Opened 7/11/1953 with TITANIC (starring Clifton Webb & HITCHHIKER. Advertised “Spacious Entrance and Exit for safety & speed, completely paved parking for greater safety and protection of your car, new and convenient Snack Bar easily accessible for all patrons, Latest Improved Individual speakers for each car, and Enjoy your movies in the cool of the evening.” Among others, good wishes were extended by Crumley Hudson (Columbus' only Hudson dealer), Howard Johnson Restaurant, Marble Cliff Quarries and the Circle Drive In (Stop in after the movie — Convenient Curb service.)
The CAMEO closed on 9/26/1962, with its final features being ATLANTIS LOST CONTINENT & SADDLE THE WIND.
Again, I can find NO proof that this theatre was ever called the COMET. I’ve checked newspaper listings from 1946 to 1962, and this theatre was always called the CAMEO. Does anyone have any evidence of the name COMET?
Thank you, retroguy, for checking in to that. I was wondering if that project was moving forward. It would take a lot of money to put that building back into running condition.
Looking closely at the marquee of The Woods, it looks like the theatre was playing THE HAPPY THEIVES with Rita Hayworth and Rex Harrison. IMDB shows a release date of this of December, 1961.
Looks like the Linden had a closing date in the mid-sixties. It’s hard to pin down accurately, as they went “adult” near the end and adult theatres weren’t listed in the daily directories.
This was one of the few neighborhood theatres in Columbus with a balcony.
County records show the land purchased by the Public Library on 5/6/1966.
The article from Boxoffice says that the College Park was to be the second theatre in Indianapolis to be able to show “70mm films in Dolby Stereo sound”. (March 1985, pg. 109) So, there certainly could be other 70mm locations, but only one other with 70mm Dolby.
And you do have to be VERY careful with Boxoffice entries, as 2 pages before this they indicate that the Capitol South (Later, City Center) mall in Columbus OH was to have a number of cinema screens, but none were ever put in there.
Phil Sheridan’s “Wonderful Old Downtown Theatres, Vol. 3” lists a Crystal Theatre at 2673 N. High in 1911 and a Crystal Palace at 2573 N. High in 1913. The 2673 N. High address is between Dodridge and Arcadia.
The Big Bear Supermarket on Lane Ave. was also a roller rink. While walking around the store, you could see the curvature of the rink.
Back to the subject at hand, these addresses don’t match up. The Little Art was 2523 N. High, which is south of Hudson St. The 2573 address is north of Hudson St. I think we are talking about two different facillites here.
Next library trip I’ll do a little more digging on this one.
Directly north of the Eastland Mall was AMC Eastland Plaza 6, a simple multiplex with 3 theatres on each side of the lobby.
Across the street from this was Eastland Centre 8. This was a very different floorplan from the other AMC’s in town, and I was told it was not very efficient.
The Livingston reopened on July 6, 1973, showing THE MACK with Max Julien, Don Gordon and Richard Pryor, and BLACK GIRL with Leslie Uggams and Brock Peters (“She’s got to cut it…or cut out.”)
The last ad I could find for the theatre was August 4, 1974, showing TRUCK TURNER with Isaac Hayes and SCREAMING TIGER.
Marty Hart’s WIDESCREEN MUSEUM site has a page on the Scanoscope process. It includes a film-clip that would be rated PG-13.
Please do not imply from my post above that there is proof that the projectionist union was responsible for the bombing. To my knowledge, the persons responsible were never apprehended.
The bomb exploded on the roof of the building on 4/8/1962. The Projectionist’s Local had struck the theatre on 3/3/62 over wages and working hours. The bomb exploded about 25 minutes after the last employee left the building. It was apparently thrown from an alley adjacent to the theatre. Had it been thrown 4 feet farther, it would have done severe damage to the projection booth.
This appears to be the former THE BIG PICTURE THEATRE OF ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY in Appleton, Wisconsin. That Kinoton MP-75E will handle 4/35, 5/70 & 8/70 presentations.
Regarding converting 30-fps Todd-AO to 24-fps, there were only 2 features filmed at 30-fps: OKLAHOMA and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. Both of these pictures were filmed with both 35mm and 70mm equipment. OKLAHOMA used 2 different setups for 35mm and 70mm, while 80 DAYS filmed both processes simultaneously. They did not use a special pull-down printer to generate the 35mm prints. You can find documentation on this at www.widescreenmuseum.com, a very, very good website for information on wide-screen technical processes.
It’s not just the theatre…its the surrounding area and what is happening there. The area around the Lincoln used to be a very bad place to be at night…now, much effort has been made to correct that and, with the proximity to the King Arts center, it is succeeding. The area around the Main is an extremely high crime area…one of the highest in the area. No theatre, no matter how interesting the programming, will succeed there unless there is improvement to the entire area. You must work with the entire community, not just the theatre, to have any type of success.
Putting a theatre in either the Main or Hudson site would be a total waste of time. No way those areas would support a theatre.
The Garden would be a possibility and an arts-friendly area, but parking would be a real hassle down there. You would have to solve the parking problem to succeed.
Thanks, Ron, for reminding me of The Forum. A nice little 3-screen facillity that seat a couple of hundred each. Don’t know about the condition of the building though…it has been empty a long time.
The only empty theatre I know is an 8-plex on the far west side. It is very close to the new casino, however. There is a 16-screen REGAL about 5 miles away and a 10-screen Starplex about 7 miles away.
Chris, you will find that Michael Coate’s lists are extremely accurate. That would give you a good place to start. After that, nothing beats sitting down at a microfilm terminal and looking up ads in the New York Times. Many libraries have New York Times indexes that also might give you a clue.
And don’t assume that the Roadshow era began in ‘55 and ended in '72…there are many examples of roadshow screenings before and after those dates.
Opened 7/11/1953 with TITANIC (starring Clifton Webb & HITCHHIKER. Advertised “Spacious Entrance and Exit for safety & speed, completely paved parking for greater safety and protection of your car, new and convenient Snack Bar easily accessible for all patrons, Latest Improved Individual speakers for each car, and Enjoy your movies in the cool of the evening.” Among others, good wishes were extended by Crumley Hudson (Columbus' only Hudson dealer), Howard Johnson Restaurant, Marble Cliff Quarries and the Circle Drive In (Stop in after the movie — Convenient Curb service.)
The CAMEO closed on 9/26/1962, with its final features being ATLANTIS LOST CONTINENT & SADDLE THE WIND.
Again, I can find NO proof that this theatre was ever called the COMET. I’ve checked newspaper listings from 1946 to 1962, and this theatre was always called the CAMEO. Does anyone have any evidence of the name COMET?
MovieMgr, I was a student at Capital University during your management years at the Bexley. You had some good movies running there then!
Was there any remnant of the mirror system there while you were there?
I have a closing date for that theatre of 8/31/1953.
Thanks for those links to those interviews.
The unique Vistavision Framing Guide appeared at the start of the reel after the changeover.
View link
Thank you, retroguy, for checking in to that. I was wondering if that project was moving forward. It would take a lot of money to put that building back into running condition.
Looking closely at the marquee of The Woods, it looks like the theatre was playing THE HAPPY THEIVES with Rita Hayworth and Rex Harrison. IMDB shows a release date of this of December, 1961.
Sure are some BIG cars parked on that street!
Looks like the Linden had a closing date in the mid-sixties. It’s hard to pin down accurately, as they went “adult” near the end and adult theatres weren’t listed in the daily directories.
This was one of the few neighborhood theatres in Columbus with a balcony.
County records show the land purchased by the Public Library on 5/6/1966.
The article from Boxoffice says that the College Park was to be the second theatre in Indianapolis to be able to show “70mm films in Dolby Stereo sound”. (March 1985, pg. 109) So, there certainly could be other 70mm locations, but only one other with 70mm Dolby.
And you do have to be VERY careful with Boxoffice entries, as 2 pages before this they indicate that the Capitol South (Later, City Center) mall in Columbus OH was to have a number of cinema screens, but none were ever put in there.
Phil Sheridan’s “Wonderful Old Downtown Theatres, Vol. 3” lists a Crystal Theatre at 2673 N. High in 1911 and a Crystal Palace at 2573 N. High in 1913. The 2673 N. High address is between Dodridge and Arcadia.
The Big Bear Supermarket on Lane Ave. was also a roller rink. While walking around the store, you could see the curvature of the rink.
Back to the subject at hand, these addresses don’t match up. The Little Art was 2523 N. High, which is south of Hudson St. The 2573 address is north of Hudson St. I think we are talking about two different facillites here.
Next library trip I’ll do a little more digging on this one.
Directly north of the Eastland Mall was AMC Eastland Plaza 6, a simple multiplex with 3 theatres on each side of the lobby.
Across the street from this was Eastland Centre 8. This was a very different floorplan from the other AMC’s in town, and I was told it was not very efficient.
The Livingston reopened on July 6, 1973, showing THE MACK with Max Julien, Don Gordon and Richard Pryor, and BLACK GIRL with Leslie Uggams and Brock Peters (“She’s got to cut it…or cut out.”)
The last ad I could find for the theatre was August 4, 1974, showing TRUCK TURNER with Isaac Hayes and SCREAMING TIGER.
Marty Hart’s WIDESCREEN MUSEUM site has a page on the Scanoscope process. It includes a film-clip that would be rated PG-13.
View link
Please do not imply from my post above that there is proof that the projectionist union was responsible for the bombing. To my knowledge, the persons responsible were never apprehended.
The bomb exploded on the roof of the building on 4/8/1962. The Projectionist’s Local had struck the theatre on 3/3/62 over wages and working hours. The bomb exploded about 25 minutes after the last employee left the building. It was apparently thrown from an alley adjacent to the theatre. Had it been thrown 4 feet farther, it would have done severe damage to the projection booth.
This appears to be the former THE BIG PICTURE THEATRE OF ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY in Appleton, Wisconsin. That Kinoton MP-75E will handle 4/35, 5/70 & 8/70 presentations.
CT listing is at /theaters/14891/
I believe these will only work with the Real-D system, since they use circular polarization.
This is an 8-plex located in a suburb south of Columbus, Ohio. Website address is: http://www.starcinemas-ohio.com/Grove%20City.htm
“The Falls Theater”: Good luck on your negotiations. I wish you well on your project.
Regarding converting 30-fps Todd-AO to 24-fps, there were only 2 features filmed at 30-fps: OKLAHOMA and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. Both of these pictures were filmed with both 35mm and 70mm equipment. OKLAHOMA used 2 different setups for 35mm and 70mm, while 80 DAYS filmed both processes simultaneously. They did not use a special pull-down printer to generate the 35mm prints. You can find documentation on this at www.widescreenmuseum.com, a very, very good website for information on wide-screen technical processes.
It’s not just the theatre…its the surrounding area and what is happening there. The area around the Lincoln used to be a very bad place to be at night…now, much effort has been made to correct that and, with the proximity to the King Arts center, it is succeeding. The area around the Main is an extremely high crime area…one of the highest in the area. No theatre, no matter how interesting the programming, will succeed there unless there is improvement to the entire area. You must work with the entire community, not just the theatre, to have any type of success.
The Columbus west side is becoming increasingly Hispanic. Running films aimed at that audience might do well at the old Westland.
Putting a theatre in either the Main or Hudson site would be a total waste of time. No way those areas would support a theatre.
The Garden would be a possibility and an arts-friendly area, but parking would be a real hassle down there. You would have to solve the parking problem to succeed.
Thanks, Ron, for reminding me of The Forum. A nice little 3-screen facillity that seat a couple of hundred each. Don’t know about the condition of the building though…it has been empty a long time.
The only empty theatre I know is an 8-plex on the far west side. It is very close to the new casino, however. There is a 16-screen REGAL about 5 miles away and a 10-screen Starplex about 7 miles away.
This is the location:
/theaters/17089/
General Cinema mid-80’s build.
There are a few very old single screens in town, but those are not areas that would support a cinema.
Chris, you will find that Michael Coate’s lists are extremely accurate. That would give you a good place to start. After that, nothing beats sitting down at a microfilm terminal and looking up ads in the New York Times. Many libraries have New York Times indexes that also might give you a clue.
And don’t assume that the Roadshow era began in ‘55 and ended in '72…there are many examples of roadshow screenings before and after those dates.