Cedar-Lee Theatre

2163 Lee Road,
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

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Related Websites

Cleveland Cinemas (Official)

Additional Info

Operated by: Cleveland Cinemas

Previously operated by: Community Circuit Theaters, Universal Chain Theatrical Enterprises Inc.

Architects: Nicola Petti

Functions: Movies (Classic), Movies (Foreign), Movies (Independent)

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 440.528.0355

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News About This Theater

Cedar-Lee Theatre

The Cedar-Lee Theatre was opened December 29, 1925. It was twinned on March 16, 1984. It is the premiere Cleveland movie theatre for independent, foreign and specialty films.

Contributed by Lisa Craig

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on November 28, 2010 at 8:51 pm

An article about the theater’s eighty-fifth birthday, incliding a picture from 1940: View link

Eric K.
Eric K. on January 14, 2011 at 1:09 am

Just wanted to mention that The Cedar-Lee (& now The Capitol Theatre)have hosted for the last few years what is now called The Melt Bar & Grilled Late Shift series which shows great cult films of the 70s-90s. It runs Jan-Dec, 1 film a month (so 12 films a year) which screen at 9:30pm and Midnight, and only costs $5. I always end up going to at least half of them, this month was Full Metal Jacket for example. The series was originally called The Cult Film Series, then Cleveland Cinemas Late Shit, and now the title I mentioned earlier is named from its new sponsor, a corner bar/restaurant called Melt Bar & Grilled.

rivest266
rivest266 on March 13, 2011 at 12:08 pm

December 29th, 1925 grand opening ad is at View link

rlausche
rlausche on August 3, 2011 at 11:45 pm

I remember this theatre when it was a single screen. Owned by Community Circuit. It played first runs in the late 60s and early 70s. My girl firend (now my wife) use to go there when the films changed.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 19, 2012 at 7:53 am

The January 3, 1926, issue of The Film Daily carried a brief notice of the opening of this theater:

“Cleveland — The Cedar-Lee theater, the seventh and newest house operated by Dr. B. I. Brody and his associates, was opened Dec. 28. It is a 1,200 seat house, located in Cleveland Heights. Dr. Brody has leased it for 17 years at an aggregate amount of about $300,000. The opening attraction was ‘A King on Main Street.’”

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 6, 2012 at 3:57 pm

The July 2, 1929, issue of The Film Daily ran the following obituary for architect Nicola Petti:

“Cleveland — Nocoli [sic] Petti, local architect who designed ten local picture theaters, is dead after a brief illness. He was 49 years old. Among the houses designed by Petti are the Uptown, Variety, Kinsman, Cedar-Lee and Imperial. He is survived by three sons and two daughters.”

rivest266
rivest266 on January 19, 2014 at 2:07 pm

December 29th, 1925 grand opening ad is now in the photo section.

robboehm
robboehm on April 2, 2016 at 3:18 pm

Would be nice to know the full history how it morphed from a single screen to 6.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 6, 2018 at 4:51 pm

Circa 1970 photo added courtesy of Larry Rose.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 30, 2021 at 7:00 pm

Two screens on March 16th, 1984. Ad posted.

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