Severance Theatre
3600 Mayfield Road,
Severance Town Center,
Cleveland Heights,
OH
44118
3600 Mayfield Road,
Severance Town Center,
Cleveland Heights,
OH
44118
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: National Theatre Corp., Regal Entertainment Group
Architects: Jack Alan Bialosky
Nearby Theaters
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Regal Severance Town Center 14
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Center Mayfield Theatre
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Loews Cedar Center
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Cedar-Lee Theatre
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Madstone Centrum
News About This Theater
- Jun 18, 2010 — "Jaws"... Happy 35th!
- May 14, 2010 — Please Post Today, May 14 --- "Jaws," Happy 35th
The original Severance Theatre opened in the Severance Center Mall in Cleveland Heights in the mid-1960’s. The original theatre, which was in the center of the mall, was a single screen that was twinned on April 5, 1974. A six-screen annex was built in 1985 in a newly constructed food court annex at the mall. National Theatre Corporation, later Regal Cinemas, operated the Severance Theatre.
The original Severance Theatre closed on March 18. 1999 when the mall was closed for major reconstruction. The first two screens closed first, then later the adjacent five-plex closed, and was demolished.
In 2000, when Severance reopened as a big-box power center, a new 14-screen Regal Cinema opened behind the new Wal-Mart at the complex(it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). This entry is about the original Severance Theatres.
Contributed by
Toby Radloff
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Recent comments (view all 21 comments)
I woorked at the original theater from 1968 to 1970. The theater had 999 seats, 20 of them were on the second floor behind glass. We called it the penthouse. The seats were like living room chairs that could swivel, but were fixed to the floor. I was also their duing the Woodstock run. Funny Girl played in 1968 for 46 weeks. Hello Dolly played in 1969 for 25 weeks.
series of grand opening ad uploaded in the photo section.
I have information that suggests Regal closed this 4/21/1999. Was is possible that the 5-plex operated for another year after the original theatre closed?
Do any Clevelanders know if the original Severance could run 70mm prints? (I know the 1980s expansion could; I’m asking about the original screen during the 1960s.)
I’m betting it did, since they had both “Funny Girl” and “Hello, Dolly” in extended runs in 1968 & 1969, and those were likely roadshow engagements. Someone else will have the definitive answer, but to my memory, this was a high profile theater in those first years, and it’s hard to imagine they weren’t 70mm.
The last day of business for Severance Movies was March 18,1999. The final films shown were The Corruptor, The Rage: Carrie 2, Cruel Intentions, Analyze This, 8MM, and Payback.
Two screens on April 5th, 1974. Grand opening ad posted.
When the Severance was a single theater it had Simplex XL 35mm projectors. The same projectors were used when it became a twin theater. Christie xenon lamps and platters were added at this time. They never had 70mm equipment. Also, the 5-plex theater described here actually was a 6-plex.
Funny Girl played there in roadshow but it was not in 70mm in most engagements. Dolly was in Todd-AO, if it played at the Severance (I can’t remember) it must have been in that format as a roadshow, so they must have had that capability.
Todd-AO was a 70mm process. While a film may have been shot in 70mm, they made both 35mm and 70mm prints out of it.
So even if Hello Dolly played there, it wouldn’t have required 70mm equipment.