Edina Cinema
3911 W. 50th Street,
Edina,
MN
55424
3911 W. 50th Street,
Edina,
MN
55424
7 people
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Related Websites
Mann Theatres, MN (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: Mann Theatres, MN
Previously operated by: Cineplex Odeon, Landmark Theatres (USA)
Architects: Jack J. Liebenberg
Firms: Liebenberg and Kaplan
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Edina Theatre, Edina 2, Edina 3, Edina 4
Nearby Theaters
The Edina Theatre opened August 31, 1934 with George Burns & Gracie Allen in “Many Happy Returns”. Seating 1,300, it was designed by the firm of Liebenberg & Kaplan in flamboyant Art Deco style. It cost between $80,000 and $100,000 to erect. At the time, it was the largest theatre in suburban Minneapolis.
Though initial reaction by the citizens of Edina Theatre to a glitzy movie house was mixed at best, especially to a glittering marquee in downtown Edina (which was remedied by switching the design of the marquee from a standard canopy marquee to a tower marquee), it was an almost immediate success.
The Edina Theatre boasted all of the most modern technology of the day, including hearing devices for the hard of hearing. However, it also featured enough glamour and luxury to remind patrons of the downtown movie palaces of earlier years, such as a large stage, a 300 seat balcony and seating for 1,000 on the orchestra level, air-conditioning, a large fireplace in the lobby for the cold Minnesota winters, murals in the lobby depicting old Edina, stylish Art Deco furniture, and even a nursery for children.
In 1951, during a severe wind storm, the towering marquee was bent in half but soon repaired. However, three decades later, when a twister hit Edina, the theatre’s marquee was totally destroyed, but was recreated in 1981 and is now a listed historic landmark.
The Edina Theatre was twinned and remodeled in December 1976, and it was planned that the Edina 2 would now screen art and foreign fare; however, this wouldn’t actually come to fruition until much later. In December 1980, the Edina Theatre was triplexed.
In 1988, the theatre’s then-operator, Cineplex Odeon closed the Edina 3 and all but its Art Deco landmark façade and marquee were torn down. A modern, two level fourplex was built behind the façade, opening December 16, 1988.
Loews Cineplex shuttered the Edina Cinema in January of 2003, but in March 2003, the theatre was acquired by the Landmark Theatres chain, and finally became the art house that it was originally intended to become in the late-1970’s. It was closed on March 16, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In May 2021 Landmark Theatres announced the closure would be permanent. In February 2022 Mann Theatres announced that renovations would be carried out with proposed reopening in June 2022. It reopened in early-May 2023.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
August 31st, 1934 grand opening ad in the photo section.
August 31st, 1934, December 25th, 1976, December 5th, 1980 and December 16th, 1988 grand opening ads in the photo section.
The Edina Cinema closed for the COVID-19 pandemic n March 16, 2020. Landmark Theatres announced in May of 2021 that the closure would be permanent.
Mann Theatres, who operated the Edina briefly in the 1970s, announced that they were returning to the house with plans to renovate and reopen it. This article in TCB Magazine says that the plans include a bar and, in one small auditorium, a stage for intimate live performances. A mixture of first-run Hollywood movies and independent films is planned. They expect to have the theater reopened sometime this coming summer.
I don’t know why the link in my previous comment isn’t working. Maybe this one will.
Does anyone know if there were any other theaters that Cineplex Odeon remodeled and rebuilt in this fashion where they salvaged a vintage front facade, marquee and lobby but completely rebuilt the auditorium section? This was so well executed.
Once operated by Plitt.
Once operated by Plitt Theatres, later Cineplex Odeon, and later Loews Cineplex.
Inside the Revamped Edina Theatre The 50th & France landmark reopens with new owners and nods to the past.
by Cynthia Maya CultureOctober 1, 2022
Nearly three years after shutting down at the onset of the pandemic, the historic Edina Theatre reopened Friday under new local ownership. Mann Theaters is focused on the experience of movie going, which you can’t get while streaming from home, like heated seats and a bar designed to replicate Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic, The Shining.
The almost 90-year old theater boasts renovations throughout, including a forthcoming performance stage, updated screens and sound system, and new heated reclining seats.
Mann Theaters president Steve Mann, who actually owned the Edina Theatre once before for a short stint in the 1970s, gave credit to his children Michelle and Michael, who now run the business. “They’re responsible for all these remarkable ideas,” he said at a private grand opening party on Thursday.
Along with nods to old Hollywood like the elegant lobby chandelier, and historic photos including one of the 1981 storm that took out the iconic Edina marquee, the theater has been updated for the 21st Century with automated ticket kiosks and self-serve concessions. (There’s still an employee-staffed box office, for those who prefer to buy tickets the old fashioned way.) New concession items include pizza, chicken nuggets, and milk shakes.
Upstairs, visitors enter a whole new cinematic dimension in the Gold Room Bar, almost an exact replica of the Gold Ballroom from The Shining. The idea came to co-owner Michelle Mann when she and her brother toured the theater a year and a half ago. “Because of the way [the space] is structured, The Shining just came into our head, so that’s where it started,” Michelle Mann says. “We were like, ‘Guess what, Dad?’ We want to do this exactly like The Shining.’ He thought we were crazy but we said, ‘trust us.’” The result is an immersive experience that feels like stepping right into a movie scene—from the subtly chilling bathrooms, the REDRUM door, the hotel lobby scene and creepy twins looking over your shoulder as you enjoy a cocktail.
As an homage to the decoration, the theater is showing The Shining for its opening weekend along with three other movies; The Good House, Don’t Worry Darling, and Bros. Long known for indie films, the Edina will now show a mix of arthouse movies and Hollywood blockbusters.
Sitting in the heart of the 50th & France district neighboring businesses anticipate an uptick in foot traffic. “It’ll make us busier for sure. I think it’ll bring more people to the neighborhood,” says Vanessa Wheeler, the general manager at Pajarito restaurant across the street from the theater. Right next door to the theater, Bluebird Boutique co-owner Allison Mowery says she can’t wait to smell the popcorn again. “We’re thrilled to see our neighbor reopen, and so excited about the variety of movies they’ll be showing now!”
With a nod to the neighborhood, the opening event featured refreshments from surrounding businesses, including Mr. Paul’s Supper Club. Executive chef and owner Tommy Begnaud says, “We absolutely believe the theater will benefit Mr. Paul’s and all the restaurants and shops in the 50th & France district. There’s a lot of energy here, and having a theater experience just gives people one more reason to come and stay a while.”
The new stage for live performances is expected to draw small theater groups, comedians, and musical acts.
“We wanted to make it a destination” Michelle Mann says. “A place you’re not going to forget when you come in.”
Please update, rename theatre to Mann Edina 4 and total seats 376 due to installation of heated recliners by Mann Theatres in 2021, newspaper article in the photos section Mann Theatre reopened the theatre on September 30, 2022
Theatre 1 88
Theatre 2 105
Theatre 3 76
Theatre 4 107