Update on ownership in the 1960s.
Check stub image and description added credit Jennifer Laing Horst.
“Lakeside Theater was owned by Betty and Will Tomlinson. He,was Vice President of Screen Gems. I worked there in the mid 60’s selling tickets. They wanted me to move to Crescent City to run a theater there for them but I didn’t. They also opened the theatre by Cecils. I didn’t make much but it was a lot then.”
Built and opened as Hefferlin Opera House in 1892 by C.F. Hefferlin. (Photo Added)
The first in Livingston to start showing movies in 1912.
Renamed Orpheum Theatre circa 1920, then Park Theatre in 1938, then destroyed by fire and demolished in the 1950s.
Parking and drive-thru for American Bank of Montana is on the site today.
Additional history below.
Dropping this from the Gibson County Tennessee Historical Society here, until I can figure out what is what with which theatre in Rutherford.
“Rutherford had two theatres I believe, one on Main St that burned down and one on Trenton St that was turned into the Masonic Lodge bldg. I’ll see what I can’t find out about the one on Main St.
The Fire of 1946 – On January 1, 1946, a fire in the Gem Theatre was discovered at 3:50 AM, by Miss Tiny Starkes, an employee of the theatre, who lived near by. She ran to the telephone office, awakened the night operator, Mrs. Nell Peel, who turned on the siren and fled her building, which also was burning.
With telephone communication gone, Blaine Karnes drove to Dyer and summoned the fire departments from Trenton and Humboldt. The blaze was finally contained by 6:00 AM.
The top two floors of the three-story building which housed the John W. Akins Dry Goods Store were destroyed, and Mr. Akins’ merchandise was badly damaged by smoke and water. The Gem Theatre and Horne’s Variety Store were completely destroyed. Only a heavy fire wall prevented the spread of the blaze to the Rutherford Barber Shop.
Less than five months later, work was well underway replacing the two burned buildings and modernizing the John W. Akins store-front. A new and larger theatre was built back of the Akins store, where the Masonic Lodge now stands. Page 40"
Address is 538 Broad Street, located in the Elyria Block building built in 1910.
It had replaced the first Elyria Block building and previous American Theatre at the same address, which had burned down April 14, 1909. That one had been built in 1890.
Street view confirms address and matches the photo.
Brickwork and upper floor windows are a perfect match, and the first floor facade and former theatre entrance has been modified.
Address confirmed as 110 S. Front Street. Still standing. October 2019 Street View shows a law office who confirmed it was indeed the former Palace Theatre.
Address is 112-114 E. Main Street and still standing.
Street view confirms buildings are the same.
Ray’s Liquors is the current tenant.
1940’s photo added credit West Tennessee County History.
The Varsity Theatre operated until 1987, then closed for several years and reopened in 1992, but closed in 1996.
Additional history credit Tennessee Good Old Days Facebook page.
The 1999 National Register of Historic Place application for the Capitol Theatre, oddly makes no mention of the Ritz Theatre.
It says that only Jimmy’s Playhouse 1921-1927, and the Capitol (now Masquerade) showed movies between 1921-1978 in Union City, when the Volunteer Twin Cinema opened located South of the downtown.
The latter forced the Capitol to become a twin.
I added pages for Jimmy’s Playhouse and Volunteer Twin Cinema.
Credited images added found on the “You are probably from Lake Tahoe if…..” Facebook page.
1957 photo and description added credit Jeff Blanc. Original quonsut hut building.
Update on ownership in the 1960s. Check stub image and description added credit Jennifer Laing Horst.
“Lakeside Theater was owned by Betty and Will Tomlinson. He,was Vice President of Screen Gems. I worked there in the mid 60’s selling tickets. They wanted me to move to Crescent City to run a theater there for them but I didn’t. They also opened the theatre by Cecils. I didn’t make much but it was a lot then.”
1961 photo added credit Archives de la Ville de Montreal.
1930s postcard added, printed by the Gallup Studio, Chloride, Arizona. Courtesy Route 66 Postcards.
January 1983 Flickr image.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryviews/4673549811/in/photostream/
Owner selling off Art Theatre’s assets.
https://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/after-not-finding-a-buyer-owner-of-art-theater-building-selling-its-assets/article_20528549-70bd-5e0a-8b54-81535e5672f5.html?fbclid=IwAR1rc54gMQPDuNvzrflQ-npV3omEj_X7iz-B6KoS_PNMTM2AKL0ooWQiBB4
Built and opened as Hefferlin Opera House in 1892 by C.F. Hefferlin. (Photo Added) The first in Livingston to start showing movies in 1912. Renamed Orpheum Theatre circa 1920, then Park Theatre in 1938, then destroyed by fire and demolished in the 1950s. Parking and drive-thru for American Bank of Montana is on the site today. Additional history below.
http://yellowstonegatewaymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/YGMSpring2011.pdf
1927 photo added courtesy RuralMontana.org
Circa November 1935 photo courtesy David Sadowski in below link. Scaffolding for then upcoming art deco facade completed by 1937.
https://theclarktheater.wordpress.com/2020/08/01/the-windsor-theater/?fbclid=IwAR3syZ-XI4G94o_b-g9ih-9aqJUH0UJyoaQlyNS-56op1mCUZJ4Iq07dGDg
Operated by Martin Theater chain along with the Capri and Princess in Morristown Tennessee.
I add a page for the Volunteer Twin Cinema in Union City. Center Point Business Solutions is now at that site.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/63072
The full movie is also free on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLbgta6CgO8
Dropping this from the Gibson County Tennessee Historical Society here, until I can figure out what is what with which theatre in Rutherford.
“Rutherford had two theatres I believe, one on Main St that burned down and one on Trenton St that was turned into the Masonic Lodge bldg. I’ll see what I can’t find out about the one on Main St. The Fire of 1946 – On January 1, 1946, a fire in the Gem Theatre was discovered at 3:50 AM, by Miss Tiny Starkes, an employee of the theatre, who lived near by. She ran to the telephone office, awakened the night operator, Mrs. Nell Peel, who turned on the siren and fled her building, which also was burning.
With telephone communication gone, Blaine Karnes drove to Dyer and summoned the fire departments from Trenton and Humboldt. The blaze was finally contained by 6:00 AM.
The top two floors of the three-story building which housed the John W. Akins Dry Goods Store were destroyed, and Mr. Akins’ merchandise was badly damaged by smoke and water. The Gem Theatre and Horne’s Variety Store were completely destroyed. Only a heavy fire wall prevented the spread of the blaze to the Rutherford Barber Shop.
Less than five months later, work was well underway replacing the two burned buildings and modernizing the John W. Akins store-front. A new and larger theatre was built back of the Akins store, where the Masonic Lodge now stands. Page 40"
Article with photo of the 1909 fire that destroyed the original Elyria Block building and first American Theatre.
https://www.fireengineering.com/1909/05/26/200394/elyria-business-block-destroyed/#gref
The Walmart which utilizes the old Chief Drive-In marquee and address will be running movies in it’s parking lot.
https://www.cjonline.com/news/20200801/south-topeka-walmart-to-temporarily-offer-drive-in-movies-in-its-lot?fbclid=IwAR0bA3t86QLOdu49XosrAH2r906FSyV0-XtPxqIhyff3f8AT_OYRPe8pHAU
https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/07/01/walmart-launches-virtual-summer-camp-and-drive-in-movie-theater-to-help-families-make-the-most-of-summer
“Hollywood Nudes Report” on the Plaza marquee, released December 27, 1963.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291246/
Address is 538 Broad Street, located in the Elyria Block building built in 1910. It had replaced the first Elyria Block building and previous American Theatre at the same address, which had burned down April 14, 1909. That one had been built in 1890. Street view confirms address and matches the photo. Brickwork and upper floor windows are a perfect match, and the first floor facade and former theatre entrance has been modified.
1943 photograph courtesy of the TSLA Nashville, Tennessee.
Address confirmed as 110 S. Front Street.
Still standing.
October 2019 Street View shows a law office who confirmed it was indeed the former Palace Theatre.
Address is 112-114 E. Main Street and still standing. Street view confirms buildings are the same. Ray’s Liquors is the current tenant. 1940’s photo added credit West Tennessee County History.
“Blue Lagoon” released October 1, 1949. British film starring Jean Simmons & Donald Houston.
Christmas 1959.
The Varsity Theatre operated until 1987, then closed for several years and reopened in 1992, but closed in 1996. Additional history credit Tennessee Good Old Days Facebook page.
The 1999 National Register of Historic Place application for the Capitol Theatre, oddly makes no mention of the Ritz Theatre. It says that only Jimmy’s Playhouse 1921-1927, and the Capitol (now Masquerade) showed movies between 1921-1978 in Union City, when the Volunteer Twin Cinema opened located South of the downtown. The latter forced the Capitol to become a twin. I added pages for Jimmy’s Playhouse and Volunteer Twin Cinema.
https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/02f84e54-a36f-45ba-9f9f-1b439cda8093