Andre Lamar
If it were human, the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro would be well past the age for collecting Social Security. But owner Joanne Howe has no plans for the theater to retire anytime soon.
The landmark theater is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and is looking to get folks into the holiday spirit early with its next film.
The theater, which is open seven days a week, will screen the Christmas action-adventure "Red One," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Chris Evans, on Friday, Nov. 15. The film will run until Thursday, Dec. 5.
The Clayton is rare for being the only single-screen theater in Delaware that consistently shows first-run films, Howe said.
"The older people that come love it, because it reminds them of their old theaters," Howe said about her theater that seats 350 people. "The younger generation that comes loves it, because we're just a little different from going to the regular [multiplex] theater."
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Cheap ticket prices help Clayton Theatre
The selection of first-run films and affordable ticket prices at the Clayton Theatre have helped to make it an attractive destination for guests, especially in the summertime, she said. Currently, tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for kids and seniors, and matinees are also $9.
Howe noted that prices will inevitably change at some point, but "right now, we still try to keep it very reasonable no matter what."
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Tickets were only 50 cents at Clayton Theatre?!
According to Delaware Public Archives, the Clayton Theatre originally opened Feb. 2, 1949. Named in honor of Delawarean John M. Clayton, the theater was first owned and operated by Alvin "Skeet" Campbell and wife Marjorie, with brother-in-law Elwood “Pete” Hancock and wife Marian.
Since a Delaware “Blue Law” prohibited the showing of films on Sundays, the Clayton initially ran movies six days a week. At the time, adult tickets were 50 cents while tickets for children cost just 20 cents.
She was just a movie fan before buying Clayton Theatre
Howe said she and her late husband, Ed, purchased the theater on a whim in 2000. The couple were film buffs who had never owned a theater before.
Prior to purchasing the theater, Howe said she already had made personal assocations with it because "Clayton" was also her father's name. And the first movie she saw at the theater was the John Wayne war film "Sands of Iwo Jima," a movie that was made the same year the Clayton Theatre opened.
"Ironically, my father fought on Iwo Jima," Howe explained.
After getting home late one night, Howe randomly saw in a newspaper that the Clayton Theatre was for sale; and she woke her husband to tell him about it.
The next day, the couple were theater owners.
"I had no idea what we were going into. But we thought it was a neat venue," she said.
'Pirates of the Caribbean' brought huge lines to Clayton Theatre
Over the last two-plus decades she's owned the theater, there are some key moments that stand out for Howe. This includes the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. "We had to shut down during 9/11 and that was a little bit of a scary time," she recalled.
In the summer of 2003, the Clayton Theatre screened the original "Pirates of the Caribbean" and it was a hit.
"We had lines wrapped around the block," Howe recalled. "Staff was dressed as pirates. We had tiki lights all outside around the theater. It was just a fun time."
In 2012, Howe's husband passed away. Shortly after his death, she received a notice from the film industry that movies were transitioning from film to digital, requiring her to purchase digital production equipment to continue showing first-run films.
Howe said she raised $80,000 to convert to digital. By the end of 2014, her digital equiptment was installed. "That was a great milestone for us," she added.
The pandemic in 2020 also was a rough time for the theater. But Howe said they stayed afloat from receiving PPP loans and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.
What's the future of the Clayton Theatre?
In honor of this year's 75th anniversary, the Clayton Theatre recently hosted six days of mostly live performances with concerts, a comedy show, and a screening of the classic film "Eddie & The Cruisers." The final event was Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Howe said she doesn't know the future of the film industry, but she's hopes to keep the Clayton Theatre around for a few more generations.
"We're just gonna play it by ear and see what happens. But if we get another 50 to 75 years, that would be great."
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When is the Clayton Theatre open?
Clayton Theatre (33246 Main St., Dagsboro) is open seven days a week.
The venue screens every day at 7 p.m., and at 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The theater will show "Red One," starting Friday, Nov. 15, until Thursday, Dec. 5. Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for kids and seniors, and matinees are also $9. For more info, visit theclaytontheatre.com or call (302) 732-9606.
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