Cinema
645 Main Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14203
645 Main Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14203
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened in 1946 as the Midtown Theatre, the Cinema was a true art theater well before the time that idea became popular. Aside from showing subtitled foreign films, the management served European-style coffee and fine pastries in the lobby before the show began. The theater had a policy of showing British and other European product almost exclusively. It was a relatively small house with subtle, indirect lighting on dark, velvety walls.
The Cinema burned down in a fire in 1984. The Market Arcade theatres (a modern six-plex) currently stands close to the site of the Cinema.
Contributed by
E. Summer
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
The Cinema, which opened May 29,1946, was originally named The Midtown and designed by Albert A. Rumschik. It was located at 645 Main Street and it burned down May 20,1984. The Market Arcade, located at 639 Main St., was built on the site of two small restaurants at 639 and 641 Main St. which burned out in the early 60’s.
At one point 2 additional theaters opened above the theater on the first floor making the Cinema a triplex. This theater was also known as the Downtown Cinema and featured martial arts and action films.
Located at 647 Main St, phone number 1960: MAdison 8805
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The website above shows this theatre.
1986 Photo
1987 Photo
I think this theater used to have ‘seashell’ type light fixtures on the side walls which were back-lit. A friend of mine used to usher here, and told me of how management would ‘occasionally’ piece together torn ticket stubs and resell them to patrons to be ripped in half again — of course, that’s his story, he could be wrong….
He got me up to see the projection booth once which had a giant, ratty old stuffed chair where the projectionist would sometimes fall asleep and miss a changeover!