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The latest movie theater news and updates
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October 28, 2003
Villa Theatre Back on the Market
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The sale of the Villa Theatre which has been pending for the last several months has fallen through and the property is back on the market, with an asking price of $2.5 million. Anyone interested in buying the Villa to operate it as a theater should contact 3540 Associates, the current owner’s realty office:
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Muvico Theatres Unveils Larger-Than-Life Entertainment Concept
I recently wrote a profile of Hamid Hashemi, the president of the Muvico Theater chain, for Film Journal International. You can read a quick preview below or the full article on the Film Journal website.
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Remaining Ziegfeld Girls Celebrate New Amsterdam’s 100th Anniversary
NEW YORK, NY — According to this article from the Washington Post, two remaining ‘Ziegfeld Girls’ — from the legendary Ziegfeld Follies that performed at the New Amsterdam Theatre from 1913-1927 — were on hand for the theater’s 100th birthday celebration.
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October 27, 2003
Avalon Theatre in Danger?
MILWAUKEE, WI — according to this report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Craig Ellsworth, the current owner of the Avalon Theatre, has revealed plans to convert the historic theater into office space should his company fail to find a tenant interesting in reviving the Avalon.
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California Theater Seeks Revival
PITTSBURG, CA — In early spring of 1919, the Pittsburg Post newspaper announced that the Enea brothers of the Palace Theater “will erect a handsome new playhouse on Railroad Street, which will embody in every way a most modern type of theatre building, handsome in appearance and substantial in construction.”
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Democratic Candidates Debate at Detroit Fox
DETROIT, MI — The nine democratic presidential candidates debated each other onstage at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit yesterday. The 90-minute event filled the 3000-plus seat movie palace to overflow capacity. The debate, which followed Sunday morning appearances by various candidates in Detroit-area churches, was co-sponsored by the Fox News Channel and the Congressional Black Caucus.
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Halloween Arrives Early at Theater
SOMERVILLE, MA — According to this article in Sunday’s Boston Globe, the Somerville Theatre is haunted by a former patron, dressed in a flapper outfit from the 1920s.
“She moves the seats. One of the first nights I was working here alone I was up in the balcony, right by the railing. There was nobody else in the theater; all the movie people had left. All of a sudden I heard all these seats, as if there were several people getting up. I ran downstairs as fast as I could, but there was nobody there. No one had exited. I kind of took it as the ghost’s way of saying, ‘Welcome.’”
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October 24, 2003
Grand Illumination of Embassy Theatre Marquee
LEWISTOWN, PA — With all the pomp and circumstance befitting a grand picture palace, the Embassy Theatre’s beautifully replicated marquee of 1,000 Lights came to life in front of a crowd of about 1,000 spectators, a larger crowd than the theatre itself could seat! The multi-colored sign was lit officially on October 16, in a ceremony to mark this important milestone in the theatre’s rebirth. While much work remains inside the theatre until it can be opened, the restored marquee is a visible reminder that the theatre will once again become a proud part of the community.
Photo by Brian Auman
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Hollywood Reporter Profiles Trends in Theater Design
Theater chains are going back to the past for inspiration for the newest mega-palaces being constructed across the country by circuits like Loews, Muvico, AMC, Krikorian, Pacific, Harkins, and more. As journalist Andreas Fuchs writes in this Hollywood Reporter article, “These days, successful multiplex design involves emulating stylish hotels, evoking nostalgia for classic theaters and renovating or expanding on those original palaces of dreams.”
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October 23, 2003
Movie Theater for Sale
IDYLLWILD, CA — The Rustic Theater, located in the San Jacinto Mountains, 5000 feet above Palm Springs, California in a quaint village called Idyllwild, is reportedly for sale, according to ‘morrierustic’. The owner is retiring after 27 years. The theater has been in continuous operation since 1956.