Villa Theatre
3092 Highland Drive,
Salt Lake City,
UT
84115
3092 Highland Drive,
Salt Lake City,
UT
84115
13 people
favorited this theater
The Villa Theater is best known for its elegant neon-laden facade and sign, as well as its 93-foot curved screen, the largest in the state of Utah.
Opened in 1949, the Villa was later used as the home of Cinemiracle and Cinerama in Salt Lake City, with its three Cinerama booths still remaining in place. In fact, the theater’s original procenium, stage, and screen are still intact, and hidden behind the large, curved screen.
The Villa was last operated by Carmike Cinemas, which renovated the old movie house in 1996.
Due to Carmike’s recent bankruptcy reorganization, the Villa was closed in February 2003. It has been converted since then into a rug showroom.
Contributed by
Cinema Treasures, Mark Gulbrandsen
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Recent comments (view all 32 comments)
The photos of the “rug showroom” by the owners really tell it all. Check out the treatment of the neon sign (click on thumbnail). http://www.adibs.com/utshow.asp
Tacky. Wonder how long it will take to put up an “oriental carpet outlet” sign.
Preserve Me a Seat will be shown on Friday, September 14 at the Portage Theater in Chicago, IL as part of the “Preserving Palaces” documentary film festival, along with Uptown: Portrait of a Palace. The festival continues Saturday, September 15 with The Wizard of Austin Boulevard, Loew’s Paradise Theatre, and Memoirs of a Movie Palace. A theatre preservation discussion panel will follow the films on Saturday night. For complete information, visit www.portagetheater.org.
Thanks Grant for the great photos of The Villa. I got to see this Cinerama/Toddd-AO house many years ago when we had a THS conclave put on by Van Summerill from Odgen Ut. To see the wonderfull curved screen was the hi lite of the tour week. I will be ordering a few of the DVD’S ‘Preserve Me A Seat’ this week. And thanks to Mr Adib who saved the building from the wrecking ball; while not the Roadshow 70mm house it was at least it still stands. Someday maybe the rugs can be sold in a nearby building and big scrren movies can be shown again for the people of Salt Lake. Not first run; that killed it. Bring back as many restored 70mm prints and some old Cinerama films for a new generation to enjoy. Turn it into a Curved Screen Museum and bring in the visiting tourists that come to see the Mormon Temple.
The Villa, Uptown, Utah, Capitol, Rialto, Studio, Center, Uptown and the Lyric were the theatres of my choice when in college at the U of U. The Village used to have a pie shop right down from it where you could go before or after the movies for a piece of pie and milk.
Here is an undated photo of the marquee:
http://tinyurl.com/n4zqdz
Probably taken around 1949-50.
Ken Mc what is the source of your photo posted on Jun 25, 2009. I have a booklet from the Utah Historical Society and it has the identical photo. Was wondering if you have the same booklet.
No, it was on a site called pinballrebel.com. I guess they posted the photo from your source.
70mm Roadshow Engagement “THE BIG FISHERMAN” Bibical movie.this on Oct 2 1959.
What a piece of irony that the above photo shows a hearse headed toward our deceased theatre. Makes the demise of the Villa that much sadder.