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Theaters
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March 18, 2004
Colonial Theatre Gets a Gusset
IDAHO FALLS, ID — According to this report from KIFI Local News 8, the Colonial Theater has reinstalled an item that was missing since the onetime vaudeville house became a movie house (as the Paramount). The item, a large metal triangular brace called a gusset, is used to support the theater’s balcony.
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March 15, 2004
Montreal’s Imperial Cinema Under Restoration
MONTREAL, CANADA — Montreal’s last surviving single screen movie palace, the Imperial (1913), is finally under restoration.
This week saw the framing of the new marquee installed. The theater was last run by Famous Players and was donated by Viacom to the Montreal World Film Festival in 1995.
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March 12, 2004
Ritz Savior Takes on New Project
TIFFIN, OH — Dennis Sankovich, who oversaw a $5 million renovation of the Ritz Theatre and helped grow the theater’s annual budget to $1.4 million, is stepping down from his position, according to this report in the Toledo Blade.
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March 3, 2004
Cineplex Founder Nat Taylor Passes Away
TORONTO, CANADA — Canadian exhibitor Nat Taylor, credited with creating the first multiplex theater in 1948 (Elgin and Little Elgin in Ottawa) and introducing movie theaters to shopping malls (Yorkdale Theatre and Cinema), passed away on Tuesday at the age of 98, according to the Toronto Star.
Some of Taylor’s innovations include:
• One of the earliest multi-screen movie theaters (when he added a second screen to Ottawa’s Elgin Theatre)
• First triplex theater
• First quad theater
• First quintuplex theater (the Uptown)
• First theater in a shopping mall (the Yorkdale Plaza/Silver City)
• First 18-screen theater (a precursor of today’s megaplex)
• Coined the term “cineplex” -
March 1, 2004
Council Subcommittee Votes to Give Avalon Theater Landmark Status
MILWAUKEE, WI — Prospects for saving Milwaukee’s last surviving atmospheric theatre, the Avalon Theater, brightened on Wednesday when a Milwaukee City Council sub-committee voted to recommend landmark status for the theater, according to this report in the Milwaukee Journal.
If the full council adopts the recommendation, the Avalon’s current owner, Craig Ellsworth, would be unable to make any renovations to the theater’s exterior without the approval of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, nor would he be able to demolish the structure without prior approval.
That said, should landmark status be granted, Ellsworth would still be able to proceed with his plans to convert the Avalon’s interior into office space.
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February 27, 2004
York Theatre Expands
ELMHURST, IL — Classic Cinema’s York Theatre is opening two more screens in April, bringing the theater’s total number of screens to seven.
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February 20, 2004
More Chicago Theater Pics
CHICAGO, IL — As a followup to our recent story about the Chicago’s marquee removal, Cinema Treasures uber-volunteer Bryan Krefft sent us a few recent shots of the Chicago Theater.
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February 19, 2004
Fox Fullerton Wins $1.65 Million Grant
FULLERTON, CA – The Fullerton City Council has approved a “challenge” grant to enable the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation to buy the Fox Fullerton Theatre, according to a report in the Fullerton News Tribune.
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February 17, 2004
Hollywood Theater: Then & Now
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — As the Hollywood Theater awaits renovation by a local theater arts organization this spring, I thought I’d dig up some pictures from the archives.
The vintage shots are from 1935. The more recent photos are from my tour this last winter with the Hollywood Theater Task force, a group that wants to spur interest and possible development of the theater.
Enjoy!
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February 12, 2004
New Regal Theatre’s Future Still Unknown
CHICAGO, IL – Since it was closed last June, the 2400-seat New Regal Theatre, designed by John Eberson in 1927, has sat vacant according to a recent report in the Daily Southtown.