The Village

F.Y.I.

I'm currently employed with United Artists as the manager of the Cinema 150 and thought you might like to know that seats are a special order high back seat with collapseable arm rests and are covered in scarlet crushed velvet. The theatre currently has a compliment numbering 700. The screen has a pitch of 150 degrees thus it's namesake. This is important to know because the auditorium as a whole has been molded in a semi circle to better accent the pitch of the screen. The desired effect is that comparable to an amphitheater.

This is a great theatre that holds lots of memories for me. While it might not be the most beautiful or filled with fanciful artistic appointments. This theatre has always had great movies, first class sound, a beautiful screen and every seat is a winner. What more could a movie goer ask for. When I am in Arkansas I like to stop by for a movie. It isn't often enough.

James

I grew up in Little Rock and also have great memories of the Cinema 150. Saw many great movies there as a kid such as Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Top Gun. I have yet to go to a theater that rivals what the Cinema 150 had. Unfortunately, I read that in May of 2003 United Artists finally shut down the 150 because a new theater opened up with 20 screens not to far away. The last showing at the 150 according to the article I read was X2: X-Men United on May 26, 2003. I will always remember the 150 for the unique design, huge screen, and great sound. They sure don't build 'em like the used to.

- Dustin Smith
Denver, CO

The address for the UA Cinema 150 is 3901 University Ave.

The last film I saw here was "The Patriot". Great screen, comfortable seats . . . and gone. So sad!

United Artists is a strange company... the theatres that everybody hates stay open and are run into the ground, and the ones that are maintained and well-liked by the public get closed - go figure!

I guess the secret is if you happen to find a clean, maintained UA theatre that you like and return to frequently, DO NOT let the UA management find out or they will close it down (apparently it doesn't fit their image). The UA'a that people complain about and criticize stay open forever.

How true...........

Current news is that this location may be purchased and cleared to build a restaurant. I worked for UA for many years including this location and corp in Denver. There are a lot of great old locations that they just can't afford to keep open. It's a shame. This is a fun place to see a movie.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/news/article.asp?aid=41011&cid=

I'm not sure if anyone has heard but there is a lady in Little Rock trying to save the 150 as a landmark. Hey more power to her. I love that place. I remember many times I spent there, either watching movies or taging along with my dad and brother when there were problems in the both. I worked at the Drive Inn in Sherwood but filled in a couple of times at the 150. They do not make theatres like that anymore. I was able to take my children to see several movies before it closed, I wanted them to really know what a theatre rush was like.

For everyone's information, I was working at this theater when it closed down. The last big time movie that had a sold out crowd at the theater was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This theater will always hold a special place inside me. I remember going to this theater as a kid and working there when it closed was heartbreaking. It was an old building but it was truly state of the art, I'll never forget the monstrous screen and how the seats shook when the woofers underneath them rumbled. We were trying to get a movie program going where once a week or every couple of weeks we would show a classic movie at the theater to promote increased attendance to the theater but the Regal Entertainment Group (once United Artists, Regal Cinemas and Edwards Theaters) corporate marketers didn't want to hear about it. People blame the closure on the new Rave theater that opened up nearby but I blame the Regal Corporate office for not taking advantage of the true gem of a theater that they had. People would come from all around Arkansas and even some from out of state just to watch a new blockbuster movie at that theater. I actually have one of the old D-150 projection lenses that was once used when the theater first opened up. But alas, in the end it still closed. When the last showing ended of X2: X-Men United the crowd of about 200 gave a standing ovation to the theater; after the movie a lot of the customers stood around and we all shared memories of the theater. Needless to say, we went out in style.

I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face two years after the closing of a monument. I remember that night all too well! Memorial Day weekend 2003. On Monday we got a phone call from corporate because they didn't believe our numbers could possibly be correct. They didn't believe we had that many supporters on closing night. With VERY little notice, we still had people come from all over to say goodbye to the best movie theater in the world, and many, many more phone calls the following few days as we cleaned the building out. I have been in MANY theaters during my time as a manager, and to this day I have never seen a better presentation.

I read the article that was posted in The Arkansas Democrat Gazette and I'm angry now. The 150 did not close down due to the Rave. People went to the Rave when the 150 was sold out for big movies. For the smaller stuff, yeah they might have gone there, but they were going there instead of Breckenridge because the customer service was terrible. The 150 only showed one movie at a time and usually for 3 to 4 weeks. They didn't have any other option. Regal with their lack of concern and abundant greed (the theater was making a profit - just not the multi-millions that the megaplexes do - it had ONE screen for Heaven's sake) is what killed the Cinema 150. They finally had a team of employees there who actually cared about the facility and they chose not to listen.

If it had to close, it was appropriate for the doors to close on Memorial Day Weekend. Because while Corporate America can and forever will place quantity above quality, the Cinema 150 will remain forever in the memories and hearts of those who were blessed by the presentation the theater had to offer.

To my staff and to my patrons. Thank you for some of the best memories a person could have!

For those of you who have not heard, the Cinema 150 has been purchased by an outfit out of Missouri and is to be torn down. There was an attempt by a woman in Little Rock to revamp the theater, but she was unsuccessful. It's a sad day in theater history!!

This is truly sad. I would love to see more pics of this theatre if anyone has any that they can scan and post. :-(
My eyes are tear-filled for the Cinema 150 as they are for the Beekman in New York.

I live in Little Rock and heard on the radio this morning that the 150 is being re-opened as a live music venue. So, no more movies, but the building is saved.
Apparently there are already concerts booked for October and November of 2006.

I was an assistant manager at the time of the Cinema 150's closure. It has been heart breaking to watch it slowly disintegrate over the years so I am excited that someone was able to purchase her and give her the up keep she deserves.

A bit more on the plan to convert the Cinema 150 to a concert venue: many of the existing seats will remain in place, with a "pit" at the front and luxury boxes in the back. Is this the best and highest use of the theater? Probably, considering the realities of the marketplace. This distinct building at a very heavily traveled intersection will be saved, and its location across the street from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a pretty good fit for a well-managed concert venue. News reports indicate that its capacity will be about 1,100, filling a gap in Little Rock for medium-sized events.

http://www.thevillagelive.com/about/gallery

This is the website for the concert venue that took over the place, with photos.

The UA CINEMA 150 opened on August 21, 1968 with "The Odd Couple" as the debut attraction.

The theatre's first "Dimension 150" presentation was "2001: A Space Odyssey" which had a seven-week run beginning October 30, 1968.

What a great reuse the theatre stays intact.

It is a great use and I know many people always talked about what a great nightclub it would be if it ever closed. Close enough. On the down side, there don't seem to be many bookings for acts and maintenance on the building doesn't seem to be getting done. A drive by shows a lot of needed roof repair that is just getting worse. It's a great building, but not one you can ignore. The problems will pile up.

There is an interesting story about the theatre. The United Artists real estate man, a gentleman name Bob Bouchee (BOO-SHAY, not sure of the spelling) told the UA management that the corner of Asher and University was THE "spot" where the theatre should be built. UA was in agreement, but the owner of the shopping center was not. They did not want a theatre on their property. So, UA went in, negotiated, and bought the entire shopping center. So UA not only made a lot of money from the theatre, they collected rents for many years from the various tenants of the center, including Casa Bonita, the popular Mexican restaurant. At one point, the longtime city manager for UA in Little Rock, Robin Wightman, was moving the UA city offices from the Arkansas Theatre in downtown Little Rock to the back of the UA University Quartet (formerly the John Miller Cinema 4-plex). Someone asked Wightman why UA didn't locate their offices in the shopping center across the street, since the theatre circuit owned it. His reply? "We can't afford the rent!"

As people talked of the last film that played at Cinema 150, I remember the first. I believe it was Gone with the Wind. This was a re-release either in 1969, maybe 1970. The movie that followed or the one in my memory was American Graffiti. Then so many others.

My strongest memories were the Disaster films, Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno. I think my final count of seeing Poseidon was almost 40 times. As a young teenager, I felt people were coming to see my films. It was always a full house. The huge hallways leading to the lobby. The photos of the films in the glass case ( or was it just a wall?) as you walk up to the Auditorium. I even remember the bathrooms and people smoking in the lobby. And if it was a huge flick, as most were, the line formed around the outside dome. Barbra Streisand's A Star is Born - the line snaked around outside every night.

Leaving Arkansas many years ago I never saw the last film there. I'm glad to read the send out it had. I did see "The Last Picture Show" that was The Height's last film in the 80s. Unfortunately these theatres are gone. Just the memories left. Like coming out of 150 one night after a movie and seeing wet Ash on our cars, discovering it was Ash from Mount St. Helens explosion which was only a day or two earlier. Watching ALIEN and when the creature exploded from John Hurt’s stomach to a silent audience watching in shock, that is, until some guy way down in the lower section says, "My God it's a Dick with teeth," where then the entire house exploded with laughter. Me and my Buddies from Hall High all going to see Close Encounters of the Third Kind and having my arm touch the arm of another guy next to me which was taboo causing for a quick yank. Yet I left it there. It was my friend Donald Gordon who was dying of cancer. He died the next year.

I always dreamed maybe one of my films could play there. I guess I'll have to keep enjoying just the dream.

My Dad, Robin Wightman was the City Manager at the time the UA Cinema 150 was built. I remember well the time the big screen was being shipped from London to Little Rock. My Father was a wreck! He said that one small tear during the installation of this very delicate screen would halt the opening of the theater. My Father lived by the motto "The Show Must Go On". As a very young girl, I remember the Caddo River Bridge in Arkadelphia being closed due to dangerous flooding. My Father convinced them to let him walk across the bridge to pick up the cans of film so the theater would not have to close down. He started as an usher with the old Robb & Rowley Theaters and worked his way up to District Manager of United Artists. When Glen Campbell came to Little Rock for the opending of "True Grit", he was ill and my Father called our family Dr. for an appointment.

Great to see the comment by Diane Wightman Battle. Her Dad was one of the finest showmen to ever work in Arkansas. Another was Clarence L. Hobbs, who was the district manager for the UA theatres outside of Little Rock. Those theatres were in small towns (Fort Smith, Clarksville, Morrilton, Conway, Benton, Malvern, Arkadelphia and Magnolia). He called his district "The Big 8!" Wightman and Hobbs were incredible, creative, hard working and 100% for the company. They also had much respect for one another. As Diane said, Robin did a great job in Arkadelphia, and went on to Little Rock, where he was DM for Little Rock and Memphis. I worked for Clarence Hobbs on two occasions, once in Conway, and the other time in Arkadelphia. There aren't any like them anymore. Both have since died. Clarence used to tell me: "Richard, whenever I die, if I get to heaven, I sure hope they don't put me in charge of a damn movie theatre!"

I would like to thank Mr. Robinson for his very kind comments about my Dad. He and Mr. Hobbs were "Showmen" in every sense of the word. If there are movie theatres in heaven, I have a feeling Mr. Hobbs and my Dad are running them.

I've always been curious how this theatre got built all the way out in Arkansas. It was my impression that Vincent Raney started all the domes for Syufy back in the 60's, it's weird that UA would have built one in Arkansas.

But from what I can tell this is identical to all the domes that Syufy built in California. The Century theatres in San Jose, Pleasant Hill, Sacramento, Reno and Salt Lake City. Does anybody have more information about this or is it just early theatre inbreeding between the Naifys and Syufys?

I'm not sure how the D-150 theatres began, or even how the Rowley United Division of United Artists Theatre Circuit chose Little Rock as a site. In those days, though, Little Rock was a heck of a showtown, and UT virtually owned the town, theatre wise. The investment paid off, as the UA Cinema 150 was considered "THE" theatre in Arkansas to go and see a movie in. The film companies used to fight to get their pictures shown there. While the 150 in Little Rock was a great theatre, my personal favorite was the Heights Theatre in Little Rock. But both are gone now. They are now a part of Arkansas theatre history, and days gone by.

Say, does anyone know what is the largest 35mm/digital screen operating in Little Rock today?