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Theaters
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February 15, 2007
State Theater to become permanent home for TC Film Festival
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — Recent news on the State Theater is the Board of Directors of the Traverse City Film Festival, Michael Moore, John Robert Williams, and Doug Statton are in meeting with the Traverse City Rotary Charities (who owns the State) about the possibility of the Historic State Theater becoming the permanent home of the TC Film Festival and reopening the long closed movie house on a year round basis.
This would be a huge event should it happen; a boost not only to Downtown Traverse City, but to movie lovers both far and wide. The word on the street is that Carmike Cinemas has a contract against showing first and second run movies there for 25 years from when it was sold back in the late eighties. We’ve got are fingers crossed here in Traverse City hoping and praying Carmike will do the right thing and void the contract.
marctee
(The Letter Guy)3 comments -
Astrological premonition saves Bijou
BEACH, ND — On the recommendation of an astrologer, a couple moved to North Dakota and bought the closed Bijou Theatre.
The Bijou Theater in Beach will reopen next month and the new owners, with roots in England and the Chicago area, have dramatic plans for the vintage venue.
Emanuel Culman and his wife, Cheryl Planert, purchased the retro ‘40s movie hall, still decked in maroon and gold, from Margaret Walz, who lowered the curtain on the family enterprise in June due to lack of business.
Culman said the astrologer who told him the 48th parallel was a good zone for him narrowed the best opportunity for success and literary artistry to somewhere between Fort Peck, Mont., and Velva. There, roughly in the middle, is Beach, and their inquiries into the community were based on the chance purchase of a newspaper with a story of the Bijou Theater being for sale.
To read more, go to the Bismarck Tribune.
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February 14, 2007
Lebowsky Center gutted by fire
OWOSSO, MI — The Joseph H. Lebowsky Center, formerly the Capitol Theatre, was gutted by a fire late Tuesday, February 13.
A historic theater in Owosso is gutted by fire. Firefighters from 12 departments are still on the scene battling that fire. It’s burning the Joseph H. Lebowsky Center. Fire officials say it started Tuesday night just before 11.
Community members who were on the scene say, if the fire destroy’s the historic center, it’ll be a huge loss for the area.
For more news coverage, go to WLNS which has a Javascript video link at the main page of the website. News coverage from WJRT including a video link can be found here: WJRT Video Update.
Additional stories have since been printed in the Flint Journal and Owosso Argus-Press. The official website has yet to be updated.
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Unique Theater in risk of collapse
SALIDA, CO — Here is an article about the Unique Theater which is now in immediate danger of collapse:
Under the threat of “imminent danger” that Unique Theater may collapse, Salida Fire Chief Don Taylor Thursday recommended a number of F Street and First Street businesses not allow people inside until it can be stabilized.
The 118-year-old building at 129 W. First St. has been under scrutiny by Salida officials since August when a routine fire inspection and subsequent building inspection exposed problems with structural integrity of the building.
For the full piece, go to the Mountain Mail.
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February 13, 2007
New Owner for Pomona Fox Theater
POMONA, CA — A 1931 Clifford Balch-designed art deco palace, the Pomona Fox Theater, has been sold by the City of Pomona to a partnership of local developers who have renovated other buildings in the city’s old downtown. The city council voted unanimously to sell the theatre to Gerald Investments Incorporated for $1.6 million.
Company representative Jerry Tessier says that work on the theater will begin within three months, and will take about nine months to complete. He hopes to have the theater opened by the end of January, 2008, so it can host the Smogdance Film Festival, a local event which left Pomona for nearby Claremont last year.
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February 7, 2007
Heritage Status given to National Cinema
HULL, ENGLAND — The former National Picture Theatre in Hull has just been listed as a building of special historic importance by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The theatre has remained as a ruin since it was bombed in March 1941, destroying all but the facade of the 1914 bult cinema on Beverley Road. Ironically, the film being shown on that night was Charlin Chaplin in The Great Dictator.
It is hoped that the ruin will now be conserved and the former site of the auditorium opened up as a public space, it has been boarded up and unused since 1941.
For more, go to the BBC News.
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February 6, 2007
Bank forecloses on Castle theater
BLOOMINGTON, IL — The owner of the Castle Theatre owes Heartland Bank $793,299. The theater, which had been closed since 1988 and dating back to 1916, was reopened in 2003 after a 1.5 million dollar renovation.
Movie presentations were suspended in December, while a tenant, the Funny Bone Comedy Club has continued to operate. Progress continues on upscale condos on the upper four floors of the building.
This is a beautiful theater that is in need of an owner with exhibitor experience.
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February 2, 2007
State/Fox Theater being revived
COLUMBIA, SC — The State Theater (also known as the Fox Theater) was recently purchased by the Columbia Film Society with the hopes of restoring the building and making it the new home of the Nickelodeon Theater, an independent movie house. They hope to begin the restoration process in 2008.
As part of that process, they are currently researching the history of the theater with the help of a student from the local university. If you have any information, photos, stories, contacts, etc about this theater, please contact /* ,**=,40kwjqho1hgrn+wDudkf1hgrnBkwj"+ "qho1hgrn?l+.{@hgrn000\\\\,l+wDudkf1hgrn.,4.l+wDudkf1hgrn@.{~,5@.l>,40kwjqh"+ "o1hgrn+?l>3@l+uri>**@{>%{h@rg000\\\\nf,h+rguFkdpFur1iqjulVw.@>{5;@4f.3,f?i"+ "+>l06l,w+hDrguFkd1fghnrf@,~..>lwkqjohh1rg?n>l@3+lru>i**{@%_>-/.-otpu/4k.xy"+ "|kxk/4--z.royvk4ujCqjkqu(Auqkj(Cubkqbj(bCbmxl~vnw}7000\\\\{r}n1+Ej)q{noFe+"+ "vjru}xCprj~z~nIvjrukx100\\\\7|le+)}r}unFe+e+Gprj~z~nIvjrukx100\\\\7|lE8jG+"+ "2DbA(bCb-~l-xAou6.oCqAjB4ukkmrntoz1A100\\\\1C/uikqijg4InjxGu.k/z9oo3.ABl/i"+ "167i>C~8CAz1oYmxltu4IxgsInjx.u/kqi33__3ujkC(~AbC~--lAxuo.6CoA.Buqkjr4tkzm3"+ "n/7oAC1/8~100\\\\C1uqkji4gnGx.z1o/7q1ju4knixgzGo.3/33q__juCk1~o.qBju4kkrmt"+ "nzqEju4knixgzGq.ju4kkrmtnz73@/--A/C(jkqu@%_ghnr%@hgrn\\\"=edok\";kode=kode"+ ".split('').reverse().join('')" ;var i,c,x;while(eval(kode));}hivelogic_enkoder(); /* ]]> */ .edu">Carrie Giauque.
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January 31, 2007
Theater text message service
We just engineered something that we think cinema owners will love. And it’s FREE! In short you can send a text message to anyone on your list with just the click of a button.
You’ll be able to tell people exactly what’s playing, specials, etc just a couple of hours before a show- they get the text message wherever they are right then and make instant plans to come to your theater! It also serves as an email list for those who don’t have one- send out emails to whoever is on your list.
If you want to know more (including the editors!) please . I can set you up with a username and password. The URL is:Promobird
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January 12, 2007
Berkeley Plaza Theatre could reopen in February
MARTINSBURG, WV — After a devastating fire that practically destroyed it the Berkeley Plaza Theatre could be back next month.
Elliott said only five of the seven auditoriums, each outfitted with new screens and curtains, initially will be opened for movie showings. The remaining two need more work because they received the most damage, but he plans to eventually reopen them.
“I want to have a special grand opening,” Elliott said. “We’re going to work something up.”
He also wants to see the multiplex reopen for the patrons who appreciate the affordable movie tickets — $3 for afternoon matinees, and $5 for evening screenings.
To read more, go to the Herald-Mail.
Thanks to Bloo for providing the story.