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The latest movie theater news and updates
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November 18, 2002
Today’s Newsreel
It’s Monday again and that means a whole weekend of stories has been piling up. Please follow the links below to read the latest news on Cinema Treasures from around the world. See you tomorrow!
(Thanks to Joel Weide and Gregg Anderson for the update.)
The following were also sent with our tremendous thanks to Gregg Anderson:
Berkshire Opera Gives Up Mahaiwe
Landmark Theatre Up for $3.8M State Grant
Multiplex Destiny: Why Some Movie Theaters Deserve to Die
Paramount Bids Below Estimates
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November 15, 2002
Restoration Of Boston’s Old Keith’s Theater To Begin
BOSTON, MA — A $31 million restoration and renovation project at the former Keith’s Memorial is set to begin now that the city has handed a permit to Clear Channel Entertainment. According to the Boston Globe, Clear Channel hopes to begin hosting Broadway productions in the former Keith’s/RKO movie palace by 2004.
Read the Boston Globe article
Read the Boston Business Journal article -
Ramon Theater Vote Upcoming
FROSTPROOF, FL — The Frostproof Chamber of Commerce will vote on whether or not to purchase the old Ramon Theater when the board meets on November 19th. According to The Ledger, the plan to purchase the theater and an adjacent building from owner David Higginbottom is nearly a done deal.
Future plans for the shuttered Ramon include screenings of classic films and live performances. The Ramon and the adjacent Thompson building both need new roofs which will cost roughly $50,000.
The Ramon opened in 1925 for motion pictures and stage shows.
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Trocadero May Be Restored; Sameric Still Up In The Air
PHILADELPHIA, PA — While plans for the Sameric are still on hold, the Goldenberg Group, which owns the Center City movie palace, is eyeing a joint operation of the Trocadero as a premiere arts venue.
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the 1870 theater is “on the National Registry of Historic Places and is the oldest Victorian theater still in operation.” It has been a venue for rock concerts since 1986.
Meanwhile, the Sameric/Boyd’s demolition permit expires next month with no movement one way or another in the works. The Goldenberg Group is still discussing ways to revamp and reopen the theater as “multi-purpose entertainment facility.”
The Friends of the Boyd is also working to preserve the former UA movie palace.
(Thanks to Howard Haas for the update!)
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November 14, 2002
Today’s Newsreel
COLDWATER, MI — The former Main Theater in downtown has been converted into a Curves for Women outlet which specializes in weight loss. According to the Daily Reporter, the theater had been closed since 1999 after the city inspection department closed the theater due to problems with the roof and plumbing.
(Thanks to Gary Flinn for the update.)
VAN WERT, OH — The two original theaters of the five-screen Van Wert Cinemas were destroyed when portions of the city were hit by a tornado. According to Grant Smith, the former Twin Cinemas were recently expanded to a 5-plex. “The two orignal screens, which must have been the largest, were destroyed and the three new screens were mostly undamaged.”
Read the News-Messenger article
(Thanks to Grant Smith for the news.)
CANAAN, CT — The Colonial Theatre was unexpectedly purchased by a local businessman, David Ohler, after a four year campaign by The Colonial Community Theatre Group, Inc. who had hoped to purchase and renovate the theater.
According to CCTG’s website, the theater was sold on October 30th by its former owners, Michael and Richard Boscardin. Despite their setback, the group is reporting that Ohler also plans to reopen the Colonial as a theater.
(Thanks to Roger Smith for the announcement.)
POMONA, CA — City officials are already lobbying to host the premiere of the upcoming Universal film adaptation, “The Cat In The Hat,” at the Fox Theatre. According to the San Bernardino County Sun, the film was shot in Pomona and city officials hope to host a special screening of the film at the theater to raise money for its continued renovation.
“The Cat In The Hat” is scheduled for release in November 2003 when the theater’s renovation efforts will be close to completed.
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50+ New Theaters Added
We’ve just added over 50 new theaters thanks to Philip Goldberg, Jose Mendez, Phil Jones, Donald John Long, Bryan Krefft, Ron Pierce, Bud Woods, Gary Parks, Graeme McBain, Jayson Wall, Angela Crotts, and Jean.
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November 12, 2002
BREAKING NEWS Landmark Theatres Sold To Onex
LOS ANGELES, CA — Landmark Theatres, the largest and most successful art house chain in the United States, has been sold to the Onex Corporation which also owns Loews Cineplex Entertainment.
According to the Business Journal, “the non-binding agreement” calls for Onex to pay roughly “$36.3 million in equity capital, with the rest coming from acquisition financing.” The Los Angeles Times reports the total sale at $80 million.
With the two exhibitors under one corporate roof, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Landmark Theatres will be operated as a “specialty film division” of LCE. Oaktree Capital, which is selling Landmark to the Onex Corporation, is currently a co-owner of LCE with Onex.
Landmark currently operates 67 theaters with 290 screens including the Oriental, Nuart, Sunshine, and many more Cinema Treasures around the country. There is no word yet on management or operational changes, or of any imminent theater closings.
We’ll keep you posted…
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Former UA Smithtown Theatre Reopens
SMITHTOWN, NY — The former Smithtown Theatre reopened two weeks ago and is now playing to nearly full houses as a for-profit performing arts center. Last operated by United Artists, the Smithtown underwent a three year, $1 million restoration effort before reopening on October 26th.
According to Newsday, the Smithtown originally opened as a movie house in 1932 and was designed by the same architects who worked on the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall.
The article also cites a trend on Long Island, and in particular Suffolk County, of restoring old movie theaters with recent efforts in Patchogue and Westhampton Beach. However, the Art Deco Suffolk Theatre, located in nearby Riverhead, is still facing an uncertain future.
Other Suffolk County Cinema Treasures include the Sag Harbor Cinema and the UA Southampton.
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November 11, 2002
Today’s Newsreel
Once again we are faced with the problem of too many stories and not enough space! Please follow the links below for these stories:
Purchase of Merced Theatre Nearly Complete > Merced Sun-Star
Ohio Theatergoers Spared From Storm > Associated Press/The Telegraph
Buy A Brick Campaign For Theater Entrance Kicks Off > Courier Times
Warner [Theatre] Has Rich History > Register-Citizen
It’s Showtime Once Again at Winslow Theatre > Winslow Mail-News
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November 8, 2002
3,000+ Theaters, 1,500+ Photos!!!
After posting almost fifty new theater entries today, Cinema Treasures is proud to announce a new milestone: we’ve just reached the 3,000-theater mark … and counting! We’ve also just recently added our 1500th photo to the site.
It goes without saying that we couldn’t have done this without you.
We wish we had the space to thank all of you individually, but with such an enormous community of theater lovers out there, the list would read like a phone book! However, we would like to thank, as always, our dedicated volunteer staff, our original group of users who’ve been with us since the beginning, and all of you who’ve added 1 theater or 100.
Every single addition helps keep these theaters alive — either by publicizing their triumphs or tribulations, or by preserving the memory of those already lost.
Cinema Treasures will be branching out into new territory in the future, but our dedication to you, our users, will never change.
Thank you again for your continued support!
Ross Melnick & Patrick Crowley
Co-Founders, Cinema Treasures