Monstrous Marquees

[Monsters For Sale]

           Dracula:  Prince of Darkness - Scarlett - Paris, France - December, 1966

[Monsters For Sale]

                   House of Frankenstein - Rialto - New York City, New York - December 11, 1944

I don't think that photo looks much like J. Carrol Naish.

[Monsters For Sale]

                         House of Dracula & Isle of the Dead - Loop - Detroit, Michigan - 1946

Fun double feature.

[Mike Scott]

Man, they really plastered the fronts of those theaters!

[marsattacks666]

[Farley Flavors]

The Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, KY - 1931



The theater opened in 1922 and is still standing today. I've seen several Universal Monster films there during their annual Summer Classics Series. The management closed it down about seven months into the pandemic, but a nonprofit took over operations and they re-opened earlier this year.

[Monsters For Sale]

This sign is striking in its simplicity:


                                              Thing, The - Ridglea - Fort Worth, Texas



But I can't help wondering how many people mis-read this marquee from the same theater:

[Monsters For Sale]

                           Rollerball  &  Johnny Firecloud - Magnolia - Burbank, California


Both movies premiered in 1975.


Rollerball stars James Caan, whom we just lost.

Johnny Firecloud is about a native American who returns home from the army and finds his tribe being victimized by an evil white rancher.  (Think about an ethnic Walking Tall.)


                   Earlybird tickets are just $1.00.

[Mike Scott]

But I can't help wondering how many people mis-read this marquee from the same theater:

[Monsters For Sale]

                       Star Wars - Vogue - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - June 24, 1977

Can't really see the marquee from this angle, but look at that crowd for opening day.  Long hair and bell bottoms.  Everyone is bundled up for a chilly June day at the picture show.

I suspect quite a few of the patrons here wound up collecting little Star Wars "action figures".

(Couldn't any of these guys get a date?)

[marsattacks666]

                       Star Wars - Vogue - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - June 24, 1977

Can't really see the marquee from this angle, but look at that crowd for opening day.  Long hair and bell bottoms.  Everyone is bundled up for a chilly June day at the picture show.

I suspect quite a few of the patrons here wound up collecting little Star Wars "action figures".

(Couldn't any of these guys get a date?)

This photo brings back a lot of memories for me growing up as teenager......wait, I was younger. I remember the first week of Star Wars being released at my local theater. There wasn't a line to wait for the film. Not until Star Wars' impact hit the moviegoers. Then........lines around the block. It was insanity.

[Monsters For Sale]

This photo brings back a lot of memories for me growing up as teenager......wait, I was younger. I remember the first week of Star Wars being released at my local theater. There wasn't a line to wait for the film. Not until Star Wars' impact hit the moviegoers. Then........lines around the block. It was insanity.

Star Wars opened in the United States on May 25, 1977.  It did not open in Canada until June 24.  Some of the mania had begun before these guys got a chance to see the film, hence the long opening day line.  Lines would only get longer in the following weeks.

[marsattacks666]

One of the local theaters I first witnessed the awesomeness of Star Wars circa 1977, was a small neighborhood theater. Way before the Cineplex/Multiplex theaters.

[Monsters For Sale]

Star Trek IV:  The Voyage Home - Metropolitan - Winnipeg, Canada - November 21, 1986


Star Trek IV opened in Canada on November 21, 1986 - Five days before it opened in the U.S.  Canadian-born Shatner has his name listed above the title in letters just as big as the movie's name.  (I get a chill just looking at that dirty snow on the ground.  Brrrrr.)

Star Trek fans had a nice Christmas treat that year.

[Monsters For Sale]

                  Conan the Destroyer  &  The Last Starfighter - Rivoli - New York State, New York - 1984