Cinema North 1-5
3375 W. Siebenthaler Avenue,
Dayton,
OH
45404
3375 W. Siebenthaler Avenue,
Dayton,
OH
45404
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Worked a midnight showing of “Night of the Living Dead” on a Friday night back in 1980. Possibly one of the strangest and most dangerous crowds I’ve ever experienced in a movie theatre.
5 screens on June 8th, 1984. Another ad posted.
Sold to Chakeres on July 22nd, 1977 and reopened as Cinema North with two screens on October 7th, 1977. Another ad in the photo section.
Thanks, Mike. I’ll note that in a comment on the Kettering Cinemas page.
Opened on December 22nd, 1967. Grand opening ad posted.
Joe. Also another of the same design in Kettering.
I remember now that the other theater of this design was the Mark Twain Theatre in Sunset Hills, Missouri. Boxoffice attributes that design to Harold W. Levitt, Ernest W. LeDuc, and William H. Farwell, all of Los Angeles. LeDuc and Farwell were members of the firm of Harold W. Levitt & Associates.
rivest266 is right. The Cinema North bears a striking resemblance to the Valley Circle Theatre in San Diego, California. It looks as though National General used the same plans, by Beverly Hills architect Harold Levitt, for both theaters. I recall seeing a photo of another almost identical theater (somewhere in Missouri, I think) but I can’t recall the name of it.
The comment from Terrybear was incorrect about CABARET playing at the Northwest Plaza. Allied Artists made a circuit wide deal with National General after it had secured a date with the McCook Theatre. The owners of the McCook sued and the date was restored to the McCook.
This theatre has the same design as the Valley Circle theatre in San Diego.
We got some shots of this while up attending the Dayton Amateur Radio Convention. They’re on Cinematour.
I just got back from the Dayton Amateur Radio Convention. This is what I saw. The sign out front says: Available, Anchor Associates, Contact: Amy Holter, (513)784-1106. All glass is now covered with wood. All plastic and lamps are out of the marquee. The bulbs and some glass are smashed in a pile in the lot behind the newer section in the rear. Only the metal skeleton of the marquis is left. All three RTU’s above the new section on the rear are missing side panels. Garbage dumped at rear of back lot.
There are two references to a shooting during the showing of Boyz/Hood. Only one is correct, sorry to tell you. The shooting, which resulted in death, was at the SALEM MALL theater in 1991 and not this one.
This theater and the Fox Kettering originally opened as National General theaters. Both got roadshows of movies like “Tora Tora Tora”, “Cabaret”, and “Planet of The Apes”. Comfortable seats, very large screen, and friendly personnel. The theater was built on the border of what was then an upscale area of Dayton.
When I first came to the Dayton, OH area, the north and Northwest side of Dayton had several successful drive-ins, plus indoors like the stylish Kon Tiki; Loews Ames (a comfortable neighborhood house), the modernistic Fox Northwest and the Ritz (originally a new Walter Reed cinema) and the Salem Mall Cinemas. The latter was housed in one of the nicest, fashionable regional Malls of the time.
When Chakeres Theatres took over the Cinema North they updated, remodeled the facility. A beautiful huge, real crystal chandelier was added to the lobby area. The new Cinema North performed nicely as a “re-born†first-run house.
Sadly, vandals and gangs took their toll on the entire area. Fast food restaurants added bullet proof glass to the drive-in windows and one by one ALL of the above mentioned theatres closed. A shooting in the Salem Mall Cinemas was the final bell for the cinemas that had been struggling to stay open under new, local ownership. Eventually the entire Salem Mall was closed and torn down. While I’m not aware of serious problems IN the Cinema North, parking lot, vandalism there and other locations hastened the decade-long demise of this once proud area.
The sad truth is that many cities have experienced similar problems, or worse. It’s a shame to see so much history and beauty destroyed by a handful of hoodlums and thugs. It’s so much more relaxing to watch a movie when the person behind you isn’t “packing heat!â€
Here is an undated photo from agilitynut.com:
http://www.agilitynut.com/06/3/closed.jpg
The 18,000 square foot Cinema North is still for sale.
The theatre has two entrances.
One for the orignal theatre which was twinned.
The rear entrance is for 3-5 which was added in 1984. The Cinema North although has been closed for over nine years now is in great shape. The heat and some lights have been left on to prevent the pipes from busting and the lights to keep life in the building.
The price is $795,000.
It is said in the deed that it can never be used as first run theatre again.
This theater used to show ‘Midnight Movies’ in the late 70’s. I worked several and there was always trouble in the parking lot. The evening we showed “Night of the Living Dead”, I never got a chance to see the movie, I spent most of my time chasing vandals and flagging down the police.
You’re correct Robert R, Dayton is the place for entertainment.
Dayton sounds like a fun place to see a movie :(
Cinema North, which is just, a few miles from Salem Avenue Cinemas (Kon-Tiki) 1,2 & 3 and Salem Mall Cinemas 1-4 which are all now closed, is another one of West Dayton’s failed and trouble cinemas. Cinema North was home of a 1991 shooting on opening night of Boyz N the Hood. The Cinema North is located in ran down West Dayton in the Northwest Shopping Center (it is actually next to it) but is considered part of the center. The Northwest Shopping Center is over 50% empty is home of crime and violence.Which Ignored by the city and media. Almost like of a sight out of mind. The Salem Drive-was located about 600 feet from Cinema North , the Salem Drive-In closed in 1983 and is now a new Kroger Store that also left Northwest Plaza.