HISTORICAL SOCIETY HISTORY TRAI • OF BALTIMORE COUNTY •

• 9811 Van Buren Lane • Cockeysville, MD 21030 ISSN 0889-6186 Editors: JOHN W. McGRAIN and WILLIAM HOLLIFIELD VOL. 36 FALL 2003 Numbers 1-2 Motion Picture Exhibition in Baltimore County By Robert K. Headley

parks, and movies were a staple entertainment in many of these. Early movie venues in the county were the theaters at Bay Shore Park (c. 1907) and Hollywood Park (c. 1907) in Essex, the Casino (c. 1909) in Sparrows Point, the Recreation Theatre (1916) in Towson, the Odd Fellows Hall (c. 1917) in Catonsville, and Chesapeake Hall (c. 1920) in Towson. Movie exhibitions must have become common enough by 1914 that the county government felt the need to pass a law to regulate them. Title 44 of the Baltimore County Code stipulated, among other things, that no one could operate any moving picture exhibition in the county without first obtaining a license from the clerk of the Circuit Court. The cost of the licenses was graded — Collection of William Hollifield according to the seating capacity of the hall or theater. Moving Picture Pavilion, Bay Shore Park, about 1908. For buildings seating under 100 persons, the cost was $25 a year, and for those seating between 100 and 500, the This article will discuss the history of motion picture cost was $50 a year. Buildings seating over 800 would exhibition in Baltimore County within the context of have to pay $100 a year. The yearly licenses expired on movie exhibition in the Greater Baltimore area and the the first day of May. The applicant for a license also had state of Maryland. For purposes of this article, the theaters and motion picture venues considered must fall within the present-day boundaries of the county. Thus the early theaters of Highlandtown, Canton, Pimlico, Arlington, and other communities that were included in the county before the annexation of 1918 will be A 2003 view of the considered only peripherally. former Eagle Theater, 3610 Eastern Avenue, in The earliest exhibitions of projected motion pictures Baltimore County when in the Baltimore metropolitan area were not in theaters opened in 1908; now but rather in halls and amusement parks. The first docu- within the city. mented showing of movies was at Electric Park on Belvedere Avenue in Arlington in June 1896.1 These films proved very popular and continued intermittently during the next several summers. During the indoor theater season, which ran from September or late August until May, early movies were shown at many of the large legit- ;mate, vaudeville, and burlesque theaters in downtown 3altimore. The cooler summer climate of the county encouraged the construction of summer amusement — William Hollifield PAGE 2 HISTORY TRAILS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FALL 2003 to file a detailed written application and provide a certifi- weather was too much for the theater's original heating cate signed by at least ten "reputable taxpayers, bona fide system, and an additional stove had to be installed less residents of the neighborhood in which the applicant than a week after it opened. All went well until mid- proposes to conduct the business, . . . certifying that the August 1916 when a fire forced the theater to close for location of the proposed moving-picture exhibition will two weeks. not be detrimental to the interests of the taxpayers in the In October 1916, the theater was acquired by new vicinity." management who changed the name to the Le-Roi. In As might be expected, the first movie theaters in the early 1917, after several months of "good-attendance," county were built in commercial centers like Catonsville, the Le-Roi closed. According to the Union News of Towson, and Dundalk. Credit for the first movie theater February 24, 1917, "The management of Le Roi in the county is difficult to establish. Since Highlandtown Theatre . . . found the moving picture business 'not all it was part of the county for the first 22 years of motion was cracked up to be,' and forsook the town last week, picture history, the early movie theaters in that area can much to the regret of many persons who had found make a legitimate claim for primogeniture. The Comic pleasure there." (Eastern Avenue, 1909), Eagle (Eastern Avenue, 1908), The next information on this theater was that it had Highland Academy (Eastern Avenue, 1909), Eastern been purchased by Father Philip H. Sheridan of the (Eastern Avenue, 1910), Monarch (Eaton Street, 1909), Church of the Immaculate Conception in October 1919.6 and Lombard (Lombard Street, 1909) were among the At that time it was described as a "building formerly used earliest theaters in Highlandtown. as a moving picture parlor." The name was changed to Columbia. The Columbia lasted until at least June 1920 when the management engaged a professional pianist to play for the silent films. We have no first-hand descriptions of this theater and only a single photograph of the exterior. We can only guess what it was like inside. There was probably a single aisle with narrow rows of seats on either side. The seats were probably not upholstered. At one end of the long auditorium there would be a screen high on the wall. It would have been made of a piece of tightly stretched muslin or painted with flat white paint on the wall. There would be a projection booth at the other end of the auditorium; it might have been a fireproof box set up on the main floor, or it might have been "hung" from the ceiling. A piano set up near the base of the screen would have provided the music. There were no candy machines. — Collection of William Hollifield It was up to the patron to stop by a local confectionary Lyceum Theatre, Sparrows Point, in the 1920s. store and pick up some candy, peanuts, fruit, or perhaps a If we consider only the post-1918 boundaries of the big dill pickle to eat during the show. In addition to the county, then the open air theater on York Road, just south of Pennsylvania Avenue was probably the first movie theater in Baltimore County. The "airdrome" was short- lived; it opened on July 3, 1915, and closed about August 19, 1915, when the owner fled leaving behind a number of unpaid debts.' The Recreation Theatre, which opened in 1916 at 506 York Road in Towson, was the first perma- nent hard-top movie theater in the county. The history of the Recreation Theatre is remarkably well documented for an early movie theater.' It opened on Tuesday, January 11, 1916.4 The opening was announced by a band which was driven around town in an auto- mobile. Admission was 10 cents on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. At Saturday matinees and on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday it was reduced to five cents.' Children paid five cents at all times. Opening time was 6:30 every night, and there were matinees at 2 on — Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society Wednesdays and Saturdays. Apparently the cold January Interior; Lyceum Theatre, Sparrows Point, 1930s. PAGE 3 HISTORY TRAILS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FALL 2003 constant tinkle of the piano, there would have been the May 15. Rather than risk arrest, the exhibitors decided to sound of many voices including those of children reading seek legislation at the next General Assembly to allow the subtitles for illiterate relatives. The silent show would Sunday movies. In the 1933 session of the legislature, have consisted of several short films and possibly one three counties—Baltimore Prince Georges, and longer one, lasting, perhaps, a total of 60 minutes. There Allegany—were working to get rid of their blue laws.' would be no movies on Sundays until 1933. The legislature passed a law legalizing Sunday movies in Baltimore County which went into effect on the first Sunday in June 1933.10 The first wave of theaters built just for motion pictures did not come to Baltimore County until the late 1920s. Riding the crest of the tremendous popularity of movies at that time came the Strand in Dundalk (1927), the Overlea (1927), the Alpha in Catonsville (1928), and the Towson (1928). In the next decade, theaters were built in Essex (Elektra, 1930, and New Essex, 1934), Reisterstown (New, 1934), Arbutus (Hollywood, 1936), and Pikesville (Pikes, 1938). These theaters were built in older commercial centers that had grown up on the major routes out of the city. The movie theaters of the twenties and thirties differed markedly from the earlier nick- elodeons. The new theaters were much larger. Even the — Collection of William lloWield smallest, the Elektra, seated about 300 and the largest, the Pikes Theatre in 1938 when Martha Raye was a familiar star, Strand, seated 900. The others seated between 450 and appearing in "Give Me a Sailor" 650. A few, like the Strand, had balconies, but balconies were on their way out. Virtually none of the movie Baltimore City got Sunday movies in May 1932 after theaters built after 1930 had a balcony. The facades of a long, long fight. The Sunday closing laws had been these theaters were often done in beige face brick. Neon vigorously enforced there with the churches acting as the became a popular way to illuminate the fronts of theaters Guardians of the blue laws. These laws were more lax in Baltimore County, but in December 1911 when Marshal Gorsuch found that moving picture theaters in Arlington had been open on Sundays, he ordered them closed.' Marshal Mahle of the county police force made a personal observation of methods of Sunday observance in Highlandtown and Canton in early 1912 and again ordered the movie theaters to close on Sundays. As soon as Baltimore City got Sunday movies, Baltimore County exhibitors wanted them. Representatives from the exhibitors asked the County Commissioners for permis- sion to open their theaters on Sunday. They argued that the proximity of their theaters to the city line put them in competition with the Baltimore theaters, and if they could not open on Sundays, it gave the Baltimore theaters an unfair advantage over them. The Commissioners said — John McGrain they were sorry but they had no authority to grant this Strand Theatre in Dundalk, from across the park, 1982. Feature films permission. Harry Gaertner did not wait for permission; were Stephen Spielberg's "Extra Terrestrial" and "Private Lessons." he opened his Strand Theater in Dundalk on Sunday, May during the 1930s, and triangular marquees began 8, 1932.8 Gaertner was taken to court, but his case was replacing the older rectangular ones at the end of dismissed after he promised not to open on future the decade. Glass brick was also introduced in the Sundays. Fearing that other theaters would follow mid-thirties. Gaertner, the county police marshal ordered policemen One additional movie theater of note was built in the stationed at all the movie theaters in Baltimore County on county during the 1930s. This was the military theater at PAGE 4 HISTORY TRAILS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FALL 2003

the war. Many older movie theaters closed, unable to complete with "Uncle Miltie" and wrestling in TV. Baltimore County lost the Watersedge, Midway, Overlea, Lyceum, Colgate, Edgemere, and Lane. Despite techno- logical advances like wide-screen processes- CinemaScope, VistaVision, and Todd AO—and 3-D movies, hard-top theaters had a very difficult time during this decade. The only bright spot was the drive-in. Drive-ins had appeared in Maryland just before the war with the opening of the Governor Ritchie Drive-In in Glen Burnie in 1939. Drive-ins could be built more cheaply than hard-top theaters. They were also cheaper to operate and generated large revenues with their concession stands. The easy availability of large, flat, cheap tracts of land in Baltimore County and the huge population next door in Baltimore City made the county — Baltimore County Public Library an ideal location for drive-in theaters. One drive-in was The Alpha Theater at 725 Frederick Road in Catonsville was built in built there in the 1940s. This was Durkee's North Point 1928. The theater was remodeled between 1938-1939, before closing in 1961. The marquee advertises Tom Brown in "Ma He's Making Drive-In near Dundalk in 1948. In the 1950s four drive- Eyes at Me," a film copyrighted in 1940. ins were added: General Pulaski Drive-In in White Marsh (1950), the Edmondson Drive-In on Route 40 in Fort Howard which was probably built around 1933. It Catonsville (1954), the huge Timonium Drive-In was the smaller of two types of pre-war theaters built on (1955),12 and the lone survivor, the Bengies Drive-In in Army posts throughout the country, seating about 398, Middle River (1956) which is still operating. The last and was very similar to the now demolished theater at drive-ins were built in the early 1960s. the last one built Fort Holabird. in the county was the Valley Drive-In in Owings Mills. In places that could not support a full-time movie The trend was for big single-screen hard-top theaters, but theater, films continued to be shown in halls. Movies their era did not last out the decade. were shown at the following halls around the dates indicated: Towson Methodist Episcopal Church (1926), I.O.O.F. Hall, Granite (1926), Goodwin's Hall, Towson Theatre Reisterstown (1925-26), and the Community Hall, St. facade in 1978 Helena (1921). Movies were exhibited at many other featured Robert De Niro in "The Deer locations in the county that were not theaters, but it is not Hunter." The building possible to document all of these here. was a design of The war years were not good for theater construction architect John Ahlers, an employee of because the building materials were needed in the war George Norbury effort. The Lane (1940) in Dundalk and the Aero (1942) Mackenzie's firm. in Middle River sneaked in just under the wire, and the Edgemere (1944) was converted from other uses. As soon as the war ended, theater construction began with a frenzy. Nine new movies theaters, including two drive- ins, were built in the county between 1945 and 1950.11 All nine were located in the southeast part of the county in an area that had seen wide-scale development of housing for — John McGrain workers in war industries and where there was a large The Hillendale, built in 1960, was the first of these potential population of movie patrons. These theaters big new theaters. These buildings were usually next to a seated an average of 637 patrons; the largest was the shopping center or sometimes attached to one. They Carlton in Dundalk which seated 810. seated about 1,000 on one floor. They had wide audito- Between 1950 and 1960, a combination of several riums, large concession stands, and lots of free parking factors, including television and automobiles, caused nearby. They are all gone now, converted to other uses or movie-going to plummet from highs during and just after demolished. In their time they were beautiful structures, PAGE 5 HISTORY TRAILS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FALL 2003 well-suited for viewing films in comfort. Baltimore Multiplexes took several years to catch on in the County had some of the best in the state: Liberty county. The next one was the Westview Theater which (Randallstown, 1964), Westview I (Catonsville, 1965), added a second auditorium in 1968. The Liberty added Randallstown Plaza (1965), North Point Plaza (1966), another auditorium in 1970, and the Westview added two Village (Reisterstown, 1966), Perring Plaza (Carney, more in 1972. The twin theater at Security Mall also 1966), and the York Road Cinema (Anneslie, 1967). The opened in 1972. United Artists opened the triplex theater York Road Cinema was the last single-screen theater built at Golden Ring Mall in 1976. The twin theater in Security in the county. The Westview I was probably one of the Mall was replaced by an eight-screen theater outside the most lavish of these theaters in Maryland. With its natural mall in 1987, and the nine-screen Valley Center theater stone façade and lobby with pond and classical statuary, opened in 1990. There seemed no limit to the number of the Westview resembled a classy modern hotel. screens. Unfortunately, it suffered the indignities of multiplexing Up until the mid-1950s, most of the movie theaters as did most of its contemporaries. The Perring Plaza was built in the county and in the state were built by local exhibitors. In 1955, with the opening of the Timonium Drive-In, an up-and-coming national circuit got a foothold in the Baltimore area. This was the beginning of the end for local theater circuits. General Cinema entered the local market with the Timonium Drive-In in 1955. They added the Perring Plaza and York Road Cinemas in the 1960s and later the theaters at Security Square, Towson Commons, and Owings Mills before going bankrupt and selling out to AMC in 2002. United Artists came next with the Movies at Golden Ring Mall in 1976 and the Westview Mall 9 in 1992. Loew's returned to Maryland with the 16-screen megaplex in White Marsh in 1997, and Hoyt's opened a 12-screen theater in Hunt Valley in 1998. By 2003 the majority of movie screens in the county are operated by — Baltimore County Public Library three national circuits. New Theater, Reisterstown, 1941, photographed by Reisterstown Baltimore County had segregated theaters until 1959, historian, Mrs. Louise Bland Goodwin. by which time the Pulaski and Timonium Drive-Ins had crudely twinned with a wall erected down the middle of desegregated. There were only a few African-American the auditorium; the seats were not even realigned. communities in Baltimore County that could support Another change in the design of movie theaters movie theaters. The first theater built from the ground up occurred in the 1960s. In 1963, a Midwestern exhibitor for African Americans was the Anthony, built in 1945-46 discovered that a theater with two auditoriums could be at Turners Station. Prior to that time, movies for African run almost as cheaply as one with a single auditorium. Americans were shown in halls. The list of these venues Thus the twin theater was born. Baltimore's Schwaber is incomplete but includes the Central (on H Street) in circuit was quick to see the advantage of twin theaters Sparrows Point, the Winters (on Winters Lane) in and opened the Cinema I and II at Yorkridge Shopping Catonsville, and the Masonic Hall (on East Chesapeake Center in 1964. The Cinema I and II was the first twin Avenue) in East Towson. Maryland finally did away with theater in Maryland. segregated entertainment facilities in the mid-1960s.

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type of theater was usually built on an empty lot and consisted of a high board fence, an entrance with a ticket booth and projection booth, and rows of wooden benches. Some open-air theaters had roofs that could be put in place when it rained. 3 I am indebted to William Hollifield for much of the data on this theater and other theaters discussed in this article. John McGrain also provided important information. 4 The theater had its origin in September 1915 when John Mariner of Norfolk acquired property on York Road from A. J. German. Two months later, according to a notice in the Union News of November 27, 1915, Mariner had leased "the large room in the rear of the property] to a Baltimore man who will use it as a moving picture theatre." The theater was to have a "commodious entrance" from York Road, a metal ceiling, and a seating capacity of 500. This figure seems much too high and may be nothing more than typical advertising hype. 5 Tuesdays and Thursdays were notoriously bad days for - Baltimore County Public Library movie attendance. This may explain why prices were Hollywood Theatre, 1983, a good example of Art Deco in Arbutus. reduced on those days. See Robert K. Headley, "Nickelodeon Finances and Operations 1909-1911: The As the new century begins, the county has taken a Horn Theater, Baltimore, Maryland," Marquee, 13:1 huge lead in movie theaters over the city. Baltimore (1981), pp. 21-22. County ranks second in Maryland in the number of 6 Movies were brought back to Towson in the summer of theater screens, just slightly behind Montgomery County. 1918 when they were exhibited in the Court House Park. These free showings were movies of the war in Europe Number of Number of sponsored by the Red Cross. They were shown for several County Theaters Screens weeks in September. 7 The movie theaters in Arlington then were the Star at 3910 Montgomery 12 110 Belvedere Avenue and probably the theater in Electric Park. In addition to movie houses being open on Sundays 11 100 Baltimore County in Arlington, the poolrooms and bowling alleys had also Anne Arundel 8 77 been open; Gorsuch ordered them closed too. "Orders Prince Georges 8 64 Arlington 'Lid' On," Evening Sun, December 22, 1911, p. 14. Perhaps nowhere is the flight to the suburbs so 8 Harry Gaertner and his brother Louis operated Ritz clearly seen than in the distribution of movie theaters. Enterprises which at that time included the Palace (at Gay There are only five movie theaters with 10 screens in and Wolfe Streets), Ritz and Vilma in the city, and the Baltimore City. At one time, not so long ago, the city had Strand in Dundalk. more movie theaters than all the rest of the state. It is 9 St. Marys County had allowed Sunday movies since about always very dangerous to predict the future of motion 1908 in apparent violation of the state laws. pictures. Over the past half century, some movie critics 10 The law for Baltimore County stipulated the kind of have predicted an end to violence in movies and that TV movies that could be legally shown on Sundays: "It shall and VCRs would mean the end of movie theaters. Neither be lawful to hold, show, play and/or exhibit motion of these predictions has come true. What, then is the pictures after two o'clock P.M. on Sunday in said County future of movie theaters in Baltimore County? Will any with or without a charge or admission fee; provided that it more be built? Almost certainly. As familand gives way shall be unlawful to show any picture having a plot, tone or character which is degrading, indecent or salacious, and to townhouse, McMansion, and shopping center develop- which tends to glorify vice and marital infidelity, and to ment and new centers of population are created, movie make light of all high ideals." Laws of Maryland, theaters will follow. It is doubtful that there will be any 1933, Chapter 534, Section 689A. This law was repealed theaters with more than 25 screens built in the county any in 1990. time soon. One thing we can reasonably be sure of; there 11 These were the Midway (1945), Hiway and Anthony will be no more single-screen theaters. (1946), Watersedge (1947), North Point Drive-In and Colgate (1948), Carlton and Colony (1949), and General Pulaski Drive-In (1950). 1 Electric Park was located in the county just over the city line at that time. 12 The Timonium Drive-In, built by the General Cinema Corporation of Boston, was one of the largest drive-ins in 2 The correct telln for an open-air theater is "airdome," but the country, with space for nearly 2,500 cars. the term "airdrome"—which more accurately means `airport' or 'airfield'—is occasionally used. This early PAGE 7 HISTORY TRAILS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FALL 2003

Robert K. Headley was born on the Northern Neck of and was the editor of the society's journal, Marquee, from Virginia in 1938. He grew up in Baltimore where he attended 1981 to 1987. He has lectured on movie theater history, public schools, graduating in 1955 from Baltimore City appeared on radio talk shows, conducted theater tours, College. He received his B.A. degree in anthropology from taught courses on Baltimore theater history at local commu- the University of Florida and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Celtic nity colleges, and served as a consultant to the Smithsonian languages from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He Institution for exhibitions and films on movie theaters. worked as a research linguist for the Government from 1959 Further research over the past 30 years has resulted in to 1995 and has published numerous books and articles on another book, Motion Picture Exhibition in Washington, Southeast Asian languages including the standard D.C., which covers theaters in Washington and adjacent Cambodian-English dictionary. Maryland and Virginia. He became interested in documenting the history of the Presently Dr. Headley is working on EXIT II, a complete rapidly disappearing American movie theaters in 1968, and revision of his book on the history of Baltimore movie after six years of research published EXIT, the history of theaters; on a database of newspaper articles on Maryland, movie theaters in Baltimore. The book was very well received Virginia, and District of Columbia movie theaters, which so and both printings were quickly sold out. It has become a rare far contains over 10,000 references; and on a survey of book and has the dubious distinction of being one of the existing theater buildings in Maryland. books most often stolen from the Enoch Pratt Library. In In connection with his work on Exit IL Dr. Headley 1999, EXIT was selected by the Pratt staff as one of the best welcomes any additional information or corrections relating books on Maryland of the 20th century. to Baltimore area movie theater history, which may be sent to Dr. Headley has also done research on the theaters of him at 6510 41st Avenue, University Park, Maryland 20782, other areas of the United States and several other countries. or [email protected]. He is a member of the Theatre Historical Society of America

Baltimore County Movie Theaters (An asterisk denotes that the theaters are still operating or there are visible traces of them remaining.)

Street Address Name(s) Dates of Operation Baltimore National Pike 5824 Westview Mall 9* 1992-present 6026 Westview Cinemas 1965-1997 6026 Edmondson Drive-In 1954-1986 Bay Shore Park Moving Picture Theater c. 1907 Bel air Road 6805-07 Overlea* 1927-1952 7636 Beltway Plaza 2 1980-1986 7660 Beltway Movies* 1997-present 8740 Perry Hall Movies 5 1990-1997 Carroll Island and Bowleys Carrollwood Twin 1974-1984 Quarter Roads, Middle River Chesapeake and Delaware Chesapeake Hall c. 1920 Avenues, Towson Dundalk Avenue 60 Lane; Abbey Lane* 1940-1959 1201 Carlton* 1949-1978 1718-20 Colgate* 1948-1953 7910 Watersedge 1947-1950 Earhart Road, Essex 1812-14 Hiway* 1946-1977 Eastern Avenue at Back River, Hollywood Park Theater 1906-07 Essex Eastern Avenue, Essex 416 New Essex; Eastway 1934-1968 524-26 Elektra; Alert 1930-1949 1909 Midway* 1945-1950 ;astern Avenue, Middle River 3417 Bengies Drive-In* 1956-present Fifth Street, Sparrows Point at D Street Casino 1909-1910 Lyceum 1912-c. 1950 PAGE 8 HISTORY TRAILS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FALL 2003

Baltimore County Movie Theaters (continued)

Street Address Name(s) Dates of Operation Fort Howard Post theater* c. 1935 Francis Avenue, Halethorpe 1309 Strand c. 1925-1935Frederick Avenue, Catonsville 725 Alpha* 1928-1961 Fuselage Avenue, Middle River 1417 Aero 1942-1977 H Street, Sparrows Point Central unknown Harford Road 8123 Colony* 1949-1974 Honeygo Boulevard., White Marsh 8101 White Marsh 16* 1997-present Ingleside Avenue, Catonsville 8-10 I.O.O.F. Hall* c. 1917 Liberty Road, Randallstown 8632 Liberty 1-2 1964-1997 8730 Randallstown Plaza 1965-1986 McCormick Road, Hunt Valley 11511 Hunt Valley 12* 1998-present Main Street, Turners Station 103 South Anthony* 1946-1963 Mill Run Circle, Owings Mills 10100 Owings Mills 17* 1998-present North Point Boulevard 2399 North Point Plaza Theater 1966-1997 4001 North Point Drive-In* 1948-1978 North Point Road and Edgemere* 1944-1958 Sparrows Point Road Oregon Avenue, Arbutus 5509-11 Hollywood* 1936-1995; 1998-present Pulaski Highway, White Marsh General Pulaski Drive-In* 1950-1980 Pulaski Highway, Edgewood 1829 Edgewater 1-2 1974-1997 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville 1001 Pikes* 1938-1984 1110 Mini-Flick 1973-1986 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills 910 Valley Drive-In 1961-1977 9616 Valley Centre 9* 1990-present Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown 11900 Village* 1966-1997 20 Caltrider's Ha11/Goodwin's Hall c. 1925-1934 49 New* 1934-1967 Ridgely Road, Lutherville 58 West Cinema MI* 1964-1997 Rolling Road 1717 North Security Square Cinema* 1987-present Rossville Boulevard 6400 Golden Ring 1976-2000 Satyr Hill Road 8730 Perring Plaza Cinema 1966-1992 Security Boulevard 6901 Security Mall Cinema 1972-1987 Shipping Place, Dundalk 1 Strand* 1927-1986 Smith Avenue 2835A Greenspring 3 1985-1999 St. Helena Ave. at Willow Spring Community Hall 1921 Taylor Avenue 1045 Hillendale; 1960-present Heritage Cinema Plex* Timonium Road, Timonium Timonium Drive-In 1955-1982 Winters Lane, Catonsville Winter's c. 1941 York Road, Anneslie 6376 York Road Cinema 1967-1995 York Road, Towson 400 block Airdrome 1915 435 Towson Commons* 1992-present 506-08 Recreation; Le-Roi; Columbia 1916-1920 512 Towson* 1928-1992 York Road, Timonium 2131 Timonium Cinemas 1-2* 1973-1997 York Road, Cockeysville 9950 Church Lane Cinema 1973-1986