Scotia Cinema
117 Mohawk Avenue,
Scotia,
NY
12302
117 Mohawk Avenue,
Scotia,
NY
12302
3 people
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From the Mohawk Valley Library Association website: The Ritz Theatre was opened on January 26, 1929. “Lilac Time” was the first movie shown in the Ritz. Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper starred in it. Matinees were 10 cents, shows after 6:00 p.m. were 20 cents. In the early 1940’s, the Ritz Theatre got a new manager, his name was James F. LaFarr. In the 1950’s, Clifford L. Ritchey owned the Ritz.
The present owner acquired it after the bank foreclosed in December 1981. The name Ritz was changed when LaFarr was manager, and again with Ritchey, who gave it the name of Scotia Theater. It was changed once more, but it was changed back again. It now has about 300 seats.
Richard Adams is the current owner and manager.
Contributed by
Roger Katz
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
This is an article from the Daily Gazette on the Scotia Cinema. Current seating is given as 284 on the main level and 91 in the balcony.
This cinema is going to get harder to find in Internet searches, The Paramounts in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary will be called Scotia Cinema or in Montreal Cinémas Scotia as Cineplex sold the nameing rights to the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Check out some ads from its days as the Scotia Art Theatre:
http://plantweed.blogspot.com/search?q=scotia
This is the website for the Scotia Cinema.
Here is a photo of the Scotia Cinema at night.
1980 Photo
This is one of the best run theaters I have attended. Prices are low, everything is clean, and the picture is great. The seats are more comfortable than the newest multiplexes.
This theater was recently shown on HGTV when they announced their Dream Home winner who lives in Scotia.
I stopped by this theater on a Monday afternoon on my way back home from Albany, NY when for some reason my Garmin sent me through Scotia, NY. It was locked, but I lucked out when the owner/manager came in to do some work and gave me a tour. This theater is GORGEOUS and is emblematic of what can be done with the “labor of love.” The auditorium and balcony sparkle, there is nary a sign of dirt anywhere, the screen is pristine and the projection booth is the cleanest one I have ever seen! I trust that the good people of Scotia know what a gem they have in their village and support the owner’s efforts. Every small town should have its own theater; this one is a model of how to do that and how to do it right.
Visited this theater last night. They have moved the screen back about 22 feet from where it was. It seems that at some point the theater was made smaller and a laundromat was added in the back section. They have not yet added additional seating but it will be added soon. I hope they redo all the first floor seating and make it the same as the seats on the balcony, which are very comfortable.