The new $25,000 theater was announced by Richard Wagner of the Wagner Amusement Company of Sioux Falls. It was another Publix location upon opening taking the place of the Olmore Block, a frame building demolished for the project that had once housed a Red Owl grocery store.
The State opened with “Merely Mary Ann” on September 25, 1931 in downtown Madison. It switched to widescreen in the 1950s to present CinemaScope titles. The State Theatre closed on July 1, 1978 with “Gray Lady Down” after being sold to the National Bank of South Dakota. It timed out to the opening of the West Twin Cinema. The former State Theatre building was demolished in August of 1978.
The Berlin Electric Theatre opened on August 15, 1908 by Glenn Thomas of Mason City, Iowa. The venue dropped “Electric” and then “Berlin” becoming the Ruby Theatre on March 10, 1911.
In 1914, the local paper reports a a major transformation of the Hundemer Block which would become the Elks Building and home to the New Ruby Theatre opening that October to the plans of Architect Miller of Chicago. So the operation opened in the corner of Egan Avenue and First Street SE on a new leasing deal. The Ruby Theater made it to the end of a 15-year leasing agreement. But it did not make the conversion to sound ceasing operations in 1929. Early in 1930, it became a second-hand store for J.T. Sledge.
On May 2, 1971, the Ruby Theatre / Elks Building burned down.
The August 21, 1916 grand opening ad for the Lyric Theatre with Lucille Lee Stewart in “The Destroyers" is in photos. Publix took on the venue and they would wire it for sound - Western Electric sound on film, the second installed there, being the keeper - in 1929.
The May 7, 1954 changeover ad to the Egan Theatre is also in photos. Roger Drury closed the Egan Theatre on December 11, 1960 with the equipment sold off to the Madison Drive-In and operator Joe Prill. On June 19, 1961, the building was demolished with free bricks for anyone who came by.
Bastrop got clearance for two WW2 era movie houses thanks to its proximity to Camp Swift about 8 miles away. The Texas had opened in March 13, 1942 and, two months later, the Tower opened May 26, 1942 with “Rings on Her Finger.” It hit its 50th Anniversary in 1992 was operated by Lee Roy Mitchell until January 31, 1996 when it burned well after “Jumanji” had played. But the Tower and the converted Opera House as the Strand proved to be the only two venues needed in the town of just over 2,000 residents with the Texas Theatre closing quickly.
The Village Drive-In opened after a naming contest on April 28, 1950 by Robert Rogers with Esther Williams as “Neptune’s Daughter.” Rogers would sell the drive-in prior to 1952’s season’s end to M.B. Miller. In 1960, the screen tower was moved to a widescreen format to present CinemaScope films. The Village and the hardtop theater in downtown Ennis later became one of the earliest venues for future Cinemark owner Lee Roy Mitchell and his long cinema exhibition career. It appears to have closed as a result of local protests about showing X-rated films in November/December of 1984.
The Holiday D-I opened June 1, 1956 by Burntex Theatre operator and former mayor Tommy “T.J.” White and his wife. It opened with widescreen tower of 40' by 87' to present CinemaScope titles with space for 325 cars. Jack Corgan was the architect of the layout and screen tower with local architect Byron Jenkins designing the concession stand. Southwest Theater Equipment of Houston equipped the venue.
The $75,000 Dickinson Drive-In Theatre was built to the plans of Minneapolis architect Al Svensson. It launched with a sneak preview including the mayor and other dignitaries on August 9, 1950 and a grand opening on August 10, 1950 with Yvonne DeCarlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” both nights. Operator Frank G. Hallowell nicknamed the concession stand “The Breezeway.”
(For those interested, it was never called the Sunset Outdoor Movies - which was another location about a mile away that opened in July of 1950.)
The Dickinson Drive-In closed for the season on October 2, 1966 with “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” It opened on April 16, 1967 as the Hillcrest Drive-In Theater with “Apache Gold.” As noted above, the venue went out in style with a Labor Day weekend dusk to dawn extravaganza with “Uncommon Valor”, “First Blood”, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”, and “Psycho II”. (“48 Hours” was supposed to have been in the marathon but was not shown.) All cars making it to the end of “Psycho II” got a free continental breakfast.
The City demolished the theater on February 21, 1991.
The Lake View Drive-In launched on April 27, 1973 with “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid” and “Friends.” It went by Lake-View and, finally, Lakeview as it closed on Labor Day, September 1, 1986 with “SpaceCamp.”
The $75,000 Dickinson Drive-In Theatre was built to the plans of Minneapolis architect Al Svensson (at right). It launched with a sneak preview including the mayor and other dignitaries on August 9, 1950 and a grand opening on August 10, 1950 with Yvonne DeCarlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” both nights. Operator Frank G. Hallowell nicknamed the concession stand “The Breezeway.”
Paragon Entertainment Group took on the venue and are reopening in Fall of 2026. Restoring.
The new $25,000 theater was announced by Richard Wagner of the Wagner Amusement Company of Sioux Falls. It was another Publix location upon opening taking the place of the Olmore Block, a frame building demolished for the project that had once housed a Red Owl grocery store.
The State opened with “Merely Mary Ann” on September 25, 1931 in downtown Madison. It switched to widescreen in the 1950s to present CinemaScope titles. The State Theatre closed on July 1, 1978 with “Gray Lady Down” after being sold to the National Bank of South Dakota. It timed out to the opening of the West Twin Cinema. The former State Theatre building was demolished in August of 1978.
The Berlin Electric Theatre opened on August 15, 1908 by Glenn Thomas of Mason City, Iowa. The venue dropped “Electric” and then “Berlin” becoming the Ruby Theatre on March 10, 1911.
In 1914, the local paper reports a a major transformation of the Hundemer Block which would become the Elks Building and home to the New Ruby Theatre opening that October to the plans of Architect Miller of Chicago. So the operation opened in the corner of Egan Avenue and First Street SE on a new leasing deal. The Ruby Theater made it to the end of a 15-year leasing agreement. But it did not make the conversion to sound ceasing operations in 1929. Early in 1930, it became a second-hand store for J.T. Sledge.
On May 2, 1971, the Ruby Theatre / Elks Building burned down.
The August 21, 1916 grand opening ad for the Lyric Theatre with Lucille Lee Stewart in “The Destroyers" is in photos. Publix took on the venue and they would wire it for sound - Western Electric sound on film, the second installed there, being the keeper - in 1929.
The May 7, 1954 changeover ad to the Egan Theatre is also in photos. Roger Drury closed the Egan Theatre on December 11, 1960 with the equipment sold off to the Madison Drive-In and operator Joe Prill. On June 19, 1961, the building was demolished with free bricks for anyone who came by.
May 7, 1954 changeover ad to the Egan Theatre
The West Twin Theatre opened on July 7, 1978 with one screen ready (#2) and “high Anxiety”
The Madison’s last ad was in July of 1982 and an article stated that the grounds were maintained at least into the late 1980s.
August 21, 1916 grand opening ad for the Lyric Theatre with “The Destroyers.”
Duane A. Becker opened the Madison Drive-In on August 4, 1949
December 17, 1915 - the Unique Theatre is part of the Barndrup Block and the owners wish they hadn’t have been.
Bastrop got clearance for two WW2 era movie houses thanks to its proximity to Camp Swift about 8 miles away. The Texas had opened in March 13, 1942 and, two months later, the Tower opened May 26, 1942 with “Rings on Her Finger.” It hit its 50th Anniversary in 1992 was operated by Lee Roy Mitchell until January 31, 1996 when it burned well after “Jumanji” had played. But the Tower and the converted Opera House as the Strand proved to be the only two venues needed in the town of just over 2,000 residents with the Texas Theatre closing quickly.
The Village Drive-In opened after a naming contest on April 28, 1950 by Robert Rogers with Esther Williams as “Neptune’s Daughter.” Rogers would sell the drive-in prior to 1952’s season’s end to M.B. Miller. In 1960, the screen tower was moved to a widescreen format to present CinemaScope films. The Village and the hardtop theater in downtown Ennis later became one of the earliest venues for future Cinemark owner Lee Roy Mitchell and his long cinema exhibition career. It appears to have closed as a result of local protests about showing X-rated films in November/December of 1984.
Final day - April 1, 1976
Lantex Theatre (no hyphen) and definitely showing contemporary, new release films in 2026.
Grand opening ad of the Texas Theatre on May 21, 1948 with “Unconquered” in photos. Jack Corgan was its architect.
The Holiday D-I opened June 1, 1956 by Burntex Theatre operator and former mayor Tommy “T.J.” White and his wife. It opened with widescreen tower of 40' by 87' to present CinemaScope titles with space for 325 cars. Jack Corgan was the architect of the layout and screen tower with local architect Byron Jenkins designing the concession stand. Southwest Theater Equipment of Houston equipped the venue.
Restoring as a country music / dance hall in August 2026
(August 23, 1906 shot btw)
The $75,000 Dickinson Drive-In Theatre was built to the plans of Minneapolis architect Al Svensson. It launched with a sneak preview including the mayor and other dignitaries on August 9, 1950 and a grand opening on August 10, 1950 with Yvonne DeCarlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” both nights. Operator Frank G. Hallowell nicknamed the concession stand “The Breezeway.”
(For those interested, it was never called the Sunset Outdoor Movies - which was another location about a mile away that opened in July of 1950.)
The Dickinson Drive-In closed for the season on October 2, 1966 with “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” It opened on April 16, 1967 as the Hillcrest Drive-In Theater with “Apache Gold.” As noted above, the venue went out in style with a Labor Day weekend dusk to dawn extravaganza with “Uncommon Valor”, “First Blood”, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”, and “Psycho II”. (“48 Hours” was supposed to have been in the marathon but was not shown.) All cars making it to the end of “Psycho II” got a free continental breakfast.
The City demolished the theater on February 21, 1991.
(Strand to the right)
Closed - yet a last ditch renovating project is taking place.
It is currently named the Dickinson 3 Movie Theater operated by Golden Ticket Cinemas.
The Lake View Drive-In launched on April 27, 1973 with “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid” and “Friends.” It went by Lake-View and, finally, Lakeview as it closed on Labor Day, September 1, 1986 with “SpaceCamp.”
The Lake View Drive-In launches on April 27, 1973 with “The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid” and “Friends.”
The $75,000 Dickinson Drive-In Theatre was built to the plans of Minneapolis architect Al Svensson (at right). It launched with a sneak preview including the mayor and other dignitaries on August 9, 1950 and a grand opening on August 10, 1950 with Yvonne DeCarlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” both nights. Operator Frank G. Hallowell nicknamed the concession stand “The Breezeway.”