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Opening date: 2004/11/11
First movies shown:
Carmike Cinemas opened this theatre, the Regency Square Cinema 12, on Thursday, November 11, 2004, with a Children's Miracle Network charity event where a movie, popcorn, and drink could be bought for $5. Normal operations began with the grand opening the next day on Friday, November 12, 2004. The theatre has 12 auditoriums, with all stadium seating and digital sound.
This theatre was the first new one to open in Florence since 1978. It was built next to the Capri 4 theatre, which was closed and demolished after the new theatre was built.
Opening date: 1978/07/13
First movies shown:
Martin Theatres opened this theatre, the Capri Twin, on Thursday, July 13, 1978, with 2 auditoriums, behind Regency Square Mall. The following movies were shown on the theatre's first night of business:
| In Search of the Castaways | 7:00 | 9:00 |
| The End | 7:00 | 9:15 |
The theatre was eventually made into a 4-plex. The first night of operation as a 4-plex was Friday, June 10, 1983. On that night, the following movies were shown:
| Return of the Jedi | 11:30 | 2:00 | 4:30 | 7:00 | 9:30 |
| Cheech and Chong: Still Smokin' | 1:30 | 3:30 | 5:30 | 7:30 | 9:30 |
| Space Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone | 2:00 | 3:45 | 5:00 | 7:15 | 9:30 |
| Spring Fever | 1:00 | 3:00 | 5:00 | 7:00 | 9:00 |
This theatre was first advertised as a Carmike theatre on Friday, October 25, 1985, along with the Cinema Twin and Martin theatres.
The last night of business for this theatre was September 19, 2004. It was torn down to make room for extra parking for the new Carmike 12-plex theatre which opened beside the building on November 11, 2004.
Opening date: 1978/03/10
First movies shown:
Fairlane Litchfield Theatres opened this theatre, the Hickory Hills Cinemas, on Friday, March 10, 1978, with 3 auditoriums, at 1946 Florence Boulevard. Doors opened at 6:30. The following movies were shown on the theatre's first night of business:
| Jason and the Argonauts | 7:00 | 9:00 |
| The Other Side of the Mountain: Part 2 | 7:00 | 9:00 |
| Semi-Tough | 7:00 | 9:00 |
The theatre was made into a 4-plex appproximately one year after opening. The first night of operation as a 4-plex was Friday, March 2, 1979. On that night, the following movies were shown:
| Superman: The Movie | 6:30 | 9:10 |
| The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger | 7:00 | 9:00 |
| Restless | 7:00 | 9:00 |
| The Wiz | 7:00 | 9:00 |
The theatre was made into a 6-plex several years later. The first night of operation with auditoriums 5 and 6 was Friday, July 19, 1985. The theatre, on that date, in addition to the new auditoriums, had stereo sound in 4 of its auditoriums. The movies shown that night were:
| Trancers | 1:30 | 3:30 | 7:45 | 10:00 |
| The Emerald Forest | 7:10 | 9:45 | ||
| St. Elmo's Fire | 7:30 | 9:50 | ||
| E.T. | 2:15 | 4:30 | 7:00 | 9:20 |
| Back to the Future | 2:00 | 4:35 | 7:15 | 9:35 |
| Pale Rider | 1:45 | 4:10 | 6:45 | 9:30 |
United Artists seems to have taken over this theatre on December 4, 1987 (UA logo started appearing on ads). Carmike took over the theatre at a later time. This theatre became second-run when the Carmike Regency Square Cinema 12 opened.
Opening date: 1973/05/24
First movies shown:
The "Cinema I and II" theatre opened at 1302 Woodward Avenue in Muscle Shoals on Thursday, May 24, 1973. It was the first twin theatre in the Shoals. One auditorium was decorated in red (theatre 1) and the other was decorated in blue (theatre 2). This theatre was the first in the Shoals to feature rocking chairs.
On opening night, the theatre opened at 6:30 and the two movies shown were
| Slither | 7:20 | 9:05 |
| Judge Roy Bean | 7:05 | 9:15 |
Warren Carswell was the city manager for Martin Theatres, which operated this theatre when it originally opened.
This theatre became a second-run theatre during its final years.
Management transitioned from Martin to Carmike in 1985. Advertisements switched from Martin to Carmike on October 25, 1985, along with the Capri 4 and the Martin Theatre. The name of this theatre became "Cinema Twin Theatre". The theatre's last night of business seems to have been Thursday, August 6, 1998.
Opening date: 1970/12/04
First movie shown: Dirty Dingus Magee
The Martin Theatre opened at the Grant Plaza shopping center on Friday, December 4, 1970. The theatre was the first automated theatre in the Shoals. This allowed the projectionist to press a button to start the movie and the automation equipment would dim the auditorium lights and start the show. The theatre featured Xetron lamp houses. The screen size for Cinemascope was 15 feet by 35 feet and the size for normal features (flat widescreen) was 15 feet by 28 feet. The auditorium had 450 seats. Helen Slay was the first manager of this location and Warren Carswell was the city manager for Martin Theatres (the company that operated this location).
The movie shown on opening night was "Dirty Dingus Magee". The theatre opened at 7:30 and the movie was shown at 8:00. Orchids were given to the first 250 ladies to attend.
This theatre was first advertised as a Carmike theatre on October 25, 1985, along with the Capri 4 and Cinema Twin theatres. This theatre's last night of business seems to have been June 9, 1988.
Opening date: 1961/05/26
First movie shown: The Alamo
The Marbro Drive-In opened on Friday, May 26, 1961 at 6:30. It was advertised as having the largest screen in North Alabama. It was located on Woodward Avenue in Muscle Shoals. The drive-in had 550 car capacity and a screen 110 feet wide for Cinemascope movies and 72 feet for regular features. The screen was constructed of Transite siding. 200 in-car heaters were installed for use in the winter.
The movie shown on opening night was "The Alamo", first shown at 7:15. Free prizes were given away to all customers that night, and orchid corsages were given to the first 200 ladies that attended.
This theatre's last night of business seems to have been December 2, 1979.
The Mary Drive-In was located in Cherokee and ads for it began appearing in the Florence newspaper on July 12, 1953, which may or may not be the day that the drive-in began operating. "My Pal Gus" was the movie advertised for that night.
The Mary Drive-In seems to have closed during the 1960-1965 time period.
Opening date: 1950/10/12
First movie shown: Three Little Words
The Tuscumbian theatre opened on Thursday, October 12, 1950. The box office opened at 12:45 and the first show was at 1:00 PM. The theatre was located on Main Street in Tuscumbia.
The theatre was a marble-faced structure and was designed by Marr and Holman of Nashville, TN, and was built by the Daniel Construction Company of Birmingham. This same combination was used for the Colbert Theatre in Sheffield and the Shoals Theatre in Florence. The theatre was run by Muscle Shoals Theatres. The theatre had a balcony and push-back chairs. James Allen Hall was the original manager.
The movie shown on opening day (and on the next day, Friday) was "Three Little Words", then "The Happy Years" was shown on Saturday and Sunday.
This theatre's last night of business seems to have been January 12, 1977..
Opening date: 1950/07/12
First movie shown: On the Town
The Wilson Drive-In opened on Wednesday, July 12, 1950, with the box office opening at 6:00. The drive-in was located on (Old) Lee Highway on the left just past Wilson Dam Road, about two miles from Florence. The movie shown on opening night was "On The Town".
The theatre featured a beautiful blacklight reproduction of the Wilson Dam atop the projection tower. A playground for children was provided with a merry go round, electric train, slides, sandpits, seesaws, etc. The theatre was equipped with 1950 year model equipment. The theatre opening was delayed two weeks in order to obtain the latest model speakers. The theatre had space for 536 cars and ran two shows each night.
The theatre was owned by A. W. Hammonds, W. W. Hammonds, Jr., Cullen B. Goss, and E. D. Wells, all of Albertville, who owned the Marshall Drive-In there. A. W. Hammonds was the first manager of the drive-in.
The Wilson Drive-In's last night of business seems to have been October 19, 1968.
Opening date: 1950/05/11
First movie shown: Calamity Jane and Sam Bass
The Park-Vue Drive-In opened on Thursday, May 11, 1950 at 6:30. It was located at Highland Park in Sheffield, AL. Admission was originally 45 cents for adults and children under 12 were admitted free. The theatre had individual Ballantyne speakers for each car.
On opening night, the movie "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass" was shown. The theatre opened at 6:00 and the first show was started at sundown. Free ice cream and popcorn were given to children on opening night.
This drive-in's last night of business seems to have been March 5, 1961.
Opening date: 1950/04/20
First movie shown: Yes Sir, That's My Baby
The Joy-Lan Drive-In was opened by Mr. Dan Davis on Thursday, April 20, 1950 at 5:00. It was located on Cloverdale Road 1.5 miles north of Florence (the address was 1130 N. Wood Avenue). The screen was 60 feet wide and the picture size was 40 feet by 55 feet. The theatre featured RCA individual speakers for each car.
The movie shown on opening night was "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (shown on opening Thursday and Friday). A Mickey Mouse cartoon and a Tom and Jerry cartoon were also shown. On opening night, free ice cream, balloons, candy bars, whistles, and other gifts were given to children. Admission was 45 cents for adults and free for children. The advertisement mentioned that babies' bottles were warmed for free.
This theatre's last night of business may have been June 5, 1983.
Opening date: 1948/10/21
First movie shown: That Lady in Ermine
The Shoals theatre opened on Thursday, October 21, 1948. The doors opened at 12:30 and the first show was at 1:00 PM. The theatre was located at 123 North Seminary in Florence, at the corner of Seminary and Mobile streets, diagonally across from the post office. The theatre was in a new building also containing four stores. One store, Brother and Sister Shop, was already in operation, but the other three stores, Garvin Witt, Jeweler, Crump Camera Shop, and Stamps Florist, opened the same day as the theatre.
The theatre had a balcony, and 1350 seats. At the time of its opening, it was the fourth largest theatre in the state, and the largest in any town with under 100000 population. The theatre featured Voice of the Theatre sound equipment, and had a complete duplicating set that could be activated by a snap of a switch in case of failure. The theatre was the first theatre in the south to feature Ideal Slide-back chairs, which could be retracted 6 inches with a shove of the body, to make it easier for people to walk in front of other customers. At the time, there were only other four other theatres in the world in possession of these seats.
The movie shown on opening day (and on Friday and Saturday) was "That Lady in Ermine". A Disney cartoon, "Three For Breakfast", was also shown.
This theatre's last night of business seems to have been Thursday, March 13, 1980.
Opening date: 1948/03/24
First movie shown: Buck Privates Come Home
The Norwood theatre opened with the name "The New Theatre" on Wednesday, March 24, 1948. The name was changed to "Norwood" on April 19, 1948 less than a month after opening. The theatre featured RCA sound equipment and was located in north Florence.
The movie shown on opening night (and on Thursday and Friday) was "Buck Privates Come Home" at 1:00, 3:00, 7:00, and 9:00.
This theatre's last night of business seems to have been September 15, 1962.
Opening date: 1942/01/22
First movies shown:
The Colbert Theatre opened on Thursday, January 22, 1942. The theatre was located at 319 N. Montgomery Avenue in Sheffield. On opening day, there was a band cocert at 7:00 PM in front of the theatre and there was a dance at Sheffield Hotel after the show. The theatre seated 1200 patrons.
The theatre was designed by Marr and Holman of Nashville, TN, and was built by the Daniel Construction Company of Birmingham. This same combination was used for the Tusbumbian Theatre in Tuscumbia and the Shoals Theatre in Florence. The theatre was run by Muscle Shoals Theatres, which was managed by Louis Rosenbaum.
The movie shown on opening day (and on the next day, Friday) was "Skylark", plus "Capacabana Revue".
This theatre's last night of business seems to have been December 25, 1971.
Opening date: 1928/07/09
First movie shown: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Ritz Theatre opened on Monday, July 9, 1928. It was originally a playhouse located in Sheffield on 3rd Street (107 W. 3rd Street) between Raleigh and Montgomery Avenue. The first show was "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Louis Rosenbaum was the district manager of Muscle Shoals Theatres, Inc., the company that opened this theatre, and C. J. Ross, who had previously managed the Palace and Strand theatres, was the first manager of the Ritz. The Ritz had a seating capacity (from the advertisement) of 408 seats downstairs, 173 in the white balcony, and 101 in the colored balcony, for a total of 682 seats. The theatre had a Wurlitzer organ.
On Saturday, January 21, 1933, this theatre had another "Grand Opening", with "Beyond the Rockies" (with an added two-reel comedy and one-reel cartoon). F. D. Roosevelt visited Florence that day!
The last night of business for the Ritz seems to have been June 9, 1951.
The Strand Theatre opened during or before 1924. It was located at 112 N. Main Street in Tuscumbia. It seated 750 people.
The Strand Theatre seems to have closed after the weekend of Friday, January 28, 1955. This probably means that the last night of business was Saturday, January 29, 1955.
The Palace Theatre seems opened during or before 1924.
The Palace Theatre seems to have closed during the 1928-1930 time period.
Opening date: 1919/09/01
First movie shown: Come Along Mary
The Princess Theatre in Florence opened on Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 1919, with a cost of $75000 ($85000 according to one article) and a seating capacity of 1200. "Come Along Mary" was the first show (matinee and night), produced under the direction of Harry D. Orr, music by Louis Weslyn, and book and lyrics by Edward Paulton. The ads referred to this location as "$75000 Opera House". The theatre was fashioned among a Spanish motif, had a chandelier, and a cork lanoleum floor.
On Monday, April 13, 1925, at 2:00, this theatre was reopened after redecoration and replacement of the roof. 500 balloons were to be thrown from the top of the theatre, each containing a pass. "Monsier Beauciare" was the movie shown that day. Professor George E. Hatch was to play a Wurlitzer organ for the occasion. The theatre was managed at that time by Rosenbaum.
This theatre seated 700 people in 1954, and was located at 215 E. Tennesssee Street.
On Wednesday, April 30, 1958, this theatre was reopened as the "Cinema Theatre". It had new seats, decoration, rest rooms, carpeting, lobby, and cry room. The movie shown on this reopening day was "The Long, Hot Summer", and the first showing was at 1:00. The theatre was operated by Rosenbaum Theatres, which also operated the Shoals, Tuscumbian, and Colbert theatres at this time.
This theatre's last night of business seems to have been September 24, 1966.
Opening date: 1919/08/30
The Majestic Theatre opened on Saturday, August 30, 1919. It was located at 204 North Court Street next to the new First National Bank building. From the advertisements, it was not clear what was shown on opening day, but the primary advertisements announced a "Paramount Artcraft Special", a motion picture style show with living models and moving pictures called "That Well Dressed Look" for September 1 and 2. The theatre seated 400 people.
The last night of business for the Majestic Theatre seems to have been June 9, 1951.
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