Dickinson Theatres history

He first reached into the Kansas City area in November of 1930 with the refurbishing and re-opening of the Bijou at 50th and Prospect.

The KC Star reported that in October of 1931, bombs were set off in or outside of three theaters in Kansas City.

A little more trouble came Dickinson’s way in 1932, this time in Lawrence, where two theater managers (only one of whom worked for Dickinson) were arrested and charged with violating Sunday “blue laws” by opening their theaters to the public on a Sunday – a day of rest, don’t you know.

In 1938, Dickinson announced plans for a 1,000 person theater in Missionhill Acres (now Mission, KS) to be called The Dickinson Theatre.

Then it was “The Taming of the Shrew,” a new picture starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton for about seven months, followed up by 1939’s “Gone With the Wind.”

With this they began their operation of the Hollywood Theater which lasted through 1941.

In 1945, the Emmite brothers sold the whole parcel to E. Martin Belcher and E.G. Thomas for $8000 with the restriction that it could not be used as a movie theater for 25 years.

That was not the use Belcher and Thomas had in mind and by 1947 they had constructed the one-story business and had installed Belcher Motor Company, selling and servicing Dodge cars.

The most important thing about 1953 in my opinion is the June opening of the Leawood Drive-In!

In 1962, Belcher sold the property to Shadowland, Inc. for $20,000.

Oh, but you know what else about the Leawood Drive-In made the headlines? Beside crime? An epic, decade-long zoning battle that ensued after the land the theater was on sold in 1978.

And not just with AMC. In the spring of 1992, Johnson County newcomer Cinemark received approval from the city of Overland Park to build a 10-screen theater (to be the Cinemark Movies 10) in the northwest quadrant of the bustling intersection at 119th and Metcalf.

In January of 1994, First International Theatres of Prairie Village (who also owned the Ranch Mart theater, which became a discount house soon after Ward Parkway 12 opened up) took the Metcalf Theatre inside Metcalf South Mall at 95th and Metcalf off of Dickinson’s hands.

In December of 1995, AMC won approval for a 20-screen theater at the new Leawood Town Center Plaza, less than two miles down the road from the SouthGlen 12 and the Cinemark Movies 10.

On July 25th, 1997, Dickinson opened the Great Mall 16 a few weeks ahead of the Great Mall of the Great Plains’ grand opening on August 14th.

In two different interviews in March and August of 1999, Wood Dickinson told the KC Star that the company had recently made it through some hard times that were impacting the entire industry.