Greentree 4 Theatre
717 Highway 131,
Clarksville,
IN
47129
717 Highway 131,
Clarksville,
IN
47129
1 person
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Here is my picture from November 2010.
copy and paste this for photos View link
This is our facebook page and we have photos on here and all the information on events and happenings at the building….
We had our first movie showing in seven years. Our screen is in the lobby and is 10 ft by 6 ½ ft. everything is decorated to resemble an abandoned theater from the 30s or 40s. we have painted and cleaned put up new lighting and did a faux finish on the walls. prior to the movies we showed a 12 min DVD of compiled Drive In Advertisements, and cartoons. To keep with tradition. Of course since we are in our lobby we are using temporary seating. Our chairs are white stack-able lawn chairs. Everyone seemed to enjoy them selves and we had a good turn out. These are semi public/semi private parties that are geared generally to our Facebook friends and their guests. There is a $5.00 Donation to cover cost and includes FREE Popcorn, and Soda.If you are interested please join our Facebook Page all of our information is put up on there usually daily
We have pulled up the ugly carpet in the lobby, sadly there is no trans lux emblem in the center of the chipped marble floor, but the floor is in great shape. we have rebuilt a wall in with three doors in place of the second set of doors that would have led into the lobby, of course it is not original but it is at least reminiscent of the past configuration. Oh good news when i turned on the water for the season there were no leaks…..lol which was always a problem in the past
Does anyone have any pics of this building in its heyday, i would really love them if you do.
I would say that you are right about the screen and the projectors being changed. and yes the theater was split directly down the middle. and then after they decided to make it a four-plex they took part of that wall out of the front of the building built two to replace it and made a central hallway to get to the back two theaters. they built a second projection room to use for the back two theaters.
Yes, Trans-Lux did operate some Cinerama houses, but this was never one of them. This theater is too close to Louisville for Cinerama to have been exhibited there; Cinerama markets were well-defined and care was taken to never over-saturate a geographical area. In fact, according to this well-researched list of Cinerama theaters, the only Indiana city that had Cinerama showings was Indianapolis: View link
Eberson did build one purpose-built Cinerama house for Trans-Lux in Harrisburg. PA; the chain also took over the Martin Cinerama theaters in St. Louis and New Orleans.
I think its quite likely though that what was when this theater may have looked very much like other Eberson single-screen theater designs of the latter 1960s. Many of these had large, gently curved screens and many had 70mm equipment.
When the original theater was twinned, it apparently was called the Trans-Lux Blue and Gold. I have a hunch that when this twinning occurred, the original single auditorium was split in half, the original screen removed, and the projectors re-positioned to hit the new screens.
Sorry my fingers are drunk, please look past the type-os in the last post.
I have a question for all you folks, do you know if Trans-Lux did cinerama projections? The reason I ask is, the was my projector bases are lined with what would have originally been the screen has always boggled me. they are set at outward angles away from each other. as if they we to hit the corners of the building. Likewise the if you go to the far end of the building you would see where the original screen was and the area is curved. I have also noticed this in the blueprints of the building. Even the leading wall of the original projection area is curved. Could my 4 have at one time been a Cinerama theater or were the other types of multiple projections? I really am new to all of the history, but am very interested.
The one thing that i am having a hard time finding are older pictures of the theater. By the way i am going to tear up the nasty purple and black cinemark carpet. Who knows what we will find? I do know that there is a chipped marble floor in the front entrance way, I am excited to see if there is a logo in the center. i will keep everyone posted i and i will try to get some pics up.
Yes, the building was built in 1968, for the Trans-Lux company. It was a large single screen with the traditional Blue and Gold color scheme. The original ceilings are nearly 40 ft high. It was obviously at the end of the single screen era. It was divided into 2 side by side theaters in the 70s and then split again in the 80s which is how it is now. The company that owns it will only invest what they can make back in 6 months. So it is pretty slim chance that it will ever be restored but it would be awesome. It is sad but even after being closed since 2003 people have not even noticed . Everyday there are still people coming up and asking when the shows start. All of the seats and fixtures have been removed, but there are some leftovers still around. like the blue and gold taffeta sound fold and some leftover paint. The original ceiling tiles are still painted gold. (that is the ones that haven’t fallen) the architectural info is box c-35, box 0-15 and is Trans-Lux project#1991. Also Trans-Lux Theaters Pylon sign Drew Eberson
Did you mean Drew EBERSON? The archive of his and his father’s work (which is part of the Wolfsonian Collection at Florida International University) shows that Drew Eberson designed a theater for Clarksville, IN in 1968. Does the Greentree 4 date back that far? It seems that Cinemark started operating it in the late 80s.
thank you CWalczak
by the way i did find out the architect is Drew Ebson, and i do have the original copies of the blue prints. I am not sure if i can get them into picture form since they are so large.
I am a frequent contributor to CT living in Saint Louis, MO I had posted the news item regarding the closing of the Greentree 10. Good luck on that venture!
Yes CWalczak , Psychomania is a seasonal event. I am one of the owners of the business. Our original plans for the building included renovating the lobby to an extent and using the far left hand theater as a live performance venue. Sadly those plans have had to change. The building itself requires more capitol than we can afford to make that possible. The roof alone sets at $60,000 in repairs. If in deed we do well with our endeavors in the haunt industry we hope to do at least basic repairs to the building. The good thing is there are no structural problems with the building. But like the say “when it rains it pours” well that is exactly what is does inside of our building. For now we cope, and sometimes it is very depressing but we keep going. We do love the building and i think it is happy to have us as residents.(even if we are not what some people would like to see in it) thanks. oh and by the way are you local or did you just find us on the web?
Based on the “Psychomania” website, it seems that the haunted theater has been a seasonal event. Is the theater really being renovated?
Here is a February 14, 2008 article about the Greentree 4/Psycho Mania: Theater of Terror.