Cinemark opened the “Cinema III” during the second week of December 1979 with “Star Trek The Motion Picture” at Screen 1, “Rocky II” at Screen 2, and “Starting Over” at Screen 3, marking the first movie house to operate in Commerce since the closures of the Palace Theatre and the Commerce Drive-In.
Prior to grand opening, the movie “10” was originally supposed to be the grand opening feature at Screen 3, but turned it down for unknown reasons. Instead, “Starting Over” was the replacement for the originally scheduled “10” as its grand opening feature.
Despite starting life as a Cinemark theater, Cinemark operated the Cinema 3 for only a few months. Plitt Theatres then took the Cinema III’s ownership over from Cinemark in June 1980. Plitt operated the Cinema III until mid-1986 when Cinemark brought back its original ownership of Cinema III. The theater was renamed “Commerce 3” in February 1987.
In 1988, Front Row Joe never made it to Commerce after Trans-Texas Theatres took over ownership from Cinemark. The theater was renamed “Dollar Movies 3” and became a $1 house, retaining its first-run policy.
On the evening of June 19, 1989 at approximately 8:00 PM, three men entered one of the three auditoriums in a middle of a movie and began beating up a 21-year-old Channelview man with wooden sticks. The man immediately rushed out of the theater after receiving only minor injuries and was taken to Citizens Hospital of Commerce where he was treated and released. The three men were caught in the landslide and were all charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Trans-Texas Theatres operated the theater until 1995 when Hollywood Theaters took the operation over. It was renamed “Dollar Cinema 3”. This lasted until November 1999 when the theater became a $2 house, and was renamed Commerce Cineplex under an independent operator.
The Commerce Cineplex closed for the final time on August 31, 2005.
The Palace Theatre opened its doors on December 31, 1929 with “The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with sound installations of RCA Photophone. The Palace Theatre was a replacement of the nearby Hippodrome Theatre which closed a day prior due to lack of sound. Former Hippodrome manager L.O. Boggetts was the first manager of the Palace.
The Palace Theatre changed its name to the Cinema Theatre in 1972 after Rowlett United Theatres sold the theater to the Texas Cinema Corporation chain (alongside the Commerce Drive-In).
The theater closed for the final time on America’s 200th Independence Day (July 4, 1976) with Walt Disney’s “Ride A Wild Pony” and “Dumbo”.
The Commerce Drive-In opened its gates on July 29, 1952 with John Lund in “Steel Town” with no extra short subjects featuring original installations of Simplex projectors and a 32x45ft Johns-Manville Flexboard screen covered with a special cement type paint.
The Lilly’s who operated both the Palace and the Commerce Drive-In sold their theaters to Rowley United Theatres in 1965. Rowley then sold both theaters to the Texas Cinema Corporation in 1972.
The Commerce Drive-In closed for the final time on January 2, 1977 with the 1976 version of “King Kong” due to the theater failing to attract a suitable turnout.
This left Commerce without a movie house until Plitt Theatres launched the Cinema 3 almost three years later.
NOTE: I don’t see any information of the drive-in being known as the High View Drive-In judging by archives of the Commerce Journal.
The Los Altos Drive-In closed for the final time on September 9, 1996 with “The Stupids” and “Escape From L.A.” at Screen 1, “Tin Cup” and “Carpool” at Screen 2, and “A Very Brady Sequel” and “Alaska” at Screen 3.
The Kmart opened two-and-a-half years later on November 17, 1999. It closed on April 18, 2021, and AtHome now currently occupies both the former Kmart and drive-in.
This is one out of two Owen Theatres in the city of Branson, the name Owen was named after Branson’s then-mayor and famous “king of the Ozarks” Jim M. Owens (1904-1972).
The older and first Owen Theatre started life as the Gayety Theatre, but was renamed the Owen Theatre in the early-1930s.
In mid-August 1935, Mr. N.E. Morrison of St. James, Missouri wrote a letter to mayor Owen, asking for his support and advice in connection with a proposal to construct a newer movie house in a special way, saying that he have been “informed that there is a real need for a good showhouse in Branson”. After receiving his letter, not just he wrote a letter back to Morrison but he also wrote a letter to Glen Dickinson of the Dickinson Theatres chain. After a successful agreement, construction of the newer Owen Theatre began in March 1936.
The newer and second Owen Theatre opened its doors on June 5, 1936 as a replacement of the older Owen Theatre which closed the previous day. Its grand opening attraction is not found yet at this time. Since opening, Dickinson Theatres was the main operator of the theater, and remained like that for nearly 40 years of its operation.
The Owen was Branson’s first-run movie house for the longest time, but when the Table Rock Twin Cinema opened nearby in September 1975, it began a little competition. The Owen Theatre closed as a first-run movie house in the late-1970s.
A short time later, the Owen reopened as a popular venue for live performances, concerts, performing arts, and special events (plus additional movies for rare occasions).
The Tablerock Twin Cinema started life as a locally-owned theater, but in mid-1977, the Dickinson Theatres chain (who also operated both the Owen Theatre and the Shepherd Of The Hills Drive-In) leased the theater and purchased the firm in 1979.
The Tablerock Twin Cinema expanded to a four-screen theater on June 1, 1985 after Dickinson added two more 200-seat auditoriums in the west side of the building, bringing a grand total to 876 seats, and became known as the Tablerock Cinema 4.
The Sage was probably one of the last drive-in theaters to open in Oklahoma. I cannot spot the theater anywhere in both the 1955, 1964 and 1977 aerial views. A 1979 aerial view however shows the drive-in under construction, meaning that this may’ve open in 1980.
NOTE: I put the address of the drive-in from across the street because of a massive error on Google Maps while targeting the right location. I typed in the right address and Google took me to some Minnesota Honda dealership.
This opened earlier than 1952. Vicksburg had another drive-in theater at the time located south of then-Highway 61 called the Vicksburg Drive-In, which will have its own page soon.
The 63 Drive-In opened its gates on May 27, 1952 with Robert Cummings in “The First Time” along with an unnamed cartoon and a Grantland Rice Sportlight (both unlisted on grand opening ad).
The old and first Avenue Theatre started life as the Garrett Theatre with a capacity of 365 seats, opening on July 11, 1940 with “Son Of The Navy” along with a newsreel. It was first operated by J.S. Garrett and his two sons F.C. and E.B. Garrett.
The Garrett name only lasted for a few months, and after a major takeover and remodel led by the one-and-only Dean W. Davis, the theater was renamed the New Avenue Theatre on January 24, 1941, reopening with Barbara Stanwyck in “Banjo On My Knee” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with an updated capacity of 500 seats. The old Avenue Theatre closed on September 12, 1950, when all the equipment and its 500 seats began moving to the newer Avenue Theatre.
The new and second Arcade Theatre opened its doors on September 26, 1950 with “Father Is A Bachelor” along with an unnamed Bugs Bunny Looney Tune and a novelty.
Dean W. Davis, who operated many theaters and drive-ins across Missouri and Illinois, opened his Davis Theatre in West Plains on October 6, 1930 with William Haines in “Way Out West” along with a comedy and a newsreel with sound installations of Western Electric.
The Davis Theatre housed 620 seats (with 500 in the main auditorium and 120 in the balcony), and the building measures 40x90ft.
Dean died from an unexpected heart attack on January 30, 1953, but his legacy theater continues to live on by his brother, Dean W. Davis Jr., who would later install its 16x32ft CinemaScope screen the following year on November 26, 1954, just on time for the city’s showing of “The Robe”.
After closing on March 30, 1958 with Eddie Fisher in “Bundle Of Joy”, the theater was taken over by both Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hall and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Faddis. The Davis Theatre was renamed the Vista Theatre and reopened on June 5, 1958 with a one-day showing of “The Careless Years”.
The theater closed for the final time on March 31, 1962 with “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules” and “Underwater Guy”, after Ferris’s lease of the theater was expired.
This started life as the Metropolitan Theatre on March 1, 1907 with a live presentation of “The District Leader”. It would later become the town’s first movie house a few years later.
The Metropolitan Theatre once closed on January 19, 1937 following two months of major extensive remodeling after finishing a three-day showing of “Camille” (unclear if any short subjects were added). The theater was then renamed the Metro Theatre and reopened its doors on March 27, 1937 with Mickey Rooney in “A Family Affair” along with a couple short subjects.
After the Metro Theatre was destroyed by a fire in 1949, the theater was rebuilt and reopened on June 14, 1950.
The Metro Theatre closed for the final time on May 19, 1988 with “Above The Law”.
The Pemberton Square Cinema 4 eventually became the only movie house in Vicksburg after the closure of the Battlefield Cinema 3 (formerly the Battlefield Twin Cinema) in the mid-1980s.
The Strand opened on September 29, 1916 with Mary Pickford in “Poor Little Peppina” along with an unnamed cartoon.
The Strand was once closed in October 1970 following ownership changes, but after reopening in May 1972 by Mr. Don Bowin, the Strand started to receive too much trouble. Bowin promised to bring more first-run and family-related movies to the area, but it MASSIVELY failed big time, closing after just weeks.
The Strand Theatre reopened as the Strand Adult Theatre on February 23, 1974 after another ownership change led by Curtis Mack. However, this closed later that same year due to yet another ownership change led by Milton Fraters of Watertown, Wisconsin, but this time, it never reopened.
The Starlite has to be the smallest drive-in theater in all of Mississippi. Like I mean, holy crap, it’s a ridiculously tiny drive-in. I’ll say around 50 cars as the total capacity.
A 1955 aerial view shows nothing, meaning that the theater was built after 1955. However, a couple of aerial views from the 1980s shows the drive-in appearing to be still in operation. The screen was gone by 1996 but the projection booth appears to be standing for another few years.
Cinemark opened the “Cinema III” during the second week of December 1979 with “Star Trek The Motion Picture” at Screen 1, “Rocky II” at Screen 2, and “Starting Over” at Screen 3, marking the first movie house to operate in Commerce since the closures of the Palace Theatre and the Commerce Drive-In.
Despite starting life as a Cinemark theater, Cinemark operated the Cinema 3 for only a few months. Plitt Theatres then took the Cinema III’s ownership over from Cinemark in June 1980. Plitt operated the Cinema III until mid-1986 when Cinemark brought back its original ownership of Cinema III. The theater was renamed “Commerce 3” in February 1987.
In 1988, Front Row Joe never made it to Commerce after Trans-Texas Theatres took over ownership from Cinemark. The theater was renamed “Dollar Movies 3” and became a $1 house, retaining its first-run policy.
On the evening of June 19, 1989 at approximately 8:00 PM, three men entered one of the three auditoriums in a middle of a movie and began beating up a 21-year-old Channelview man with wooden sticks. The man immediately rushed out of the theater after receiving only minor injuries and was taken to Citizens Hospital of Commerce where he was treated and released. The three men were caught in the landslide and were all charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Trans-Texas Theatres operated the theater until 1995 when Hollywood Theaters took the operation over. It was renamed “Dollar Cinema 3”. This lasted until November 1999 when the theater became a $2 house, and was renamed Commerce Cineplex under an independent operator.
The Commerce Cineplex closed for the final time on August 31, 2005.
Opened as early as 1950.
The Palace Theatre opened its doors on December 31, 1929 with “The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with sound installations of RCA Photophone. The Palace Theatre was a replacement of the nearby Hippodrome Theatre which closed a day prior due to lack of sound. Former Hippodrome manager L.O. Boggetts was the first manager of the Palace.
The Palace Theatre changed its name to the Cinema Theatre in 1972 after Rowlett United Theatres sold the theater to the Texas Cinema Corporation chain (alongside the Commerce Drive-In).
The theater closed for the final time on America’s 200th Independence Day (July 4, 1976) with Walt Disney’s “Ride A Wild Pony” and “Dumbo”.
The Commerce Drive-In opened its gates on July 29, 1952 with John Lund in “Steel Town” with no extra short subjects featuring original installations of Simplex projectors and a 32x45ft Johns-Manville Flexboard screen covered with a special cement type paint.
The Lilly’s who operated both the Palace and the Commerce Drive-In sold their theaters to Rowley United Theatres in 1965. Rowley then sold both theaters to the Texas Cinema Corporation in 1972.
The Commerce Drive-In closed for the final time on January 2, 1977 with the 1976 version of “King Kong” due to the theater failing to attract a suitable turnout.
This left Commerce without a movie house until Plitt Theatres launched the Cinema 3 almost three years later.
Update: The Kmart operated from July 17, 1980 until June 2, 2002.
The Kmart operated from October 14, 1965 until 1999.
The Los Altos Drive-In closed for the final time on September 9, 1996 with “The Stupids” and “Escape From L.A.” at Screen 1, “Tin Cup” and “Carpool” at Screen 2, and “A Very Brady Sequel” and “Alaska” at Screen 3.
The Kmart opened two-and-a-half years later on November 17, 1999. It closed on April 18, 2021, and AtHome now currently occupies both the former Kmart and drive-in.
Definitely looks like an early-1970s Chilly Willy short.
This is one out of two Owen Theatres in the city of Branson, the name Owen was named after Branson’s then-mayor and famous “king of the Ozarks” Jim M. Owens (1904-1972).
The older and first Owen Theatre started life as the Gayety Theatre, but was renamed the Owen Theatre in the early-1930s.
In mid-August 1935, Mr. N.E. Morrison of St. James, Missouri wrote a letter to mayor Owen, asking for his support and advice in connection with a proposal to construct a newer movie house in a special way, saying that he have been “informed that there is a real need for a good showhouse in Branson”. After receiving his letter, not just he wrote a letter back to Morrison but he also wrote a letter to Glen Dickinson of the Dickinson Theatres chain. After a successful agreement, construction of the newer Owen Theatre began in March 1936.
The newer and second Owen Theatre opened its doors on June 5, 1936 as a replacement of the older Owen Theatre which closed the previous day. Its grand opening attraction is not found yet at this time. Since opening, Dickinson Theatres was the main operator of the theater, and remained like that for nearly 40 years of its operation.
The Owen was Branson’s first-run movie house for the longest time, but when the Table Rock Twin Cinema opened nearby in September 1975, it began a little competition. The Owen Theatre closed as a first-run movie house in the late-1970s.
A short time later, the Owen reopened as a popular venue for live performances, concerts, performing arts, and special events (plus additional movies for rare occasions).
Demolished in Early 1970.
The Tablerock Twin Cinema started life as a locally-owned theater, but in mid-1977, the Dickinson Theatres chain (who also operated both the Owen Theatre and the Shepherd Of The Hills Drive-In) leased the theater and purchased the firm in 1979.
The Tablerock Twin Cinema expanded to a four-screen theater on June 1, 1985 after Dickinson added two more 200-seat auditoriums in the west side of the building, bringing a grand total to 876 seats, and became known as the Tablerock Cinema 4.
It appears that it was demolished right after closure.
The Sage was probably one of the last drive-in theaters to open in Oklahoma. I cannot spot the theater anywhere in both the 1955, 1964 and 1977 aerial views. A 1979 aerial view however shows the drive-in under construction, meaning that this may’ve open in 1980.
Looks like an average 150-to-200-car drive-in. I don’t see any ads right after the 1958 season, so that is just my guess.
NOTE: I put the address of the drive-in from across the street because of a massive error on Google Maps while targeting the right location. I typed in the right address and Google took me to some Minnesota Honda dealership.
This opened earlier than 1952. Vicksburg had another drive-in theater at the time located south of then-Highway 61 called the Vicksburg Drive-In, which will have its own page soon.
Closed on November 18, 1982 with “Jekyll & Hyde…Together Again”.
The 63 Drive-In opened its gates on May 27, 1952 with Robert Cummings in “The First Time” along with an unnamed cartoon and a Grantland Rice Sportlight (both unlisted on grand opening ad).
The old and first Avenue Theatre started life as the Garrett Theatre with a capacity of 365 seats, opening on July 11, 1940 with “Son Of The Navy” along with a newsreel. It was first operated by J.S. Garrett and his two sons F.C. and E.B. Garrett.
The Garrett name only lasted for a few months, and after a major takeover and remodel led by the one-and-only Dean W. Davis, the theater was renamed the New Avenue Theatre on January 24, 1941, reopening with Barbara Stanwyck in “Banjo On My Knee” (unclear if any short subjects were added) with an updated capacity of 500 seats. The old Avenue Theatre closed on September 12, 1950, when all the equipment and its 500 seats began moving to the newer Avenue Theatre.
The new and second Arcade Theatre opened its doors on September 26, 1950 with “Father Is A Bachelor” along with an unnamed Bugs Bunny Looney Tune and a novelty.
Dean W. Davis, who operated many theaters and drive-ins across Missouri and Illinois, opened his Davis Theatre in West Plains on October 6, 1930 with William Haines in “Way Out West” along with a comedy and a newsreel with sound installations of Western Electric.
The Davis Theatre housed 620 seats (with 500 in the main auditorium and 120 in the balcony), and the building measures 40x90ft.
Dean died from an unexpected heart attack on January 30, 1953, but his legacy theater continues to live on by his brother, Dean W. Davis Jr., who would later install its 16x32ft CinemaScope screen the following year on November 26, 1954, just on time for the city’s showing of “The Robe”.
After closing on March 30, 1958 with Eddie Fisher in “Bundle Of Joy”, the theater was taken over by both Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hall and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Faddis. The Davis Theatre was renamed the Vista Theatre and reopened on June 5, 1958 with a one-day showing of “The Careless Years”.
The theater closed for the final time on March 31, 1962 with “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules” and “Underwater Guy”, after Ferris’s lease of the theater was expired.
So it probably closed in December 1985. I know its still in operation the previous month in November 1985 judging by a couple of articles.
This started life as the Metropolitan Theatre on March 1, 1907 with a live presentation of “The District Leader”. It would later become the town’s first movie house a few years later.
The Metropolitan Theatre once closed on January 19, 1937 following two months of major extensive remodeling after finishing a three-day showing of “Camille” (unclear if any short subjects were added). The theater was then renamed the Metro Theatre and reopened its doors on March 27, 1937 with Mickey Rooney in “A Family Affair” along with a couple short subjects.
After the Metro Theatre was destroyed by a fire in 1949, the theater was rebuilt and reopened on June 14, 1950.
The Metro Theatre closed for the final time on May 19, 1988 with “Above The Law”.
The Pemberton Square Cinema 4 eventually became the only movie house in Vicksburg after the closure of the Battlefield Cinema 3 (formerly the Battlefield Twin Cinema) in the mid-1980s.
The Strand opened on September 29, 1916 with Mary Pickford in “Poor Little Peppina” along with an unnamed cartoon.
The Strand was once closed in October 1970 following ownership changes, but after reopening in May 1972 by Mr. Don Bowin, the Strand started to receive too much trouble. Bowin promised to bring more first-run and family-related movies to the area, but it MASSIVELY failed big time, closing after just weeks.
The Strand Theatre reopened as the Strand Adult Theatre on February 23, 1974 after another ownership change led by Curtis Mack. However, this closed later that same year due to yet another ownership change led by Milton Fraters of Watertown, Wisconsin, but this time, it never reopened.
The Starlite has to be the smallest drive-in theater in all of Mississippi. Like I mean, holy crap, it’s a ridiculously tiny drive-in. I’ll say around 50 cars as the total capacity.
A 1955 aerial view shows nothing, meaning that the theater was built after 1955. However, a couple of aerial views from the 1980s shows the drive-in appearing to be still in operation. The screen was gone by 1996 but the projection booth appears to be standing for another few years.