New Mexico's theatrical ties span over one hundred years. The Fountain Theatre, once a Civil War hospital and headquarters, produced plays, opera and vaudeville performances until 1929, when the venue started airing talkies. Today, it holds the title of oldest operating theatre in New Mexico. Albuquerque drive-in attendees enjoyed personal screens for each car at the Circle Autoscope. And Rio Grande Theater operated for over seventy years before showing its final screening of U.S. Marshals in 1998. Author Jeff Berg details the Land of Enchantment's iconic movie houses.
Jeff Berg is the author of New Mexico Filmmaking. Previously he was a board member, special events coordinator and film series programmer for the Mesilla Valley Film Society in Mesilla. He also worked at George R.R. Martin's Jean Cocteau Cinema as assistant manager. Berg's work has been featured in numerous publications including Film Comment, True West, New Mexico Magazine and ABQ the Magazine.