Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Defunct Movie Theaters

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Defunct Movie Theaters

    Here are a bunch of them from mostly 1974 time frame:

    Jerry Lewis Twin Theaters: Windward City Shopping Center

    American Theaters: 130 N. Hotel Street

    Holiday Kailua Theaters

    Holiday Kam Shopping Center Theater (now KB Toys)

    Nippon Theaters: Beretania & Keeaumoku, in 1962 was known as the Palace Theaters

    Empress Theaters: 1190 Nunanu Avene

    Toho Theaters: Kapiolani Blvd. (now Blockbuster Video?)

    King Theaters: 59 S. King Street

    Toyo Theater: Beretania & College Walk (I think the property turned into eventually the Honolulu Weekly offices, since demolished and Hawaii USA FCU)

    Kapahulu Theaters: Kapahulu and Date Street

    King & Royal Sunset Drive Inn: Farrington & Kunia Roads

    Royal Theaters: 2380 Kuhio

    Rex Theaters: 1164 Maunakea

    Theater at Kings Alley: 131 Kalulani Avenue

    Would be sort of interesting to do a what is there now or even what was there in between then and now!

    Aj

  • #2
    Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

    I didn't see it on your list, but in my neck of the woods (Kaimuki/St. Louis Heights), there's the old, old, old Queen Theater on Waialae Ave. I think the owners use it as a warehouse now.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

      Besides the Cinerama, Waikiki Twins and Waikiki #3, my next favorite was the old Royal Theater at Kuhio. Movies I remember seeing there were "True Grit", "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Star Trek The Motion Picture". "The Black Hole," and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Sadly torn down and now what, a fancy high rise hotel sits there.... can't remember the name of it now. Royal Outrigger???
      I'm still here. Are you?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

        I think Perry Boy Somgies is at the old Royal Theater site, at least it was a few years ago.

        There was also a Kaimuki Theater that was located a block or two east from Queen's Theater.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

          Originally posted by Kalihiboy View Post
          Empress Theaters: 1190 Nunanu Avene
          Is that the one that's now a New Hope chapel?

          You're also missing the Cinerama (now a Checkers Auto parts)

          There another one that's on the corner of Queen and Cook. Don't know what the name was, but the building is still there. One of the business in it is a dive shop.

          Can't forget the Varsity.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

            Kapiolani Theater. The lobby area is now Papa Johns, the main section is now Blockbuster.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

              Kuhio Theater, a block Diamondhead on Kuhio Ave. from Nick's Fishmarket.

              Ilikai Marina theater, where Outback Steakhouse is located.

              Waialae Drive-In.

              Kailua Drive-In.

              Palama Theater, later known as Zamboanga, on North King near Kaiulani School.

              Palace ===> Nippon ===> Golden Harvest (Beretania-Keaaumoku).

              What happened to the adult theaters in Chinatown like Roosevelt and Busy-Bee?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                I didn't list a few theaters like Waikiki or Cinerama, figured they were talked about enough and sort of closed recently compared to many others.

                Were the Harbor Theaters and Illikai Theaters one in the same?

                So when your in the Outback Steakhouse that was literally the theater? What always gets me is the low ceilings they had to obviously modify changes drastically to convert into what the business occupants use today. You can easily tell that Papa Johns/Blockbuster and even Cinerama were once theaters I think.

                I think a fw of the theater listings I gave may have been adult theaters or turned into them later on.

                Queen Theater still sits rotting away to this day. Very sad. Too bad nobody can go fix it up and turn it back into some of the older style theaters I remember seeing on the mainland.

                Aj

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                  Ocean Pacific wrote: Kuhio Theater, a block Diamondhead on Kuhio Ave. from Nick's Fishmarket.

                  Is this location literally what is now Niketown or am I off a bit?

                  Wasn't there once a small theater at the Kuhio Mall which is now known as Waikiki Town Center I think on the other side of the International Marketplace.

                  Aj

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                    Originally posted by Kalihiboy View Post
                    Were the Harbor Theaters and Illikai Theaters one in the same?

                    So when your in the Outback Steakhouse that was literally the theater? What always gets me is the low ceilings they had to obviously modify changes drastically to convert into what the business occupants use today.
                    It was called the Marina Twin Theaters. It was the smallest of the theaters back then each theater holding roughly the same amount of people as one of the Resturant Row theater or one of the older Pearlridge West theater.

                    At first they were part of the Royal chain of theaters but later on they got brought by Consolidated.

                    I haven't been to Outback Steakhouse so I can't comment what changes they made but they didn't have much rows in the theater and the screen was on the mountain side of the building (closer to the street).

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                      I remember the Pearlridge West Theaters they are now a series of restaurants or military recruiting offices now I think.

                      The Pearlridge Theaters now as we know it was once Jewelcor during the 1970's.

                      The Marina Twin Theaters was located next to the old Kaiser Hospital, the one they demolished during a episode of Magnum and is now known as the Hawaii Prince Hotels if I remember right.

                      Aj

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                        Haven't we had this conversation before?

                        Anyways, I remember the Liberty Theatre one short block makai of Beretania and Nuuanu.
                        Born in Hawaii, too - Truss me

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                          Originally posted by Palama Kid View Post
                          Haven't we had this conversation before?
                          If you are talking about the thread titled Your favorite movie theater then maybe yeah, however the original intention of the thread (which I failed to mention) was your current favorite movie theater. Out of the 54 notes in the thread, 7 of them did mention current theaters, the rest of them was going down memory lane, so one is kind of left with the question does anyone go to a movie theater now a days?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                            The Empress was never a Hope Chapel, but it was Calvary Chapel of Honolulu before that church moved to Aiea. There's a new church there now. When I was in high school in the 80s, the Empress and Toyo both showed Asian films, and some friends and I caught a few pictures there after school.

                            Nobody's mentioned the old Waipahu Theater, which in its heyday was a huge part of life on and around Depot Road. By the mid-70s it was an adult theater, and by the late 80s it was the home of City of Refuge Church.

                            Don't forget the Holiday Theatera in Nanakuli and Laie.
                            But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                            GrouchyTeacher.com

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Defunct Movie Theaters

                              Originally posted by scrivener View Post
                              The Empress was never a Hope Chapel, but it was Calvary Chapel of Honolulu before that church moved to Aiea. There's a new church there now. When I was in high school in the 80s, the Empress and Toyo both showed Asian films, and some friends and I caught a few pictures there after school.

                              Nobody's mentioned the old Waipahu Theater, which in its heyday was a huge part of life on and around Depot Road. By the mid-70s it was an adult theater, and by the late 80s it was the home of City of Refuge Church.

                              Don't forget the Holiday Theatera in Nanakuli and Laie.
                              Wasn't there another threater across from the Empress, Liberty? Which was razed and is now an open parking lot?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X