MacArthur Theater

The McArthur Theatre was located at 4859 MacArthur Blvd..

The MacArthur was NEVER twined. It was operated by the K-B Theatre chain until the fall of 1982 (the last film was a 70mm reissue of Raiders of the Lost Ark). The management of the theatre was then shifted to the Circle theatre chain. The Circle Theatre chain tripled the theatre but did so in a way that the original stage and front-end remained the same. Steve

I never had the privilege of visiting this theatre during its hey days, but I have had the privilege to purchase discount band-aids here. It's sad to stand in the middle of the store and look up at its vaulted ceiling and projection booth, seeing what became of a classic theatre. At least they have maintained the original doors, marble floor at the entrance, ticket booth (inoperational) and poster cases outside, complete with old movie posters, and they still light the big neon signs at night, with the CVS sign lower, just above the door, in place of the marquee.

Since you consider being able to go into/access the theatre being open shouldn't it be considered open?

I remember seeing Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan in 70mm and being awestruck by the presentation as it was the only theater in DC that had it there in that format. It was during this time, I began to enjoy seeing movies in the largest and best venues, travelling almost any distance (from MD where I lived) to the best around town. The theater was remodeled that year, becoming a triplex and adding small balconies and reopened with The Dark Crystal (also in 70mm). When I saw Brainstorm there (in '83), I noticed that some of the speakers were blown as when some scenes went from 35mm mono to 70mm 6-track, there was a definite crackling sound in the middle part of the theater. The Return of the Jedi (70mm) was an event as the film was sold out and Auditorium 2 (the biggest one) was filled to capacity as people oohed, ahhed, cheered and booed to what was happening on screen. Even the smaller auditoriums had decent Dolby surround sound and balconies. I saw Flashdance in '83 (for the third time) and was impressed with the surround sound and even the curtains opening for the show!

During the 90s, the theater didn't book any 70mm event films and I stopped going there. The last film I remember seeing there was Total Recall back in '90. I was sad to hear that it was closing back in '97. Its too bad there wasn't enough support to keep CVS from taking it over. I'm surprised that given the rather affluent neighborhood, there wasn't enough financial support to keep it a local theater much like the Avalon, also in DC.

Any pics of the exterior and interior today? I really m curious to see.

I saw TOTAL RECALL here, it was a great theatre with very friendly management. Sad to see it go.

They also showed press screenings here, I went to review a comedy here called CRAZY PEOPLE(Dudley Moore)in 1989 or so.

You need to update the address on the MacArthur Theatre, 4859 MacArthur Boulevard.

I was in the neighborhood last week and had to stop by and see how CVS redid the interior of the old theater. The marquee, box office and foyer are left intact but after that everything is what you'd expect from what CVS drugstore would look like.

The actual selling floor space does not make use of the entire theater. What was the balcony area seems to have been made into management offices. Beyond the store, there must be a large storage area going back towards where the screen(s) were.

I grew up in this neighborhood in the 1950's and 60's and remember that the MacArthur used to show many now classic British movies of the time, like "The Mouse that Roared". My aunt took my cousin and me there as very young boys to see a reissue of "King Kong", and one Saturday morning a special viewing was held of the big screen version of "The Lone Ranger" starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels! It was also the site for the world premiere of the first "Star Trek" movie. Many of the cast members including Shatner and Nimoy attended. Alas, though just a few miles away, I could not leave work to be there.

photo & memories at this link:
http://www.mindspring.com/~martinmc/reviews/macarthur.html

As a youngster, I saw "Oliver" and "The Sound of Music" at the bygone MacArthur Theater on MacArthur Blvd in NW, Washington, DC. My classmates (Francis Scott Key Elementary) and I really enjoyed the field trips as a break from our studies. This was around 1974. The theater had just one large screen and a huge concession area. Very classic semi- art deco facade. It was magical to me. I recall that a water reservoir was just down the street from the theater that was situated in the Palisades part of Northwest DC. Being a bused black school boy from SE, DC, the area was just like being in another world. Sad to know, the theater is now a CVS! Aren't there enough of them everywhere throughout the city?

I was the manager during the first Star Trek (we had the World Premier as well) film, where we filled the joint up for the first 2 weeks, every show, everyday. KB Theatres ran it and it had some characters. Most of the older employers claim it was haunted and never went into the theatre alone. When I moved back to DC in 1982, I managed it again when REDS played there. There was probably no theatre anywhere that had so many politicians seeign movies there. And they were regulars.
By the way, the joint was indeed haunted.

I worked the MacArthur quite a bit and was its chief projectionist when it closed as a single (KB Theatre) in 1982. I woked with Nick at several theatres, including the MacA for REDS though the Silver was my theatre for that film.

As to politicians...having worked a great many theatres in the DC area...they all seemed to have gotten their share. I showed films at the KB Cinema to them and a great many films at the Uptown were seen by local and federal politicians.

I recall Arch Cambell (sp?) and Davy Marlin Jones (was the CBS affiliate movie reviewer of the day and my favorite) coming to see films there quite a bit too.

Of all the theatres I've worked and shown movies at...the MacArthur remains my favorite...there was just something about that felt like "home." It was always the theatre that I requested to be my permanent theatre at K-B until it closed. I didn't get it until its last year in 1982...just before Star Trek II opened. Carbon Arc, 70mm and reel-to-reel...how can you not like that as a projectionist? It could also pack em in too which was always nice.

Ahhh Steve. You're the one I can thank for many years of experiencing cinema at some of my favorite DC venues like the MacArthur, Langley and Uptown, etc etc.

To add to my post above, my school buds and I saw Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan opening show, on opening day. My friends and I tried to stay back for the second show by hiding in the mens restroom..and almost succeeded until an Usher came in to inspect the place and we were almost caught. Instead of just going home, I bought my friends tickets and went to the back of the very long line to see it again. This time, we sat right smack in the front row to almost become part of the adventure with the crew of the Enterprise. This particular showing was more enjoyable as there were a lot more people to fill the theater with and they were a lot more alive than the first one.

Being a part of and observing an audience reaction to the right mix of sound and picture is something to experience. Not just the cheering and clapping but things like when in this movie Khan released those ceti eels to the shreiking jump of James Horner score..then Chekov and Terell scream...there was always a few women who would also shriek during that scene. Then there was that fish-out-of-water shot of the Reliant leaping up and over the Enterprise filling up the screen
accompanied by that subwoofer rrruuummble. So cool. My favorite sound effect/experience from the movie was a quiet one. The scene where Kirk and the landing party beam down to the Genesis cave, there is this momentary silence. Then there is a sound of a bolt dropping and then rapidly bounces on the floor. The sound is quick, distinct but heard in the rear right of the theater. I noticed heads turning back, foolishly, as if there was actually something THERE.

If there was one thing that bugged me about this presentation and many other 70mm of this time period was the grain. I know that the movie was NOT shot in 65mm and this and others during the 80s are blow ups from 35mm. It shows on screen, but the 6-track sound is oh so marvelous.

I do remember seeing Arch Campbell sitting in the back row wearing a hat. He was chatting up with some other patrons but I did not feel comfortable (being a geeky teen) enough to approach him. Even though the audience thoroughly enjoyed the movie, his rating later that night was only 2 stars or something and from then on, I never had much respect for the guy as a reviewer.

Of all the closed DC big screen venues, I wish this one comes back someday.

I understand your dismay about the grain...but at least you could see it...nice and sharp. As I recall Star Trek II in 70mm...I remember noting that the image had a steaky feel to it...like it was not developed uniformly...I saw it in the gate and on screen. If you recall...the subwoofers for the MacA were on stage and visible. There was no more room behind the screen and it was believed when they were installed that the MacA's days were numbered.

Here is another bit of trivia for you. The MacArthur had a notably narrow front-end. As such we cropped a bit too much in width. If we projected Paramount's opening title card "Paramount Pictures Presents"...it would read "aroumnt Pictures Present" We opted to keep the curtains closed (and douser closed) for that card and then open the douser and curtain after the card passed so what you, the audience, saw first was the star field but you may recall the musical score started first. I actually really liked that progression...like going to a stage play with the orchestra starting it off first.

Another bit of triva...the last film to play at the MacArthur as a single was "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (reissue) in 70mm.

I did work the Langley from time to time in relief...it was never a permanent job for me. In fact, there were very few theatres that bore the KB or Circle/Showcase badge that I didn't work at least one shift or two in. I was with KB from 1980 to 1987 and then Circle (and its successors) from 1987 until 2005.

3-23-1997 Washington Post article (page C-2) stated this theater would closed, despite 5000 petition signatures from the community wishing it to continue showing movies. The article says the theater, which opened 12-25-1946, had met with community protest before it opened! The article said that KB & Warner Brothers ran the theater, but in the early 1950's, WB departed. KB made much money back then, in 1952 with Best of British movies, such as Peter Sellers comedies, dramas with Alec Guiness, Lawrence Oliver. It then had a 2nd floor lounge, assigned seats, ushers, candy but no popcorn. In the mid 1960's it became 1st run, previously having served a nabe theater ike KBs Naylor, Princess, Atlas, Senator, Apex (and also Ontario, Calvert). In 1981, KB proposed demolition, to build an office building. In 1982 it became a Circle theater, with 2 more screens created within the original auditorium. However, since the 1987 sale of Circle to Cineplex Odeon, Cineplex Odeon lost money operating it.

Later, in 1997, a letter to the editor was in the Washington DC Post, stating that Cineplex Odeon didn't speak to the community, and instead presented 2nd run movies there.

I believe the theater's last day was 3-30-1997 with English Patient likely having on the big screen, and on the 2 smaller screens, Jerry Maguire and Prisoners of the Mountains (Russian film).

11-10-1997 Washington Post, Business Section reported the theater had become a CVS despite a local boycott "I shall return." The CVS had been open 3 weeks.

Given the fact that the CVS selling floor occupies the old theater's lobby space, perhaps the theater part could come back again. It would be an odd combo walking into the theater through a drug store but hey, wouldn't it be great to have the place showing movies again?

Howard, I never knew about the write-in campaign. I'm surprised Cineplex Oden still decided to close it. I think part of the problem was getting exclusives to show here. I remember they had Star Trek IV advertised in 4 track Mag Stereo, but I preferred to see it in 70mm and THX at the then new Multiplex Cinemas in Virginia. Empire of the Sun played in 70mm at the Cinema, whereas it could have played here. Same with Roger Rabbit, which played at the Uptown in '88, Batman and Star Trek V at Wisconsin Ave.

You know...it is a funny thing about campaigns to save theatres...if these same people loyally came to the theatre...it wouldn't close. They tend to get all upset when the prospect of losing their familiar landmark. However, it is a business and the key to the business is patronage. Now if these same people were to demand quality when the business is open, they would be more effective. It is cheaper to keep a business going than it is to open new ones. But when the business demands fall into non-profitability...how can you blame the owners of the business for leaving?

JodarMovieFan, the community was really upset, which is especially ironic considered how apprehensive they were that a movie theater was going to open back in 1946.

I've searched flickr for photos, but none. Can't somebody photo its exterior?

My 1995 notes are that MacArthur's 2 small screens, both from in the sides of the auditorium but not all the way to the front, were maybe each about 20 feet wide. The middle auditorium with original Proscenium Arch (screen) had about 500 seats, a stage, and orange curtain that was used before the screen (whereas the vertical curtains in the small auds were no longer used in 1995) and screen that looked like 40 feet wide. There were 25 rows of 2 seats, 13, 2 more, and then additional seats in front of that configuration. Each auditorium had a tiny balcony of 12 seats. There weren't any bothersome (glaring) lights or exit signs near the screen. I saw John Boorman's Beyond Rangoon that day, which was beautifully filmed; in 1998, I saw his Hope and Glory but possibly in one of the small screens.

JodarMovieFan, why don't you post some memories of the Cinema on that page? I saw Empire of the Sun in 70 mm there. I've been the only one posting on that page, and that theater deserves way more!

Steve, the thing is my friends, relatives and I WOULD come to places like this when they booked the right movies, particularly if it was in 70mm. There was a time, where I'd see a movie, with a friend, then go again and see it with somene else, then again, with relatives and even by myself, if it was something worth seeing in the bigger auditorium. I can pretty much say I've seen just about every 70mm movie they booked here throughout the 80s, which isn't much. If they had booked ST IV here and not at the Multiplex Cinemas; Mt. Vernon, Alexandria and Montgomery Mall 3, I would have come here the 8X or so I saw it in 70mm :)

Howard, I will post more KB Cinema memories, as soon as I can recall specific movie events of the last 27 years or so...

You know there needs to be a page for the KB Fine Arts. This was another favorite of mine that is sadly gone.

I created it earlier today:
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/20626/

And, this one, which needs somebody to photograph it real soon! (exterior, and if somebody can, lobby and and a large auditorium)
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/20638/

What exterior? Its lobby is HUGE and under ground but the exterior? There really isn't one (and yes, I've even worked this theatre once or twice shortly after it opened. I also worked the Tyson's IV across the street which this theatre replaced (the Tyson's 4 was a HUGE twin that was turne dinto 4 decent sized theatres).

Steve, by now you must think I'm hallucinating exteriors and curtains. However, I've not actually been to the Fairfax Square, so I didn't realize there isn't an exterior. I am, however, thinking about the Fine Arts curtain....where I did see movies.

The Fairfax Square was like the Cinema in that it is underground...but unlike the Cinema...its entrance didn't face the street but faced a parking garage and was 180 degrees from the street.

The Fine Arts...while I can't speak to it before 1980...after 1980 it had no curtain and there were no indication one had ever existed. The shadow box went all of the way to the exit doors by the screen (that had alarms on them if you used them) so there was no place to stack the curtain. It would have been really odd to have a crtain that far in front of the screen (over 3 feet in front).

2008 exterior photos, last of which looks somewhat inside.
As a CVS.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10946770@N04/2192644512/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91499534@N00/2178703791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91499534@N00/2178743145/

Nice pictures, Howard! So..maybe after CVS lease runs out the theater will return? It seems as if it would be an easy conversion since the CVS shopping floor takes up only a small part of the theater..probably just the lobby area.

JodarMovieFan, they are nice photos, but I will clarify that I didn't take them myself. I haven't revisited since it was showing movies. CVS may have a lease that gives them an option to renew.

With the Dupont Circle 5 closing, maybe this venue could be viable once again. The other night, there was local news coverage of the closing and it was stated that there are more screens in the city than ever! I suppose they're factoring in the large multiplexes at Gallery Place and Georgetown. But those venues are on the other side of town and I'd hardly consider them treasures by any stretch of the imagination. If the Avalon can be brought back and made a success, the MacArthur can, too, with the right support. To be honest, the MacArthur is more of a treasure than the Avalon is and, of course, holds more favorable memories. There was talk about turning the place into office space, maybe they could partially do that to make the theaters more of an economical viability. I'd think they could clear up the empty space at the top of the building and back.

Dupont closed because the downtown Landmark (E Street) shows the arthouse films.

The MacArthur had a big screen, but the Avalon is a more ornate, historic theater. It was a shame, of course, that the MacArthur closed. I'm thrilled the Avalon reopened.

People who liked the MacArthur should make sure to buy tickets at the remaining historic theaters in the area, Avalon, Uptown, AFI Silver, the Baltimore Senator and others. Same architect, John Zink, designed the Uptown and Baltimore Senator.

"Dupont closed because the downtown Landmark (E Street) shows the arthouse films."

you can make that broad overall comment but that's not always the case. They pick and choose their films carefully and in one case promised a film 'Brand Upon the Brain!' and then cancelled it's engagement for no apparent reason. Bethesda's films rotate so infrequently it's a joke. Dupont had the occasional indie film that Landmark never showed, so it's going to be interesting if and how Landmark will show more films on a weekly basis. Perusing other cities and those films that don't have DC engagements is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many indie/foreign films that will now, never get seen on a theatre screen - many Washingtonians will have to try to see more films at their one off museum showings (at the generally terrible mid-afternoon weekend showings) or just wait for the eventual home video release.

I think once the MacArthur was split into three theatres, it somewhat lost it's charm, mind you it was good for the turn around and more shows, the size was obviousily diminished. It's water under the bridge at this point, but having seen how the Avalon Theatre Project was created to saving the Avalon, the Palisades community had wished they had been more vocal and supportive of keeping the MacArthur alive, even when Cineplex Loews eventually closed it.

I'd have to disagree with you about the MacArthur losing its charm after it was triplexed. Granted, its nice to be in a nice large auditorium and take in the sight and sounds of the environment BUT, I think the theater gained some in that the two smaller auditoriums did not detract a whole lot from the original. In fact, you can recall, they opened up the upper level to balconies and had decent Dolby systems and I believe the screen was replaced in the big auditorium, with a larger one. And the smaller auditoriums had curtains that rose and fell during their respective shows (at least the times that I saw movies in them, which wasn't a lot..I probably can recall three showings.. Flashdance, Eleni and Heaven Help Us) and it was a vertical rise and drop at that.

In any case, with three screens, you should be able to balance some decent programming between the first run and classics. As nice as the Landmarks are, they aren't that much different to me than your usual multiplexes.

While it was true there were "Dolby" sound systems in all three theatres. The little two were about as minimalist as you could go...three whole surrounds...two on one wall and one on the other!

The main theatre did have a decent enough system for its day though it was a bit of a hodge-podge (A4s without wings and such).

The stage in the main theatre remained unchnaged and thus the screen size remained the same too.

For me, the MacA lost much though certainly not all of its charm when it was cut up.

Steve

Steve!

Your last comments are like the revelation of the wizard behind the curtain! :P I enjoyed the little theaters and the balconies. They were, to me, like private screening rooms. No, I wouldn't want to watch "Lawrence of Arabia" or "2001" there but for the films I did see there they were memorable enough.

Just exactly what kind of minimalist surrounds did they have in the smaller ones? I thought they had suspended speakers going around the entire auditorium?

After the carve up, did they expand the original projection area for the two little screening rooms? Or were separate ones built where you had to run from one to the other for each show?

As for the screen size, I could have sworn that on grand re-opening day, with the opening of Jim Hensen's "The Dark Crystal," which I saw there with my friends in 70mm opening weekend, that the Weekend ad made mention of a new, larger screen.

I want to say the little theatres used Kintek surrounds though they may have been Altec 312s. The main auditorium used Altec 312s and yes they were suspended via cables. The little theatres had the surrounds affixed to the side walls.

As for the booth...it was cut up. There were two booths after the split. That is the only way you could have the middle balcony. So theatres 2 and 3 shared one booth and theatre #1 had its own booth.

The screen was not enlarged.

Steve

Here are June 2008 photos of the former MacArthur Theatre. Note: the interior has been completely gutted. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

ALMOST ALL of the above comments miss the true legacy of the MacArthur Theater. When this theater was opened by KB in 1946, it was an immediate box office flop. They were playing the same "first neighborhood run" movies as everybody else and this was a sleepy neighborhood of stay-at-home's watching their 8" Motorola TV's. KB resorted to double features but without great success. Then Fred Burka and Marvin Goldman got the bright idea to have Exclusive First Runs from the British, France, Sweden, etc. The admission prices were midway between "neighborhood" and "first run downtown".

The success was staggering. Some pictures which played dozens of weeks were A QUEEN IS CROWNED (the color documentary), THE MOUSE THAT ROARED, MURDER SHE SAID, the golden age of British comedy with films of Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas, others. The theater was filled the night we saw Ingmar Bergman's WILD STRAWBERRIES (the Best Movie Ever Made -- sez me). This success continued for years, and KB also extended this success to the APEX in upper Northwest. BUT... but...

The supply of outstanding British and foreign films dwindled. Of course we miss the MacArthur, it's shimmering heyday, but we also miss having quality intelligent movies to see. Behold 2008: Nothing but trash comic book nonsense. 2009 will be even worse.

What a conversation - I worked at the MacArthur in the early 60s. A high school friend of mine, Buddy Kearny, worked for KB and told me they need ushers. I think it was the summer of 1960. I started out working the parking lot across the alley next to the the theater. This consisted of laying on the hood of a parked car most of the evening watching the planes come down the river on the Georgetown approach on the way to National. Eventually the manager, Bill Flanagan and later Ron Pitcherello(sp), allowed me to work the lounge upstairs. Butter cookies and coffee for the folks waiting for the next show - usually a British comedy. They all played there - old and new it seems. And they were great. My favorites may be the St. Trinian's series with Alistair Sim.

After a few months (I think), I was transferred to the Apex where Flanagan had gone for a stint. I was lucky to be there for a couple of years where I worked for Bill Hunter - just a wonderful guy - Bruce Burns, Ritch Hutchinson and many others including Marvin Goldman's son, Ron (but thats another story).

By the way, I don't remember there being popcorn at the MacArthur but it did make its way back to the Apex and the Baronet. My understanding of the "no popcorn" policy was that the salt ruined the carpeting and management didn't want that to happen. A guy named Jim Sheetz took over the concession end of things for KB and must have convinced Mr. Burka that you could buy a lot of carpet with the profits from popcorn.

Here is a recent photo of the CVS.

The original STAR TREK:THE MOTION PICTURE had its World North American Premiere at the MacArthur Theatre. The film was shown in 70mm-6 Track Dobly Stereo. The premiere of this movie was in November before everyone else got to check it out nationally on December 7, 1979.

Other Premiere Enagements were in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.

Can't believe its been 30 years. I was too young to go into downtown but thoroughly enjoyed a sold out opening presentation in Langley Park, MD's KB Langley. What an event film it was for the time, but I don't think the movie had 70mm engagements in the DC area since the film was so rushed into theaters. I don't think they had time to make 70mm prints in order to meet the Dec. 7 release.

The world premier of Star Trek, at the MacArthur.. per Gary Arnold of the Washington Post was December 6, 1979.. Gary Arnold states in the Dec 6 Post "Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Trekkies are supposedly converging on Washington to surround tonight's world premiere of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" at the K-B MacArthur with hopeful vibrations. Producer Gene Roddenberry, director Robert Wise and all the principal cast members, including William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, are expected to attend the 7 p.m. showing, an invitational benefit for the scholarship and youth education fund of the National Space Club. A black-tie reception will follow at the National Air and Space Museum."

I managed this house in the early Seventies, during the 70 MM reissue of The Sound Of Music. The picture/sound facilities were great at that time. It was the only "palace" I ever ran. I'm glad I was with KB when things were still top drawer.

A point of fact, the World Premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture played in 35mm on an EPRAD Starscope, not in "Dolby Stereo." Anyone that tells you otherwise is mistaken. In fact, the MacArthur didn't receive a Dolby processor until 1982 for Star Trek II. Star Trek II did play in 70mm.

Steve

In layman's terms there was NO stereo with the first Star Trek movie or a different kind of stereo system? If there was 70mm played there as many posters have listed, are we to assume that there was at least a 4-track stereo set up there? 6-track?

I'll try to clarify what Steve said. According to Steve from above, who is an expert cinema technician/engineer, the STAR TREK premiere was shown in stereo, but using an Eprad processor instead of one from Dolby. To be advertised in Dolby Stereo, you have to use a Dolby unit.

The screening was in 35mm, not 70mm. There was not time to make 70mm prints in time for the opening. I read (I believe in an issue of American Cinematographer) that Robert Wise personally carried one reel to the premiere as they had just finished putting on the final touches.