I was in senior in high school going to the Cleveland area to check out John Carroll University. I lived in Philadelphia. We (my mom was with me) checked into the Sheraton Terminal Tower the night before my appointment. After dinner, looking for something to do, we decided to see Hitchcock’s The Birds which had just opened (Mar/Apr 1963). Like another poster mentioned, I never saw the interior with the lights on, but you got the impression that it was big…really big. The projection and sound was first rate. Whenever, I saw The Birds later in life, I always thought of that trip to Cleveland. The only other thing I remember that was kind of odd, before the feature they ran a short which was like a music video of Acker Bilk (the English clarinetist) playing his big hit Stranger on the Shore.
I see that a posting I put here several years ago has been removed. I think there is some confusion. The original King Theatre was on the opposite side of the parking lot from what was later called the King & Queen 6. They were two separate buildings in two different locations. The original King was opened as a Jerry Lewis theatre. He attended the opening and there was a plaque in the floor of the ticket lobby that stated such. Shapiro became involved after the Jerry Lewis theater concept failed (they only played family films). Then it was renamed the King. It opened as a single-screen theatre. I went there often in the 60’s. Saw “Dr. Strangelove'” “The Haunting,” “The VIP’s” just to name a few. It was twinned in the early 70’s. That ruined the theatre IMHO. Saw “The Sting” there in 1973.
Lived in DC for only 1 year in 1978. Fondly remember the Tenley Circle as one of the best places to see a movie. Specifically, I remember seeing Phil Kaufmann’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers ” and Terence Malik’s “Days of Heaven” both in 70mm Dolby. So sorry to see it no longer exists as a commercial venue.
I was in senior in high school going to the Cleveland area to check out John Carroll University. I lived in Philadelphia. We (my mom was with me) checked into the Sheraton Terminal Tower the night before my appointment. After dinner, looking for something to do, we decided to see Hitchcock’s The Birds which had just opened (Mar/Apr 1963). Like another poster mentioned, I never saw the interior with the lights on, but you got the impression that it was big…really big. The projection and sound was first rate. Whenever, I saw The Birds later in life, I always thought of that trip to Cleveland. The only other thing I remember that was kind of odd, before the feature they ran a short which was like a music video of Acker Bilk (the English clarinetist) playing his big hit Stranger on the Shore.
I see that a posting I put here several years ago has been removed. I think there is some confusion. The original King Theatre was on the opposite side of the parking lot from what was later called the King & Queen 6. They were two separate buildings in two different locations. The original King was opened as a Jerry Lewis theatre. He attended the opening and there was a plaque in the floor of the ticket lobby that stated such. Shapiro became involved after the Jerry Lewis theater concept failed (they only played family films). Then it was renamed the King. It opened as a single-screen theatre. I went there often in the 60’s. Saw “Dr. Strangelove'” “The Haunting,” “The VIP’s” just to name a few. It was twinned in the early 70’s. That ruined the theatre IMHO. Saw “The Sting” there in 1973.
Lived in DC for only 1 year in 1978. Fondly remember the Tenley Circle as one of the best places to see a movie. Specifically, I remember seeing Phil Kaufmann’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers ” and Terence Malik’s “Days of Heaven” both in 70mm Dolby. So sorry to see it no longer exists as a commercial venue.