Ruby Isle Theatre
2205 B. Calhoun Road,
Brookfield,
WI
53005
2205 B. Calhoun Road,
Brookfield,
WI
53005
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Prudential Theatres opened the Ruby Isle Theatre on June 22, 1966 with Ann Margret in “Stagecoach”. It originally housed 818 Haywood-Wakefield rocking chair seats (with 643 seats in the auditorium and 175 seats in the balcony).
United Artists took over the theater in 1969, and would become a 99-cent house during the latter half of the 1980s, still under UA ownership. United Artists operated the Ruby Isle Theatre until the Fall of 1990 and was followed by a brief two-month closure. Independent owners took over the theater and relaunched the Ruby Isle Theatre in December 1990, and they operated the Ruby Isle until its final closure on January 1, 1996 with “Indian In The Cupboard” and “Nine Months”.
I remember filling in for the full time projectionist vacation at this theatre. It was nice. I was showing Lady & the Tramp that week and the cinemascope was large and sharp. Still had the reel to reel changeovers and the carbon arcs. I think the manager was Sherry at the time. It must have closed sometime in ‘81 if I remember correctly.
This theater was kind of a smaller version of the UA Mayfair Theater. It had the booth under the balcony just a few steps up from the lobby. Same design concept as Mayfair, Southgate and the Madison Hilldale. Nothing really special about it, but not bad for a strip mall theater. Nice size screen, Simplex XL 35’s with Ashcraft Carbons.
This was opened on June 22nd, 1966 by Prudential Theatres.
Grand opening ad:
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It became an United Artists in 1969.