Luttrell’s Majestic Theatre was named by Green M. Luttrell who launched the 400 seat theater in 1917. Ten years into its operation, the independent Luttrell both updated his theater re-opening as the New Majestic Theatre (though in exactly the same spot) in January of 1927 and was named to the board of directors in a national theater owners association.
Luttrell battled against the Jacksonville Theatre Company which was better positioned with the Illinois Theatre, the Scott Theatre and the Rialto Theatre. But in January of 1929, fire ravaged the Rialto and Jacksonville Theaters purchased the Majestic from Mr. Luttrell. Adding sound to the Majestic, Jacksonville Theatre Company had a nice position in Jacksonville theatrical exhibition which was not lost on the Fox owned Fox Rocky Mountain Theater Company which officially took over and rebranded the Jacksonville Theatre holdings. Within months, the portfolio was in the hands of the more appropriate Fox Midwest Theater Company.
In 1937, Fox Theatre Circuit made extensive Deco-era updates to the Majestic and announced a contest to change the name of the theater. The name Fox Majestic was retained, however, and the theater went from a first-run showplace to the second-run house for Jacksonville. Seating increased from 400 to 450 seats as the theater tried to recoup costs with more seats at lower ticket prices. Regular film exhibition for Fox ran until 1952 when Fox ended regular film screenings. Special events occurred in the theater including viewing of the 1952 baseball World Series.
A fire in another Jacksonville theater gave the Majestic one last shot at regular film exhibition. El Fran Theatres Circuit was running the competing Times Theatre which had a major fire in September of 1953. Fox subleased the Majestic to its competitor in El Fran and the Majestic resumed regular screenings until 1954. I believe that’s the end of the theater’s run of 37 years and the building was repurposed for other retail functions.
This is one of “those” drive-ins that was as memorable for its setting as much as its presentation. Ogle Country visitors and residents visiting the White Pines State Park for camping, picnics, and perhaps staying overnight in the camp or using the cabins and lodge found entertainment in the form of the White Pines Roller Rink and as of July 21, 1950 the Pines Drive-In Theater. Conceptualized as the White Pines Drive-In, names for the state park that was across the road, the Pines was operator by Lamb Theatre of Mt. Morris owner Jim Lamb.
The rustic design of the Pines D-I blended with the hills and bluffs surrounding the theater. The 55' high screen tower was constructed of split log and sapling designed to emulate a natural amphitheater. Cedar fencing was at the entrance with a log fence running around the perimeter of the 400-space drive-in lot. The mural on the face of the original screen tower was of White Pines State Park. It was among the most beautiful settings for a drive-in in the Midwestern United States.
The theatre was updated with a new screen tower to allow for widescreen films. Though it lost a lot of its charm, the presentation improved and kept the theater more current. Kerasotes took on the theater in the 1966 season and the theater entertained patrons for decades into the home video era.
Opened in the Fall of 1936 and closure as a regular movie house was July 3, 1963 after a final showing of “The Adventures of the Brothers Grimm.” The Lee-Dix Theatre Circuit which operated the Dixon Theater said the theater – which had no functioning air conditioning system at that time – would reopen in the Fall when cooler weather came. Though that didn’t transpire, the Lee was used for special events and organ recitals into 1964. Osco Drugs announced a deal in summer of 1964 to take over the Lee Building and converted the former Lee to a retail pharmacy.
Decatur Drive-In Grand Opening night was July 30, 1948 with 2,000 cars coming but not enough spaces for them to watch “Pardon My Sarong” with Abbott & Costello, Architected by William M. Weidemeyer, the 100 foot high original tower was patterned after a New Jersey drive-in which provided artificial moonlight without interfering with the on-screen image.
Cars entered the center of the theater instead of the front at opening to help get the cars to the ramps with all parking space numbers illuminated. The name of the theater was selected in a contest in which original and innovative names must have all been tossed out. The theater was the first for the Kerasotes Theater Circuit and such a big success and prompted Kerasotes to build a second ozoner in the city. Creativity and differentiation were still not apparent with the name Outdoor Theatre selected for that theater.
In 1955, the the Decatur D-I went to a Mancovision aluminum screen to accommodate widescreen presentations including CinemaScope and to try to get a brighter image. The family-centric location had a train, ferris wheel, merry-go-round and other playground fun for the kids.
Grand opening was July 31, 1949 with the opening film of “Out of the Blue.” Operator M.A. Osborn hoped patrons liked the 40' by 50' screen and had spaces for 500 cars. Mayor G.W. Smith was on hand to help dedicate Mattoon’s first drive-in theatre. Osborn announced the sale of the Skyway at the end of his third season with the Mattoon Theater Company taking it on for 1953. The theater was redone for its grand reopening Easter Sunday, April 5, 1953.
The Starlite Drive-In was one of two Harrisburg area drive-ins neither within the city limits. The first was the Harrisburg Drive-In in Pankeyville and the second was this entry, the Starlite Drive-In for Turner-Farrar Theatres circuit. On the 17-acre tract was a drive-in accommodating 700 cars on 11 ramps. Landscaped with a 30 by 80 foot flower bed at the huge 68 foot high and 80 foot wide screen tower. The 45 foot a counter was a visual hit at the drive-in.
Because of myriad delays, the Starlite missed its spring and summer 1952 grand opening targets. Once finished, however, the theater decided to embark upon a shortened season opting for a soft launch on October 10, 1952 with “Frontier Gal” and Abbott and Costello’s “The Naughty Nineties.” The latter film featured one of the most famous versions of the comedy team’s “Who’s on First?” routine. Turner-Farrar even advertised in 1952 that the formal grand opening wouldn’t occur until the following spring. The drive-in closed for the season just two months later in December of 1952.
For its grand opening officially on April 3, 1953, the Starlite opened with the films, “Frenchie” and “Red Skies of Montana.” And fondly remembered by locals were the appearances by three ponies for free rides. Their names were Red, Koko and Gus which — along with the playground — made the Starlite family friendly. They were recurring features of the drive-in. Orchids were flown in from Hawaii via St. Louis for the first 1,000 ladies who showed up on opening night. And 1,700 total patrons would get in the first night. For most of years of operation, the Starlite was a May-October operation.
After decades of service, the drive-in was closed and then demolished. A feint outline can be seen in satellite shots at Highway 45 and Lindale halfway between Wasson and Eldorado.
The Outdoor Theatre opened July 28, 1950 originally with 700 spots, the sister o-zoner to the Decatur Drive-In both for the Kerasotes Theater Circuit. Opening features were “The Nevadan” and “Adventure in Baltimore.” In 1955, the theater went to a Mancovision aluminum screen to accommodate widescreen presentations including CinemaScope and to try to get a brighter image. The family-centric location had a train, ferris wheel, merry-go-round and other playground fun for the kids.
The Nox Theatre was owned in its early days by A,M. Chamness. He sold the theater on Main Street which was functional from 1925 to 1956. The Nox Theatre building housed Starkey’s Food Market in the 1960s.
The Lyric was built in 1906 by T.D. Souris. Many sources say the theater was built in the 1930s but it’s hard to imagine that the theater wasn’t the same facade and reimagined in its interior for the sound era as Souris and Nenes did with the Grand / former Liberty just three doors down. Nenes and Souris transformed the Lyric to Teatro Lyric serving the Spanish speaking population of Miami. The theater suffered a fire and then post-closure in the 1960s, a wind storm toppled its marquee/awning.
The Grand Theatre was constructed in the same footprint of its predecessor, the Liberty Theatre, a silent operation which was removed down to the foundation and reconstructed in 1929 built as a $100,000 talkie theater with Movietone and Vitaphone sound systems. It opened in September 1929 for Nenes and Souris who had owned the original and updated Lyric Theater in Miami. A sold out audience was impressed by the Spanish Architecture and the fabulous interior design of Charles Weissenborn who had decorated theaters in Los Angeles, Seattle, Fairbanks, as well as theaters in Montana and Oregon.
The Grand — which hosted union activities — was closed briefly during a strike in summer of 1971. Advertisements run until “Last Tango in Paris” ending January 29, 1975 which may (or may not) be the theater’s closing date. It advertised for decades at 615 Sullivan Street. So not sure the source of the opening dates, closing dates and address above, but feel confident about this info.
The MacArthur/Broadway Shopping Center opened theatreless on September 9, 1965. The M/B had space-port parking, you could take the local astro-bus and head up the space ramp to futuristic wonderment. (Well, as futuristic as a Woolworth’s as the only mall anchor gets.) And a year later, the Theatre 70 luxury theater opened November 22, 1966 with the film “Alfie.” With 70mm presentations in vogue, the theater name made sense.
As the theater faded and showing double features, the refreshed its name to distnace itself from 1970 and 70mm film becoming Cinema 1. Just 11 years later, the theater closed with “Greased Lightning” and “Norman, is that you?” on September 29, 1977. In 2009, the entire M/B was demolished and replaced by Kaiser Permanente.
To clarify something above, Rogers Cinema Circuit of Marshfield, Wisconsin bought the theater (not Marshall Field). Also Skouris Theatre Corporation bought the Jeffris in July of 1968 and operated under the United Artists Theatre Circuit. It started with Saxe Theatres so was Saxe’s Jeffris. Then Saxe was sold to Fox-Wisconsin Theatres becoming the Fox Jeffris. The Fox circuit was broken up as part of the Paramount consent decree and Associated Prudential Theaters Inc. Circuit of New York took on the theater advertising it as Johnny Prudential Theaters until being sold to Skouris.
The Taylor Drive-In launched June 26, 1950 with the film, “Canyon Passage”. But in 1954, manager W.W. Weidner lived up to his name by doubling the size of the Texas Drive-In screen to 80'x 33' and opening in December with “Three Coins in Fountain” followed by “The Robe” as the test for the CinemaScoped Taylor.
Opened originally as the Friendly Drive-In Theatre on March 1, 1951. For the 1952 season, it changes to the Tower Drive-In Theatre. It competes against the Aiken Drive-In Theatre and, on July 1, 1952, Consolidated Theater’s Fox Drive-In which celebrated its grand opening on Highway 19. Consolidated buys the theater at the end of the season now owning both the Fox Drive-In Theatre and the Tower Drive-In. The Fox would outlast the Tower lasting into the 1970s.
Architected by Harvey A. Jordan, the Charro Drive-In launched November 4, 1949 with John Wayne’s “The Sea Spoilers” on its 40x55 foot screen. Closing date above is incorrect as the theatre operated past that date.
On June 15, 1937, the Norside Theatre launched with Mickey Mouse’s “Adventures of a Camera Man” and the double feature of “Seventh Heaven” and “When’s Your Birthday.” It was curtains for the Norside Theatre on February 13, 1956 closing with “Three for the Show” and “Looters.” And it was okay to loot as the theater would begin to be demolished just eight days later by Frank J. Rowden & Son. The theater was doing poorly and likely opted for a deal with its long-standing neighboring Tri-City Grocery Store for that business to have an adjacent off-street parking lot.
The former theater’s spot would indeed become the North Alton Parking Lot and serviced the Tri-City grocer. All references to the theater after February 13, 1956 other than “demolished” are in reference to the grocer.
Opened April 9, 1913 as the Outaga Theatre named after the Illinois county in which Alton resides. New operators took on the 250-seat Outaga and changed the name on August 26, 1913 calling it the Gem. The scrappy theater had around ten different owners leading to a wide array of grand openings. The Gem went out of business numerous times including November 16, 1929 for failure to pay $100 in back rent and finally late in 1939.
The theater was put on the market in 1940. It was a tough sell and the building is rented out for church events and Republican party meetings. On October 31, 1942, the Gem gave it one more shot as a theatre with a run lasting until March of 1944. It then becomes a live theater for a local college in the middle of 1944. It then continues as a place for special events and church usage until divided up into “business suits” housing a variety of retail stores in June of 1948. The theater building was razed in 1977.
Peter S. Dawe opened his third and final cinema in Bridgeport as Dawe’s Theatre in 1921. He took over the Bijou in 1910 and built the Palace in 1912 on the city’s east side. But the theatre carrying his name was sold and became the Cameo Theatre in 1924. On September 19, 1925, it became Warners' Cameo as part of the Warner Brothers Circuit. Warner would change the theater to the Warner Theatre. An explosion on April 12, 1963 during “Prince of Peace” closed the theater for a few days but just weeks later it would close for good going out with “"The Last Sunset” on June 2, 1963. Demolition occurred February 1964.
Grand opening for the Capitol Theatre was February 22, 1922 with all 1,000 seats filled for the feature, “Molly O.” Also featured was Buster Keaton in “The Play House.” The theatre closed in 1923 for almost a year and was offered for sale reopening in 1924. The Capitol Theater was rebooted as the Astor Theatre launching Dec. 2, 1947. William Riseman, architect from Boston, totally re-imagined the theater stripping out the floor and everything but the walls in creating the post-Capitol Astor.
Luttrell’s Majestic Theatre was named by Green M. Luttrell who launched the 400 seat theater in 1917. Ten years into its operation, the independent Luttrell both updated his theater re-opening as the New Majestic Theatre (though in exactly the same spot) in January of 1927 and was named to the board of directors in a national theater owners association.
Luttrell battled against the Jacksonville Theatre Company which was better positioned with the Illinois Theatre, the Scott Theatre and the Rialto Theatre. But in January of 1929, fire ravaged the Rialto and Jacksonville Theaters purchased the Majestic from Mr. Luttrell. Adding sound to the Majestic, Jacksonville Theatre Company had a nice position in Jacksonville theatrical exhibition which was not lost on the Fox owned Fox Rocky Mountain Theater Company which officially took over and rebranded the Jacksonville Theatre holdings. Within months, the portfolio was in the hands of the more appropriate Fox Midwest Theater Company.
In 1937, Fox Theatre Circuit made extensive Deco-era updates to the Majestic and announced a contest to change the name of the theater. The name Fox Majestic was retained, however, and the theater went from a first-run showplace to the second-run house for Jacksonville. Seating increased from 400 to 450 seats as the theater tried to recoup costs with more seats at lower ticket prices. Regular film exhibition for Fox ran until 1952 when Fox ended regular film screenings. Special events occurred in the theater including viewing of the 1952 baseball World Series.
A fire in another Jacksonville theater gave the Majestic one last shot at regular film exhibition. El Fran Theatres Circuit was running the competing Times Theatre which had a major fire in September of 1953. Fox subleased the Majestic to its competitor in El Fran and the Majestic resumed regular screenings until 1954. I believe that’s the end of the theater’s run of 37 years and the building was repurposed for other retail functions.
This is one of “those” drive-ins that was as memorable for its setting as much as its presentation. Ogle Country visitors and residents visiting the White Pines State Park for camping, picnics, and perhaps staying overnight in the camp or using the cabins and lodge found entertainment in the form of the White Pines Roller Rink and as of July 21, 1950 the Pines Drive-In Theater. Conceptualized as the White Pines Drive-In, names for the state park that was across the road, the Pines was operator by Lamb Theatre of Mt. Morris owner Jim Lamb.
The rustic design of the Pines D-I blended with the hills and bluffs surrounding the theater. The 55' high screen tower was constructed of split log and sapling designed to emulate a natural amphitheater. Cedar fencing was at the entrance with a log fence running around the perimeter of the 400-space drive-in lot. The mural on the face of the original screen tower was of White Pines State Park. It was among the most beautiful settings for a drive-in in the Midwestern United States.
The theatre was updated with a new screen tower to allow for widescreen films. Though it lost a lot of its charm, the presentation improved and kept the theater more current. Kerasotes took on the theater in the 1966 season and the theater entertained patrons for decades into the home video era.
Opened in the Fall of 1936 and closure as a regular movie house was July 3, 1963 after a final showing of “The Adventures of the Brothers Grimm.” The Lee-Dix Theatre Circuit which operated the Dixon Theater said the theater – which had no functioning air conditioning system at that time – would reopen in the Fall when cooler weather came. Though that didn’t transpire, the Lee was used for special events and organ recitals into 1964. Osco Drugs announced a deal in summer of 1964 to take over the Lee Building and converted the former Lee to a retail pharmacy.
Decatur Drive-In Grand Opening night was July 30, 1948 with 2,000 cars coming but not enough spaces for them to watch “Pardon My Sarong” with Abbott & Costello, Architected by William M. Weidemeyer, the 100 foot high original tower was patterned after a New Jersey drive-in which provided artificial moonlight without interfering with the on-screen image.
Cars entered the center of the theater instead of the front at opening to help get the cars to the ramps with all parking space numbers illuminated. The name of the theater was selected in a contest in which original and innovative names must have all been tossed out. The theater was the first for the Kerasotes Theater Circuit and such a big success and prompted Kerasotes to build a second ozoner in the city. Creativity and differentiation were still not apparent with the name Outdoor Theatre selected for that theater.
In 1955, the the Decatur D-I went to a Mancovision aluminum screen to accommodate widescreen presentations including CinemaScope and to try to get a brighter image. The family-centric location had a train, ferris wheel, merry-go-round and other playground fun for the kids.
Grand opening was July 31, 1949 with the opening film of “Out of the Blue.” Operator M.A. Osborn hoped patrons liked the 40' by 50' screen and had spaces for 500 cars. Mayor G.W. Smith was on hand to help dedicate Mattoon’s first drive-in theatre. Osborn announced the sale of the Skyway at the end of his third season with the Mattoon Theater Company taking it on for 1953. The theater was redone for its grand reopening Easter Sunday, April 5, 1953.
The Osio Cinema closed following July 20, 2015’s film, “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.”
The Starlite Drive-In was one of two Harrisburg area drive-ins neither within the city limits. The first was the Harrisburg Drive-In in Pankeyville and the second was this entry, the Starlite Drive-In for Turner-Farrar Theatres circuit. On the 17-acre tract was a drive-in accommodating 700 cars on 11 ramps. Landscaped with a 30 by 80 foot flower bed at the huge 68 foot high and 80 foot wide screen tower. The 45 foot a counter was a visual hit at the drive-in.
Because of myriad delays, the Starlite missed its spring and summer 1952 grand opening targets. Once finished, however, the theater decided to embark upon a shortened season opting for a soft launch on October 10, 1952 with “Frontier Gal” and Abbott and Costello’s “The Naughty Nineties.” The latter film featured one of the most famous versions of the comedy team’s “Who’s on First?” routine. Turner-Farrar even advertised in 1952 that the formal grand opening wouldn’t occur until the following spring. The drive-in closed for the season just two months later in December of 1952.
For its grand opening officially on April 3, 1953, the Starlite opened with the films, “Frenchie” and “Red Skies of Montana.” And fondly remembered by locals were the appearances by three ponies for free rides. Their names were Red, Koko and Gus which — along with the playground — made the Starlite family friendly. They were recurring features of the drive-in. Orchids were flown in from Hawaii via St. Louis for the first 1,000 ladies who showed up on opening night. And 1,700 total patrons would get in the first night. For most of years of operation, the Starlite was a May-October operation.
After decades of service, the drive-in was closed and then demolished. A feint outline can be seen in satellite shots at Highway 45 and Lindale halfway between Wasson and Eldorado.
The Outdoor Theatre opened July 28, 1950 originally with 700 spots, the sister o-zoner to the Decatur Drive-In both for the Kerasotes Theater Circuit. Opening features were “The Nevadan” and “Adventure in Baltimore.” In 1955, the theater went to a Mancovision aluminum screen to accommodate widescreen presentations including CinemaScope and to try to get a brighter image. The family-centric location had a train, ferris wheel, merry-go-round and other playground fun for the kids.
The Nox Theatre was owned in its early days by A,M. Chamness. He sold the theater on Main Street which was functional from 1925 to 1956. The Nox Theatre building housed Starkey’s Food Market in the 1960s.
The Lyric was built in 1906 by T.D. Souris. Many sources say the theater was built in the 1930s but it’s hard to imagine that the theater wasn’t the same facade and reimagined in its interior for the sound era as Souris and Nenes did with the Grand / former Liberty just three doors down. Nenes and Souris transformed the Lyric to Teatro Lyric serving the Spanish speaking population of Miami. The theater suffered a fire and then post-closure in the 1960s, a wind storm toppled its marquee/awning.
The Grand Theatre was constructed in the same footprint of its predecessor, the Liberty Theatre, a silent operation which was removed down to the foundation and reconstructed in 1929 built as a $100,000 talkie theater with Movietone and Vitaphone sound systems. It opened in September 1929 for Nenes and Souris who had owned the original and updated Lyric Theater in Miami. A sold out audience was impressed by the Spanish Architecture and the fabulous interior design of Charles Weissenborn who had decorated theaters in Los Angeles, Seattle, Fairbanks, as well as theaters in Montana and Oregon.
The Grand — which hosted union activities — was closed briefly during a strike in summer of 1971. Advertisements run until “Last Tango in Paris” ending January 29, 1975 which may (or may not) be the theater’s closing date. It advertised for decades at 615 Sullivan Street. So not sure the source of the opening dates, closing dates and address above, but feel confident about this info.
The MacArthur/Broadway Shopping Center opened theatreless on September 9, 1965. The M/B had space-port parking, you could take the local astro-bus and head up the space ramp to futuristic wonderment. (Well, as futuristic as a Woolworth’s as the only mall anchor gets.) And a year later, the Theatre 70 luxury theater opened November 22, 1966 with the film “Alfie.” With 70mm presentations in vogue, the theater name made sense.
As the theater faded and showing double features, the refreshed its name to distnace itself from 1970 and 70mm film becoming Cinema 1. Just 11 years later, the theater closed with “Greased Lightning” and “Norman, is that you?” on September 29, 1977. In 2009, the entire M/B was demolished and replaced by Kaiser Permanente.
A correction above: The Terrace Drive-In opened July 13, 1949. Opening features were “The Hills of Home” and Jungle Patrol."
To clarify something above, Rogers Cinema Circuit of Marshfield, Wisconsin bought the theater (not Marshall Field). Also Skouris Theatre Corporation bought the Jeffris in July of 1968 and operated under the United Artists Theatre Circuit. It started with Saxe Theatres so was Saxe’s Jeffris. Then Saxe was sold to Fox-Wisconsin Theatres becoming the Fox Jeffris. The Fox circuit was broken up as part of the Paramount consent decree and Associated Prudential Theaters Inc. Circuit of New York took on the theater advertising it as Johnny Prudential Theaters until being sold to Skouris.
CORRECTION: “Little Patricia” not Little Princess
Permanently closed July 8, 2015. A new theater by Cobb Circuit will take its place adjacent to the former Rotunda.
The Taylor Drive-In launched June 26, 1950 with the film, “Canyon Passage”. But in 1954, manager W.W. Weidner lived up to his name by doubling the size of the Texas Drive-In screen to 80'x 33' and opening in December with “Three Coins in Fountain” followed by “The Robe” as the test for the CinemaScoped Taylor.
Grand opening was November 8, 1952 with “Montana” starring Errol Flynn.
Opened originally as the Friendly Drive-In Theatre on March 1, 1951. For the 1952 season, it changes to the Tower Drive-In Theatre. It competes against the Aiken Drive-In Theatre and, on July 1, 1952, Consolidated Theater’s Fox Drive-In which celebrated its grand opening on Highway 19. Consolidated buys the theater at the end of the season now owning both the Fox Drive-In Theatre and the Tower Drive-In. The Fox would outlast the Tower lasting into the 1970s.
Grand opening was April 1, 1950 just two months after construction began.
Architected by Harvey A. Jordan, the Charro Drive-In launched November 4, 1949 with John Wayne’s “The Sea Spoilers” on its 40x55 foot screen. Closing date above is incorrect as the theatre operated past that date.
On June 15, 1937, the Norside Theatre launched with Mickey Mouse’s “Adventures of a Camera Man” and the double feature of “Seventh Heaven” and “When’s Your Birthday.” It was curtains for the Norside Theatre on February 13, 1956 closing with “Three for the Show” and “Looters.” And it was okay to loot as the theater would begin to be demolished just eight days later by Frank J. Rowden & Son. The theater was doing poorly and likely opted for a deal with its long-standing neighboring Tri-City Grocery Store for that business to have an adjacent off-street parking lot.
The former theater’s spot would indeed become the North Alton Parking Lot and serviced the Tri-City grocer. All references to the theater after February 13, 1956 other than “demolished” are in reference to the grocer.
Opened April 9, 1913 as the Outaga Theatre named after the Illinois county in which Alton resides. New operators took on the 250-seat Outaga and changed the name on August 26, 1913 calling it the Gem. The scrappy theater had around ten different owners leading to a wide array of grand openings. The Gem went out of business numerous times including November 16, 1929 for failure to pay $100 in back rent and finally late in 1939.
The theater was put on the market in 1940. It was a tough sell and the building is rented out for church events and Republican party meetings. On October 31, 1942, the Gem gave it one more shot as a theatre with a run lasting until March of 1944. It then becomes a live theater for a local college in the middle of 1944. It then continues as a place for special events and church usage until divided up into “business suits” housing a variety of retail stores in June of 1948. The theater building was razed in 1977.
Peter S. Dawe opened his third and final cinema in Bridgeport as Dawe’s Theatre in 1921. He took over the Bijou in 1910 and built the Palace in 1912 on the city’s east side. But the theatre carrying his name was sold and became the Cameo Theatre in 1924. On September 19, 1925, it became Warners' Cameo as part of the Warner Brothers Circuit. Warner would change the theater to the Warner Theatre. An explosion on April 12, 1963 during “Prince of Peace” closed the theater for a few days but just weeks later it would close for good going out with “"The Last Sunset” on June 2, 1963. Demolition occurred February 1964.
Grand opening for the Capitol Theatre was February 22, 1922 with all 1,000 seats filled for the feature, “Molly O.” Also featured was Buster Keaton in “The Play House.” The theatre closed in 1923 for almost a year and was offered for sale reopening in 1924. The Capitol Theater was rebooted as the Astor Theatre launching Dec. 2, 1947. William Riseman, architect from Boston, totally re-imagined the theater stripping out the floor and everything but the walls in creating the post-Capitol Astor.