B&B Theatres
Encyclopedia
B&B Theatres is a family-owned and operated cinema
chain in Missouri
, Texas
, Kansas
, Oklahoma
and Florida
, USA. . Founded in 1924, B&B currently operates 200 screens, and is the 29th largest theater chain in the nation. They maintain offices in Liberty, Salisbury, and Fulton, Missouri.
. Elmer met his wife Johnnie when he purchased the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, where she was the piano player for the silent film
s. 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 projector
s) showing movies in schools and barns. Their company became a Kansas circuit of both drive-in
s and "hardtop" indoor movie theaters. Sterling and Pauline have three children: Steve, Bob, and Paula.
The two companies formally merged after years of friendship and combined efforts as B&B (Bills and Bagby) Theatres on January 1, 1980. Just months earlier in 1979, Bob Bagby married Bridget Bills and cemented the convergence of the two companies. Sterling died in October 2000, and the remaining family run the National Association of Theatre Owners-recognized Midwest chain.
Harrisonville, MO-B&B Theatres reopened a six-screen theater in the southern Kansas City area on October 16th. The former Harrisonville Cinema 6 was remodeled and includes a state-of-the-art Christie digital projector with REAL-D 3D. Harrisonville was the first theater in the area to receive this new technology. Other new features added were three larger screens, new sound systems, updated concession equipment, and new management staff.
Tavernier Fl (Key Largo)-B&B Theatres added the Tavernier Town Cinemas in the Florida Keys to its family of theaters on October 23rd. This exciting addition to B&B Theatres is located just south of Key Largo in the City of Tavernier. The theater was renamed B&B Theatres Tavernier Cinema 5 and features a new Christie digital projector with REAL-D 3D.
Oklahoma City, OK (Windsor Hills Station Shopping Center)-B&B Theatres remodeled and reopened the B&B Theatres Windsor 10 on November 20th. The theatre is located on 23rd Street in the Windsor Hills Station Shopping Center. This theater features a completely remodeled exterior and a remodeled and updated interior with a full concession stand offering everything from popcorn to ice cream. Four auditoriums were converted to stadium seating with DTS surround sound and high back rocker seats. In addition, two of these stadium auditoriums feature digital projectors with REAL-D 3D capabilities. This theater is one of the first in the Oklahoma City area to have this technology.
Lebanon MO- B&B Theatres added a new screen to the Ritz Theater in Lebanon making a total of 8 screens now. This screen offers movie goers more choices especially in the busy summer and holiday seasons.
Ozark-Nixa, MO- B&B Theatres has announced plans for the Ozark-Nixa Cinema 10 located south of Springfield, MO. This theater features 10 all-digital auditoriums with REAL-D 3D capabilities. It has the same amenities as other B&B Theatres including stadium seating with high back rocker style seats, wall-to-wall curved screens, and DTS surround sound in every auditorium. The largest auditorium does boast a massive screen that is 53 ft wide. This is the only first-run theatre in the Springfield-Ozark-Nixa area to feature all-digital auditoriums with 3D capabilities. The theater is located on highway 14 between the cities of Ozark and Nixa with easy access for both communities. Groundbreaking took place in September 2010 and the opening took place in the fall, on November 4, 2011.
3D capable digital cinema.
http://www.christiedigital.com/AMEN/Corporate/MediaCenter/PressRelease/MidwestsBBTheatresSelectsChristieDLPCinemaProjectorsForItsNewestLocations.htm
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
chain in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA. . Founded in 1924, B&B currently operates 200 screens, and is the 29th largest theater chain in the nation. They maintain offices in Liberty, Salisbury, and Fulton, Missouri.
History
In 1924, Missourian Elmer Bills, Sr., founded Bills Theatres in Salisbury, MissouriSalisbury, Missouri
Salisbury is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,726 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Salisbury is located at ....
. Elmer met his wife Johnnie when he purchased the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, where she was the piano player for the silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s. Their son Elmer Bills, Jr. was born a few years later. In 1959, Elmer Jr. graduated from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
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
Higbee, Missouri
Higbee is a city in Randolph County, Missouri, United States. The population was 623 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Higbee is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, 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 projector
Movie projector
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying moving pictures by projecting them on a projection screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras.-Physiology:...
s) showing movies in schools and barns. Their company became a Kansas circuit of both drive-in
Drive-in
A drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...
s and "hardtop" indoor movie theaters. Sterling and Pauline have three children: Steve, Bob, and Paula.
The two companies formally merged after years of friendship and combined efforts as B&B (Bills and Bagby) Theatres on January 1, 1980. Just months earlier in 1979, Bob Bagby married Bridget Bills and cemented the convergence of the two companies. Sterling died in October 2000, and the remaining family run the National Association of Theatre Owners-recognized Midwest chain.
2007
- The Warrenton 8 Cinema in Warrenton, MO, was opened as a brand new facility just east of the Warrenton Outlet Mall.
2008
2008 was a busy year for B&B Theatres as the company added on-line ticketing, three stadium screens to Monett, Missouri, stadium seating to four auditoriums in Festus, Missouri, and began construction on a new theater in Hannibal, Missouri.2009
Hannibal MO - B&B Theatres opened the Main Street Cinema 8, in Hannibal, Missouri on March 27th. This state-of-the-art facility features 8 all-digital auditoriums with REAL-D 3-D capabilities. It also includes wall to wall curved screens, stadium seating, DTS surround sound and an extended concession stand. The theater replaced the existing Cinema 5 theatre that was built in 1985. The theater is located in the historic area of downtown Hannibal at the corner of Main Street and Broadway. This was the first all-new digital theater in the State of Missouri.Harrisonville, MO-B&B Theatres reopened a six-screen theater in the southern Kansas City area on October 16th. The former Harrisonville Cinema 6 was remodeled and includes a state-of-the-art Christie digital projector with REAL-D 3D. Harrisonville was the first theater in the area to receive this new technology. Other new features added were three larger screens, new sound systems, updated concession equipment, and new management staff.
Tavernier Fl (Key Largo)-B&B Theatres added the Tavernier Town Cinemas in the Florida Keys to its family of theaters on October 23rd. This exciting addition to B&B Theatres is located just south of Key Largo in the City of Tavernier. The theater was renamed B&B Theatres Tavernier Cinema 5 and features a new Christie digital projector with REAL-D 3D.
Oklahoma City, OK (Windsor Hills Station Shopping Center)-B&B Theatres remodeled and reopened the B&B Theatres Windsor 10 on November 20th. The theatre is located on 23rd Street in the Windsor Hills Station Shopping Center. This theater features a completely remodeled exterior and a remodeled and updated interior with a full concession stand offering everything from popcorn to ice cream. Four auditoriums were converted to stadium seating with DTS surround sound and high back rocker seats. In addition, two of these stadium auditoriums feature digital projectors with REAL-D 3D capabilities. This theater is one of the first in the Oklahoma City area to have this technology.
Lebanon MO- B&B Theatres added a new screen to the Ritz Theater in Lebanon making a total of 8 screens now. This screen offers movie goers more choices especially in the busy summer and holiday seasons.
2010
Wildwood, MO- B&B Theatres opened the Wildwood Cinema 10 on October 1st. This theatre is a state-of-the-art 10-screen facility in the St. Louis suburb of Wildwood, MO. Located in the Town Center development, the theatre is the first in the St. Louis area with all-digital projection. Wildwood is also the first theatre in the state of Missouri and one of the first in the world to be built without a projection booth (digital projection allows for this new building design). The theatre also has 3D capabilities and has two plush VIP auditoriums that are called “The Marquee Suites” that feature reclining seats and a large selection of alternative food and drink. In addition all auditoriums have stadium seating, wall-to-wall curved screens, rocking seats, and DTS surround sound. The largest auditorium boasts a 56 ft wide screen called the “Grand Screen” and a 7800 watt Dolby 7.1 sound system. The art-deco designed theatre is B&B’s most expansive theatre to date with extra amenities designed for this special market.2011
Bolivar MO- B&B Theatres added a new screen to the Bolivar Theater making a total of 5 screens now. This screen offers movie goers more choices especially in the busy summer and holiday seasons.Ozark-Nixa, MO- B&B Theatres has announced plans for the Ozark-Nixa Cinema 10 located south of Springfield, MO. This theater features 10 all-digital auditoriums with REAL-D 3D capabilities. It has the same amenities as other B&B Theatres including stadium seating with high back rocker style seats, wall-to-wall curved screens, and DTS surround sound in every auditorium. The largest auditorium does boast a massive screen that is 53 ft wide. This is the only first-run theatre in the Springfield-Ozark-Nixa area to feature all-digital auditoriums with 3D capabilities. The theater is located on highway 14 between the cities of Ozark and Nixa with easy access for both communities. Groundbreaking took place in September 2010 and the opening took place in the fall, on November 4, 2011.
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 realDRealD
RealD Inc. is the company that develops the RealD Cinema technology, used for projecting films in stereoscopic 3D using circularly polarized light. The company was founded in 2003 by Michael V. Lewis and Joshua Greer. Between 2005 and 2007 the company purchased StereoGraphics Inc...
3D capable digital cinema.
http://www.christiedigital.com/AMEN/Corporate/MediaCenter/PressRelease/MidwestsBBTheatresSelectsChristieDLPCinemaProjectorsForItsNewestLocations.htm
Key people
- Owners
- Robert "Bob" Bagby (President)
- Bridget Babgy
- Elmer Bills
- Amy Bills
- Pauline Bagby
- Management Staff
- Dan VanOrden, circuit general manager
- Tyler Rice, assistant to the circuit general manager
- Cliff Holbert, district manager
- John Cumins, district manager
- Jason Foster, district manager
- Bobbie Bagby, Director of Marketing
- Brittanie Bagby, Director of Concessions
- Brock Bagby, Research Analyst
Locations
Missouri
- BolivarBolivar, MissouriBolivar is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,325 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver...
Cinema 5 (1 Digital Projector) - Grand 6 (ChillicotheChillicothe, MissouriChillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Livingston County, Missouri, United States. The population was 9,515 at the 2010 census. The name "Chillicothe" is Shawnee for "big town", and was named after their Chillicothe, located since 1774 about a mile from the present-day city.Chillicothe is...
) (1 Digital Projector) - FestusFestus, MissouriFestus is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,367 at the 2009 estimated census. Festus and its neighbor Crystal City are often collectively known as the "Twin Cities"; however, they are incorporated separately....
8 Cinema (1 Digital Projector) - FultonFulton, MissouriFulton is a city in Callaway County, Missouri, the United States of America. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,790 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Callaway County...
Cinema 8 (1 Digital Projector) - B&B Theatres Cineplex (Harrisonville) (2 Digital Projectors)
- Main Street Cinema 8 (HannibalHannibal, MissouriHannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...
) (All Digital) - Lake West Cinema 5 (Gravois MillsGravois Mills, MissouriGravois Mills is a village in Morgan County, Missouri, United States. The population was 208 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town.-Geography:Gravois Mills is located at ....
) - Ritz 8 (LebanonLebanon, MissouriLebanon is a city in Laclede County, Missouri, United States. The estimated population in July 2009 was 14,292. The population was 12,155 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Laclede County. The Lebanon Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Laclede County.-Geography:Lebanon is located at...
) (4 Digital Projectors) - Cannonball 6 (LexingtonLexington, MissouriLexington is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,453 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lafayette County. Located in western Missouri, Lexington lies about 40 miles east of Kansas City and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
) (1 Digital Projector) - LibertyLiberty, MissouriLiberty is a city in Clay County, Missouri and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. At the 2007 population estimate, the city population was 29,993...
Cinema 12 (All Digital) - Moberly Five & Drive ([Moberly, MO])
- Lyric Theatre (SalisburySalisbury, MissouriSalisbury is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,726 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Salisbury is located at ....
) (CLOSED) - MonettMonett, MissouriMonett is a city in Monett Township in Barry County and Pierce Township in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,873 at the 2010 census...
Plaza 8 (All Digital) - NeoshoNeosho, MissouriNeosho is the most populous city in and the county seat of Newton County, Missouri, United States. Neosho is an integral part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Cinema 6 (1 Digital Projector) - OzarkOzark, MissouriOzark, incorporated in 1890, is a city in Christian County, Missouri, United States. As of 2009 the population has grown 18,458. It is the county seat of Christian County. Ozark is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
Ozark/Nixa 12 (All Digital) - WarrentonWarrenton, MissouriWarrenton is a city in Warren County, Missouri, United States. The population was estimated at 7,398 in 2008. It is the county seat of Warren County. Warrenton is located in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. Warrenton's slogan is "A City for All Seasons."-Geography:Warrenton is located...
8 Cinema - WaynesvilleWaynesville, Missouri-Registered historic places:* Old Stagecoach Stop * Pulaski County Courthouse-Transportation:Waynesville Regional Airport at Forney Field serves the community with air service; even though it's on Fort Leonard Wood, it is jointly run by the cities of Waynesville and St...
Cinema 8 (All Digital) - WildwoodWildwood, MissouriWildwood is a third-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in far western St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 35,517....
10 with Marquee Suites (All Digital)
Kansas
- Roxy Cinema 4 (ChanuteChanute, KansasChanute is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,119...
) - Cowley Cinema 8 (WinfieldWinfield, KansasWinfield is a city situated along the Walnut River in the west-central part of Cowley County, located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,301...
) (1 Digital Projector) - Dodge CityDodge City, KansasDodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
Village 8 (1 Digital Projector) - El DoradoEl Dorado, KansasEl Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
Central Cinema 6 (1 Digital Projector) - IndependenceIndependence, KansasIndependence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,483.-Geography:...
Cinema (1 Digital Projector) - The Majestic Theatre (ConcordiaConcordia, KansasConcordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
) (1 Digital Projector) - McPhersonMcPherson, KansasMcPherson is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States, in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,155. The city is named after Union General James Birdseye McPherson, a Civil War general...
Cinema 4 (1 Digital Projector) - Sterling Six (IolaIola, KansasIola is a city situated along the Neosho River in the northwestern part of Allen County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,704. Iola is the county seat of Allen County. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn.-History:The...
) (1 Digital Projector)
Oklahoma
- ClaremoreClaremore, OklahomaClaremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,581 at the 2010 census, a 17.1 percent increase from 15,873 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and home to Rogers State University...
Cinema 8 (All Digital) - MiamiMiami, OklahomaMiami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe...
Cineplex (2 Digital Projectors) - RenoEl Reno, OklahomaEl Reno is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States, in the central part of the state. A part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, El Reno is west of downtown Oklahoma City...
Cinema 8 (1 Digital Projector) - SapulpaSapulpa, OklahomaSapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census...
Cinema 8 (1 Digital Projector) - Windsor 10 (Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
) (2 Digital Projectors)