Athena Cinema

This theatre opened June 3, 1915 as the Majestic Theatre. The information is located on the Athena Cinema Website.

I was involved in providing the updated projection & sound equipment for the two previous owners. Once when the 1300 seat theatre was trisected & once again after the popcorn machine fire! Installed “DOLBY” Digital Audio in Balcony Screening Room.

Chris, please tell Ruth that Don Solosan said hello. I met my ex-wife in a class she taught at U of Michigan, and the fact that Ruth moved down to Athens was a big reason why we looked at Ohio U and ended up applying there.

Glad to hear that the Athens Film & Video Festival is still going strong.

When I arrived in Athens in the Fall of 1988, the Athena had just suffered a fire — started, if I remember correctly, by the popcorn machine. Later on, a few of the undergrads got permission to salvage the print of the movie they had been showing, Rambo III, which had ended up dumped on the floor of the projection room. They cleaned it up and we screened it in the School of Film’s sound mixing theater.

At that time, the town had no theaters, as the Varsity across the street was in the process of being turned into the world’s largest Taco Bell.

The Athena reopened in 1990. I remember seeing Die Hard 2 upstairs in one of the theater’s two converted balcony screening rooms, and Cyrano de Bergerac downstairs as part of the Athens Film & Video Festival.

By the way, the description above is no longer correct. Athens now has a multiplex called the Athena Grand located out on State Street.

Gee thanks! I forgot that i had asked the question. This is just about the most stunning small town theater marquee ever. And the photo is the jewel of my Schine collection.

Thanks again, MBD!

Karen

Does anyone know if this ss this the former Schine Athena Theater?

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I worked there in the early 1970’s. It was a great 1200 single screen theatre with a huge balcony. The owner had pictures in the office of various big name stars like Bob Hope standing in front of the theatre. At the time, the theatre was owned by a local company called University Cinemas, which also owned the Valley Drive-in (Athens) and the Town & Country Drive-in (Jackson County).

Athena Cinema in Athens, Ohio is under new management. The Athena Cinema will remain open and show more art films and midnight movies. Athena Grand, located on East State St., will run new releases and offer stadium style seating. The official website for the Athena Cinema and the brand new, 11 theater cinema, Athena Grand is http://www.athenagrand.com

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