C J. Encohus and Charles A. McElravy opened the new-build Arcade Theatre in 1917. The theatre converted to sound to remain viable under the auspices of Dixie Theatres Corporation of New Orleans. The Arcade was a survivor finally closed in 1951 as the longest-running theater in the city’s history to that point at 34 years. The building was then retrofitted for a location of the Jitney Jungle Grocery Store chain.
The New Daisy Theatre launched on April 27, 1941 with “Tall, Dark and Handsome.” It exits as a movie theatre in 1978 showing chopsocky, blaxploitation and other action-oriented exploitation films. After a refresh, it returns as a live concert venue in June of 1984 and continues in live performance until early 2019. But it was taken over by the Downtown Memphis Commission in 2022 and reopened with live event programming in January of 2023 and is open as of the 2020s.
American Automated Theatres Inc. (AATI) of Oklahoma City already had a franchisee for The Movies! Mississippi Mall twin screen theater in town. That franchisee decided to go all in on a four-plex.The Movies! River Ridge Cinema IV opened on August 10, 1984 with “Ghostbusters,” The Karate Kid,“ “Red Dawn” and “Cloak and Dagger.
On February 2, 2000, O'Neil Theatres, Inc. of Slidell, Louisiana - the franchisee - took the theatre into the O'Neil portfolio. Thus, the location became officially known as the O'Neil River Ridge Cinema 4. O'Neil Theatres Circuit went into bankruptcy protection that same year and, by 2008, was winding down operations. O'Neil closed here October 12, 2008. In 2015, Acadiana Cinemas - which operated three Louisiana locations in Eunice, Natchitoches, and Opelousas, updated the former River Ridge to digital projection and new seating reopening on March 20, 2015 as the Acadiana Picayune Cinema 4. The theatre closed for the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. It reopened and was still operating in the 2020s.
William Abbott opened the first Gem Theatre on February 27, 1913 with L. Rogers Lytton in “The Vengeance of Durand; or, The Two Portraits” supported by “A Busy Day in the Jungles.” It was housed a block from its future home in the Abbott Building with the Abbott Saloon. In its eight years, the Gem was doing well and a brand new theatre was built.
The New Gem moved a block away to its new home in the 200 block on January 26, 1921 with Gloria Swanson in “Something to Think About” on the new big screen. It was the secondary theatre in town after the Panida was build and, under the Gem moniker, it did not convert to sound. It continued with silent film through showtimes on November 13, 1930. It was then sporadically used as a live event house. Plays and political speeches occurred through 1944 under the Gem nameplate.
It was finally converted to sound in a streamline moderne makeover and renamed as the Lake Theatre opening on August 8, 1946. Ten years later, it closed with “The Solid Gold Cadillac” on November 20, 1956. It again was used for live events and rummage sales very sporadically over the next nine years. In 1967, a campaign to save the theatre was launched though proved unsuccessful. After the campaign failed, in 1968, the floor was leveled and in 1970 all exterior elements were removed from the former Gem/ Lake Theatre.
The local paper reports that the Liberty Theatre was destroyed by fire on September 13, 1922. It was just one day after Moses Alexander made a campaign stop at the venue though finishing in third that November for regaining his governorship. That was the last event in the space as the Gem Theatre had become the main movie house in town.
Grand opening ad for the Cinema 4 West on March 21, 1980 is in photos. Opening films were “Star Trek,” “Going in Style” and “Electric Horseman.” It closed March 5, 2006 as the Sanpoint Cinema 4 with “Annapolis,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Duma,” “Freedomland,” and “Doogal.”
Officially closed as the ShowPlace ICON on June 30, 2024 as the 1909-created exhibitor left the theatrical space. It did find a home for this location, however, in a deal with Marcus Cinemas announced on June 28, 2024. It was renamed as the Marcus West End Cinema at its relaunch on July 8, 2024.
The Gem Theatre launched September 29, 1915 with “The Battle Cry for Peace.” It was located in a former meat market. The Gem competed against the Philip Opera House for about three years. Movies became the dominant entertainment form in town and the Gem not only outlasted the Opera House but would surpass its 100th year of operation.
On its way past 100 operational years, the Gem converted to Vitaphone to show sound films on January 12, 1930. It got a new front a year and a half later. The Gem came under the State Theatre Corporation Circuit in the 1950s. It converted to digital in 2013 to remain viable. Two years later it celebrated its 100th Anniversary and was still showing films in 2024. With a population of fewer than 750 residents, the Gem is a theater deserving of its name.
The Magic City purportedly installed sound on February 15, 1931 to remain viable. However, the capacity crowd reportedly saw no sound films that night. Its final show was scheduled for March 21, 1931. For its final trick, the Magic City burned to the ground on March 23, 1931.
Opening film for the Ritz on September 17, 1941 was “Argentine Nights” supported by Ted Lewis & Orchestra in “Is Everybody Happy” and the Walter Lantz cartoon short, “Syncopated Sioux.” Closing film “Three Tough Guys” on June 29, 1975. Demolition in 1990.
The Trackside Twin Cinema opened June 20, 1975 with “The Towering Inferno” and “Race with the Devil” independently by George and Judy Solomon at the Shopyard Square Shopping Center. At launch, it had two identical and automated 252 aqua-colored seat auditoriums. The color explosion included automate “Chinese Red” curtains in the auditoriums and two-toned wallpaper in the lobby that “one would not normally attempt to blend” according to a local reporter. The previous day’s open house offered, of course, free potholders to those who attended.
On December 21, 1975, George Solomon took over the entire Gulf States Theatre circuit under the Gulf International Cinema nameplate folding in the Trackside to that portfolio. They reverted to Gulf State Theatres moniker for the theatrical operations. On July 4, 1986, Gulf States added three screens to the cinema becoming the Trackside Cinemas 5. It stayed that way just six months when United Artists bought the circuit in December of 1986. The theatre became the UA Trackside 5 Theatres. UA dropped it at the end of lease in October of 1993. MI Theatres next took on the venue closing it in 1999.
It became the Magic Cinemas in October of 2001 under Tim Augustine and Robert “Spec” McClendon. The theatre closed in 2008 under their watch though finding new operators who closed it permanently on December 31, 2010. The theatre sat vacant for a very long period of time.
Colonel George F. Baltzell’s Batzell Opera House opened on July 8, 1907 with two live performances of “Denver Express.” The Batzell appears to have closed with movies in 1936. The building got a makeover in 1945 becoming home to W.L. Mosely’s new Ritz Theatre on March 15, 1945. The opening film was “Two Girls and a Sailor.”
After another refresh, the theatre relaunched on October 15, 1954 with widescreen projection to play CinemaScope titles. First up was “Rose Marie.” After yet another makeover, the venue became the Ritz Cinema in 1968 operating for 20 more years. The City of Hammond took on the dormant theater in the 1980s. In 2007, with the theatre in unrestorable condition, architectural firm Holly & Smith saved the facade of the theatre in an award winning, adaptive reuse of the space for townhouses.
Gulf States appears to have closed the Columbia Theatre after the September 26, 1974 showing of “The Education of Sonny Carson” and “Legend of Charlie”
The Rialto was a silent era movie house in downtown Hammond. Christine Foltz ran it for many years. It converted to sound to remain viable though closed during the Depression. After years of dormancy, the Columbia Amusement Company took on the theater after Foltz’s death and gave it a streamline moderne makeover. It also renamed the venue as the Rex Theatre opening on March 23, 1940 with George Raft in “Invisible Stripes.“The Rex ceased operation in November 30, 1953 with "Hangman’s Knot” and “Voodoo Tiger.” The building was later converted for other retail purposes.
The Joy launched November 7, 1968 with “Angels from Hell” and “It’s a Bikini World.” It became a Twin on December 6, 1974 with “Serpico” and “Superfly TNT” on Joy 1 and adult films, “X” and “Robin Hood,” on Joy 2.
Launched April 6, 1940 with “Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me” supported by Chapter 1 of the “Kit Carson” serial" and a Fox short subject. After the War, the Pic was downgraded to four-day a week operation and closed for films on September 25, 1950 with “The Boy From Indiana.” It is then used for live music events, wrestling events, and house of worship events. On May 8, 1960 fire destroyed the Ideal Theatre in town and own Ernest Drake reopened the Pic to play out his films.
The Pic appears to have closed permanently on Jul 1, 1967 with “Rings Around the World” and “Nashville Rebel.” In 1970, the Pic was razed to construct a Dollar General Store.
The New Ideal Theatre opened on April 24, 1923 with “The Town That Forgot God.” The theatre converted to sound in 1929 to remain viable. The theater’s marketing including the line, “Our screen speaks for itself” to emphasize talking pictures.
On May 6, 1960, the theatre was refreshed. On May 8, 1960, the theatre showed Rita Hayworth’s “The Story on Page One.” Unfortunately, it was the theatre, itself, that made page one as a fire destroyed the theatre. Its final ad continued to carry the 30+ year old tagline, “Our screen speaks for itself.” The remnants of the building were demolished thereafter. Ernest Drake decided to reopen the dormant Pic Theatre to play out his contracted films.
Lad Medve and Larry LeBlanc were the first to open a Jerry Lewis Cinema in Canada doing so on April Fool’s weekend of 1972. Sadly, the joke was on the franchisees as Jerry Lewis and Network Cinema Corporation were already well on their way to imploding. With franchise fees of just $17,500 for a single screen and $30,000 for a double, Medve and LeBlanc committed to 19 more Ontario Jerry Lewis locations and would not have been surprised to see that number rise to 100.
In all of Canada, the actual number of opened Jerry Lewis Cinemas peaked at three - here, Mississauga, and Peace River. A fourth in Montreal was constructed but failed to open under the Lewis nameplate. The Cambridge Lewis Twin location launched in the Parkway Shopping Center that began with a Zehr’s Supermarket opening early in 1970 and joined by a short-lived Sayvette Store later that year.
In 1971/2, the Parkway Mall concept was added between those anchors. Multiple Automated Cinemas of Ottawa was the Network Cinema Corp. subsidiary in charge adding some $20,000 of automation equipment for the theaters that could be run with a single push of a button, at least in concept. Two identical 350 seat auditoriums were built here for 700 total sats. The theater opened on March 31, 1972 with “Skin Game” and a double-feature of “With Six, You Get An Egg Roll” and “Big Jake.”
Within months of the Parkway Mall’s launch, both it and the cinema were in for renaming. The Lewis franchise closed briskly in summer and was renamed as the Cambridge Twin Cinemas at its reopening on November 10, 1972. It officially opened at the renamed Cambridge Shoppers Mall which was in use as of October 26, 1972. With both the Parkway Mall and Jerry Lewis signage chiseled off, the theatre ran to the end of its 15-year lease with Premier Theatres leaving it behind on February 22, 1987. On February 27, 1987, Cineplex Odeon took on the venues operating it until the December 12, 1996 showings of “Jingle All the Way” and “Space Jam.” It launched the Cambridge Cinemas 7 the next day.
C J. Encohus and Charles A. McElravy opened the new-build Arcade Theatre in 1917. The theatre converted to sound to remain viable under the auspices of Dixie Theatres Corporation of New Orleans. The Arcade was a survivor finally closed in 1951 as the longest-running theater in the city’s history to that point at 34 years. The building was then retrofitted for a location of the Jitney Jungle Grocery Store chain.
Previously operated by Lomo Theatre Circuit.
Previously operated by Lomo Theatre Circuit.
The New Daisy Theatre launched on April 27, 1941 with “Tall, Dark and Handsome.” It exits as a movie theatre in 1978 showing chopsocky, blaxploitation and other action-oriented exploitation films. After a refresh, it returns as a live concert venue in June of 1984 and continues in live performance until early 2019. But it was taken over by the Downtown Memphis Commission in 2022 and reopened with live event programming in January of 2023 and is open as of the 2020s.
American Automated Theatres Inc. (AATI) of Oklahoma City already had a franchisee for The Movies! Mississippi Mall twin screen theater in town. That franchisee decided to go all in on a four-plex.The Movies! River Ridge Cinema IV opened on August 10, 1984 with “Ghostbusters,” The Karate Kid,“ “Red Dawn” and “Cloak and Dagger.
On February 2, 2000, O'Neil Theatres, Inc. of Slidell, Louisiana - the franchisee - took the theatre into the O'Neil portfolio. Thus, the location became officially known as the O'Neil River Ridge Cinema 4. O'Neil Theatres Circuit went into bankruptcy protection that same year and, by 2008, was winding down operations. O'Neil closed here October 12, 2008. In 2015, Acadiana Cinemas - which operated three Louisiana locations in Eunice, Natchitoches, and Opelousas, updated the former River Ridge to digital projection and new seating reopening on March 20, 2015 as the Acadiana Picayune Cinema 4. The theatre closed for the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. It reopened and was still operating in the 2020s.
VIP Cinemas reopened the former Regal as the VIP Moline 14 effective July 11, 2024.
William Abbott opened the first Gem Theatre on February 27, 1913 with L. Rogers Lytton in “The Vengeance of Durand; or, The Two Portraits” supported by “A Busy Day in the Jungles.” It was housed a block from its future home in the Abbott Building with the Abbott Saloon. In its eight years, the Gem was doing well and a brand new theatre was built.
The New Gem moved a block away to its new home in the 200 block on January 26, 1921 with Gloria Swanson in “Something to Think About” on the new big screen. It was the secondary theatre in town after the Panida was build and, under the Gem moniker, it did not convert to sound. It continued with silent film through showtimes on November 13, 1930. It was then sporadically used as a live event house. Plays and political speeches occurred through 1944 under the Gem nameplate.
It was finally converted to sound in a streamline moderne makeover and renamed as the Lake Theatre opening on August 8, 1946. Ten years later, it closed with “The Solid Gold Cadillac” on November 20, 1956. It again was used for live events and rummage sales very sporadically over the next nine years. In 1967, a campaign to save the theatre was launched though proved unsuccessful. After the campaign failed, in 1968, the floor was leveled and in 1970 all exterior elements were removed from the former Gem/ Lake Theatre.
The local paper reports that the Liberty Theatre was destroyed by fire on September 13, 1922. It was just one day after Moses Alexander made a campaign stop at the venue though finishing in third that November for regaining his governorship. That was the last event in the space as the Gem Theatre had become the main movie house in town.
Grand opening ad for the Cinema 4 West on March 21, 1980 is in photos. Opening films were “Star Trek,” “Going in Style” and “Electric Horseman.” It closed March 5, 2006 as the Sanpoint Cinema 4 with “Annapolis,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Duma,” “Freedomland,” and “Doogal.”
Officially closed as the ShowPlace ICON on June 30, 2024 as the 1909-created exhibitor left the theatrical space. It did find a home for this location, however, in a deal with Marcus Cinemas announced on June 28, 2024. It was renamed as the Marcus West End Cinema at its relaunch on July 8, 2024.
Closed June 30, 2024 along with all other ShowPlace ICON locations when the circuit ended operations.
Closed permanently with the rest of the Kerasotes ICON chain effective June 30, 2024.
The Gem Theatre launched September 29, 1915 with “The Battle Cry for Peace.” It was located in a former meat market. The Gem competed against the Philip Opera House for about three years. Movies became the dominant entertainment form in town and the Gem not only outlasted the Opera House but would surpass its 100th year of operation.
On its way past 100 operational years, the Gem converted to Vitaphone to show sound films on January 12, 1930. It got a new front a year and a half later. The Gem came under the State Theatre Corporation Circuit in the 1950s. It converted to digital in 2013 to remain viable. Two years later it celebrated its 100th Anniversary and was still showing films in 2024. With a population of fewer than 750 residents, the Gem is a theater deserving of its name.
Status: Demolished
The Magic City purportedly installed sound on February 15, 1931 to remain viable. However, the capacity crowd reportedly saw no sound films that night. Its final show was scheduled for March 21, 1931. For its final trick, the Magic City burned to the ground on March 23, 1931.
Opening film for the Ritz on September 17, 1941 was “Argentine Nights” supported by Ted Lewis & Orchestra in “Is Everybody Happy” and the Walter Lantz cartoon short, “Syncopated Sioux.” Closing film “Three Tough Guys” on June 29, 1975. Demolition in 1990.
The Trackside Twin Cinema opened June 20, 1975 with “The Towering Inferno” and “Race with the Devil” independently by George and Judy Solomon at the Shopyard Square Shopping Center. At launch, it had two identical and automated 252 aqua-colored seat auditoriums. The color explosion included automate “Chinese Red” curtains in the auditoriums and two-toned wallpaper in the lobby that “one would not normally attempt to blend” according to a local reporter. The previous day’s open house offered, of course, free potholders to those who attended.
On December 21, 1975, George Solomon took over the entire Gulf States Theatre circuit under the Gulf International Cinema nameplate folding in the Trackside to that portfolio. They reverted to Gulf State Theatres moniker for the theatrical operations. On July 4, 1986, Gulf States added three screens to the cinema becoming the Trackside Cinemas 5. It stayed that way just six months when United Artists bought the circuit in December of 1986. The theatre became the UA Trackside 5 Theatres. UA dropped it at the end of lease in October of 1993. MI Theatres next took on the venue closing it in 1999.
It became the Magic Cinemas in October of 2001 under Tim Augustine and Robert “Spec” McClendon. The theatre closed in 2008 under their watch though finding new operators who closed it permanently on December 31, 2010. The theatre sat vacant for a very long period of time.
Final date: June 30, 2024… likely at the lease opt out at the 15-year mark.
Colonel George F. Baltzell’s Batzell Opera House opened on July 8, 1907 with two live performances of “Denver Express.” The Batzell appears to have closed with movies in 1936. The building got a makeover in 1945 becoming home to W.L. Mosely’s new Ritz Theatre on March 15, 1945. The opening film was “Two Girls and a Sailor.”
After another refresh, the theatre relaunched on October 15, 1954 with widescreen projection to play CinemaScope titles. First up was “Rose Marie.” After yet another makeover, the venue became the Ritz Cinema in 1968 operating for 20 more years. The City of Hammond took on the dormant theater in the 1980s. In 2007, with the theatre in unrestorable condition, architectural firm Holly & Smith saved the facade of the theatre in an award winning, adaptive reuse of the space for townhouses.
Gulf States appears to have closed the Columbia Theatre after the September 26, 1974 showing of “The Education of Sonny Carson” and “Legend of Charlie”
The Rialto was a silent era movie house in downtown Hammond. Christine Foltz ran it for many years. It converted to sound to remain viable though closed during the Depression. After years of dormancy, the Columbia Amusement Company took on the theater after Foltz’s death and gave it a streamline moderne makeover. It also renamed the venue as the Rex Theatre opening on March 23, 1940 with George Raft in “Invisible Stripes.“The Rex ceased operation in November 30, 1953 with "Hangman’s Knot” and “Voodoo Tiger.” The building was later converted for other retail purposes.
The Joy launched November 7, 1968 with “Angels from Hell” and “It’s a Bikini World.” It became a Twin on December 6, 1974 with “Serpico” and “Superfly TNT” on Joy 1 and adult films, “X” and “Robin Hood,” on Joy 2.
Launched April 6, 1940 with “Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me” supported by Chapter 1 of the “Kit Carson” serial" and a Fox short subject. After the War, the Pic was downgraded to four-day a week operation and closed for films on September 25, 1950 with “The Boy From Indiana.” It is then used for live music events, wrestling events, and house of worship events. On May 8, 1960 fire destroyed the Ideal Theatre in town and own Ernest Drake reopened the Pic to play out his films.
The Pic appears to have closed permanently on Jul 1, 1967 with “Rings Around the World” and “Nashville Rebel.” In 1970, the Pic was razed to construct a Dollar General Store.
The New Ideal Theatre opened on April 24, 1923 with “The Town That Forgot God.” The theatre converted to sound in 1929 to remain viable. The theater’s marketing including the line, “Our screen speaks for itself” to emphasize talking pictures.
On May 6, 1960, the theatre was refreshed. On May 8, 1960, the theatre showed Rita Hayworth’s “The Story on Page One.” Unfortunately, it was the theatre, itself, that made page one as a fire destroyed the theatre. Its final ad continued to carry the 30+ year old tagline, “Our screen speaks for itself.” The remnants of the building were demolished thereafter. Ernest Drake decided to reopen the dormant Pic Theatre to play out his contracted films.
Lad Medve and Larry LeBlanc were the first to open a Jerry Lewis Cinema in Canada doing so on April Fool’s weekend of 1972. Sadly, the joke was on the franchisees as Jerry Lewis and Network Cinema Corporation were already well on their way to imploding. With franchise fees of just $17,500 for a single screen and $30,000 for a double, Medve and LeBlanc committed to 19 more Ontario Jerry Lewis locations and would not have been surprised to see that number rise to 100.
In all of Canada, the actual number of opened Jerry Lewis Cinemas peaked at three - here, Mississauga, and Peace River. A fourth in Montreal was constructed but failed to open under the Lewis nameplate. The Cambridge Lewis Twin location launched in the Parkway Shopping Center that began with a Zehr’s Supermarket opening early in 1970 and joined by a short-lived Sayvette Store later that year.
In 1971/2, the Parkway Mall concept was added between those anchors. Multiple Automated Cinemas of Ottawa was the Network Cinema Corp. subsidiary in charge adding some $20,000 of automation equipment for the theaters that could be run with a single push of a button, at least in concept. Two identical 350 seat auditoriums were built here for 700 total sats. The theater opened on March 31, 1972 with “Skin Game” and a double-feature of “With Six, You Get An Egg Roll” and “Big Jake.”
Within months of the Parkway Mall’s launch, both it and the cinema were in for renaming. The Lewis franchise closed briskly in summer and was renamed as the Cambridge Twin Cinemas at its reopening on November 10, 1972. It officially opened at the renamed Cambridge Shoppers Mall which was in use as of October 26, 1972. With both the Parkway Mall and Jerry Lewis signage chiseled off, the theatre ran to the end of its 15-year lease with Premier Theatres leaving it behind on February 22, 1987. On February 27, 1987, Cineplex Odeon took on the venues operating it until the December 12, 1996 showings of “Jingle All the Way” and “Space Jam.” It launched the Cambridge Cinemas 7 the next day.