The Don Drive-In launches with Cornel Wilde in “Star of India” and Tony Martin in “Frontier Scout” on June 28, 1956. The Don closed gracefully with a super double feature of “Bad, Black and Beautiful” and “"Blood of the Dragon” on November 28, 1976 at the end of a 20-year lease and declining revenue. The former ozoner’s buildings were then hit by two fires in 1978 and 1979 followed by storm damage in 1985 that permanently ended things.
George W. Luce opened up his third theatre and this one was Aladdin’s Theatre in an existing space in the Harshman Building. The Aladdin appeared on August 27, 1931 with Laura La Plante in “Lonely Wives.” Just six months later, the Aladdin closed in February of 1932. On July 29, 1933, Gordon H. Cary took on the Aladdin. He equipped it with a Weber Synchrofilm Sound system for better audio fidelity and a Blizzard fan to better ventilate the venue. Its reopening film was Bob Steele in “The Fighting Champ.”
In 1940, it got a major streamline moderne makeover. On March 10, 1955, the theatre was equipped with widescreen projection to play CinemaScope titles beginning with “Knights of the Round Table.” But the combination of television and a 20% reduction in the town’s population that saw it sink to fewer than 900 residents led to the closure of the theatre. Cary closed the Aladdin on April 1, 1956 due to lack of patronage.
A new operator, Manuel Alvarez, reopened the Aladdin on August 3, 1956 with a sold-out sowing of Jack Palance in “Kiss of Fire.” But that outpouring of support was short-lived and Alvarez closed the Aladdin due to lack of patronage on December 30, 1957 with Shirley Jones in “Oklahoma!” in CinemaScope supported by a newsreel and a cartoon.
Prior to 1912, moving pictures were sporadically brought into to the town of Jet by traveling companies that furnished a generator. But that changed when a new build facility by W.E. George launched as the Wonderland Electric Theatre showing movies for a dime with a grand opening on September 12, 1912.
New operators refreshed the venue renaming it the Savoy Theatre featuring movies and a boxing vaudevillian kangaroo named “Battling Bob” Fitzsimmons, The Champion Boxing Kangaroo of the World on October 1, 1916. C.A. Hinshaw sold the venue to Roy Azbill in 1920 who closed the Savoy to extend the building and provide a better stage for vaudeville which would be programmed twice a month. Azbill’s grand opening of the Rex Theatre took place on June 10, 1920 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “Number 99.” The Rex closed April 7, 1923 with “Sylvia of the Secret Service.” The facility was retrofitted as a retail store likely on a 15-year lease.
In 1939, Nelson Smith and John Jordan took over the retail spot and relaunched it with sound as the new Rex Theatre. After the War, the town’s population decreased to under 400 residents and the advent of television posed a threat to the future of the Rex. Under operators James and Bob Henigman, the theatre got new projection and a curved screen to show CinemaScope films beginning after a refresh with “Ivanhoe” on February 18, 1954. The theatre closed April 19, 1955. The Henigmans relaunched the venue one last timein August of 1957 with theater closing permanently before year’s end.
The Pawnee Theatre neon signage was installed and ready to go but went unused when Fox bought the venue and changed its moniker to the Fox. The venue launched on November 24, 1929 with “Salute” as the Fox Theatre.
The Platte Theatre launched on the north side on May 3, 1925 with Johnny Hines in “The Early Bird” supported by a two-reel comedy, “The High Flyer” and a Pathé newsreel. On July 3, 1928, the venue under new ownership became the Alhambra Theatre.
Equipped for sound under new owners, the theatre relaunched on August 15, 1930, with Jack Oakie in “Hit the Deck” as the Luna Theatre. Taken over by Publix, the theatre was changed to the State Theatre on February 17, 1934 with Andy Devine in “Horseplay” supported by a Cubby, the Bear, cartoon, and two other short subjects. It closed as the State Theatre.
The theatre closed for the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 for just over two months. It reopened May 29, 2020 but then closed, apparently for good, on September 15, 2020.
Cinemark closed its 9-screen discount house along with its other locations on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning in the Summer of 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed its Academy Cinemas - Pasadena 6 on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning in the Summer of 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
AMC closed its Classic Logan Valley 8 along with the rest of its locations for the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. It reopened later in the year. AMC closed the location permanently in July of 2021 at the end of a 25-year lease.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed the Buenaventura 6 on March 18, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning on June 25, 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed the Towngate 8 on March 17, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning briefly in October of 2020 and then again on June 16, 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed the Norwalk 8 on March 17, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning on July 9, 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Apex Theatres Circuit closed the Village 8 on March 18, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. After having some weekend popcorns sales, the theatre reopened June 12, 2020 but closed six weeks later on July 31, 2020. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning with a grand reopening on July 1, 2021 playing sub-run discount films.
The Oliver Theatre was a new-build facility that essentially replaced the Valley Theatre as the town’s movie house. It opened May 6, 1921 and in January of 1930 it shifted to a policy of all talking pictures after installing a sound system. In 1947, the theatre was sold by Dean Krotter to J.M. Williamson. He changed the name of the venue to the Pal Theatre in May of 1947.
Fifteen miles away in Trenton, Nebraska, the Roxy installed CinemaScope in December of 1954. The Pal soldiered on but apparently enough movie goers preferred the drive to the technically superior Roxy that business waned. The Pal closed on April 16, 1956 with Humphrey Bogart in “The Desperate Hours.”
The opening of the West Fifth Street Drive-In Theatre took place on June 12, 1953 with Jane Russell in “Montana Belle.” The ozoner opened with 347 spaces with that number of speakers.
The Empress Theatre was built in 1912 and was said to be the first theater in the West that had a passenger elevator for patrons to take them from the second to the third floor. It was also said that it would be impossible for a single life to be lost as the theatre was completely fireproof. It launched with vaudeville on January 30, 1913 and motion pictures were part of the shows almost from the outset. The theatre had 1,492 seats at opening with all of them filled.
Built on the former spot of Danceland, the O'Neill Drive-In Theatre launched on June 5, 1952 with “Fort Defiance” supported by additional short subjects. Just ten days later, on June 15, 1952, a tornado destroyed the screen. It was soon rebuilt.
The Barstow Theatre launched for Western Amusements Circuit on February 22, 1950 with Broderick Crawford in “Cargo to Cape Town” supported by Johnny Weissmuller in “Captive Girl.”
The Don Drive-In launches with Cornel Wilde in “Star of India” and Tony Martin in “Frontier Scout” on June 28, 1956. The Don closed gracefully with a super double feature of “Bad, Black and Beautiful” and “"Blood of the Dragon” on November 28, 1976 at the end of a 20-year lease and declining revenue. The former ozoner’s buildings were then hit by two fires in 1978 and 1979 followed by storm damage in 1985 that permanently ended things.
The Don Drive-In launches with Cornel Wilde in “Star of India” and Tony Martin in “Frontier Scout” on June 28, 1956.
Great stuff… that certainly puts it on Main Street.
George W. Luce opened up his third theatre and this one was Aladdin’s Theatre in an existing space in the Harshman Building. The Aladdin appeared on August 27, 1931 with Laura La Plante in “Lonely Wives.” Just six months later, the Aladdin closed in February of 1932. On July 29, 1933, Gordon H. Cary took on the Aladdin. He equipped it with a Weber Synchrofilm Sound system for better audio fidelity and a Blizzard fan to better ventilate the venue. Its reopening film was Bob Steele in “The Fighting Champ.”
In 1940, it got a major streamline moderne makeover. On March 10, 1955, the theatre was equipped with widescreen projection to play CinemaScope titles beginning with “Knights of the Round Table.” But the combination of television and a 20% reduction in the town’s population that saw it sink to fewer than 900 residents led to the closure of the theatre. Cary closed the Aladdin on April 1, 1956 due to lack of patronage.
A new operator, Manuel Alvarez, reopened the Aladdin on August 3, 1956 with a sold-out sowing of Jack Palance in “Kiss of Fire.” But that outpouring of support was short-lived and Alvarez closed the Aladdin due to lack of patronage on December 30, 1957 with Shirley Jones in “Oklahoma!” in CinemaScope supported by a newsreel and a cartoon.
Prior to 1912, moving pictures were sporadically brought into to the town of Jet by traveling companies that furnished a generator. But that changed when a new build facility by W.E. George launched as the Wonderland Electric Theatre showing movies for a dime with a grand opening on September 12, 1912.
New operators refreshed the venue renaming it the Savoy Theatre featuring movies and a boxing vaudevillian kangaroo named “Battling Bob” Fitzsimmons, The Champion Boxing Kangaroo of the World on October 1, 1916. C.A. Hinshaw sold the venue to Roy Azbill in 1920 who closed the Savoy to extend the building and provide a better stage for vaudeville which would be programmed twice a month. Azbill’s grand opening of the Rex Theatre took place on June 10, 1920 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “Number 99.” The Rex closed April 7, 1923 with “Sylvia of the Secret Service.” The facility was retrofitted as a retail store likely on a 15-year lease.
In 1939, Nelson Smith and John Jordan took over the retail spot and relaunched it with sound as the new Rex Theatre. After the War, the town’s population decreased to under 400 residents and the advent of television posed a threat to the future of the Rex. Under operators James and Bob Henigman, the theatre got new projection and a curved screen to show CinemaScope films beginning after a refresh with “Ivanhoe” on February 18, 1954. The theatre closed April 19, 1955. The Henigmans relaunched the venue one last timein August of 1957 with theater closing permanently before year’s end.
In reorganization during bankruptcy, the circuit promised the rebirth of this location in late summer or early fall of 2021.
The Pawnee Theatre neon signage was installed and ready to go but went unused when Fox bought the venue and changed its moniker to the Fox. The venue launched on November 24, 1929 with “Salute” as the Fox Theatre.
Publix launched its Paramount Theater on April 5, 1931 with “Honor Among Lovers.”
The Platte Theatre launched on the north side on May 3, 1925 with Johnny Hines in “The Early Bird” supported by a two-reel comedy, “The High Flyer” and a Pathé newsreel. On July 3, 1928, the venue under new ownership became the Alhambra Theatre.
Equipped for sound under new owners, the theatre relaunched on August 15, 1930, with Jack Oakie in “Hit the Deck” as the Luna Theatre. Taken over by Publix, the theatre was changed to the State Theatre on February 17, 1934 with Andy Devine in “Horseplay” supported by a Cubby, the Bear, cartoon, and two other short subjects. It closed as the State Theatre.
Opened May 18, 1991 with some free preview movies. Closed at the end of a 30-year lease.
The theatre closed for the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 for just over two months. It reopened May 29, 2020 but then closed, apparently for good, on September 15, 2020.
Cinemark closed its 9-screen discount house along with its other locations on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning in the Summer of 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed its Academy Cinemas - Pasadena 6 on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning in the Summer of 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
AMC closed its Classic Logan Valley 8 along with the rest of its locations for the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. It reopened later in the year. AMC closed the location permanently in July of 2021 at the end of a 25-year lease.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed the Buenaventura 6 on March 18, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning on June 25, 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed the Towngate 8 on March 17, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning briefly in October of 2020 and then again on June 16, 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Regency Theatres Circuit closed the Norwalk 8 on March 17, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning on July 9, 2021 resuming its policy of playing sub-run discount films.
Apex Theatres Circuit closed the Village 8 on March 18, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. After having some weekend popcorns sales, the theatre reopened June 12, 2020 but closed six weeks later on July 31, 2020. The theatre bucked the trend of discount houses that closed permanently during COVID-19 by returning with a grand reopening on July 1, 2021 playing sub-run discount films.
The local newspaper reports a 1952 opening that was delayed when the screen tower collapsed at construction.
The original Gem Theatre opened in the Keller Building on February 11, 1914 in Culbertson.
The Oliver Theatre was a new-build facility that essentially replaced the Valley Theatre as the town’s movie house. It opened May 6, 1921 and in January of 1930 it shifted to a policy of all talking pictures after installing a sound system. In 1947, the theatre was sold by Dean Krotter to J.M. Williamson. He changed the name of the venue to the Pal Theatre in May of 1947.
Fifteen miles away in Trenton, Nebraska, the Roxy installed CinemaScope in December of 1954. The Pal soldiered on but apparently enough movie goers preferred the drive to the technically superior Roxy that business waned. The Pal closed on April 16, 1956 with Humphrey Bogart in “The Desperate Hours.”
The opening of the West Fifth Street Drive-In Theatre took place on June 12, 1953 with Jane Russell in “Montana Belle.” The ozoner opened with 347 spaces with that number of speakers.
The Empress Theatre was built in 1912 and was said to be the first theater in the West that had a passenger elevator for patrons to take them from the second to the third floor. It was also said that it would be impossible for a single life to be lost as the theatre was completely fireproof. It launched with vaudeville on January 30, 1913 and motion pictures were part of the shows almost from the outset. The theatre had 1,492 seats at opening with all of them filled.
Built on the former spot of Danceland, the O'Neill Drive-In Theatre launched on June 5, 1952 with “Fort Defiance” supported by additional short subjects. Just ten days later, on June 15, 1952, a tornado destroyed the screen. It was soon rebuilt.
The Barstow Theatre launched for Western Amusements Circuit on February 22, 1950 with Broderick Crawford in “Cargo to Cape Town” supported by Johnny Weissmuller in “Captive Girl.”