Cinemart
4302 Governor Printz Boulevard,
Wilmington,
DE
19810
4302 Governor Printz Boulevard,
Wilmington,
DE
19810
2 people
favorited this theater
1968 was a big year for theaters in Wilmington, Delaware. The Branmar Cinema, in Branmar Shopping Center,(950 seats) and the Eric Theatre at Tri-State Mall (1,400 seats) were announced for 1969, but the biggest news was the opening of the Cinemart across the road from the Merchandise Mart shopping center on Governor Printz Boulevard. [boxoffice, 1/20/69 p.12]
The shopping center had been built just following WW2, and it quickly bacame the most popular shopping destination in Wilmington. What it didn’t have was a theater, although the Edgemoore Theatre was just down the road. So the ABC chain decided to build their only area theater directly across the road. It would seat 1,000 people, and since roadshows were popular, be equipped for 70mm Todd-AO with Norelco projectors. The boxoffice was designed so tickets could be sold for reserved-seat attractions through an outside window.
The auditorium was completely in gold with wide rocking chair seating. The front was deeply curved to allow for the screen, with curtains that went to the rear of the auditorium. If you’ve seen pictures of theaters like the various Cooper Cinerama locations, you’ve got the idea of what it looked like!
Incidentally, in the early days the name was spelled "Cine'Mart" in the newspaper ads. Films like "Hello Dolly" in Todd-AO played there, and it was joined by the Eric Theatre the next year as the only two Wilmington theaters equipped for 70mm.
Then, disaster. Concord Mall, in northern Wilmington had opened with an Almart department store in 1965, but was completed by 1971-72; including a theater. Merchandise Mart collapsed soon after, and so did the surrounding area-you did not want to be around there after dark! ABC sold Cinemart to Budco Theaters by the time the mall was completed, and bookings began to slip. Distributors always detested the habit of Philadelphia-area theater bookers scheduling porn along with mainstream films at many theaters-you literally could have the G-rated "Raggity Ann and Andy" one week and X the next!
Both the Edgemoore Theatre and Cinemart relied on explotation and porno bookings more and more by the later 1970’s and Budco closed both theaters in the early 1980’s. Interestingly, Budco booked "Midway" in Sensurround at Cinemart in the summer of 1977; it played for several months-the last big success for the theater.
Contributed by
Edwin Graf Diemer
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Recent comments (view all 50 comments)
@ronnie21 – sorry i’ve been out of town and just remembered this site when looking up old “merchandise mart” photos for a facebook page. Yes I remember seeing THE FOG very clearly. It may have been opening weekend because it was packed with people and I remember jumping out of my seat the very first minute when the watch snaps shut – very good dolby that was LOUD and scared me to death. I loved that theater because it was wide instead of long – meaning the screen was super wide and the seats went along the width of it with about 4-6 walk paths between seating blocks – instead of 1 or 2 walk paths with long walk from back to front. Concession was in the front when you walk in – long glass counter that held the candy and employees behind, also a big glass window in front that gave it alot of natural light. I remember it being pretty minimal/modern in design. Not fancy, but not tacky either. Can’t remember the restrooms at all. I didn’t realize it played soft core porn in the mid 70’s. Probably since I still was going to the movies with my parents back then – glad Budco gave it back some respectability even for a little while. I also clearly remember seeing THE CAR and ORCA there in ‘77. Fun times.
Wow, thanks cinebob..you saw the car and orca there uh, must have been 1977. I would love to find some old newspapers from 1980 that showed what movies were playing there , like i wonder if Friday the 13th played there. or halloween.. I hope one day someone can give some info on what movies showed there in 1980.. specially the months leading up to its closing..
Ronnie21,
If you really want to see what films played at CineMart the archives at the Wilmington Public Library and the UD library in Newark will have Microfilm copies of News Journal for 1980. You can get into the UD library for free even if your not a student. Copies can be printed for a nominal fee.
Hey, thanks jwheckert, Wheres the Wilmington public library? thanks i hope i find some good ones…
Hey cinebob, could you post some more ads of movies that played here in 1980? thanks if you can..
Apocalypse Now shown here for at least 4 months. from October 79 through January 1980.
Just discovered ‘'TOMMY’‘ played here for 5 weeks in 1976., and The devil in miss jones played here Sept 20th 1973…
CINEBOB? hey bob, did you see the pics i posted here of the screen? what do you think????
Is the Cinemart building still standing?
Yes john, the cinemart is still standing. Look at the pics above.. Its amazing that its in the shape its in for being closed 32 years. But it looks a wreck inside where the lobby use to be.. The screen room looks really clean inside..