Here is part of an April 1997 article from the Placerville Mountain Democrat:
It’s a wrap for Placerville’s Empire Theater as the Main Street movie house prepares for its final screenings tomorrow night. The Empire – which served as Placerville’s only movie theater for 50 years until 1984-will shutter in the wake of declining business and the pending opening of a six-screen movie theater on Placerville Drive, according to theater manager Julie Vogan.
“It’s been very slow … We’ve had about 20 people a week for the past several months,” Vogan said. Signature Theaters, which operates the Empire and Cinema 4 on Ray Lawyer Drive and is spearheading the new theater efforts, originally planned to close Empire when the new complex opens â€"scheduled for August. However, the theater’s patronage lessened dramatically when a multi-screen theater opened in Folsom almost a year ago. Business declined so much at the 375-seat Empire that the decision was made to close it early, Vogan said.
Empire isn’t the only local theater hurt by the Folsom cinema. The number of Placerville Cinema 4 theatergoers has gone down by about half since the Folsom theater opened, Vogan said. She said she hopes the new, 1,200-seat theater in Placerville will draw locals who are going to Folsom to see first-run movies. The 21,600-square foot theater broke ground about three weeks ago near the intersection of Pierroz Road and Placerville Drive.
The Empire, meanwhile, was built in 1931 after the original theater burned down in the mid-1920s. The early movie bill had a standard format: a short reel followed by a newsreel, a comedy and a feature. Adults paid 30 cents and children 15 cents, according to Mountain Democrat files. During the mid-1980s,the Sierra Cultural Arts Center Association and Theatre El Dorado studied using the theater as an arts center. However, no plans ever reached fruition.
The Empire struggled over the next 13 years to stay afloat as more theaters came to and near Placerville. In May 1984 the Empire â€" then owned by the Toler family – closed when Cinema 4 opened its doors and the home video business flourished. At the time, manager Jim Toler called it “an example of big business squeezing out the independent business man …” The theater reopened later that year as the Schisnewski family took over. Ultimately, Signature Theaters took over.
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported the sale of the State in June 1960. The sellers were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Loomis. The new owner, Harold Coddington, expressed an interest in showing foreign films along with the regular first run features.
Here is a 1922 photo currently for sale on eBay:
http://tinyurl.com/cfsogq
This photo circa late sixties or early seventies is for sale on eBay:
http://tinyurl.com/dmwquu
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dmo36l
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/csv2vh
Here is a 1973 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dkgmvj
Here is a 1982 photo when it was the Cine Chelten:
http://tinyurl.com/cowuk3
Here is a 2006 photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/c8bwo2
This photo shows a Rockaway Park theater that has not yet been listed, as far as I know.
http://tinyurl.com/d9nv3a
OK, I will post it over there. Thanks.
Here is another life photo, circa 1953:
http://tinyurl.com/czbrps
Here is a 1951 photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/dnmlbv
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c6p78v
Here is part of an April 1997 article from the Placerville Mountain Democrat:
It’s a wrap for Placerville’s Empire Theater as the Main Street movie house prepares for its final screenings tomorrow night. The Empire – which served as Placerville’s only movie theater for 50 years until 1984-will shutter in the wake of declining business and the pending opening of a six-screen movie theater on Placerville Drive, according to theater manager Julie Vogan.
“It’s been very slow … We’ve had about 20 people a week for the past several months,” Vogan said. Signature Theaters, which operates the Empire and Cinema 4 on Ray Lawyer Drive and is spearheading the new theater efforts, originally planned to close Empire when the new complex opens â€"scheduled for August. However, the theater’s patronage lessened dramatically when a multi-screen theater opened in Folsom almost a year ago. Business declined so much at the 375-seat Empire that the decision was made to close it early, Vogan said.
Empire isn’t the only local theater hurt by the Folsom cinema. The number of Placerville Cinema 4 theatergoers has gone down by about half since the Folsom theater opened, Vogan said. She said she hopes the new, 1,200-seat theater in Placerville will draw locals who are going to Folsom to see first-run movies. The 21,600-square foot theater broke ground about three weeks ago near the intersection of Pierroz Road and Placerville Drive.
The Empire, meanwhile, was built in 1931 after the original theater burned down in the mid-1920s. The early movie bill had a standard format: a short reel followed by a newsreel, a comedy and a feature. Adults paid 30 cents and children 15 cents, according to Mountain Democrat files. During the mid-1980s,the Sierra Cultural Arts Center Association and Theatre El Dorado studied using the theater as an arts center. However, no plans ever reached fruition.
The Empire struggled over the next 13 years to stay afloat as more theaters came to and near Placerville. In May 1984 the Empire â€" then owned by the Toler family – closed when Cinema 4 opened its doors and the home video business flourished. At the time, manager Jim Toler called it “an example of big business squeezing out the independent business man …” The theater reopened later that year as the Schisnewski family took over. Ultimately, Signature Theaters took over.
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/co5nru
This site has some 1941 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/d6j2xh
http://tinyurl.com/de4tm7
See my comment of 8/20/05. If you change the address, I might get lost on the way home. 8-)
The view from the side in the 1950s photo at the top matches the front view in this 1980 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d9nv3a
Here is a 1982 view of the Roxy:
http://tinyurl.com/cyyoor
The address probably varied. The old aerial photo shows the DI taking up most of the block between Vermont and 228th.
Here is an undated photo from the LAPL, probably from the 1920s:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/theater1/00014407.jpg
The drive-in is listed at 23444 S. Vermont in this March 1952 ad in the Long Beach Press Telegram:
http://tinyurl.com/cas75r
The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported the sale of the State in June 1960. The sellers were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Loomis. The new owner, Harold Coddington, expressed an interest in showing foreign films along with the regular first run features.
“Coming Soon-Menudo the Film”:
http://tinyurl.com/d6ljdh
Here is a 1983 view of the Westlake:
http://tinyurl.com/db2us5
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dz7wd6