On the night of September 15, 1954 at approximately 8:30 PM JT, a fire broke out near the OS Theater’s screen, destroying the steel-framed, wooden, mortar-covered theater. Approximately 1,000 people were in the theater showing Elizabeth Taylor’s “Rhapsody,” and a total of 18 of them suffered serious or minor injuries, including the theater’s projectionist. Osaka Police were deployed to control the crowd due to the fire being in a busy downtown area.
The theater was immediately rebuilt afterward, and relaunched as the O.S. Cinerama Gekjo on January 15, 1955, featuring its 3-strip Cinerama system.
This opened as the Umeda O.S. Theater, opening on Christmas Eve 1959 as a 578-seat 70mm single-screener, but could accommodate 1,500 people including the large standing room. It was first owned by O.S. Eigeki and first managed by Naonobu Kawabata. It was renamed the “New O.S. Theater” on February 12, 1991, following the O.S. Cinerama’s closure nearby.
Sometime during the late-1990s, it was twinned under the auditorium names “O.S. Theater” and “O.S. Theater CAP”, which the CAP auditorium was renamed the “O.S. Masterpiece Theater” in December 2005. This lasted until closing on September 24, 2007. The theater reopened as the TOHO Cinemas Umeda Annex the following month in October 2007.
The drive-in is in ROUGH shape. A newspaper article confirms that it was still open in 1983, but the theater’s condition like this two years later, I cannot tell if its still open or not.
I’m still getting “something went wrong” messages every time I search up a theater or a location. The “nearby theaters” section on a theater page also has a problem too. Otherwise, everything else is working good again! Thanks CT team!
Actual reopening date is September 10, 2025, reopening with the 1952 Gene Kelly classic “Singing In The Rain”. Current functions are classic, family, first-run, and independent films.
Opened on March 13, 1918 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “The Turn Of A Card” (unknown if extras added) supported by performances by the Strand Symphony Orchestra and the Strand Fotoplayer Organ throughout the show.
Both auditoriums feature original installations of Christie P35GPS projectors mounted on Christie SLC consoles, with three-deck Christie Autowind platter systems.
Opened with Wallace Beery in “Partners In Crime” along with the Laurel & Hardy comedy “Leave ‘Em Laughing”, the Tiffany short “Greenwich Village Romance”, and Paramount News. It was closed as a movie theater on September 28, 1986 with “Top Gun” in Screen 1 and “Aliens” in Screen 2.
Inside the booth features the following: Simplex Millenniums with Cinema Film Systems 2500-watt consoles and CFS Automation Control units. The sound systems that were used at the time are Dolby CP650 (Dolby Digital SR-D), Ultra-Stereo JS Series, and Dolby DA-20, featuring Peavey CS800X and CS400X professional power amplifiers and USL Model CM-35 booth monitors.
On the night of September 15, 1954 at approximately 8:30 PM JT, a fire broke out near the OS Theater’s screen, destroying the steel-framed, wooden, mortar-covered theater. Approximately 1,000 people were in the theater showing Elizabeth Taylor’s “Rhapsody,” and a total of 18 of them suffered serious or minor injuries, including the theater’s projectionist. Osaka Police were deployed to control the crowd due to the fire being in a busy downtown area.
The theater was immediately rebuilt afterward, and relaunched as the O.S. Cinerama Gekjo on January 15, 1955, featuring its 3-strip Cinerama system.
This opened as the Umeda O.S. Theater, opening on Christmas Eve 1959 as a 578-seat 70mm single-screener, but could accommodate 1,500 people including the large standing room. It was first owned by O.S. Eigeki and first managed by Naonobu Kawabata. It was renamed the “New O.S. Theater” on February 12, 1991, following the O.S. Cinerama’s closure nearby.
Sometime during the late-1990s, it was twinned under the auditorium names “O.S. Theater” and “O.S. Theater CAP”, which the CAP auditorium was renamed the “O.S. Masterpiece Theater” in December 2005. This lasted until closing on September 24, 2007. The theater reopened as the TOHO Cinemas Umeda Annex the following month in October 2007.
Gotcha! Thanks Patrick!
The drive-in is in ROUGH shape. A newspaper article confirms that it was still open in 1983, but the theater’s condition like this two years later, I cannot tell if its still open or not.
Actual closing date is August 18, 1982.
Opened on December 10, 1999.
Opened on February 20, 1939 with Dorothy Lamour in “St. Louis Blues” (unknown if extras added).
I’m still getting “something went wrong” messages every time I search up a theater or a location. The “nearby theaters” section on a theater page also has a problem too. Otherwise, everything else is working good again! Thanks CT team!
Gotcha. Besides, if its a Y&W, it was operated by the Y&W chain.
Actual reopening date is September 10, 2025, reopening with the 1952 Gene Kelly classic “Singing In The Rain”. Current functions are classic, family, first-run, and independent films.
Most likely taken after opening in 1907.
Opened on April 11, 1907.
Opened on March 13, 1918 with J. Warren Kerrigan in “The Turn Of A Card” (unknown if extras added) supported by performances by the Strand Symphony Orchestra and the Strand Fotoplayer Organ throughout the show.
Closed in 1986, not 1988.
Closed.
Looks like a Simplex Millennium (PR2000 Series) unit.
Both auditoriums feature original installations of Christie P35GPS projectors mounted on Christie SLC consoles, with three-deck Christie Autowind platter systems.
Most likely closed in Late 1989.
Simplex E7 with Super 135 lamphouse and a Simplex SH-1000 soundhead mounted below.
Once known as Colony 5, before closing for renovations on May 11, 2000. It reopened as the Shaker Square Cinemas in December 2000 with six screens.
Opened with Wallace Beery in “Partners In Crime” along with the Laurel & Hardy comedy “Leave ‘Em Laughing”, the Tiffany short “Greenwich Village Romance”, and Paramount News. It was closed as a movie theater on September 28, 1986 with “Top Gun” in Screen 1 and “Aliens” in Screen 2.
Closed on September 6, 1984 with “CHUD” and “Children Of The Corn”.
Inside the booth features the following: Simplex Millenniums with Cinema Film Systems 2500-watt consoles and CFS Automation Control units. The sound systems that were used at the time are Dolby CP650 (Dolby Digital SR-D), Ultra-Stereo JS Series, and Dolby DA-20, featuring Peavey CS800X and CS400X professional power amplifiers and USL Model CM-35 booth monitors.
Opened during the second week of September 1949, most likely around September 9.
July 1952.