Cinemental Journeys Explores Classic Movie Theaters of the Midwest

When going to the movies today, a certain personal touch is often lost in the midst of a 20-screen mall megaplex. The single-screen theaters of times past, complete with $2.50 tickets, seem to have all but disappeared.

Or have they?

Mike and Vicki Walker have written what they call the only book about still-operating classic movie theaters in the Midwest. "Cinemental Journeys," published earlier this year, takes readers on a journey through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa in pursuit of active neighborhood theaters, complete with screenings of old movies and independent films one might miss at AMC.

"We always enjoyed taking country drives," said Mike, "and whenever we drove into a small town, we wondered if they had an old movie theater."

"There are all sorts of books on old theaters that are now shut down," said Vicki. "This is the only book of still-operating movie theaters in the region."

In Missouri, theaters winning inclusion into the book include the Twin Drive-In on 291 Highway in Independence, and the Englewood on Winner Road, which won acclaim in 1994 for its screening of Gay Divorcee featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Rogers, a native of Independence, made a personal appearance the night of the screening, less than a year before she died. Hundreds of fans lined up around the block to catch a glimpse of the movie star. Built in 1949 and home of the largest movie screen in Missouri, the Englewood is still operating, but currently closed for renovations.

The Boulevard Drive-In on Merriam Lane has its own share of stardom, as the first drive-in to have digital sound. Wes Neal currently owns and operates the theater, and he's been a permanent fixture since he began
working there in 1954.

"Many of them (the movie theaters) have employees who have been there for years or who have come back to operate it," Vicki said. "Those individual people stories are often more interesting."

"He's out there every day," said Mike of Neal, "up on the ladder, changing the titles of the movies. It's meticulous and neat because he takes such good care of the place. It may be closed in the winter, but he's there every day."

The Boulevard also earned the Walkers' recognition as a CJ Classic, designating the theater as being worthy of a special trip.

"We missed the days of growing up and going to the theater and what it all meant," said Mike. "The tingle of excitement, the rich community experience of going to a movie house. You have no sense of that nowadays; however, you can still have it if you want to."

Other movie theaters in "Cinemental Journeys" come complete with ghosts, or so the employees of the theater and the neighborhood residents say. "The Marshall Cinema in Missouri is haunted," the Walkers said. "Employees have come back to the theater in the morning to find the projector running and the marquee lit. They say, 'Oh, Julio's been here again.'"

The Metropolitan in Iowa Falls, IA. has also been a location for eerie happenings. The third floor of the theater houses an untouched, abandoned ballroom since the 1940s, which served as a venue for entertainers like Lawrence Welk. People who live in the area, who claim they don't know anything about the theater - including the abandoned ballroom - swear they can hear music and dancing coming from the third floor.

Another theater from "Cinemental Journeys," the Lake Theater in Clear Lake, IA., is surrounded by history in addition to beginning as an opera house in 1890. Just a few blocks away is the Surf Ballroom, the last place Buddy Holly played before his small plane crashed during takeoff. The Surf still operates as a venue for music artists.

"There are a lot of things you can't go back to," said Mike. "But you can go back to what it was like to see movies in the 1930s and 1940s. You haven't seen Casablanca or Some Like it Hot until you've seen it at one of
these theaters."

Another local notable theater included in "Cinemental Journeys" is the Granada Theater on Minnesota Avenue in Kansas City, KS. The ceiling is decorated with moving clouds and stars, giving movie watchers the feeling of being outside.

"The Granada is one of the few atmospheric theaters left in the Midwest," said Vicki. "It was just renovated but still includes some old features, including the projection phone in the lobby. If the film wasn't working, you would call up to the box and say 'fix the film.'"

Many of the theaters are "off the beaten path," said the Walkers, but make great daytrips for anyone wanting to experience the nostalgic feel of older movie houses, with single screens and old seats. Though there are more movie theaters like this existing today than one might think, the Walkers said even they found some they hadn't known about.

"Some popped up that were virtually hidden," said Vicki, "and there are a lot left that people just don't know about."

Mike continued, "Before, the best way to find or hear about one of these theaters is word of mouth. Now, there's our book."

This is Vicki's first author credit to date; last year, Mike penned a biography of a local businessman and created their own publishing house, called How High the Moon.

The Walkers said they still go to movies at megaplexes like AMC, but the experience is completely different from the feeling of the old movie houses featured in "Cinemental Journeys."

"Going to a big box theater is like sitting in a cubicle in your living room," said Vicki. "It just doesn't feel the same."

"One owner couple at a theater in the book actually lives at their theater," Mike continued. "They knew they wouldn't be able to do what they wanted unless they lived there. For them, it's their passion for movies. It's their life."