shelley Winters. The 2nd movie on Sunday/Monday June 17-18,1951 was “Bedtime For Bonzo” starring Ronald Reagan. The last dusk to dawn show at the drive in was on Saturday 8-18-1984 featuring the movies “Stripes”,“Psycho 2”,“The Lords of Discipline” & “Sizzling Seniors”. The last four nights of the drive in were Thursday-Sunday August 23-26,1984. The movies were “Best Defense” starring Dudley Moore & “Trading Places” starring Eddie Murphy. On 12-21-1984 Cine 3 Theatre (later Lake 7) opened on the site of the drive in.
Well, hopefully you will be happy to know that things have changed at the Lake 7 since the last time you visited the theatre. The movies are always on screen, and if there’s a problem… the customers are always compensated.
And yes… for better or worse, the Lake 7 (Cine 3 at the time) was once owned by Carmike.
I haven’t been there since probably 2000 and have no plans of ever going back but I do have friends that go there if they have to. I talk to them after finding out they went there the first question I ask is if thew finally got the movie on the screen and so far have never been told yes.
This was not owned by Carmike. I know because when I was movie closer to the cabin I applied at Carmike at Oakwood Mall and that was in ‘96.
I I was a manager at GCC and when my uncle was there he asked me how his movie ended and told me the story. As a result when I moved closer I wanted the first time to cine 3 as it was called then to be the first showing of the day. It was at least close to being on the screen but I got stuck to the floor because it was so sticky and should have been clean for the first show of the day. When I first started going there I didn’t anything about it to friends I went with until they started saying things about it they I would and point out other problems. I didn’t say anything to friends at first because maybe my standards are to high but they are not. There are basic things any movie theater should be able to do which includes getting the movie on the screen and having the sound work not to mention being clean so your feet don’t get stuck to the floor.
When I was at GC it was like Mike Rogers said we had exchange tickets so they could come back but in my uncles case when he asked for a refund he was told they couldn’t because the money was already deposited.
What has changed,jesterraceif,seems like according to Bigred89 this must be the worst theatre in the whole state,Can’t believe the did not refund or give his uncle a pass for another movie,At GCC we had special rainchecks only to be given out under rare circumstances.
Mr. Bigred89… you have some strong opinions… when is the last time you visited the Lake 7?
Helllo all! Just found this site! In Rice Lake, WI there was a single screen in the downtown area many years ago. A drive-in then opened where the Lake 7 currently is; don’t know the exact opening date. The Cine 3 was built on the site of the closed drive-in in the early 1980s by Kerich (sp?) theatres. The 3-plex was then sold to Carmike. Carmike started dumping a bunch of smaller theatres after their bankruptcy in the late 90s/early 2000s. CEC acquired the theatre in 1998 and expanded to 7 screens.
I was just looking at the opening info and it is not correct. It did not open in 2000. I don’t know for sure but have heard it opened in 1953 as Cine 3. It is built on the old drive in. It was owned by a husband and wife and when they retired they sold it and I’m told that was around 1995. In 1998 they started to expand it and that is when it became Lake 7.
The opening also says it has a nice size lobby but I don’t know what one is being referred to because that is a small lobby.
No my uncle didn’t get a refund. They refused. I have been there a few times and was always poor quality. The last time they couldn’t even get the movie on the screen correctly.I haven’t been there in years because the quality is so poor. I will go 40-50 miles away or more to see a movie but not Amateur 7 Theatres.
I do know people who go there once in a while. When they tell me about it I always say something to the effect of You Went To Amateur 7. They always say they are sorry or didn’t have time to go to a good theatre and tell me about the poor quality this time around.
Well, I hope your Uncle got a full refund.
That address won’t map in Google Maps
Try 3100 S. Main.
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This is a very poor theatre. The popcorn tastes like it is at least a year old, very dirty, and very poorly run. I don’t think they have ever got the movie focused on the screen. The sound is usually just as bad as the film poor quality. I don’t think they have ever cleaned the floors not to mention the theatre. I have been in there during first show and just about stuck to the floors.
The price are very out of range. The concession prices are high all the concessions are poor quality.
My uncle even went there before and didn’t get to see the end of the movie because the film broke and they didn’t know how to fix it.