Cooper Theatre
960 S. Colorado Boulevard,
Denver,
CO
80246
960 S. Colorado Boulevard,
Denver,
CO
80246
19 people
favorited this theater
The Cooper Theatre was the first of three Cinerama theaters built by the Cooper Foundation in the early 1960’s. Known as the Golden Triangle, the three theaters were located in Denver, Omaha, and Minneapolis. Complete with massive screens and the latest sound technology, all three were designed to exhibit films made in the 3-strip Cinerama process.
Renamed as the Cooper/Cameo by the 1970’s, the theater later became part of the Commonwealth Theatres circuit, who franchised the Cooper name. They also built the Cooper 5, Cooper 6, Cooper 7, and Cooper Twin (none of which were Cinerama theaters), which were constructed to mimick the round, elevated roofs of the existing Cooper theaters.
Visitors came from all over to see the Cooper Theatre and its wonderous screen. But after several years of delighting audiences and packing full houses, the Cooper Theatre began to draw fewer crowds.
After Commonwealth, the Cooper Theatre was run by United Artists, who continued to operate the theater until it was sold. Like Cinerama itself, the Cooper Theatre in Denver did not last forever. After years of changing hands, the massive theater was finally sold to Barnes & Noble, who razed it to build a new store.
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Recent comments (view all 68 comments)
GaryJB, and Other Employees of the Denver theatres,
Mom and Dad managed a small theatre in a mall in Arvada off I-25 and what is now Thorton. When I returned to Denver for college I was also worked at several of the theatres in Denver. I was employed by the Continental, while under Common Wealth. I was then “Lent†out to various Denver Theatres from the Cooper5 to the Cooper7, and every Cooper between them. Yes even the Copper Twin. After getting to know several employees, union projectionists, Managers, and District Managers, I moved to CA and worked at a Fox theatre for 2 years. When I moved back, I worked again at the Continental, before opening the Greenwood Plaza 12 (as an assistant). After a few years there I transferred to The UA Corporate Offices. I moved back to CA and Managed the “Golden State†theatre (Complete with Pipe Organ), until UA sold it to become a historical landmark. I love the Motion Picture theatre business, or at least I did.
What I miss the most is how close everyone was. It really was like family. Yet I have been in contact with no one. It makes me so happy to see past employees checking on places where they were, and how much they still mean to them… even if most of them are nothing more than a reminder.
I would like to be found by those who I’ve come to miss. Those who remember me and those worked at the same theatres, around the same time. I would even like to hear from someone who has worked at “My†theatres before, or after, me.
Tim Quealy
A couple of not-so-great shots of the exterior of the late Cooper Twin in Denver, circa 1993. The main auditorium was something to see…
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Re-new link.
Michael Coate, can I get your email address again…..I had it once but cannot locate it and would like to talk about the Cooper Denver.
Monty-Denver.
I am almost positive this is a shot of the concession stand – newly renovated at the time – at the Cooper Twin, circa 1993. If anyone can verify that from this unfortunately dark exposure, I’d appreciate it!
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Monty-Denver…my email address is listed under Contact Info in my profile. Just click on my name at the bottom of this post to access the profile page.
Why couldn’t Barnes & Noble convert this spectacular theatre to a book store as was done with the Alabama in Houston and the Runnymede in Toronto. What a great book store that would have made!
Denver’s complete CINERAMA exhibition history has been included in the “Remembering Cinerama” series and is posted here.
I, too, saw “2001” at the Denver Cooper in 1968. I was 9 years old and unfortunately fell asleep at some point (but I remember bits and pieces of the showing). My family was on vacation in Colorado at the time. We also ate at the Yum-Yum Tree, which I believe was on the same road. Years later I was on vacation in Denver again and saw “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” Truly a shame the building is gone.
Hello I’m currently working on a book about the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and am looking for photos and programs/newspaper clippings etc from each city in which the film premiered in originally in 1968. If you saw the film in it’s initial run in the theater have a good memory of your experience, I’d love to interview you about seeing it. To date I have interviewed over 20 people that have worked on the film, and several close members in the Kubrick camp as well. If you can help please email me at