All Star Cinemas

All Star Cinemas was the movie theatre in Blythe I grew up with. A memorable aspect of the theatre was their radio commercials spoken by KJMB-FM owner Jim Morrison with the background music being a cover of The Nutcracker's "March" by Tchaikovsky. The commercials end with Morrison saying aloud "where they treat you... like a star!"

Here is the list of known movies I viewed there. I guess it reflects the films 2000s kids have watched.

- Star Trek: Nemesis (This was possibly viewed. I was too young to remember most of the film)
- Rugrats in Paris
- Jungle Book 2
- Finding Nemo (twice)
- Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (twice, but the second time was on a school field trip that went awful. Around the Trumpkin rescue scene, someone reportedly threw something, maybe popcorn, to the projector. The screen went dark for at least half an hour as we waited for the motion picture to resume.)
- Despicable Me (the final movie I watched in the theatre)
- Robots
- SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
- The Incredibles
- Cars
- Click (partially?)
- The Benchwarmers (partially?)
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Charlotte's Web
- Thomas and the Magic Railroad (possibly viewed)
- The Cat in the Hat
- Lilo and Stitch
- Open Season
- Shrek 2
- Shrek the Third
- Cheaper by the Dozen 2
- Chicken Little
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Return to Never Land 
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men's Chest
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (twice? Also seen on a field trip at the end of my elementary school days)
- Everyone's Hero
- Happy Feet
- Madagascar
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
- Ice Age: The Meltdown
- Spider-Man 2
- Spider-Man 3
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Avatar
- Toy Story 3
- Wall-E
- The Dark Knight
- Iron Man
- Iron Man 2
- Shark Tale
- Eight Below
- Garfield and its sequel (latter maybe partially watched)
- Cat In The Hat
- 2012
- Are We There Yet?
- Over The Hedge
- RV

Old Sizzler in east Blythe

This abandoned former Sizzler building on 8960 E. Hobsonway is in the eastern edge of the structured area of Blythe, by Hobsonway and the Baja Fresh. The restaurant was constructed in 1966 or 1967. (Palo Verde Valley Times Jan. 5, 1967)  A PVVT picture published circa 1970 views the assembly of the sign, which had the two cattle logo and reads "SIZZLER FAMILY STEAK HOUSE." The sign was reportedly the first and largest erected by the company, and other locations would get similar signs, so the Blythe sign was briefly the biggest Sizzler sign ever. This Sizzler's manager was Ed Coatney. This was during the time Hobsonway was the main highway for Blythe, two years before the arrival of Interstate 10's new alignment. 

According to another PVVT article from January 2007, Terry and Janet White bought the Sizzler in 1977, and used the building until 1986 when because they needed bigger facilities such as the kitchen, they relocated to the other side of town. The Whites owned the Blythe Sizzler at the current west Blythe location until 2015. This 20th anniversary of ownership article includes a picture of the old restaurant with the tall sign.

I found information of two different restaurants taking the 8960 E. Hobsonway address. A 1990 newspaper advertisement shows Jimmy's Bar & Grill as located here, and a little article from 1995 shows Johnny's Restaurant, while saying it took the place of Jimmy's, but not mentioning Sizzler. The building appears to be already abandoned during December 2007 according to Google Street View. The message in the sign was still there, but faded (includes the name "JOHNNY'S" in the top?); the sign is now empty. The lot was fenced during December 2007, but today there's no fencing.

Empty block by Union Bank and Hobsonway

There is this patch of empty land near Union Bank, Suesites, and Hobsonway. This used to be where several businesses reside in different attached buildings. I believe there was an indoor parking space in this building. The only business I remember was a barber shop, with an example of the familiar barber's pole with it. There was a TV inside, and some unknown orange stuff in the back near the ceiling. And courtesy of Victor Green, there was an automobile repair place named Rolos Auto Body that had inside parking, and a bar in this lot.

The building in this block were damaged by a fire on November 11, 2007. Me and family members witnessed the blaze and the firefighters' battle. The Union Bank had to be evacuated. Unfortunately, the fire led to the block being wiped out of everything, leaving no building left in the lot. I believe it's the most significant loss of a building in Blythe in the past decade. There could still be at least one business in this lot if the building still stands.

Abandoned building at 316 West Hobsonway

This is an abandoned building in the center of Blythe with a rich history. It neighbors Teddy's Donuts and a clinic, the latter being an attachment. The walls extend south to the alleyway behind the building. In fact, there is a section with no structure or part of the building between the walls, so the building might have been shortened. 

While I have no knowledge on the date of construction, according to the PVVT March 30 1990 edition the building had the first Safeway location in Blythe. The federal government probably used the building for more than one purpose. According to this document titled "Palo Verde Diversion Project" by Lara Bickell of the Bureau of Reclamation, the building at this address served as the office for the Palo Verde Diversion Dam project from August 1955 to an unspecified date. But as of one Christmas season in a photo dated 1959 posted by Markus Freitag (a great way to view Blythe's Hobsonway/US 60 & 70 in the past), the building is seen as a reserve center for the United States Army or Navy. The hanging sign on top features the words "MARK IV" and what may be "automotive" above and "air conditioning below". This possibly automobile place may be a neighboring business.

A business directory in the newspaper in 1979 has a business called Les Jeck's Carpets in this building.

The building was home to Carr's Western World, a store welling western apparel (If that is true, according to a friend) and livestock goods. According to other PVVT newspapers they had entry forms on local livestock competitions, and sponsored other events in the Blythe area such as one for fiddle. Another issue lists somebody in the business as a buyer of livestock (in an auction?) in 1989. This business that occupied the building appears to be the best in terms of remnants; there is a faded sign on the eastern side visible from Teddy's Donuts where you can see the faded name.

Today the building is one of the countless of abandoned examples in Blythe. The boarding of the front windows and maybe the door is kind of recent, as I remember broken glass in its place. However, as of August 2016, there is a hole in the front door, presumably so homeless people can access the place. There is exposure in its roof in the western side too. This building has kept its architecture style similar to some other buildings, and I believe it should have a new use if it gets rehabilitated.

Blythe and the Movie Premiere

The city of Blythe holds a special connection to the Walt Disney Company. That is, it's one of the few cities on the where one one of its movies made its world premiere. Walt Disney himself picked four Colorado River cities to premiere Ten Who Dared in 1960. This movie is about a group of men who trekked the Colorado in an expedition.

A grandeur Palo Verde Valley Times ad published in October 12, 1960, and another one either in that date or another one, announced the first-of-its-kind event in Blythe to occur in October 20 to 22 in the Hub Theatre, and October 23 and 24 in the Rancho Verde Drive-In. It says that there is "a distinct honor and privilege to show this film for the first time, anywhere!" The premiere came with the scenic musical short "Grand Canyon Suite," and the documentary "Arizona Sheep Dog" in some showings. The ad includes complements from such businesses as Claypool & Co., Shepwell's, Sinnock's, Hayward Lumber Co., and Security First National Bank.

A newspaper note says the mayor proclaimed October 20, 1960 as Walt Disney Day in Blythe.

I will name the other cities that premiered the film when I find them.

Abandoned building at 425 West Chanslorway

This is a lonely abandoned building near where the railroad track used to be, and north of the R&R Mini Mart. I couldn't figure out what the building functioned for exactly, but I found details relating to it.

In the December 26, 1957 PVVT issue, it features the opening of a chemical fertilizer blending plant owned by Arical Co. and built by Robert Bruce, Inc. (In a 1987 Santa Fe Railway CLIC Book, the rail siding for or near the facility is for "Agri-Cal") It's said to be the first of its kind built in the area, and the materials for the fertilizers were shipped in by rail. The picture shows a portion of the currently abandoned building in question, and a series of chutes, hoppers, and bins (or whatever they are) with two towers, one or both them taller than that building, and what looks like a transportation belt behind the tall tower. The plant could reduce the prices of dry fertilizer for the local farmers by $6 to $9 a ton. The address is said to be 425 West Chanslorway, but it was at least shared with a business called Clarter's Glenda Pet Grooming, according to an internet search. 

As of May 1961, the area with the chutes, hoppers, and bins was either covered or replaced 
with a building extension of the now-abandoned building. The site of R&R was still inhabited by large trees. 
The area north of Chanslorway and around the railroad line was still home to a series of industrial 
businesses. In thirty-five years later (June 1996) most buildings were still there, and probably 
still had use, but the building appeared to have no more extensions. In May 2002 the area 
appeared to look abandoned, some buildings already lost. But by August 2006 the abandoned 
building that stands as of ten years later became the lonely remnant of this industrial zone of 
Blythe. (USGS and Google Earth aerial views) There are still a couple of industries south 
of Chanslorway. In May 2015 according to a Facebook group, there was a fire in the building,
 and sometime more recently, vegetation nearby were eliminated.

Blythe's lost tourist attractions

A couple of interesting uncoverings in the Palo Verde Valley Times made me realize that Blythe had special tourist destinations other than the intaglios, specifically a tourist center and a riverboat, in the past. I don't know why they vanished, but here they are.

In January 1954, Burbank-based California Safety Stations Inc. opened a 163 ft long "greeter station" three and a half miles west of Blythe. This was the first facility of its kind in the state, and it functioned primarily as an informational travel center and a tourist aid stop. Services included a car inspection, a lounge, a coffee break, and a circular of the state's attractions. The facility had movie props on display, with RKO studios being the source. Movies such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Captain Kidd, and The Rains Came were where those props were seen in the silver screen. Kurt James the manager said the facility will install a spotlight with its light seen as far from Desert Center and Quartzsite. CSS also proposed to open other locations near other California entries such as Barstow, Yermo, and Yuma. (PVVT January 14, 1954) You can also read about it in the Desert Magazine.

In 1974, the Colorado River got a new paddle wheeler called the Queshan Belle. In the Blythe Marina it was launched in the afternoon of Wednesday. It was owned by Marith Tours and designed by Carl Davis. (PVVT April 25, 1974) It was built in a Los Angeles shipyard and was inspected and approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Queshan Belle was 50 feet long, with a 40 ft hull and a 10 ft wide at least paddle wheel. Both components plus the 180 HP diesel engine and others were assembled together to build the boat in Queshan Park. It could carry up to 49 passengers on daily river cruises, including Saturday night dinner trips, and as planned overnight trips to Martinez Lake. Either Smith or Dave Marlowe was the captain. (Unknown PVVT 1974 issue) (Yuma Daily Sun, November 10, 1974) It officially launched in June 1974. There is a picture of the vessel, with an old-styled banner displaying the words "QUESHAN BELLE" and to below "PORT OF BLYTHE" on the railing of the upper deck, above the paddle wheel. (PVVT January 2 1975) The link to the Yuma newspaper includes more pictures of the vessel -- they can be seen in detail if you are a subscriber of Newspapers.com.

In early 1975 Blythe was supposed to get a new tourist information facility by Interstate 10 at the California-Arizona border. It got delayed to Spring at one point. It was going to be a renovation of the agricultural inspection station by Santa Ana-based Carter Industries and an installation of an electronic information system, a feature found in rest stops though California. It would include an interactive map with narration about the points of interest in the state, and provide information on services such as lodging and food. There is mention that Carter will maintain the restrooms, indicating that this would be part of the facility. (Unknown PVVT 1975 editions) I don't know if it was ever implemented. Maybe not. (The nearest I-10 rest stop from Blythe is few miles east of Ehrenberg)

Then I remember the city promoting plans for a five million dollar welcome center located after the inspection station. It would be located next to the recently-built east Hobsonway exit. It would include a fountain; there was a model of the planned fountain inside the city hall as of the early 2010s and/or earlier, probably removed from the public today. I read somewhere that promoters or something else, of Coachella Valley, were proponents of the welcome center, as it would promote their attractions. One PVVT news article about the new exit says the plan for the welcome center is pretty much dead.