| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment (movie theatres) |
| Founded | 1920 in Manhattan, Kansas |
| Headquarters | Overland Park, Kansas |
| Key people | Glen W Dickinson Sr., Founder John Hartley, CEO |
| Products | Dickinson Theatres |
| Website | www.dtmovies.com |
Dickinson Theatres is a privately owned movie theater chain based in Overland Park, Kansas, USA. As of summer 2010, the company operates 26 theaters with 278 screens in over 10 states: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.[1]
The company was founded in 1920 by Glen W. Dickinson, Sr. Dickinson quit his family-run Ford tractor dealership in Brookfield, Missouri to start his business. He purchased a small two-screen theater in Manhattan, Kansas, the Manhattan Marshall Theater, trying to capitalize on the booming college town crowd.
After the success of his first theater, Dickinson opened another theater in Lawrence, Kansas, another college town, less than two hours away from Manhattan. Other theaters in Junction City, Ellsworth, Beloit, Great Bend, and Springfield, Missouri followed in short order. By 1931, the chain was operating 26 theaters and the home office was moved to Lawrence, Kansas.
1946 saw the opening of the company's first drive-in theater in Pittsburg, Kansas. By 1948, three more drive-ins were opened around the state.
In 1963 leadership of the company passed to Glen Dickinson, Jr., who headed the company for the next 20 years. During his tenure, the company expanded to 168 screens in 39 locations by the year 1995.
In 1998 the chain opened its largest theatre, the Starworld 20, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is still the largest Dickinson Theatre by number of screens and seats.
In 1999 Wood Dickinson, the last of the Dickinson family, left the theater business to start Renegade Pictures LLC, a feature film production company, and John Hartley became CEO and president of the chain.
In March 2007 Dickinson Theatres and IMAX Corporation announced an agreement to open five IMAX theatres across the Midwest.[2] The Gateway 12 Theatre with IMAX, located in Mesa, Arizona, opened in late 2007. In June 2008, the Chenal 9 Theatre with IMAX opened in Little Rock, Arkansas. Future IMAX locations will include Springfield, Missouri, Wichita, Kansas, and Edmond, Oklahoma.
In May 2010 Showplex Cinemas, Inc. purchased 10 Dickinson Theatres in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
In October 2011 Dickinson Theaters added National CineMedia to its network afflitates, which has started on December of that year.