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Introducing myself
posted by
chellybones
on
July 9, 2007 at 10:40 am
I will start by saying how grateful I was when I came upon this website. There are so many people out there with my same passion!
When I moved to Dallas, Texas was when I first discovered my attraction to vintage places and things. I got a job at the Inwood Theatre during the renovations in 2005 and worked there for 2.5 years. Being a part of the re-opening was a life-changing experience.
I then started to notice the character in all the old buildings in Dallas. I plan to eventually be able to purchase and renovate a movie theatre. At the age of 19, I have a lot of planning and waiting to do. I am going to work at it, starting now, until I reach my goal.
I’m brand new at this, and I know many of you have more experience than I. If anyone has any advice to give me, it would be extremely helpful as I view my goal as a huge challenge.
Comments (6)
Welcome Chelsea H, nice to have you apart of Cinema Treasures. It’s a pleasure meeting you.
Hello Chelsea H…
You are just entering a fabulous world… but it’s dying very fast! I’m in my mid 60’s and came in on the end of an era when “going to the pictures” was wonderful entertainment.
We dressed “up” to go out to the downtown movie house for an entire evening of entertainment; from the doorman, concession stand, finding a seat in the balcony, listening to the pipe organ, watching the beautiful curtains opening and closing during each segment of the program -complete with footlights and spotlight on the organist, the news, a travel program, trailers and door prizes… and so on!
Wow, those WERE the days but to coin a phrase, they’ve “gone with the wind.”
Now, it’s booringly bare-screen multiplexes, all showing the same garbage churned out by the Hollywood zombies, shown by candy merchants and staffed by children who haven’t the slightest inclanation of what show business is all about!
I hope you strike it rich by finding a “sugar daddy” and that your dreams come true. Dreams DO come true.
I’ve busted my hump for a decade trying to find and reopen an art deco single screen 500 seater with the dreams of going back in the proverbialy “time machine” but with zero luck.
The day I give up is when I’m on my death bed. However, there are countless little cinema/theaters out there just waiting to be snapped up and be prepared to relocate.
But… you’ll need to be in the right part of town!!! Research the neighborhood for it’s ethnicity and show the right type of films. Forget the “first run” junk -they’re at killer prices from the greedy distributors… show the older classics or biggies from just a few years ago that people failed to catch on general release.
Please stay in touch with your trials and tribulations.
Simon in Long Beach, California
Thankyou JohnMessick and Simon for your very warm welcomings!
I admire your determination, Simon! I wish I would have been able to experience “going to the pictures.” Anytime I go in to an old theater I imagine what it was like at its peak, and when the entertainment and business was at its highest.
My dream is to refurbish an old theater, but I have not decided whether I want to re-open it for movies or not. I have also considered things along the line of a book store, coffee shop, or a venue for live bands. I love going to see bands play at the Lakewood, Granada, and Ridglea theaters here in Texas. I plan on contacting those theaters eventually and possibly setting up interviews to see how they did what they did.
If I did go the movie route, I very much agree with you on showing the older classics, or the movies that have cult followings. At the Inwood theater, where I used to work, they show midnight movies on Fridays and Saturdays and those are always classics, or biggies. Everyone seems to love coming to see those movies on the big screen and that is usually when the main auditorium gets the fullest!
I will surely stay in touch. Thank you so much for your advice!
Chelsea
Hi Chelsea:
There are a ton more of ideas I have for you but I don’t want to load this site down too much. If you are still interested, please write to me at my personal e-mail:
Simon Overton in Long Beach, Ca.
Chelsea u make that Inwood Cinema the classiest in Dallas FtWorth Metroplex area. For films get all sorts like cult classics,indie films,etc but do some market research and see what appeal to your audiences.
U should check out mind on the closing Vicksburgs Pemberton Cinema 4 which had been the only movie house town. U want to know what I think really killed it? The marketing by the cinema operators first the Regel Group and then the corrupt Village Theatres. It narrowed it down to teen and blacks only. Also both operators failed to see the chaning trends within the industry. Such as stadium cinemas etc. A feud between the mall renter CBL Associates and Village Theatres—Village Theatres refused to the pay the high rent. And CBL close the cinema at christmas and ticked the town off. Now it has been six going on seven months without a new operator word here there has been of some new cinema operators but nothing definite. I figure the more heels are dragged the more the Jackson Metro Market will have its foothold here.
Hi Chelsea. You certainly have an ambitious vision, however you need about a $1,000,000 extra to start with.
Good Luck!!
Don………..