B&B Theatres
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Company type | Private |
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B&B Theatres | |
Industry | Entertainment (movie theatres) |
Founded | January 1, 1924 |
Headquarters | Liberty, Missouri |
Number of locations | 50 |
Website | B&B Theatres |
B&B Theatres is a family-owned and operated American movie theater chain based in Liberty, Missouri.[2][1] Founded in 1924, B&B is the eighth-largest theater chain in the United States, operating 414 screens at 50 locations in Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.[2][3] The company also maintains offices in Salisbury, Missouri and Fulton, Missouri.[citation needed]
History
In 1924, Missourian Elmer Bills, Sr., founded Bills Theaters in Salisbury, Missouri. Elmer met his wife Johnnie when he purchased the Lyric Theater in Salisbury, where she was the piano player for the silent films. Their son Elmer Bills, Jr. was born a few years later. In 1959, Elmer Jr. graduated from the University of Missouri and married one of his "popcorn girls", Amy. The two generations of Bills continued the expansion of the company, and welcomed the birth of Elmer Jr. and Amy's daughter, Bridget. Sterling Bagby went to work for Elmer Sr. as a concession clerk at age 10 in 1936. After serving a stint in World War II, Bagby returned to Missouri and married a ticket seller from Higbee, Pauline. Together, the Bagbys started the Bagby Traveling Picture Show. The Show was, in essence, a portable movie theater, and the Bagbys traveled along with the equipment (including seats, snack bar, film, and projectors) showing movies in schools and barns. Their company became a Kansas circuit of both drive-ins and "hardtop" indoor movie theaters.[2] Sterling and Pauline have three children: Steve, Bob, and Paula.[citation needed]
The two companies formally merged after years of friendship and combined efforts as B&B (Bills and Bagby) Theaters on January 1, 1980, making the Fulton Cinema the first official B&B Theatre.[2] Just months earlier in 1979, Bob Bagby married Bridget Bills and cemented the convergence of the two companies.[citation needed] Sterling died in October 2000, and the remaining family run the National Association of Theater Owners-recognized Midwest chain. From 2000 to 2014 B&B replaced several of their existing locations with new state-of-the-art facilities as well as acquired, remodeled, or built several new locations. In 2010 B&B premiered their first PLF (premium large format) Grand Screen® and their first dine-in Marquee Suites® concept auditoriums.[2]
In October 2014, B&B purchased Overland Park, Kansas-based operator Dickinson Theatres.[4]
Digital cinema
In September 2009, B&B Theatres announced that it had selected Christie Digital Systems to supply 2K digital projectors for the circuit's transition to realD 3D-capable digital cinema.[5] The digital conversion was completed by August 2012.[6]
Locations
Florida
- Tavernier Cinema 5
- Naples Towne Centre 6
- Sebring, Florida Fairmount Cinema 6
Kansas
- Chanute Roxy Cinema 4
- Dodge City Village 8
- Emporia Flinthills 8 Cinemas
- Hutchinson Mall 8
- Junction City Gem
- Leavenworth Landing 5
- Concordia The Majestic Theatre
- McPherson Cinema 4
- Iola Sterling Six
- Overland Park 16
- Shawnee 18
Mississippi
Missouri
- Bolivar Cinema 5
- Grand 6 (Chillicothe)
- Extreme Screen Union Station (Kansas City)
- Festus 8 Cinema
- Fulton Cinema 8[7][8]
- Grain Valley Marketplace 8 and Grand Screen
- B&B Theatres Cineplex (Harrisonville)
- Main Street Cinema 8 (Hannibal)
- Independence Twin Drive-In
- Kansas City Extreme Screen Union Station
- Kansas City Northland 14
- Lee's Summit 16
- Lee's Summit New Longview 7
- Lake West Cinema 5 (Gravois Mills)
- Ritz 8 (Lebanon)
- Cannonball 6 (Lexington)
- Liberty Cinema 12
- Clinton Missouri 6
- Moberly Five & Drive ([Moberly, MO])
- Monett Plaza 8
- Neosho Cinema 6
- Ozark Ozark/Nixa 12 with Marquee Suites
- Waynesville Patriot 12 and Grand Screen
- Wentzville Tower 12 (Wentzville)
- Wildwood 10 with Grand Screen[9]
Oklahoma
- Claremore - Cinema 8
- Miami - Cineplex
- Muskogee - Arrowhead Mall 10
- Reno - Cinema 8
- Sapulpa - Cinema 8
- Oklahoma City - Windsor 10
- Tulsa - Starworld 20
Texas
- Port Arthur - Central Mall 10
- Wylie - Wylie 12
See also
References
- ^ a b "Gen. Business - For Profit Details as of 1/14/2017". Missouri Secretary of State. January 14, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "B&B Today". B&B Theatres. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ "Locations". B&B Theatres. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ Stafford, Diane (October 9, 2014). "Overland Park's Dickinson Movie Theater Chain Changes Hands". Kansas City Star. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ "Midwest's B&B Theatres Selects Christie DLP Cinema® Projectors for Its Newest Locations". DCinemaToday.com. September 14, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
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(help) - ^ Williams, Joe (August 11, 2012). "Digital Revolution Could be Curtains for Old Theaters". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ^ "Fulton Cinema Moves to 8-Screen Building". CinemaTreasures.org. January 23, 2006. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
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(help) - ^ "History of The Fulton Theatre Fulton, Missouri" (PDF). TheBrickDistrict.Tripod.com. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
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(help) - ^ Bertacchi, Denise (October 1, 2010). "Wildwood 10 Now Open, Has Over 21 Theaters". DirectoryofStLouis.com. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
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