UA Prestonwood 5
5405 Belt Line Road,
Dallas,
TX
75248
5405 Belt Line Road,
Dallas,
TX
75248
3 people
favorited this theater
This was your typical neighborhood 5-plex located in Dallas across the street from the Prestonwood Mall on Beltline Road and Prestonwood Boulevard. Last I heard it was being remodeled into a dinner/bar/movie house by a company called Granada that operated another similar location. Unsure of the current status as the location does not appear on the Granada website.
In its day, this way a jewel in the UA chain and being in Dallas close to a regional office, was used for testing many ideas. According to rumor, this was the first THX auditorium retrofit (# 1) for UA and was done as a test. Auditorium 2 was also certified. Additionally, there appeared to have been different screen types tested as well. Auditorium 5 actually had a screen that was slightly silver instead of pure white. Unfortunately, the 3 smaller houses were mono/surround. These were going to be difficult to modernize as the screens were pushed against the wall and the sound equipment was in boxes that extened through the exterior wall.
Location was relatively non-descript from the exterior save for the line of lights that stretched across the front. It is connected to a small strip center (very tasteful), but from the theatre side it actually looks to be stand-alone. Upon stepping inside, the lobby was slightly angled with two walls being full glass. The cafeteria style concession was in the middle and the three auditoriums were accessed from the open lobby. Behind the stand was a holding area and a wide hall that server the larger auditoriums 1 and 2. These were in the 450 -500 seat range with 1 being slightly larger. The smaller houses were in the 150 – 175 seat range. Somewhere I have picture of the exterior and interior I will try to post.
I would be curious to see if anyone has any memories or more info on this one. I was a manager there for a brief period of time.
Contributed by
Mike Thompson
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
I believe this was the place I refered to in another theater’s spot as the theater that I had the life changing experience of seeing Animal House for the first of many times.
This theatre is not closed! I went by it about a month ago, and it was open as a cinema and grill. It no longer is a United Artists or Regal theatre.
Also, before becoming a cinema and grill, its correct name was UA Prestonwood Creek 5. Prestonwood Creek is the name of the shopping strip in which the theatre is located. This name helped distinguish the theatre from the nearby AMC Prestonwood 5, which I believe was technically on the property of the Prestonwood Mall, and the General Cinema Prestonwood, which I think was a quad and located in what had been called Sakowitz(sp?) Plaza.
I worked there in the late 1980s. I recall the seating capacities being a little larger. I think we declared sell-outs in auditorium one at 550 seats, auditorium two at 500 seats, and the three smaller houses were either 200 or 250.
The theatre was best known for the THX sound system in its main auditorium. It pretty much had been a “spare no expense†installation. I believe the sound system was installed by the time GHANDI opened there, but the theatre could not advertise THX until RETURN OF THE JEDI. Perhaps comparable to the GCC Northpark I & II THX sound system, UA Prestonwood Creek 5 always played films louder than the GCC. THX trailers sometimes were played at full volume, which would shake the entire theatre complex and the restaurant next door. Sometimes this left me with ringing ears and a headache, but other times, it was spectacular. People would come from all over the D/FW Metroplex to see TOP GUN in 70mm THX at this theatre.
Auditorium two got THX in 1985. Both of the main auditoriums could show 70mm. However, the long engagements and lack of desire to replace prints did take their toll on 70mm engagements. By the time RETURN OF THE JEDI ended its 70mm run, I heard Yoda no longer appeared in the movie.
The theatre was remodeled in September 1987. Although bland, the lobby looked a little classier. The three smaller auditoriums were equipped with Kintek surround sound systems. Unfortunately, the auditoriums remained covered in burlap. Literally, it looked like cut-up potato sacks were used as auditorium wall coverings.
The cinema and grill renovation is vastly nicer than the UA décor. An external tower has been built atop the theatre much like an old movie palace. Each auditorium is themed to represent a closed Dallas cinema treasure. The size of auditorium two has been drastically reduced to make room for the kitchen. At the very least, the cinema and grill is not paying THX licensing fees, but it looks like the sound systems have been replaced there. The surround sound speakers visible in the auditoriums are definitely different.
I worked as a projectionist at this theater in the summer and fall of 1982. I had just graduated from college and was trying to find a full-time job. I distinctly remember showing STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KAHN in the summer of 1982 there. The lobby had a triangle-shaped concession stand where you formed a line on either side and the cash register was at the end.
This theater got confused all of the time with the AMC Prestonwood 5 theater, which was at the Arapaho intersection. The UA Prestonwood Creek is on Belt Line Road.
how come the AMC Prestonwood, the GC Prestonwood and the GC Galleria aren’t on Cinema Treasures? (or if they are, I cant find them!) I think of all 4 of theses theaters together cause they were in the same booking district.
What was the one that was just south of Beltline on Montfort? Its a restaurant now but was still in operation at least into the early 90s?
Bongopete- your thinking of the GC Village on the Parkway. I saw many a movie there growing up. Field of Dreams, Silence of the Lambs, heck even Terror in the Aisles from 1984. A lot of great memories there. Sadly, its now a furniture store thats about to close.
I used to work at this thater when I was in high school, many many years ago. Really nice theater visually, and very popular. Employees had fun, but mangement could be tyranical at times. Could go on some real tears sometimes.
Remember monitors hanging from the ceilings showing trailers on a loop. After a while you memorized them and based upon where the loop was at that second, you knew what was coming next, and next and next. Got very tiring after a while as it was forever before they were changed.
Remember theme night when The Adam’s Family opened. Everyone dressed up. One girl was the spitting image of Wednesday Adams. Got so in trouble when hit the PA on the projector of theater one when my shift manager told me to. It instead turned on the PA, and JFK was playing its debut showing to Whitney Houston’s “The Bodyguard” for a minute. Senior managers, owners all came tearing up the stairs and suddenly my shift manager had no recolection of telling me to hit the PA… (shocking I know…)
Used to trade employee screenings with the AMC and GC. Would all call each other a day or so in advance when we got our movies edited together and everyone would go to each other’s theaters. Saw a mid-night showing of Star Trek VI the night before it officially came out at the AMC. Really loved that theater and its novel design.
KB
I saw “The Big Chill,” and that awful Brat Pack movie … what was it … oh yeah, “St. Elmo’s Fire” here. All of my friends thought it was the best movie ever, and I thought they were completely crazy!
Studio Movie Grill has closed the location as of last week
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The address posted above on Arapaho road is incorrect. That address was for the AMC Prestonwood 5. The correct address for this theater is/was Belt Line Rd. & Prestonwood Blvd. 5405 Belt Line Rd. Dallas, TX 75248