B & B Junction City Gem

B & B Junction City Gem is a movie theater in Junction City, Kansas, United States, operated as part of the B&B Theatres circuit. B&B Theatres is the fifth-largest theater chain in America, with 564 screens across 57 locations in 16 states, and the Junction City Gem location is one of its Kansas venues. The circuit's mission is to create magical entertainment experiences, and its locations typically combine film exhibition with amenities such as bowling, arcades, dining, and other entertainment options, though availability varies by location. The B&B Theatres brand traces its roots to 1924, when Elmer Bills, Sr. bought the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, Missouri, and founded Bills Theatres. In 1936, the elder Elmer hired ten-year-old Sterling Bagby as a concession clerk; Sterling later started the Bagby Traveling Picture Show and eventually built a Kansas circuit of drive-in and indoor theaters. The Bills and Bagby families joined forces in 1980, giving the company its name. Today B&B Theatres operates a wide range of auditorium formats and dining brands, including Sterling's, Johnnie's Jazz Bar & Grille, and Marquee Bar & Grille, along with premium formats such as Marquee Suites, PLF GRAND SCREEN, screenPLAY!, MX4D, SCREEN-X, 4DX, MAX RELAX, Lyric, and 21+ auditoriums. The Junction City Gem carries the B&B name and serves the Junction City, Kansas community as a local cinema within this larger family-owned circuit.

The history of B&B Theatres, the circuit that includes B & B Junction City Gem, begins in 1924 when Elmer Bills, Sr. bought the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, Missouri, and founded Bills Theatres. It was at the Lyric that he met his future wife, Johnnie, who played piano accompaniment for silent films. Their son, Elmer Bills, Jr., was born into the business. In 1936, the elder Elmer hired ten-year-old Sterling Bagby as a concession clerk. Sterling grew up, served in World War II, and returned home to marry Pauline, a ticket seller from Higbee, Missouri. Together they started the Bagby Traveling Picture Show, roaming rural Missouri with films, projection equipment, seats, and a snack bar, screening movies in barns, schools, and parks. Their company eventually evolved into a Kansas circuit of drive-in theaters and indoor "hardtops." Meanwhile, Elmer Bills, Jr. met his future wife, Amy, when both were thirteen; he later described her as "the best popcorn girl I ever hired." The Bills and Bagby families joined forces in 1980, both in business and through marriage, creating the B&B name that stands for Bills and Bagby. Over the following decades, B&B Theatres grew into a regional and then national circuit. By the 2020s, the company reported itself as the fifth-largest theater chain in America, with 564 screens at 57 locations across 16 states: Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The circuit also operates 130 bowling lanes and more than 530 arcade games, and it runs three distinct restaurant brands: Sterling's, Johnnie's Jazz Bar & Grille, and Marquee Bar & Grille. Its auditorium formats include Marquee Suites, PLF GRAND SCREEN, screenPLAY!, MX4D, SCREEN-X, 4DX, MAX RELAX, Lyric, and 21+ auditoriums. B & B Junction City Gem is one of the circuit's Kansas locations, carrying the B&B name and serving the Junction City community as a local movie theater within this family-owned company.

• 1980

  The Bills and Bagby families join forces, creating B&B Theatres.

• 1936

  Elmer Bills, Sr. hires ten-year-old Sterling Bagby as a concession clerk.

• 1924

  Elmer Bills, Sr. buys the Lyric Theatre in Salisbury, Missouri, and founds Bills Theatres.

A local B&B Theatres cinema serving Junction City, Kansas, as part of a family-owned, top-five U.S. theater chain known for combining movies with dining and entertainment.

• Movie screenings

• Marquee Suites

• PLF GRAND SCREEN

• screenPLAY!

• MX4D

• SCREEN-X

• 4DX

• MAX RELAX

• Lyric auditoriums

• 21+ auditoriums

• Sterling's restaurant

• Johnnie's Jazz Bar & Grille

• Marquee Bar & Grille

• Bowling

• Arcade games

1. 1Movie Showtimes & Tickets — B&B Theatresbbtheatres.com
2. 2About Us | Our History — B&B Theatresbbtheatres.com
3. 3Backstage about — B&B Theatresbbtheatres.com
4. 4B & B Junction City Gem — Wikidatawikidata.org