Chris-Town Theatres
5705 N.19th Avenue,
Phoenix,
AZ
85015
5705 N.19th Avenue,
Phoenix,
AZ
85015
3 people
favorited this theater
This is part of an outside mall multiplex built in 1967. The main 922 seat auditorium is quite massive and was Phoenix’s first THX theater.
“I remember seeing "Superman" and a host of 1980’s blockbusters here. The only down side to this auditorium is that the screen is far too small.”
The theater closed in April of 2007 and was demolished in May 2007.
Contributed by
Shannon Laine
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
Is this the theater that was inside Christown mall and had an escalator that went up to a second floor, where the snack bar was in a square in the middle of all the entrance doors to the auditoriums? If it is I used to see LOTS of movies there in the late 70s and early 80s. Movies I saw there for the first time: “E.T.”, “Superman”, “Superman II”. I also remember seeing the 1979 re-release of “Jaws” in a double feature with “Love At First Bite”. I ask only because some people confuse this with the other theater outside the mall about a block or two away. This place is almost as sacred to me as the old Cine Capri on 24th St. and Camelback. It’d be a shame if this place really has closed its doors!
HollywoodSteve, this is the theater that was outside the mall, on 19th Ave.
Aw, I’m sorry to hear this one is gone. Saw so many films here good and bad. Lots of memories ripped away by that wrecking ball.
The architect of the original single-screen Fox Chris-Town Theatre was Bud Magee. Photos of this theatre and of the Fox Buena Vista in Tucson, designed by the same architect, appeared in the May 15, 1967, issue of Boxoffice Magazine. The Fox Chris-Town opened with 922 seats.
In 1971, a second auditorium with 834 seats was added and the house, still operated by National General, became the Chris-Town 2 Theatre. Architects of the expansion project were Pearson, Wuesthoff & Skinner of Los Angeles, who were designing many of NGC’s new and expanded theaters in the west and southwest at this time. The expanded theater was the subject of an article in the August 30, 1971, issue of Boxoffice.
As I noted in my 2006 comment above, when Harkins Theatres expanded this complex to 11 screens in 1996, the design was done by architect Scott Walker of Phoenix-based CCBG Architects.
I saw so many movies at this place, I couldn’t count them all. There were even Summer kids movies for 25 cents. There was nothing like spending most of a hot day there for less than a dollar. In a way I’m glad I moved away from Arizona several years ago. It just kills me that most of the places in Phoenix from my childhood are gone. I am glad for the memories though: Bob’s Big Boy on Thomas and Central, Bill’s Records at Park Central Mall, Legend City, concerts at the Memorial Coluseum, The Palms Theatre on Central, Odessey Records on 12th Street and Camelback, chasing The Monkees from Sky Harbor to Mountain Shadows Resort in my 1961 Galaxy 500, KRUX, KRIZ, John’s Green Gables on Thomas and 24th Street. It’s like a flood.
I’ve come across a couple of references to architect Bud Magee as Charles Magee and Charles “Bud” Magee. In addition to the Christown, and the Buena Vista at Tucson, he designed at least one other NGC house, the Fox Theatre in Provo, Utah, opened in 1967. There’s a rendering of the Provo Fox in Boxoffice, April 24, 1967.
The old Christown Theatres went from 1 screen to 2 then to 5 then to 11. Theatre 3 was the large auditorium which featured 922 seats, THX sound and 70MM capability. I was fortunate to see many of the big blockbusters in that autitorium and several in 70MM…. RAISE THE TITANIC, THE BLACK HOLE, DISNEY’S SLEEPING BEAUTY, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, STAR TREK 4 THE VOYAGE HOME. Also saw ROCKY, SUPERMAN, STAR TREK II, GANDHI, TOP GUN, AND TITANIC among others in that auditorium. Does anybody know if Harkins kept the 70MM projectors when he closed this theatre or the old Cine Capri? If he did, he needs to have a 70MM FILM FESTIVAL like the great movie exhibitors do in Europe. Anyone wanting info on these festivals can look them up on the great website 70MM.com.
Grand opening announcement at
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and
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Great ad,great Seller’s Flick,Thanks Mike.
Of the the numerous movie theaters I have frequented over the years of my life, Chris Town Theater is the one frequented the most frequently. I was raised in Phoenix but am now living in Northern Arizona. I just learned that the theater has been demolished and it is sad because so many great memories are tied to this theater. I guess it’s true that all good things must come to an end.
I remember this theater and mall well from my youth. We used to come to this theater to see many movies in my high school days. I remember seeing Friday the 13th part 3 3D and Rocky movies in the HUGE auditorium. I was in awe of the sheer size of the place. It was awesome. Now, almost all of the theaters I went to in my younger days and the old , big movie houses and malls are gone except for the Valley Art theater in Tempe. As a movie buff and a history teacher, I hate the fact that AZ does a terrible job of preserving their historic buildings and our past, in the name of progress. Maybe someday, we will. At least we still have the Orpheum.