Old movie theaters and drive ins (Pittsburgh, Lebanon: showing, houses, business)

[raubre]

What are your favorite (old) movie theaters and drive ins....

I loved the Whitehall, Mt. Oliver, Cinema World (Rt. 51). Drive ins: The Echo, South Hills, South Park, The Colonial, Woodland.....

I miss my neighborhood theaters....

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by raubre

What are your favorite (old) movie theaters and drive ins....

I loved the Whitehall, Mt. Oliver, Cinema World (Rt. 51). Drive ins: The Echo, South Hills, South Park, The Colonial, Woodland.....

I miss my neighborhood theaters....

My husband said one night he and friend went into the Dependable -- a drive in that showed dirty movies. They both looked old enough to not get carded.... but were appalled to find the guys parents in the car next to them... apparently not watching the movie...

Do you know he still won't tell me who they were? That's like 30 years ago -- he insists that some things have to stay secret...

[PeterRabbit]

In my area we had the Harmar Drive In in Harmarville, Gateway in New Ken and for dirty movies we'd go to the Silver Lake on Washington Blvd. They're all gone. Oaks theatre in Oakmont is still there and Cheswick has two theatres left. I miss the idea that the Art Cinema and Garden Theatre aren't in business anymore.

[Bazzwell]

Down here (in Washington and Fayette counties) we had more than we could visit back in the seventies.

Drive-ins....

Super 71 twin in Belle Vernon - "a" and "b" movies (gone)
Hilltop between Charleroi and Mon City - "c" movies (gone)
Starlite - along old route 119 outside of Uniontown (gone)
Moonlight - along the other end of Uniontown along 119 (gone)
Cuppies/Malden - old route 40 outside of California (still open summer weekends)
Comet - closer to Connellsville (still open)
Brownsville - adult at the time, now family fare (still open)
Skyview in Carmichaels (still open/twinned)

Indoor....

Hollywood - California (closed/decrepit)
Coyle - Charleroi (closed/still standing)
State - Charleroi (closed/demolished)
Manos - Monessen (closed/still standing)
Liberty - Donora (closed/demolished)
Manos - Uniontown (closed/demolished)
State - Uniontown (now a special events center)
Opera House - Waynesburg (still open)

I didn't include mall theaters on purpose, not the same thing to me. Also didn't mention those that closed before my time but we had dozens and dozens of indoor houses. You'd be surprised how many each small town or patch really had. Towns with populations even in their best days of a couple thousand people. California at one time had four operating theaters, four!

[BrianTH]

In my neighborhood, the Regent Square Theater is one of the few large (300 seat) single-screen theaters left in the country. It was bought by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, who have actually done a lot of upgrades (new seats, a digital projector, and so on).

[PeterRabbit]

^ Possibly one of the few large ones left in the city area.
The Oaks is considered small and has 430 seats, pared
down from the former 550.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by PeterRabbit

In my area we had the Harmar Drive In in Harmarville, Gateway in New Ken and for dirty movies we'd go to the Silver Lake on Washington Blvd. They're all gone. Oaks theatre in Oakmont is still there and Cheswick has two theatres left. I miss the idea that the Art Cinema and Garden Theatre aren't in business anymore.

The Art cinema is now the Harris Theater (which now shows indie films)

[SueJ999]

They've re-opened the Twin Hi-Way Drive-In! Spent a lot of time there!

Also, I do remember the Dependable had a lot of X-rated movies. I heard one time they were showing 'regular' movies a few years ago. Don't know if they're even open anymore!

[Geeo]

The Dependable is still open and shows mainstream movies. You'd be hard-pressed to find any classic porn theaters anymore. I think Mr. VCR put them out of business a few years ago, and now anybody can get it on their home computers. Technology marches on...

[raubre]

FYI, The Denis in Mt. Lebanon will be renovated and reopened!