Twinned on November 18, 1984 after extensive remodeling. The original marquee was also taken down after twinning, but the theater continued to operate during the remodel.
As of 1955, the Minamimachi area had a total of three separate movie theaters including the Minamigai Theater. The other two theaters were the Namba Toho and the Minamigai La Scala.
The number was upgraded to five by 1959 when two more theaters named the Minamigai Cinema and the Minamigai News Theater (which opened on December 21, 1957) were added nearby. A sixth theater was added as well called the Minamigai Meigaza (but closed in August 1974), and the Minamigai News Theater was later renamed the Minamigai Cultural Theater.
On December 18, 1959, 70mm projection was installed at the Minamigai Theater after being renovated the previous month.
It also appears that the Walnut Theaters no longer shows movies, meaning that it most likely closed around 2014. It reopened later that same year as the banquet hall under the name Belleza Event but retaining the Walnut Theaters stuff.
Several photos confirmed that both auditoriums show all of its seats being removed and were replaced with dinner tables and chairs in one screen, and a dance floor in the other screen, but both screens are still there. The building was still in fair shape as of 2026, but the signage appears to be faded.
Closed with “Jumpin' Jack Flash”. Carmike operated the Iwo Jima for only its last month of operation. After being abandoned for several years, the former theater building became the studios of two FM radio stations, WQSL (then-CHR station that launched in 1993), and WXQR (then-longtime rock station), until the late-2000s or early-2010s.
Unfortunately, the Aomori Shochiku Theater, alongside the remaining movie theaters in Aomori at the time, were destroyed by the Aomiri Air Raids of July 28, 1945. It was rebuilt and reopened in September 1946 at the same address in the Miho area of Furukawa.
As of 1960, Aomori had a total of 19 movie theaters, but only three are foreign theaters (including American films), which were the Aomori Takarazuka Theater, the Aomori Romanceza Theater (also known as the Romance Theatre in English), and the Aomori Kabukiza Theater. More foreign theaters in the area would later open from time-to-time.
The Aomori Shochiku Theater was relocated to 1-14-3 Furukawa during the late-1960s, and was twinned in 1984 after major renovation. As of 1996, it was managed by Meijiya Kogyo, owned by Hitoshi Yamazaki, and managed by Takashi Yamazaki. Screen 1 ran a mix of Japanese Shochiku and foreign films, while Screen 2 ran foreign films only.
Correction: The original location is at the Miho area of Furukawa, not in Teramachi. Teramachi is where the Aomori Toho Theater is, which will have its own CT page soon.
The Ritz Theatre opened in 1947 and closed on January 28, 1996 after a fire destroyed the theater building during an evening showing of “Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood”, which caused 30 people inside the Ritz auditorium to evacuate. Nobody was injured, but officials confirm that the fire started between the three-layer drop ceiling. The Ritz building is completely demolished by the fire, but some equipment, including its neon RITZ sign, were saved and restored.
The Nagoya Nikkatsu Theater located on 1-10 Minamiise-cho, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, actually first opened as the Nikkatsu Stadium in 1948 as a special events house, hosting boxing matches, dances, and other shows.
It was converted into a movie theater and opened its doors on July 10, 1952 with James Mason in “The Desert Fox: The Story Of Rommel” as a first-run foreign house including American films, housing 1,256 seats. In January 1955, the theater became Nikkatsu’s first model theater nationwide and became the flagship theater in Nagoya. Some notable films the theater ran at the time include a handful of John Wayne and Danny Kaye films. The Nagoya Nikkatsu Theater originally screened American and foreign films at first, but Japanese Nikkatsu films were added later in its history, bringing in a mixed policy.
During the third quarter of the 1950s, Nikkatsu was already streamlining its theater management at the time by limiting its directly operated theaters to only those it owned and switching its leased theaters to management by Taiyo Enterprises. As of September 1957, Nikkatsu had 42 theaters under its umbrella, including 28 directly managed theaters, 13 managed by Taiyo Enterprises, and only one theater run by a separate company.
On October 1, 1963, Nikkatsu reached an agreement with Takenaka Corporation to sell Nagoya Nikkatsu, and several weeks later on October 26, 1963, the Nagoya Nikkatsu Theatre closed for the final time. Its former foreign film programming immediately moved to the Asahi Kaikan.
Twinned on November 18, 1984 after extensive remodeling. The original marquee was also taken down after twinning, but the theater continued to operate during the remodel.
On one screen. Do you know what film closed on the other screen?
As of 1955, the Minamimachi area had a total of three separate movie theaters including the Minamigai Theater. The other two theaters were the Namba Toho and the Minamigai La Scala.
The number was upgraded to five by 1959 when two more theaters named the Minamigai Cinema and the Minamigai News Theater (which opened on December 21, 1957) were added nearby. A sixth theater was added as well called the Minamigai Meigaza (but closed in August 1974), and the Minamigai News Theater was later renamed the Minamigai Cultural Theater.
On December 18, 1959, 70mm projection was installed at the Minamigai Theater after being renovated the previous month.
Closed on December 13, 1990 with “Flatliners” in Screen 1 and “Death Warrant” in Screen 2.
A 1995 aerial view shows the theater building, meaning that this operated as early as that year.
It also appears that the Walnut Theaters no longer shows movies, meaning that it most likely closed around 2014. It reopened later that same year as the banquet hall under the name Belleza Event but retaining the Walnut Theaters stuff.
Several photos confirmed that both auditoriums show all of its seats being removed and were replaced with dinner tables and chairs in one screen, and a dance floor in the other screen, but both screens are still there. The building was still in fair shape as of 2026, but the signage appears to be faded.
A 1925 advertisement for the Ozark Battery & Electric store confirms that the Lyric is located between West Meadow Street and North Block Avenue.
Once known as Kentucky Dam Sunset Drive-In.
Closed with “Jumpin' Jack Flash”. Carmike operated the Iwo Jima for only its last month of operation. After being abandoned for several years, the former theater building became the studios of two FM radio stations, WQSL (then-CHR station that launched in 1993), and WXQR (then-longtime rock station), until the late-2000s or early-2010s.
Unfortunately, the Aomori Shochiku Theater, alongside the remaining movie theaters in Aomori at the time, were destroyed by the Aomiri Air Raids of July 28, 1945. It was rebuilt and reopened in September 1946 at the same address in the Miho area of Furukawa.
As of 1960, Aomori had a total of 19 movie theaters, but only three are foreign theaters (including American films), which were the Aomori Takarazuka Theater, the Aomori Romanceza Theater (also known as the Romance Theatre in English), and the Aomori Kabukiza Theater. More foreign theaters in the area would later open from time-to-time.
The Aomori Shochiku Theater was relocated to 1-14-3 Furukawa during the late-1960s, and was twinned in 1984 after major renovation. As of 1996, it was managed by Meijiya Kogyo, owned by Hitoshi Yamazaki, and managed by Takashi Yamazaki. Screen 1 ran a mix of Japanese Shochiku and foreign films, while Screen 2 ran foreign films only.
The Silverton Drive-In’s original name is called Silverton Motor-Vu Drive-In, most likely opened on June 25, 1953.
Now operated by CMX since December 2017, and now known as CMX Hollywood 16 & IMAX.
Demolished
Renamed the Ruffin Theatre on July 24, 1936.
First operated by the Ruffin Amusement Company.
Opened by Ruffin Amusement Company on July 2, 1937.
Renamed the Palace Theatre on July 3, 1927 after being taken over by Ruffin Amusement Company.
The Palace Theatre is a separate theater in Halls. The Halls Theatre was launched by the Ruffin Amusement Company on December 14, 1939.
Opened on November 2, 1950, according to a Ruffin Amusement Company article.
Actual opening date is September 2, 1952, according to a Ruffin Amusement Company article.
Actual opening date is May 28, 1942, according to a Ruffin Amusement Company article.
The Ritz Theatre opened in 1947 and closed on January 28, 1996 after a fire destroyed the theater building during an evening showing of “Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood”, which caused 30 people inside the Ritz auditorium to evacuate. Nobody was injured, but officials confirm that the fire started between the three-layer drop ceiling. The Ritz building is completely demolished by the fire, but some equipment, including its neon RITZ sign, were saved and restored.
Twinned on December 19, 1984.
The Nagoya Nikkatsu Theater located on 1-10 Minamiise-cho, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, actually first opened as the Nikkatsu Stadium in 1948 as a special events house, hosting boxing matches, dances, and other shows.
It was converted into a movie theater and opened its doors on July 10, 1952 with James Mason in “The Desert Fox: The Story Of Rommel” as a first-run foreign house including American films, housing 1,256 seats. In January 1955, the theater became Nikkatsu’s first model theater nationwide and became the flagship theater in Nagoya. Some notable films the theater ran at the time include a handful of John Wayne and Danny Kaye films. The Nagoya Nikkatsu Theater originally screened American and foreign films at first, but Japanese Nikkatsu films were added later in its history, bringing in a mixed policy.
During the third quarter of the 1950s, Nikkatsu was already streamlining its theater management at the time by limiting its directly operated theaters to only those it owned and switching its leased theaters to management by Taiyo Enterprises. As of September 1957, Nikkatsu had 42 theaters under its umbrella, including 28 directly managed theaters, 13 managed by Taiyo Enterprises, and only one theater run by a separate company.
On October 1, 1963, Nikkatsu reached an agreement with Takenaka Corporation to sell Nagoya Nikkatsu, and several weeks later on October 26, 1963, the Nagoya Nikkatsu Theatre closed for the final time. Its former foreign film programming immediately moved to the Asahi Kaikan.
SBC Theatres was its last operator. It was closed on September 5, 1985 with “Gremlins” and “Oh God, You Devil!”