I grew up in neighboring Verona, and I loved this cinema. It was mod-60s comfort and style with nice size. The area-exclusive run of HELLO DOLLY, mentioned in an above posting, was accompanied by a lavish display of costumes from the film all around the mall. The promotional posters and displays were everywhere in the then almost brand-new mall. It was thrilling for a kid with a growing interest in movies. The Willowbrook was different from the other cinema inside the mall, the Little, which was indeed showing porn films by the late 70s on at least one of their screens. It was also different than the better known RKO Theatre outside the mall which lasted longer. The Loewes multiuplex on the other side of the parking lot came much later (maybe the 80s) and has nothing to do with the three theatres (image that, three for 1 mall) in and around the mall dating from the mall’s construction in the 60s and expansion in the early 70s. The Willowbrook was packed for the Bond film “Diamonds are Forever” and later (in the twin phase) I remember lines deep into the mall for “Saturday Night Fever” in Dec. 1977. I’m sorry it was demolished, but I’m glad that it was spared becoming one of those theatres of ugly cut up boxes. It was wonderful as a single-screen, and at least acceptable as a twin. Does anyone remember any more? When did it close?
I grew up in neighboring Verona, and I loved this cinema. It was mod-60s comfort and style with nice size. The area-exclusive run of HELLO DOLLY, mentioned in an above posting, was accompanied by a lavish display of costumes from the film all around the mall. The promotional posters and displays were everywhere in the then almost brand-new mall. It was thrilling for a kid with a growing interest in movies. The Willowbrook was different from the other cinema inside the mall, the Little, which was indeed showing porn films by the late 70s on at least one of their screens. It was also different than the better known RKO Theatre outside the mall which lasted longer. The Loewes multiuplex on the other side of the parking lot came much later (maybe the 80s) and has nothing to do with the three theatres (image that, three for 1 mall) in and around the mall dating from the mall’s construction in the 60s and expansion in the early 70s. The Willowbrook was packed for the Bond film “Diamonds are Forever” and later (in the twin phase) I remember lines deep into the mall for “Saturday Night Fever” in Dec. 1977. I’m sorry it was demolished, but I’m glad that it was spared becoming one of those theatres of ugly cut up boxes. It was wonderful as a single-screen, and at least acceptable as a twin. Does anyone remember any more? When did it close?