Parkview Twin Theatre At 3901 Spencer Hwy.

[lunchbox]

I remember going to the Parkview Twin Theatre on Spencer Hwy. (at Burke) in Pasadena as a kid. It was a "Dollar Movie" up until (at least) the late 1990's, and I always remember it being as such. It was kind of gross and dirty with mildly greasy floors. It's now a Hancock Fabric store. Sadly, they gutted the place out and leveled the floor; all remnants of it ever being a theatre are gone. I also remember an old bank being on the opposite corner, as well as an old Wyatt's Cafeteria. They were both torn down in the mid 90's to make way for a Walgreen's and Eckard's (now a PetCo).

Anyways, does anyone ever remember going there? Did they ever show first run movies, or was it always a dollar movie theatre? Does anyone have any pictures of the theatre, Wyatt's, or the Bank?

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I remember going to the Parkview Twin Theatre on Spencer Hwy. (at Burke) in Pasadena as a kid. It was a "Dollar Movie" up until (at least) the late 1990's, and I always remember it being as such. It was kind of gross and dirty with mildly greasy floors. It's now a Hancock Fabric store. Sadly, they gutted the place out and leveled the floor; all remnants of it ever being a theatre are gone. I also remember an old bank being on the opposite corner, as well as an old Wyatt's Cafeteria. They were both torn down in the mid 90's to make way for a Walgreen's and Eckard's (now a PetCo).

Anyways, does anyone ever remember going there? Did they ever show first run movies, or was it always a dollar movie theatre? Does anyone have any pictures of the theatre, Wyatt's, or the Bank?

No photos of the place, but I do remember going there as a kid (late 70's, early 80's.) I believe I saw more than one Zorro move there, and possibly the Jungle Book.

I definitely remember the Wyatt's. My grandpa was a cafeteria connosieur, so I had many meals there. I also remember a place there across Spencer Hwy back in the late 80's that he was in love with, called Smorgasbord. It was an all-you-can-eat, and they had the self-serve, soft-serve ice cream. I had never seen such a thing in my life!

Wasn't there also a Texas Tumbleweeds back in there?

[lunchbox]

No photos of the place, but I do remember going there as a kid (late 70's, early 80's.) I believe I saw more than one Zorro move there, and possibly the Jungle Book.

I definitely remember the Wyatt's. My grandpa was a cafeteria connosieur, so I had many meals there. I also remember a place there across Spencer Hwy back in the late 80's that he was in love with, called Smorgasbord. It was an all-you-can-eat, and they had the self-serve, soft-serve ice cream. I had never seen such a thing in my life!

Wasn't there also a Texas Tumbleweeds back in there?

Yes. That shopping center is still there- at least part of it is. It made a "U" shape, and Texas Tumbleweed was in the back corner. 2/3rds of the shopping center was torn down to make way for a new Krogers. I remember the original, existing section housed a Wiener's and Walgreen's (it's now a River Oaks Diagnostic/Imaging).

[sootycat]

I remember going to the Parkview Twin Theatre on Spencer Hwy. (at Burke) in Pasadena as a kid. It was a "Dollar Movie" up until (at least) the late 1990's, and I always remember it being as such. It was kind of gross and dirty with mildly greasy floors. It's now a Hancock Fabric store. Sadly, they gutted the place out and leveled the floor; all remnants of it ever being a theatre are gone. I also remember an old bank being on the opposite corner, as well as an old Wyatt's Cafeteria. They were both torn down in the mid 90's to make way for a Walgreen's and Eckard's (now a PetCo).

Anyways, does anyone ever remember going there? Did they ever show first run movies, or was it always a dollar movie theatre? Does anyone have any pictures of the theatre, Wyatt's, or the Bank?

My brother and I were talking about that theater just the other day. We went to see Planet of the Apes at Parkview when it was first released. They had someone dressed in a gorilla suit standing in front of the door greeting customers. It scared the daylights out of my brother who was only 5 at the time. We still laugh at that, well maybe just me, I don't think he thinks it's funny. If memory serves me correctly, it was not a Twin cinema when it first opened. I don't think we went there much, it was cheaper to load up all the kids into the car and go to the drive-in. I think we used to go when it was $1 a carload. Now that was value!

[gnu]

Never went to the theater but I went to Warren's Hobbies. It was in the shopping center across the street (where Kroger is).

Where was the Kip's Big Boy? Seems like it was on the corner near the theater.

[EastEnd Susan]

Yes. That shopping center is still there- at least part of it is. It made a "U" shape, and Texas Tumbleweed was in the back corner. 2/3rds of the shopping center was torn down to make way for a new Krogers. I remember the original, existing section housed a Wiener's and Walgreen's (it's now a River Oaks Diagnostic/Imaging).

Was this close to the bowling alley? I think it was called Fairlanes?? And was there a Mr. Gattis Pizza close? Or am I at a different corner? I do remember going to the Parkview and eating at the Sizzler next door.

[lunchbox]

Never went to the theater but I went to Warren's Hobbies. It was in the shopping center across the street (where Kroger is).

Where was the Kip's Big Boy? Seems like it was on the corner near the theater.

Big Boy was directly in front of it.

[mwest]

Yes, Mr. Gatti's was across the street from Parkview. I used to work there.

A Weingarten's was on the same side.

At Parkview, I remember sitting through the original "Willy Wonka and the

Chocolate Factory" TWICE because I loved it so much!

"Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination...."

[Hunter]

If memory serves me correctly, it was not a Twin cinema when it first opened.

No it was one huge screen for a long time and then some time in the mid 80's it was split into 2 screens. At first they just divided the big screen right down the middle and you could sometimes see the other movie on the other half bleeding thru. And up until the place closed you could still hear the other movie easily if you sat to close to the dividing wall. My sister and I spent many a long day there at one of their summer movie camps. Up until they divided the screen they use to have a big curtain that woudl raise up to revel the screen at the begining of the movie as well.

[EatSleepMOD]

Yes I went here as a kid. Saw "Stand By Me"

Kips was in the building that Frank's Grill is in now, directly in front of it.

Great times...

[Paul1956]

Went to lots of Friday night midnight movies there mid to late 70's .... Kentucky Fried Movie, Dawn of the Dead, too many to remember. The place was packed back in those days. 1 big screen. Often caught a midnight movie after spending a couple hours at 'The Nesadel Club' which could be a topic of its own!

[mwest]

Went to lots of Friday night midnight movies there mid to late 70's .... Kentucky Fried Movie, Dawn of the Dead, too many to remember. The place was packed back in those days. 1 big screen. Often caught a midnight movie after spending a couple hours at 'The Nesadel Club' which could be a topic of its own!

The Nesadel Club!

[tapintx]

I took my Mom to Hancock's the other day. I couldn't see any sign of it ever being a theatre. I was there a lot in the early 70's. I remember "Born Free" and "Romeo & Juliet". I remember Kips Big Boy being there. My how things change. Whew...I am getting old.

I also remember Wyatts...we were regulars there.

[bachanon]

we lived on grape lane right down the street in the early seventies. (moved to conroe in october '73.)

my parents took me there for disney movies when i was 5 or 6.

[mwest]

I took my Mom to Hancock's the other day. I couldn't see any sign of it ever being a theatre. I was there a lot in the early 70's. I remember "Born Free" and "Romeo & Juliet". I remember Kips Big Boy being there. My how things change. Whew...I am getting old.

I also remember Wyatts...we were regulars there.

Man, I sure miss Wyatt's cafecteria and their strawberry shortcake.

[Tammie9581]

Oh man Parkview Theatre, that's Nostalgia right there!  The times I remember going it was new release Movies. In December 1995 when I was only 14 I went to see "Cutthroat Island" for the first time with my now Husband of 15 years! We had just met a few months before and that Theatre was right near his house off Spencer. (Bluebonnet St) It was a group of us little teeny-boppers at the time but of course with my Mom not far in tow being a chaperone! Aww... how I miss those days, I'm so reminiscent of all those times there!

[Earlydays]

You guys are so "young", I remember going to the Capitan Theater in Pasadena as a kid on Saturday afternoon and seeing a double-feature for 25 cents (circa 1955).

[Racer997]

I didn't live close enough to Parkview to make frequent stops there; I was closer to Almeda Mall, so I went to those theaters. However, I did see two movies there in 1981 - Clash of the Titans and Take This Job and Shove It. One of those movies was released in April and the other in June of that year. I don't recall going to the theater more than once, so I probably saw both of these flicks on the same day. Not sure about that. I would have been about 15 years old at the time.

 

These days I still frequent that area. I have some friends that work on Spencer Hwy, and I used to work in Deer Park in the late 80s and early 90s. I hated to see the theater go away.

[Grandpafatty]

There was a old creepy white skinny man that stood between the 2 theater doors to check your tickets. I saw amityville 3d, terminator and several others there.

[Grandpafatty]

My dad used to smoke where the entrance was. Smoking was allowed 

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