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Country Squire Theater

Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 4:00 pm
by Christopher Stone
Who else remembers the Country Squire Theatre near the southeast corners of First & Ashlan? It opened in the early 1960s.It featured Continental Seating (no aisle) and showed first-run movies. I remember seeing "Thoroughly Modern Millie" there, "The Sound of Music," "The Great Race," and many other films. It was still operating in the 70s. Took mom to see "Can't Stop the Music" there, starring The Village People and Bruce Jenner, pre all of his plastic surgeries. I think Bill Korenbratt, who managed Warners downtown in the 1950s and 1960s, may have been an owner of this venue.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:06 am
by Fresno Lover
Country Squire Theater? Heck yes I remember! In fact it was the place I took my very first "date". It was 1965 and I was 14 and knew I wanted to be dating soon. So I asked my Mom on a date as a practice run through. We saw Cat Ballou there and the main thing I remember was Mom saying, "Son, next time hold the door open for your date". Apparently I bolted through the door ahead of her. Live and learn, I never did that again. The Country Squire was brand new at that time.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 12:49 pm
by Chuck
Bill's wife was named Doris. I remember her because she was from Tennesee and had an accent to prove it! She worked with me at the Moon-Glo Drive In on Hughes and Dakota. That parcel now is an apartment complex.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:03 pm
by Flyboy
I lived very close to Country Squire Theater and remember the debate when they first wanted to break ground for it. There was a great deal of concern the theater would not address the family environment of the neighborhoods around it and they countered with promises of Saturday matinees for the kids and hosting family friendly films. Seems they held their end of the bargain and I remember it being a very nice place.

The Country Squire

Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:50 am
by Big J
They knocked the entire center down to build a new Walgreen's, but left the old sign up so far, even after adding a new one. Love the old sign, and loved the old shopping center. When I was growing up in the late 70's/early 80's the anchor was Foodland. I remember the store being one of the few around with the big trough frozen food aisles, which I loved because I could touch stuff, being only 3 or 4 at the time. Couldn't reach the door handles in other stores. I remember Playtime video being one of the few places in town that had a big selection of laserdiscs - we'd go there a lot because my dad had a laserdisc player. The liquor store was always there, and the little hardware store.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:06 pm
by Big J
As an aside, as of this weekend, the old sign is gone. I'll miss it.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2010 12:56 pm
by Ghost of Al Radka
I saw "Jaws" there when that movie first came out.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:10 pm
by Mike
I remember the country squire . That was our play ground back in the 60's. Food Bank was the anchor then. It was replaced by Food land probably early 70's. Harts Pharmacy, The hardware store, beauty salon, cleaners, Liquor store( I worked there in the mid 70's when Don Bishop owned it), and a barber shop where i would get a regular boys haircut for $1.65. The theater opened mid 60's. They had a big grand opening there, with balloons, clowns, and a double feature was 50 cents back then. I could go on forever. Good memories.

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:52 pm
by LP
I saw Jaws in its first run at Country Squire Theatre too! 1975 sounds about right. I had never seen such long lines for movie tickets before (and haven't yet again). I was 14 or 15. I also remember not wanting to go into the ocean for at least a year after seeing this movie ;)

Re: Country Squire Theater

Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2011 2:55 am
by cabeef
Oh, yes, the old Country Squire! I moved to Fresno fall 1979 and went to go see many movies there including:

RUDE BOY - the Clash movie in 1981 with all the Fresno punks in attendance
SILENT SCREAM - around 1980, during the post-Halloween slasher thriller craze

All the smaller,single-screen and even smaller multiplex theaters are now gone, sadly - but I recall seeing tons of movies in the 80s at:

FESTIVAL CINEMA
FIG GARDEN CINEMA
UA THEATERS (on on Blackstone, one on Barstow)