Albert E. Davis architected the Peerless Theatre launching in the Bronx in 1923 with 600 seats for the N & P Amusement Company. The $50,000 Greek Revival two-story house was bathed in olive green, gold and Pompeii red. The Peerless had Typhoon fans for cooling and Powers 6-B projectors at its opening.
J.J. Marshall has his grand opening of the Marshall Theatre on December 6, 1909 with the 3-act play of “Girls.” It had a seating capacity of 1,100. In May of 1921, Glen W. Dickinson bought the theatre. It was converted in 1961 to a J.C. Penney’s department store.
Grand opening was September 16, 1922. A fire on November 26, 1950 just after a busy Sunday show destroyed the auditorium including the stage and screen. The theater never reopened.
Six-screen theatre opened at 635 Haywood Road in Greenville, SC on October 7, 1988 and closed November 30, 2001. Opened with an arcade on the second level for the gaming portion and a discount house from beginning to closing. Received a $20,000 upgrade to become the Redemption World Outreach Center launching in 2003. It then became the fitness venue called the Imagine Center thereafter.
Charles Garing began the silent-era Garing Theatre at 115 North Main Street in 1915. The theater closed for repairs in 1920 after a fire. It became part of the Southern Enterprises Circuit. It closed August 4, 1925 after fire gutted the projection booth and flooded the auditorium. Southern Enterprises had recently opened the Rivoli and announced that the Garing space would be retrofitted for other retail operations which appeared to happen in 1926. The space was used to advertise other theaters in the interim. The former theater’s building burned down in 1938. Demolished.
The Lewis Plaza Shopping Center was developed by R.M. Caine in 1948 as a shopper’s village. The architects of the Plaza Theatre were Beacham Associates built by Triangle Construction. First film was February 28, 1949 with “Romance on the High Sea”. The theatre was the third of the Star Theaters Circuit based in Greenvillle which was bought out by the Fuqua Circuit in 1972 along with the Astro. It closed at the beginning of 1978 just shy of its 30th anniversary.
The Branwood Theatre closed on September 22, 1956 with “Hell on Frisco Bay.” It becomes the Peoples' Faith Temple and has a brief rebirth as the Branwood Theatre in 1957 with some live events. December 9, 1922 was most often cited as the opening date but the theatre’s history dates to its initial opening in 1919.
The Belmont Drive-in Theatre opened August 29, 1949 with “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.“ It was also known as the Belmont Outdoor Cinema. The Belmont closed after a 30-year lease operating throughout the 1979 season before closing. It was demolished thereafter.
Circus veteran W.P. Newman operated the Wonderland Theatre in Bacyrus in 1908. When the competing Hippodrome failed in 1910, Newman moved to it because it was larger (453 seats at that time) and had better projection. The theatre had a Seeburg organ on one side of the stage and a Welte organ on the other. Newman fought against both censorship rules though wouldn’t show anything “his daughter wouldn’t see.” Improvements in seating led to its overall count being reduced to 375.
In 1919, Newman sold the theatre to Richard L. Hertzer who continued its operation. He fought against Sunday blue laws and operated without permission. The theatre was robbed of $1,000 in 1930 and went dark not long after. It was said to have been leased by a final operator, Settos Amusement Co., but there’s not much evidence that it actually re-opened.
Opened July 11, 1950 as the Joy Drive-In Theatre. In 1966, it was rebuilt as the Showtown Drive-In Theatre relaunching on July 15, 1966. On September 22, 1972, the Showtown added a second screen constructed by Wilmut Co. of Texas at a cost of $100,000. The twin opened playing “Dirty Harry” on the East Screen and “The Concert for Bangladesh” on the West Screen. The twin screener seemed to close after the 1980 season which would time out with a 30-year lease. It was demolished. Address was 464 South Beauchamp Street and is roughly where McCoy’s Building Supply was in the 21st Century.
The Anne Drive-In launched on July 3, 1953 with “Bugs Bunny Cartoon Revue” and “Meet Me At The Fair”. Everyone got free Coca-Colas and the kids got crayons and coloring books. Operator of the Leland Temple Theatre and the Greenville Harlem Theater, J.C. Noble named the drive-in for his wife Anne Greenwood Noble and his daughter Anne Elizabeth Noble. The snack bar had doughnuts along with the usual drive-in fare. The slogan of the drive-in was, “When the sun sets behind the trees, it’s showtime at the Anne Drive-In.” It became part of the Gulf State Theaters Circuit in 1960 which appears to have closed it the following season.
The Covina Theatre opened December 19, 1921 with “Bits of Life.” In January of 1948, Western Amusement Circuit took on the theatre on April 23,1947 giving it a new look including its new triangular marquee and entirely new look interior. In 1955, the theatre got another interior redesign and was showing widescreen films.
General Cinema took on the venue changing its name to the Covina Cinema which it held for most of its next 25 years under GCC, Century Cinema Circuit and for much of its independent operation. The Covina Cinema was a main reason cited for a local X-rated ordinance passed in 1978 trying to zone the playing of adult films. The location played the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight in the 1980s and briefly returned to the name Covina Theatre. It changed back to the Covina Cinema and appears as though its cinematic days ended in the summer of 1992 when ads dare discontinued. In 1994, the venue was refreshed and continued with live presentations as the Covina Valley Playhouse. It was razed in 2005 after more than 80 years of vibrant entertainment to the community.
The Center Theatre closed on February 9, 1963 as the city began an urban renewal program. The marquee was removed just days later with the theatre dismantled. The auditorium floor was leveled becoming a clothing store.
Bijou operator Edward C. Curdits and Robert Wilson opened the New Liberty Theatre for African American audiences in 1919 along with the neighboring Peoples Drug Store, also for African American consumers. There was a former Liberty Theatre that had opened in 1918 and business must have been good enough to find a better spot. An early film was Oscar Micheaux’s “The Homesteader.” Live events including community meetings, boxing matches and concerts – one featuring Ethel Waters – graced the LIberty Stage.
The Washington Heights neighborhood Liberty Theatre closed briefly in 1958 and put up for sale. It reopened only to close again twice more with the final time being on February 28, 1960. That left only the Harlem Theater at 200 S. Hudson in Greenville, SC for African American audiences as well as the 176-seat balcony of the Center Theater on North Main Street. The Liberty joined the parking lot brigade becoming a parking facility in the 1970s.
A news story says that this theatre burned down on October 23, 1952 that took 15 out of 17 buildings in an African American district of Leland. The same location had been destroyed once before in a fire in 1912 before it was rebuilt. This theatre may have been rebuilt or salvaged continuing its service.
The Lincoln Theatre was an African American theater when it opened in 1939 with the film, “Pennies from Heaven.” It operated until 1965. It then reopened in December of 1974 again serving a predominately African American clientele before closing.
Albert E. Davis architected the Peerless Theatre launching in the Bronx in 1923 with 600 seats for the N & P Amusement Company. The $50,000 Greek Revival two-story house was bathed in olive green, gold and Pompeii red. The Peerless had Typhoon fans for cooling and Powers 6-B projectors at its opening.
Grand opening was October 11, 1920 with DW Griffith’s “The Idol Dancer” and Harold Lloyd’s “High and Dizzy”
J.J. Marshall has his grand opening of the Marshall Theatre on December 6, 1909 with the 3-act play of “Girls.” It had a seating capacity of 1,100. In May of 1921, Glen W. Dickinson bought the theatre. It was converted in 1961 to a J.C. Penney’s department store.
Grand opening was September 16, 1922. A fire on November 26, 1950 just after a busy Sunday show destroyed the auditorium including the stage and screen. The theater never reopened.
Correction: Rodney Bush (not Brush).
Grand opening was March 15, 1935 with the film, “The Whole Town is Talking.”
Letterhead as the Apollo Theatre circa 1922 – its third year of operation.
Six-screen theatre opened at 635 Haywood Road in Greenville, SC on October 7, 1988 and closed November 30, 2001. Opened with an arcade on the second level for the gaming portion and a discount house from beginning to closing. Received a $20,000 upgrade to become the Redemption World Outreach Center launching in 2003. It then became the fitness venue called the Imagine Center thereafter.
Charles Garing began the silent-era Garing Theatre at 115 North Main Street in 1915. The theater closed for repairs in 1920 after a fire. It became part of the Southern Enterprises Circuit. It closed August 4, 1925 after fire gutted the projection booth and flooded the auditorium. Southern Enterprises had recently opened the Rivoli and announced that the Garing space would be retrofitted for other retail operations which appeared to happen in 1926. The space was used to advertise other theaters in the interim. The former theater’s building burned down in 1938. Demolished.
The Lewis Plaza Shopping Center was developed by R.M. Caine in 1948 as a shopper’s village. The architects of the Plaza Theatre were Beacham Associates built by Triangle Construction. First film was February 28, 1949 with “Romance on the High Sea”. The theatre was the third of the Star Theaters Circuit based in Greenvillle which was bought out by the Fuqua Circuit in 1972 along with the Astro. It closed at the beginning of 1978 just shy of its 30th anniversary.
Architects were Beacham Associates built by Triangle Construction. First film was February 28, 1949 with “Romance on the High Sea”
The city had the building demolished in 2003 after performing asbestos abatement.
The Branwood Theatre closed on September 22, 1956 with “Hell on Frisco Bay.” It becomes the Peoples' Faith Temple and has a brief rebirth as the Branwood Theatre in 1957 with some live events. December 9, 1922 was most often cited as the opening date but the theatre’s history dates to its initial opening in 1919.
The Belmont Drive-in Theatre opened August 29, 1949 with “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.“ It was also known as the Belmont Outdoor Cinema. The Belmont closed after a 30-year lease operating throughout the 1979 season before closing. It was demolished thereafter.
Circus veteran W.P. Newman operated the Wonderland Theatre in Bacyrus in 1908. When the competing Hippodrome failed in 1910, Newman moved to it because it was larger (453 seats at that time) and had better projection. The theatre had a Seeburg organ on one side of the stage and a Welte organ on the other. Newman fought against both censorship rules though wouldn’t show anything “his daughter wouldn’t see.” Improvements in seating led to its overall count being reduced to 375.
In 1919, Newman sold the theatre to Richard L. Hertzer who continued its operation. He fought against Sunday blue laws and operated without permission. The theatre was robbed of $1,000 in 1930 and went dark not long after. It was said to have been leased by a final operator, Settos Amusement Co., but there’s not much evidence that it actually re-opened.
Opened July 11, 1950 as the Joy Drive-In Theatre. In 1966, it was rebuilt as the Showtown Drive-In Theatre relaunching on July 15, 1966. On September 22, 1972, the Showtown added a second screen constructed by Wilmut Co. of Texas at a cost of $100,000. The twin opened playing “Dirty Harry” on the East Screen and “The Concert for Bangladesh” on the West Screen. The twin screener seemed to close after the 1980 season which would time out with a 30-year lease. It was demolished. Address was 464 South Beauchamp Street and is roughly where McCoy’s Building Supply was in the 21st Century.
It’s July 11, 1950 and time for the Joy Drive-In Theatre to open in Greenville, Mississippi.
The Anne Drive-In launched on July 3, 1953 with “Bugs Bunny Cartoon Revue” and “Meet Me At The Fair”. Everyone got free Coca-Colas and the kids got crayons and coloring books. Operator of the Leland Temple Theatre and the Greenville Harlem Theater, J.C. Noble named the drive-in for his wife Anne Greenwood Noble and his daughter Anne Elizabeth Noble. The snack bar had doughnuts along with the usual drive-in fare. The slogan of the drive-in was, “When the sun sets behind the trees, it’s showtime at the Anne Drive-In.” It became part of the Gulf State Theaters Circuit in 1960 which appears to have closed it the following season.
As of 2015, you can add “demolished”
The Covina Theatre opened December 19, 1921 with “Bits of Life.” In January of 1948, Western Amusement Circuit took on the theatre on April 23,1947 giving it a new look including its new triangular marquee and entirely new look interior. In 1955, the theatre got another interior redesign and was showing widescreen films.
General Cinema took on the venue changing its name to the Covina Cinema which it held for most of its next 25 years under GCC, Century Cinema Circuit and for much of its independent operation. The Covina Cinema was a main reason cited for a local X-rated ordinance passed in 1978 trying to zone the playing of adult films. The location played the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight in the 1980s and briefly returned to the name Covina Theatre. It changed back to the Covina Cinema and appears as though its cinematic days ended in the summer of 1992 when ads dare discontinued. In 1994, the venue was refreshed and continued with live presentations as the Covina Valley Playhouse. It was razed in 2005 after more than 80 years of vibrant entertainment to the community.
The Center Theatre closed on February 9, 1963 as the city began an urban renewal program. The marquee was removed just days later with the theatre dismantled. The auditorium floor was leveled becoming a clothing store.
Bijou operator Edward C. Curdits and Robert Wilson opened the New Liberty Theatre for African American audiences in 1919 along with the neighboring Peoples Drug Store, also for African American consumers. There was a former Liberty Theatre that had opened in 1918 and business must have been good enough to find a better spot. An early film was Oscar Micheaux’s “The Homesteader.” Live events including community meetings, boxing matches and concerts – one featuring Ethel Waters – graced the LIberty Stage.
The Washington Heights neighborhood Liberty Theatre closed briefly in 1958 and put up for sale. It reopened only to close again twice more with the final time being on February 28, 1960. That left only the Harlem Theater at 200 S. Hudson in Greenville, SC for African American audiences as well as the 176-seat balcony of the Center Theater on North Main Street. The Liberty joined the parking lot brigade becoming a parking facility in the 1970s.
A news story says that this theatre burned down on October 23, 1952 that took 15 out of 17 buildings in an African American district of Leland. The same location had been destroyed once before in a fire in 1912 before it was rebuilt. This theatre may have been rebuilt or salvaged continuing its service.
The Lincoln Theatre was an African American theater when it opened in 1939 with the film, “Pennies from Heaven.” It operated until 1965. It then reopened in December of 1974 again serving a predominately African American clientele before closing.
It’s a used book store with a variety of businesses prior so there are no remnants of its theatrical past.