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Theaters
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August 6, 2002
Fox Theater In Hays, Kansas To Close
HAYS, KS — Falling profits from the Fox Theater have forced Dickinson Theaters to close one of its oldest and most historic movie houses. According to the Hays Daily News, the theater is scheduled to close later this month after more than five decades of service.
Revenue has been falling ever since the old four screen multiplex at The Mall was expanded into an eight-screen theater. In fairness to the old Fox, though, Dickinson has routinely allocated better product to the eight screen theater which hasn’t helped the Fox’s situation.
Fortunately, Dickinson is trying to work with the city of Hays to come up with an alternative use for the aging movie house. The theater is still in pristine condition, and was recently renovated in 2000 with the installation of new seats and digital sound.
The Fox Theater opened in 1950 with a large screen, seating for over 1,000 patrons, and a balcony. The theater also contained numerous murals, which are now covered up by the addition of a second theater where the balcony was previously located.
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Rally To Save The Sameric Today!
PHILADELPHIA, PA — We’ve just received this message from Jay Schwartz at The Secret Cinema about a rally today in support of the Sameric:
This coming Tuesday, August 6, will be the most important day yet for a show of support for the Sameric/Boyd Theater.
The Sameric, of course, is the beautiful, intact, 2350-seat art deco movie palace, which is threatened with demolition by its present owner, The Goldenberg Group.
Despite news stories you may have read about the owner wanting to preserve it, or about Mayor Street wanting to see it stand, neither party has made any commitment to saving the building, Philadelphia'a LAST surviving movie palace from the golden age. Indeed, The Goldenberg Group has only committed firmly to “keeping all of their options open.”
On Tuesday at noon, there will be a rally in front of the city building at 1515 Arch Street. This is expected to be a large gathering, and the larger, the better, in order to ensure media coverage and to make City Hall know that people really care about this issue.
The rally preceded a hearing scheduled at 1:15 pm inside the building, filed by a concerned citizen to reverse the demolition permit that The Goldenberg Group presently holds (and can legally use at any time). This hearing is open to the public, and similarly, we need as many people inside as possible to show the judge that the theater is worth saving (and that votes are at stake if it is not).
If you care at all about this very important piece of Philadelphia’s
entertainment history, please attend one or both of Tuesday’s events. If you work in Center City, bring your lunch to the rally. If you are able at all to stay afterwards at the hearing, that will make a huge difference.Even if you can’t attend either event on Tuesday, you can help by SPREADING THIS MESSAGE WIDELY, via email or any other way you can think of.
Also, be sure to sign the online petition form at www.SaveTheSameric.org. The petitions will be brought to the hearing.
For more information, visit www.SaveTheSameric.org or www.boydtheatre.com.
Opened in 1928 as the Boyd, the Sameric was recently named to Preservation Pennsylvania’s “At Risk 2002” list of the state’s 10 most endangered historic properties.
(Thanks to Gregg Anderson for the announcement.)
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August 5, 2002
3-Strip Cinerama Comes To The Cinerama Dome!
HOLLYWOOD, CA — Here’s an event not to be missed:
The world famous Cinerama Dome, located at the recently (re)constructed Arclight Cinemas complex, will be showing the film that started off the Cinerama craze in the 1950s, “This Is Cinerama”, in its glorious, original 3-strip format.
The newly refurbished and reconstructed print will bow on October 4, 2002 at the recently reopened Cinerama Dome on its gargantuan Cinerama screen. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased directly through the Arclight Cinemas website.
According to Arclight, the film is “the first to be refurbished – so a new generation of moviegoers can experience the thrill of this ‘pre-Imax’, ‘pre-virtual reality’ visual and sound format. Essentially a travelog, the film takes the viewer around the world and through ‘America the Beautiful…the heart of a continent, as seen through new eyes…a scenic tour de force of light, color, and sound…an America of breath-taking beauty and splendor that only Cinerama can picture and bring to you’.”
In other Cinerama Dome news, the geodesic theater will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of David Lean’s masterpiece, “Lawrence of Arabia”, with screenings of the epic film in 70MM. (Having seen this film at the ‘Dome’ a few years ago in 70MM, I couldn’t recommend this experience more highly. – RM) The film opens here on September 20th.
Purchase tickets for “This Is Cinerama”
(Thanks to Cinema Treasures friend and Cinerama guru Larry Karstens!)
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Struggle To Save Boston’s Modern Theatre From Extinction
BOSTON, MA — Hope is fading on Boston’s historic Modern Theatre as its owners, who are being accused of letting the old movie house fall into disrepair, have applied for a permit to demolish the 1912-era movie house.
According to the Boston Globe, the Modern, which is near two other shuttered movie palaces, the Paramount and Keith’s Opera House on Boston’s long-neglected Washington Street, may be beyond repair inside as extensive water damage has decimated the interior. Its facade, too, has begun crumbling.
Preservationists are now fighting the demolition request and hope to save at least the facade. With the help of the Landmarks Commission and the Boston Preservation Alliance, supporters also hope to bring some form of entertainment back to the building.
The Modern was constructed in 1912 inside a a fomer warehouse and retail building. The theater’s name was changed to the Mayflower in 1949 and its policy switched to adult films in the 1970s. It closed in the early 80s and has been used most recently as storage for pushcarts.
(Thanks to Dennis Huber for the sad update.)
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August 2, 2002
Merced Theatre Purchased By City; Restoration To Follow
MERCED, CA — The Merced City Council has approved the city’s purchase of the Merced Theatre from United Artists for $700,000 — half of the amount the theater chain had asked for. According to the Merced Sun-Star, the purchase price also includes retail space and the apartments above the historic theater.
The city of Merced will manage the property, while the Merced Theatre Foundation, which has spent the last three years convincing the city to buy the shuttered movie house, will sign a long term contract to operate the theater.
The group plans raise between $2.5 million and $3 million to restored the Spanish-style theater and is looking for donations which can be sent to: Merced Theatre Foundation, P.O. Box 2510, Merced, CA 95344.
(Thanks to Ron Pierce for the update!)
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July 31, 2002
Benefit Screening Tonight At The Aero!!!
SANTA MONICA, CA — A benefit screening of “Rebel Without a Cause” will be shown tonight at the Aero Theatre at 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. Tickets, which will help the ailing movie house, are $20 and include appetizers. The theater is located at 1328 Montana Avenue. For more information, call the theater at (310) 395-4990.
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Exciting News From The Plaza Theatre In El Paso!
EL PASO, TX — We’ve just received the following news regarding the gorgeous atmospheric Plaza Theatre:
The El Paso City Council voted this morning to allocate approximately $14 million for the restoration of the Plaza Theatre. Money raised will come from an increase in parking meter rates in the Downtown area. The vote for the project passed City Council by a vote of 6-1, with one representative absent.
El Paso Community Foundation’s presentation centered on the development of a partnership with the City by committing $12 million for the project. The proposal also included the integration of the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ (currently on loan to Sunland Park Mall) back to its original home, and donation of the Centre Annex Building, located adjacent to the theater. The Centre Annex Building is proposed to house a restaurant, event ballroom, young people’s theater and roof-top patio terrace.
Credit for this project belongs with Mayor Caballero and members of City Council, as with the vision and foresight of literally thousands of El Pasoans. Over the next few weeks and months, we look forward to working with you to bring back to life the Plaza Theatre.
Cinema Treasures would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our friend Roman Herrington, Program Officer of the El Paso Community Foundation, for helping resurrect one of the country’s greatest and most endangered movie palaces.
Read more about the Plaza Theatre
Visit their official website -
Tour Detroit’s Movie Palaces!
The annual tour of Detroit’s historic movie palaces will take place Saturday, August 17th and is being offered thanks to the “extraordinary cooperation of theatre owners” and is organized by Preservation Wayne, Detroit’s largest and oldest preservation group.
The tour will cover the State, Fox, former Michigan, Gem, and Century theaters, as well as the Music Hall and the Detroit Opera House. According to the groups’s press release, “Added attractions include a movie palace exhibit at the Opera House, and organ recitals on both the Wurlitzer and Moller organs at the Fox Theatre.”
Tickets are $20.00 for members of Preservation Wayne and the Art Deco Society of Detroit or $25 for the general public. Tickets include a lunch stop at the Detroit Opera House. Paid reservations are required to guarantee your preferred time slot.
Tours leave the State Theatre lobby on Woodward Avenue every 30 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Convenient, inexpensive parking is available in the Fox Centre Garage, behind Hockeytown Caf
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July 30, 2002
Fox Theater In Redlands Unveils New Website
REDLANDS, CA — The new owners of the Fox Theater have launched a website that highlights the large amount of work needed to restore this movie palace to its original luster. Although badly decayed inside, artist renderings of the restored Fox are tantalizing given its current state and hint at a great future.
Opened in 1928, the Fox was later twinned in a rather destructive manner and finally closed in the late 1980s. It has been shuttered ever since. The theater was purchased earlier this year and will become a live theater venue upon its reopening.
(Thanks to Julie Schneblin for the update!)
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Uptown Theatre Progress Continues
CHICAGO, IL — Janet Davies, the entertainment news reporter from WLS-TV (ABC), will be reporting today on the Uptown Theatre at 4:00 pm on Channel 7 in Chicago. The piece will feature an interview with Mark Zipperer, CEO of the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts.
In other Uptown news, the group has announced that they have already “raised $1.3 million to date of the $4 million needed to purchase the building, stablize/winterize the building, replenish our operating budget, and kick off the campaign to secure the remaining funds necessary to completely restore the Uptown Theatre to its original grandeur.”
The UTCA is seeking donations which can be sent to:
Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts
4707 N. Broadway, Suite 315
Chicago, IL 60640The Uptown will also be holding a benefit rock concert in the near future and will have booths at the following events:
Uptown Unity Fest located at Truman College (on Wilson between Clark and Broadway) on August 3rd from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Northalsted Market Days located on Halsted Street between Belmont and Addison on August 10th & 11th from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm.
The group will also be raffling off a 2002 JAGUAR (S-Type V6) which is valued at $45,000. Accoring to the group, chances of winning are 1 in 625. Cost per ticket: $200. For more information on the raffle, call 773-561-5700.
(Thanks to Michael Beyer for keeping us in the loop!)