This was my favorite Atlanta theater. My brother and I would ride the bus from Hapeville downtown to see movies at the Loews Grand. We saw Hello Dolly, The April Fools, Ben Hur among other movies in the late 1960s.
By the 1970s things had changed for the Loews Grand. They began showing B-movies and the Blacksploitation films. Almost a year before it closed it did hold the premier of Galdys Knight’s movie Pipe Dreams.
While in undergrad school at Georgia State, I did manage to catch two movies at the Loews Grand, Obsession and The Farmer. Obsession was on a double bill with Taxi Driver. I now wish I had seen Taxi Driver there because that was a perfect place to see the movie.
I did try to make the final showing there. I thought it would have been at 9:45, but they had the earlier show as the final showing.
After the theater burned, I managed to buy two chairs from the auditorium. One was from the floor, and the other was from the balcony which was there when Gone With The Wind had its premier. I also have some pieces of the theater in my back yard. One put a permanent dent in my old Gremlin.
I really miss the Loews Grand. Perhaps if Georgia Pacific had not decided to move to Atlanta, and the theater was kept, it could have been a concert venue.
The Magic Johnson Theater is actually outside the mall. JC Penney closed and became an Uptons, then a Burlington Coat Factory.
I remember going to the Greenbriar theater quite a bit during the 70s and early 80s. Like Stan said, it was not the same after twinning the auditorium.
This is one of the best places to see a movie in Atlanta. Of course you do not have stadium seating or especially large screens. The catch is that the audience behaves during the movie unlike the mall multiplexes namely AMC Southlake 24.
I remember riding the bus from Hapeville to the Capri in Buckhead. My brother and I would go see movies here. The Capri was the best theater to see Sensurround movies. I remember seeing “Earthquake” and “Roller Coaster” here. Unfortunately “Roller coaster was the final movie at the old Capri.
I went once or twice when it was the Cinema and Drafthouse and they probably should not have bothered. People would interrupt you asking if you wanted anything.
Have not been since it became a concert venue. Hope it does not share the fate of many other old palaces.
The first time I went to this theater was to a private screening of Airport 1975 at midweek matinee. The theater was not grand but not a bad place to see a movie. It seems at that time the rear of the building was a smoking section.
From time to time I would see movies here. The last was the opus “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.” My how the mighty have fallen.
From what I remember, this theater closed about the same time Westgate closed.
Like I said it was not a palace but not a bad place to see movies.
As far as I can remember the Lakewood stayed open until the late 1980s. The last movie to appear on the marquee was “Shocker” which dates to 1989. At the time, the Lakewood was not even advertising in the AJC so it musy have been an independent.
To the best of my knowledge, this theater lasted into the early 1990s. I do remember the Lily Tomlin, Bette Middler file Big Business playing there. This was a 1988 film. George Lafont enlarged the lobby to a coffee shop. It did seem like a very small theater when it was open.
In the 1990s there was a television movie made in Atlanta called Soul Survivor. Isaac Hayes was in it as well as three other African American actors. They played a defunct soul group that a British DJ wanted to bring back. When he first came to Memphis (although the movie was filmed in Atlanta) he came to this theater to see a recording studio. The exterior was the old Ashby Theater but the interior did not look like it does from the outside.
This was another nice theater I attended in my younger life. I was there on its opening night and saw “Last Flight of Noah’s Ark” and the original animated “101 Dalmations.”
Each auditorium has excellent sound. As the theater expanded, it was still kept up.
I think the last movie I saw there was Arnold Swartzenager’s (excuse the spelling) “Eraser,” a perfectly awful movie. Sad ending to a once nice theater.
Nice picture. Although I grew up in Hapeville and still live there, my family had a friend who lived up Glenwood Road from the Glen. By the time I remember seeing the Glen, it had already become a porno house. Also in the 1970s the Glen was notorious for showing the double bill, “Deep Throat” and “The Devil in Miss Jones.” I even remember hearing people who had classes with me at Georgia State that they went there to see the movies.
I know the Canton Corners Twin was the first theater around Atlanta to have “Star Wars” in Dolby. But in 1977, it was not widely considered part of metro Atlanta. Outside of that, in the 5-county metro area, The Buford Highway Twin was the first to have “Star Wars in Dolby.
I have not seen the Canton Corners Twin listed. Maybe you should list it.
How the mighty have fallen. I remember after “Star Wars” ended it first run at the metro Atlanta theaters, it played as a second run here for almost 6 months. This was the first Atlanta theater to play “Star Wars” in Dolby Stereo.
What a shame that a true palace went to seed. I remember seeing the movie Winning there in the 1960’s. My brother, a friend and I rode the bus downtown and caught the matinee. Later on I saw a few movies between morning and afternoon classes at Georgia State.
What was very impressive about the Rialto was the large sequined letters that went on the marquee. I loved seeing them. They actually glowed with lit marquee behind them. Unfortunately, the marquee was changed to what it is now before the theater closed.
The last movie I saw there was Superman 3. It was an evening show with the lights on during the show. Actually the crowd was better behaved than at the current Southlake 24.
This theater was a joke. Unfortunately at the time, most theaters wer going to this. Three long hallways with TV screens at the end. Even though this was suppose to be a major player in the market, it was the last one to install Dolby stereo in one auditorium. Southlake Plaza was a far superior theater. At least there, you had big screens and auditoriums that looked like auditoriums, not hallways.
At least this place closed before Southlake Pavillion opened. It was closed to put a Sports Authority and Office Max.
This may be a good place to see a movie but the last time I went there the person at the consession stand was extremely rude.
The person ahead of me in line told me to go ahead. The consession person refused to wait on me saying I broke in line. Needless to say I complained to the manager, and received a refund and have not been back since. I also have no plans to ever go there again.
Though I have never been to Cleveland, I remember looking in Variety during the 1970’s and seeing what theaters grossed and what they were playing. I seem to remember, the Embassy’s last feature was a double bill of “Carrie” and “Demon Seed.”
This theater was quite a step-up from the General Cinema Southlake I II III. The auditoriums were very nice and the large screens were enjoyable. Toward the end of its existance, you could smell disinfectant throughout the auditoriums.
The theater was the first to close before the AMC Southlake 24 opened. It was actually closed before AMC opened.
I remember seeing “Gone With The Wind” with my family during the late 1960’s. I don’t know why but my father wanted to sit in the smoking section.
This was not palace but in the 60’s and 70’s was not a bad place either. In the 1970’s this was a vibrant shopping center with a huge disco, Mr B’s Figure 8. Also in the 1960’s Lester Maddox’s Pickwick Restaurant was located here.
When they split the auditorium, It looked almost as dinky as when they split one of Old Dixie’s auditoriums. Still the big auditorium was good to see a movie.
The last time I went, I saw a treasure called “Deadtime Stories.”
Like I said, it was not a palace but before they split one auditorium, it was a good place to catch a movie.
While listening to the news last night, there was a story about the owner’s son being shot while leaving the theater. Someone apparently tried to rob them.
There have been stories recently in the news of how the neighborhood is trying to shut the theater down but to now avail.
While listening to the news last night, there was a story about the owner’s son being shot while leaving the theater. Someone apparently tried to rob them.
There have been stories recently in the news of how the neighborhood is trying to shut the theater down but to now avail.
This was my favorite Atlanta theater. My brother and I would ride the bus from Hapeville downtown to see movies at the Loews Grand. We saw Hello Dolly, The April Fools, Ben Hur among other movies in the late 1960s.
By the 1970s things had changed for the Loews Grand. They began showing B-movies and the Blacksploitation films. Almost a year before it closed it did hold the premier of Galdys Knight’s movie Pipe Dreams.
While in undergrad school at Georgia State, I did manage to catch two movies at the Loews Grand, Obsession and The Farmer. Obsession was on a double bill with Taxi Driver. I now wish I had seen Taxi Driver there because that was a perfect place to see the movie.
I did try to make the final showing there. I thought it would have been at 9:45, but they had the earlier show as the final showing.
After the theater burned, I managed to buy two chairs from the auditorium. One was from the floor, and the other was from the balcony which was there when Gone With The Wind had its premier. I also have some pieces of the theater in my back yard. One put a permanent dent in my old Gremlin.
I really miss the Loews Grand. Perhaps if Georgia Pacific had not decided to move to Atlanta, and the theater was kept, it could have been a concert venue.
The Magic Johnson Theater is actually outside the mall. JC Penney closed and became an Uptons, then a Burlington Coat Factory.
I remember going to the Greenbriar theater quite a bit during the 70s and early 80s. Like Stan said, it was not the same after twinning the auditorium.
This is one of the best places to see a movie in Atlanta. Of course you do not have stadium seating or especially large screens. The catch is that the audience behaves during the movie unlike the mall multiplexes namely AMC Southlake 24.
I remember riding the bus from Hapeville to the Capri in Buckhead. My brother and I would go see movies here. The Capri was the best theater to see Sensurround movies. I remember seeing “Earthquake” and “Roller Coaster” here. Unfortunately “Roller coaster was the final movie at the old Capri.
I went once or twice when it was the Cinema and Drafthouse and they probably should not have bothered. People would interrupt you asking if you wanted anything.
Have not been since it became a concert venue. Hope it does not share the fate of many other old palaces.
The first time I went to this theater was to a private screening of Airport 1975 at midweek matinee. The theater was not grand but not a bad place to see a movie. It seems at that time the rear of the building was a smoking section.
From time to time I would see movies here. The last was the opus “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.” My how the mighty have fallen.
From what I remember, this theater closed about the same time Westgate closed.
Like I said it was not a palace but not a bad place to see movies.
As far as I can remember the Lakewood stayed open until the late 1980s. The last movie to appear on the marquee was “Shocker” which dates to 1989. At the time, the Lakewood was not even advertising in the AJC so it musy have been an independent.
To the best of my knowledge, this theater lasted into the early 1990s. I do remember the Lily Tomlin, Bette Middler file Big Business playing there. This was a 1988 film. George Lafont enlarged the lobby to a coffee shop. It did seem like a very small theater when it was open.
In the 1990s there was a television movie made in Atlanta called Soul Survivor. Isaac Hayes was in it as well as three other African American actors. They played a defunct soul group that a British DJ wanted to bring back. When he first came to Memphis (although the movie was filmed in Atlanta) he came to this theater to see a recording studio. The exterior was the old Ashby Theater but the interior did not look like it does from the outside.
Though not a palace, the Shannon 8 was a nice place to see a movie. At least people behaved during the movies unlike its Southlake counterpart.
One evening, a friend and I went and saw “Flowers In The Attic” then sneaked over and saw “Nuts” at an auditorium on the other end of the theater.
This was another nice theater I attended in my younger life. I was there on its opening night and saw “Last Flight of Noah’s Ark” and the original animated “101 Dalmations.”
Each auditorium has excellent sound. As the theater expanded, it was still kept up.
I think the last movie I saw there was Arnold Swartzenager’s (excuse the spelling) “Eraser,” a perfectly awful movie. Sad ending to a once nice theater.
Nice picture. Although I grew up in Hapeville and still live there, my family had a friend who lived up Glenwood Road from the Glen. By the time I remember seeing the Glen, it had already become a porno house. Also in the 1970s the Glen was notorious for showing the double bill, “Deep Throat” and “The Devil in Miss Jones.” I even remember hearing people who had classes with me at Georgia State that they went there to see the movies.
I know the Canton Corners Twin was the first theater around Atlanta to have “Star Wars” in Dolby. But in 1977, it was not widely considered part of metro Atlanta. Outside of that, in the 5-county metro area, The Buford Highway Twin was the first to have “Star Wars in Dolby.
I have not seen the Canton Corners Twin listed. Maybe you should list it.
How the mighty have fallen. I remember after “Star Wars” ended it first run at the metro Atlanta theaters, it played as a second run here for almost 6 months. This was the first Atlanta theater to play “Star Wars” in Dolby Stereo.
What a shame that a true palace went to seed. I remember seeing the movie Winning there in the 1960’s. My brother, a friend and I rode the bus downtown and caught the matinee. Later on I saw a few movies between morning and afternoon classes at Georgia State.
What was very impressive about the Rialto was the large sequined letters that went on the marquee. I loved seeing them. They actually glowed with lit marquee behind them. Unfortunately, the marquee was changed to what it is now before the theater closed.
The last movie I saw there was Superman 3. It was an evening show with the lights on during the show. Actually the crowd was better behaved than at the current Southlake 24.
Love the pictures. Last time I was in the area the marquee had been torn down but it appears nothing has been put in the space.
This theater was a joke. Unfortunately at the time, most theaters wer going to this. Three long hallways with TV screens at the end. Even though this was suppose to be a major player in the market, it was the last one to install Dolby stereo in one auditorium. Southlake Plaza was a far superior theater. At least there, you had big screens and auditoriums that looked like auditoriums, not hallways.
At least this place closed before Southlake Pavillion opened. It was closed to put a Sports Authority and Office Max.
This may be a good place to see a movie but the last time I went there the person at the consession stand was extremely rude.
The person ahead of me in line told me to go ahead. The consession person refused to wait on me saying I broke in line. Needless to say I complained to the manager, and received a refund and have not been back since. I also have no plans to ever go there again.
Though I have never been to Cleveland, I remember looking in Variety during the 1970’s and seeing what theaters grossed and what they were playing. I seem to remember, the Embassy’s last feature was a double bill of “Carrie” and “Demon Seed.”
The Supreme Court case for Carnal Knowledge came from Albany, Georgia. I think it was in 1971 give or take a year.
This theater was quite a step-up from the General Cinema Southlake I II III. The auditoriums were very nice and the large screens were enjoyable. Toward the end of its existance, you could smell disinfectant throughout the auditoriums.
The theater was the first to close before the AMC Southlake 24 opened. It was actually closed before AMC opened.
An auto detail shop sits on the property.
I remember seeing “Gone With The Wind” with my family during the late 1960’s. I don’t know why but my father wanted to sit in the smoking section.
This was not palace but in the 60’s and 70’s was not a bad place either. In the 1970’s this was a vibrant shopping center with a huge disco, Mr B’s Figure 8. Also in the 1960’s Lester Maddox’s Pickwick Restaurant was located here.
When they split the auditorium, It looked almost as dinky as when they split one of Old Dixie’s auditoriums. Still the big auditorium was good to see a movie.
The last time I went, I saw a treasure called “Deadtime Stories.”
Like I said, it was not a palace but before they split one auditorium, it was a good place to catch a movie.
Outside of the Adelle Theater which is around the corner and off the square, this is the only other theater in Eatonton.
While listening to the news last night, there was a story about the owner’s son being shot while leaving the theater. Someone apparently tried to rob them.
There have been stories recently in the news of how the neighborhood is trying to shut the theater down but to now avail.
While listening to the news last night, there was a story about the owner’s son being shot while leaving the theater. Someone apparently tried to rob them.
There have been stories recently in the news of how the neighborhood is trying to shut the theater down but to now avail.
The Ashby Theater is still standing. The Barber Shop is only in a small part of the building.