Lenox Square Theatre
3393 Peachtree Road NE,
Atlanta,
GA
30319
3393 Peachtree Road NE,
Atlanta,
GA
30319
2 people
favorited this theater
Built by Georgia Theatre Company as a single 660 seat screen in 1963, the Lenox Square Theatre has closed after 40 years. In 1967 Georgia Theatre took over vacant space next door and added a 320 seat shoebox theater. In 1978 they split the 660 seat theater into two 320 seaters, and took over more vacant space and added a 220 seater. In 1980 they put a 190 seater in the lobby space of the 1967 addition.
In 1984, they took down the wall that twinned the 1963 theater and moved the back wall forward to create a 500 seat auditorium. Then they combined the space gained with the lobby and put in two 110 seat screens. United Artists Theatres bought Georgia Theatre Co. in 1988 and soon completly remodeled the lobby but did nothing to solve the terrible sound and projection problems caused by the atrocious layout of the theater in its final six screen form.
The condition of the site was very poor by the time Regal took over the UA chain and it was closed in June of 2003. During its first 15 years, the 660 seat auditorium was a true showplace with 70MM projectors and 4 and 6 track sound. The next 25 years of twinning and quading and poor upkeep gave it a reputation as a place to avoid. A sad end to a once great location.
Contributed by
Stan Malone
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Recent comments (view all 33 comments)
Is this the same theater that was in the mall, next to the food court? I only went a few times in the early ‘90s, and by then any previous charm was long gone. It was an awful location, made worse when the then-state-of-the-art AMC Phipps Plaza opened up across the street.
I recall back in 1965 a long line on the side walk snaking around the adjacent stores to see “The Yellow Rolls Royce.”
Great ad on 007,Dennis.
My name is Bond,Jame Bond.
Oct 15 1988 these movies are playing: “DIE HARD”,“SWEET HEARTS Dance”.ALIEN NATION", “MEMORIES OF ME” “ACCUSED"and "TOUGHER THAN LEATHER”.
Here a 1963 aerial view.
View link
I’ve been gone from Atlanta since ‘97. A friend recently told me about CT. I was really shocked to find
the Lenox Square Theaters closed. That’s like hearing that Lenox Square itself had folded.
Yes, I saw all the Bond movies from the 70s there. I spent many a rainy Atlanta afternoon at the
Lenox Square movies.
And yes, the later expanded layout was a lousy place to see a movie. One frequently sat in the
theater and heard the soundtrack of the movie next door blasting through the wall. And the audiences got so rude and obnoxious (usually groups of teens) I finally stopped going to evening or weekend
showings, sticking to the less well attended matinees.
I thought I remembered the original entrance was located street level, not inside the mall. It was -
thanks for that photo Stan (and all your great posts.)
No, in its latter days, Lenox Square Theaters was not a great spot, but I always thought the place
would be there. Too bad it’s not.
Thanks Ralph.The Theatre business is a joke today from when i ran theatres in the 70’s early 80’s.
The Burt Lancaster film, “The Train” (1964) was the only film I saw here. It was a single-screen theatre then. Though in black and white, “The Train” was an exciting film on the nearly wall-to-wall screen. The memory is 49 years old, but I am pretty sure that we entered from inside the mall, which was open-air back then.
The June, 1964, issue of International Projectionist featured a two page article about the Lenox Square Threatre which can be seen at this link. The house was designed for Georgia Theatres by architect J. B. Finch, of the firm Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothchild & Paschal.