Fireside Theatres Limited, backed by Alex Stewart who was also the executive director of the Motion Picture Institute, and brothers Sam, Norm, and Joe Black, who were also owners of the Westwood Mall, opened the Malton Theatre on September 25, 1971 as a 350-seat single-screener screening second-run films on 16mm film. 35mm projection would later replace the original 16mm setup a short time later.
Premiere Theatres Canada later operated the theater and its policy by the end of the late-1970s but unfortunately, this is a short-lived venue, closing on January 22, 1982 with Walt Disney’s “The Fox And The Hound” and its featurette “Once Upon A Mouse”.
Opened on January 12, 1938 with Jack Oakie in “Hitting A New High” (unknown if extras added), featuring original installations of Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound. It was originally owned by Jack King and operated by W.S. Butterfield. The Vogue originally housed 935 seats when it first opened as a single-screener, and originally featured a 60ft stage.
Newmarket once had two movie theaters during World War I, including the Strand, with the other being the Patricia, which will have its own CT page soon.
The Studio Theatre, on February 5, 1956, became national headlines after it became a scene of an unexpected tragedy that shook the entire movie theater world. On February 5, 1956, a 24-year-old 206-pound Montanan and apprentice embalmer employed in a Sacramento-based mortuary born in Miles City, Montana, partially raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Billings, Montana, named Thomas Lynn Johnston slashed a 7-year-old boy’s throat named Ronald Wendorf to death in the Studio Theatre’s men’s bathroom. Coroner’s deputies confirmed that Ronald suffered two stab wounds in his throat and gashes beneath his eyes.
At around 1:00 PM that afternoon, Ronnie left his seat and walked to the men’s restroom during a showing of. Johnston saw the boy leave, waited about 30 seconds, got up, and walked out. When he did not see the boy in the lobby, he went to the restroom as well. Johnston took the knife out of his pocket, opened it, and waited. When Ronnie opened the door of a stall, Johnston stepped up from behind, grabbed him, and with his left hand over the boy’s mouth dragged him to another stall. Johnston cut the youngster beneath his eyes and when Ronnie resisted and screamed slashed his throat to quiet him. The assistant manager, William B. Sanderson, heard the child and ran upstairs from the lobby to the restroom. He kicked the door open and saw Johnston with blood on his hand. Johnston slammed the door shut and locked it. Johnston peered beneath the door, saw blood on the floor, and ran downstairs, instructing its owner, Bert Silveria, to call the police.
Johnston descended the stairway and walked to the door which would take him back into the theater. Although considerably smaller, Sanderson grabbed Johnston while being armed with a night stick supplied by Silveria and held him until police arrived. Johnston, his clothing and hands stained with blood, readily admitted to officers who arrived on scene that he knifed the boy, but gave no reason at all rather than he must have gone out of his mind. He exhibited a cut on his hand when he closed the knife in the restroom. He withdrew the weapon from his pocket and handed it to police in the theater. Police recovered Johnston’s jacket a few rows behind where the boy sat. Johnston also told authorities that he was drunk after drinking a bottle of whiskey, with aspirin bottles and a package of cigarettes being recovered.
Thomas Lynn Johnston, the 24-year-old man was born in Miles City, Montana, but moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota during his childhood. Johnston moved to Billings, Montana in 1944 when he entered 8th grade at Lincoln Junior High School. After graduating from Billings High School in 1949, Johnston attended Montana State University before spending nine months in Los Angeles and a period in San Francisco before being employed in Sacramento. His employers described his work as satisfactory and had been on the job for only 13 months. Johnston’s father was an insurance firm owner based in Billings. Johnston also served nine weeks in the navy in 1952 but then received an honorable discharge after he was emotionally sick and needed trained help. The FBI asked the navy department in Washington for his service record.
After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to death despite seeking to escape the death penalty. The judge denies, and was immediately executed on June 28, 1957, at San Quentin’s gas chamber.
Closed on September 6, 1985. Screen 1 closed with “Gremlins” and “The Day Time Ended”, and Screen 2 closed with the triple feature of “Rambo II: First Blood”, “Missing In Action”, and “Road Warrior”.
First had a soft opening on July 14, 1955 with Burt Lancaster in “Crimson Pirate” and John Lund in “Five Guns West” (unknown if extras added), with its official grand opening held the following day on July 15, 1955 with the same movies.
Shortly after it opened, a small fire badly damaged the projection booth on May 10, 1936 caused by an electric lamp explosion that also set fire to film cement and a roll of film. This occurred while John Baskett, its projectionist, was splicing film for his upcoming schedule. The fire destroyed nine reels of film alongside Baskett’s “broken” film.
The Castle Theatre, named after manager E.L. Castle, also known as Pettit’s Castle Theatre, also named after original owner E.L. Pettit of Ava, opened its doors on December 6, 1939 with Ken Maynard in “Honor Of The Range” along with a Hawk Of The Wilderness serial chapter and an unnamed comedy.
Fireside Theatres Limited, backed by Alex Stewart who was also the executive director of the Motion Picture Institute, and brothers Sam, Norm, and Joe Black, who were also owners of the Westwood Mall, opened the Malton Theatre on September 25, 1971 as a 350-seat single-screener screening second-run films on 16mm film. 35mm projection would later replace the original 16mm setup a short time later.
Premiere Theatres Canada later operated the theater and its policy by the end of the late-1970s but unfortunately, this is a short-lived venue, closing on January 22, 1982 with Walt Disney’s “The Fox And The Hound” and its featurette “Once Upon A Mouse”.
Jack King was its later owner, who would later open his then-935-seat Vogue Theatre in January 1938.
Opened on January 12, 1938 with Jack Oakie in “Hitting A New High” (unknown if extras added), featuring original installations of Western Electric Mirrophonic Sound. It was originally owned by Jack King and operated by W.S. Butterfield. The Vogue originally housed 935 seats when it first opened as a single-screener, and originally featured a 60ft stage.
Actual closing date is September 17, 1998.
Closed in the 1970s.
Still open in 1983, but the screen was gone by the early-1990s.
Once operated by Mann Theatres.
Actual opening date is May 19, 1950 with Dan Dailey in “When Willie Comes Marching Home” along with an unnamed featurette and a few unnamed shorts.
Opened in September 1936.
Most likely closed on May 15, 2011 with “Water For Elephants”.
Closed on September 5, 1994 with “Natural Born Killers” and “Blown Away”.
Newmarket once had two movie theaters during World War I, including the Strand, with the other being the Patricia, which will have its own CT page soon.
The Studio Theatre, on February 5, 1956, became national headlines after it became a scene of an unexpected tragedy that shook the entire movie theater world. On February 5, 1956, a 24-year-old 206-pound Montanan and apprentice embalmer employed in a Sacramento-based mortuary born in Miles City, Montana, partially raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Billings, Montana, named Thomas Lynn Johnston slashed a 7-year-old boy’s throat named Ronald Wendorf to death in the Studio Theatre’s men’s bathroom. Coroner’s deputies confirmed that Ronald suffered two stab wounds in his throat and gashes beneath his eyes.
At around 1:00 PM that afternoon, Ronnie left his seat and walked to the men’s restroom during a showing of. Johnston saw the boy leave, waited about 30 seconds, got up, and walked out. When he did not see the boy in the lobby, he went to the restroom as well. Johnston took the knife out of his pocket, opened it, and waited. When Ronnie opened the door of a stall, Johnston stepped up from behind, grabbed him, and with his left hand over the boy’s mouth dragged him to another stall. Johnston cut the youngster beneath his eyes and when Ronnie resisted and screamed slashed his throat to quiet him. The assistant manager, William B. Sanderson, heard the child and ran upstairs from the lobby to the restroom. He kicked the door open and saw Johnston with blood on his hand. Johnston slammed the door shut and locked it. Johnston peered beneath the door, saw blood on the floor, and ran downstairs, instructing its owner, Bert Silveria, to call the police.
Johnston descended the stairway and walked to the door which would take him back into the theater. Although considerably smaller, Sanderson grabbed Johnston while being armed with a night stick supplied by Silveria and held him until police arrived. Johnston, his clothing and hands stained with blood, readily admitted to officers who arrived on scene that he knifed the boy, but gave no reason at all rather than he must have gone out of his mind. He exhibited a cut on his hand when he closed the knife in the restroom. He withdrew the weapon from his pocket and handed it to police in the theater. Police recovered Johnston’s jacket a few rows behind where the boy sat. Johnston also told authorities that he was drunk after drinking a bottle of whiskey, with aspirin bottles and a package of cigarettes being recovered.
Thomas Lynn Johnston, the 24-year-old man was born in Miles City, Montana, but moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota during his childhood. Johnston moved to Billings, Montana in 1944 when he entered 8th grade at Lincoln Junior High School. After graduating from Billings High School in 1949, Johnston attended Montana State University before spending nine months in Los Angeles and a period in San Francisco before being employed in Sacramento. His employers described his work as satisfactory and had been on the job for only 13 months. Johnston’s father was an insurance firm owner based in Billings. Johnston also served nine weeks in the navy in 1952 but then received an honorable discharge after he was emotionally sick and needed trained help. The FBI asked the navy department in Washington for his service record.
After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to death despite seeking to escape the death penalty. The judge denies, and was immediately executed on June 28, 1957, at San Quentin’s gas chamber.
Actual closing date is October 31, 1977.
Closed on September 6, 1985. Screen 1 closed with “Gremlins” and “The Day Time Ended”, and Screen 2 closed with the triple feature of “Rambo II: First Blood”, “Missing In Action”, and “Road Warrior”.
First had a soft opening on July 14, 1955 with Burt Lancaster in “Crimson Pirate” and John Lund in “Five Guns West” (unknown if extras added), with its official grand opening held the following day on July 15, 1955 with the same movies.
Closed on January 10, 1985 with “The Cotton Club”.
You can still see the hint of traces completely fading into the distance.
Also in the 1981 aerial, traces appeared to be fading as well, meaning that closing in the 1970s could be correct.
“Eh-Th-Th-Thiii-Th-Th-That’s All Folks!”
Brown’s Farm and Garden now occupy the former theater building.
Shortly after it opened, a small fire badly damaged the projection booth on May 10, 1936 caused by an electric lamp explosion that also set fire to film cement and a roll of film. This occurred while John Baskett, its projectionist, was splicing film for his upcoming schedule. The fire destroyed nine reels of film alongside Baskett’s “broken” film.
The Castle Theatre, named after manager E.L. Castle, also known as Pettit’s Castle Theatre, also named after original owner E.L. Pettit of Ava, opened its doors on December 6, 1939 with Ken Maynard in “Honor Of The Range” along with a Hawk Of The Wilderness serial chapter and an unnamed comedy.
This was the replacement of the GCC Solano Mall Cinema located less than a block away, which closed the previous day.
Oh. Gotcha. Thanks for taking care of that!