Odeon Drive-In Won’t Reopen for 2004 Season

posted by rivest266 on March 25, 2004 at 2:28 pm

WINNIPEG, CANADA — According to this report from the CBC Manitoba, Cineplex Odeon has no plans to reopen the popular Odeon Drive-In this summer, ending a nearly 40 year tradition of bringing outdoor movies to the citizens of Winnipeg during the summer months.

Cineplex spokeswoman Pat Marshall remarked, “I think with the advent of our new mega-plexes which have become just great entertainment destinations, people are choosing to go to those theatres moreso than the drive-in.”

Marshall says the increasing costs of running the old drive-in could not be made up with declining attendance during the city’s short summer season.

(FYI… the article includes a section where readers can share their memories of the Odeon. You can also submit them .)

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Comments (3)

ryanwriter
ryanwriter on March 27, 2004 at 4:38 pm

Here is what I don’t understad. Why dont they rent the space out during the day for flea markets, auto shows and the like. Not only could they make up the lost money they actually might make MORE money. It would keep an institution around as well as please their bottom line.

cherishelf
cherishelf on April 6, 2004 at 3:34 pm

Good suggestion Ryan. I would like to add that their “declining attendance” might have something to do with playing the same movie for several weeks. We like to go to the drive-in nearly every weekend and were upset when they played movies over so many times last year.

Canuckguy
Canuckguy on April 16, 2004 at 12:24 am

The reason the drive-in died is because the huge spotlights from the golfcourse across the highway are annoying and really ruin the whole experience. If they raised the wall to block the light people would start going again

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