The following was sent in by Lowell Angell of THSA:

The Theatre Historical Society of America’s 39th annual summer Conclave/Theatre Tour will visit more than 30 historic theatres July 8-12 in the San Francisco Bay area.

Due to the excellent early response, the tour is currently full, but more space may be made available if there is sufficient interest. THS invites all CT members to add their names to a no-obligation wait-list. There is no cost to do so and if more space becomes available, CT members will receive a special discounted registration rate.

Among the theatres to be visited are the Castro, Curran, ACT/Geary, Golden Gate, Orpheum and Warfield (San Francisco); Fox, Grand Lake and Paramount (Oakland); Del Mar (Santa Cruz); Orinda (Orinda), Fox (Redwood City); State (Monterey); and Alameda (Alameda), and many more.

Read more…

ROME, NY — The Capitol Theatre is showing “Tol’able David” this weekend along with a full night of entertainment.

The 1921 silent film “Tol’able David” will be screened at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Capitol Theatre, 220 W. Dominick St.

A modern-day reworking of the David and Goliath tale, “Tol’able David” tells the story of the youngest child of a family of Virginia farmers who must discover his manhood after his father dies and a trio of escaped convicts cripples his brother. It will be shown in a 35mm archival print from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

More details at the Observer-Dispatch.

For all Cinematreasures readers living in the Sacramento, California, area...
Tonight (Friday, May 9th, 2008), my documentary about historic movie theatres and the people who work hard to save them, “Preserve Me a Seat,” will screen as part of the “Movies On the Big Screen” series at 600 4th Street, West Sacramento (the corner of 4th and F in West Sacremento, just over the river from downtown), California. Admission is $5.00. For those who are interested in seeing the film but are not in the Sacremento, California, area, “Preserve Me a Seat” is also available on dvd at: www.apartment101films.com

We don’t remember a lot about our distant past, but we do remember out favorite movie theatre. “Preserve Me a Seat” is a documentary about these theatres and the ongoing fight to protect and preserve them for future generations. Featuring preservation efforts in Boston (The Gaiety Theatre), Detroit (The former Michigan Theatre), Chicago (The DuPage Theatre), Omaha, (The Indian Hills Cinerama Theatre), and Salt Lake City (The Villa Theatre), “Preserve Me a Seat” will appeal to anyone who has chrished memories of seeing their favorite movies in a grand theatre, and who appreciates the unique architecture of American movie theaters.

Read more…

DERBY, ENGLAND — A petition has been raised to try to save this fine old grade 2 listed theatre from demolition by its owner.

If you would like to add your name to the growing list of signatories, please visit the link below.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/derbyhippodrome/

Lets hope we can raise awareness of the plight of this building before it is too late.

Robert Wood Nudelman, 52, a legendary figure in the fight to preserve Hollywood’s heritage, passed away at his father’s home in Tucson early this week. Ever present at meetings and hearings in the Hollywood community for 30 years, Nudelman is often credited as a driving force behind the restoration of landmark theaters and other buildings in Hollywood, spearheading a renaissance of the once-blighted area.

The loss of such a pivotal community leader has been met with unspeakable shock and sadness. He was the longtime Director of Preservation Issues for Hollywood Heritage, and was a past President and Board Member of the organization and Curator of its Hollywood Heritage Museum. He was a Vice President of the Society for Cinephiles/Cinecon Classic Film Festival and president of the Project Area Committee for the Hollywood Redevelopment Area. At the time of his death, he was working with Debbie and Todd Reynolds on the Hollywood Motion Picture Museum in Tennessee.  

Nudelman was the son of Ruth Donovan Wood and Dr. Sol Nudelman, a leader in medical imaging. He grew up in Illinois and Rhode Island before a stint in Germany and then Tucson. He studied Theater Arts at the University of Arizona. His brother Mark and mother preceded him in death.

Read more…

SACRAMENTO, CA — With a decision on its future still looking, the Sacramento 6 is still operating for the time being.

The on-again, off-again plan to demolish the aging drive-in theater along Bradshaw Road is delayed again.

Sacramento 6 is the last drive-in theater in the region.

Read the full story in the Sacramento Bee.

I have a client that needs approx. 400 seats (used or fairly new in good condition)for a very old theatre in Oklahoma.

Janine Bradford
Cinema Service
Dallas, TX
214-692-7555 #200

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission has recommended that the art deco Majestic Crest in Westwood be given Landmark status. The theater opened in 1940 and underwent major renovations led by Joseph Musil (who later redid the El Capitan theater) in 1987 that transformed it into a neighborhood gem.

The theater, half a mile south of UCLA, features Art Deco Revival architecture and an elaborate hand-painted interior mural that pays homage to Hollywood’s gilded age. The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission has recommended that the Crest be declared a historic-cultural monument, and a key Los Angeles City Council committee is expected to support the nomination today. Those actions are expected to clear the way for approval by the full council.

Read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.

Also check out this one from the same paper that talks about the neighboring Westwood Village with some mentions of its theater history.

IMAX has centralized a larger portion of its ownership with this new deal.

IMAX Corp. has announced that the Douglas family, its largest shareholder, is adding to its stake by buying 2.7 million shares for $18 million in a private placement. As a result of the move, the Douglas family now owns 19.9 percent of the company.

In addition, IMAX also said Wachovia Capital Finance Corp. has agreed to expand and ease the terms of its credit facility.

These transactions will help fund the roll-out of the IMAX digital projection system.

Full press release at: Digital Cinema Info

NEW YORK, NY — This article in the Gothamist discusses the history and present state of the Fortune Theater.