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The latest movie theater news and updates
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November 23, 2009
The story of the St. Francis
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — In the Examiner, some memories of the St. Francis Theatre along with an update on its current status.
The St. Francis Theatre (“Theater”) is a neo-classical building that was a movie theater for approximately 90 years (1911-2001). It has remained vacant since it closed, and it is boarded up.
Urban Realty Company and Commonfund Realty Inc. have proposed knocking down the buildings from 935 to 965 Market Street, including the Theatre, to replace them with a new mid-rise building called CityPlace.
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Oklahoma City city multiplex reopens
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Closed by Regal in 2005, the former Windsor Hills Cinemas have reopened as the Windsor 10 under B&B management which has made renovations and installed upgrades.
Formerly known as the Windsor Hills Cinemas, 4625 NW 23, the 10-screen multiplex will show first-run films and is newly equipped in select auditoriums with digital 3-D projectors, stadium seating with high back rocker seats, wall-to-wall curved screens and digital surround sound.
B&B Theatres is a family owned and operated company specializing in movie houses in medium-sized cities, according to information on its Web site, bbtheatres.com. In business since 1924, the firm operates 200 theater screens in Florida, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Read the story at NewsOK.
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November 20, 2009
Toronto’s Carlton Cinemas set to close on December 6
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA — The Carlton Cinemas is set to close on December 6 due to decline in business. Opened back in 1981 as part of Garth Drabinsky and Nat Taylor’s original Cineplex chain. In recent years, the cinema have been declining in business due to the public’s movie going habits.
More details in the Globe and Mail.
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Will movies at home kill movie theaters?
Here’s a discussion from NPR about new tactics Hollywood is using to bypass theaters and its effects.
As DVD sales decline, Hollywood studios are looking for ways to get movies straight to consumers' living rooms. This has some industry insiders worried that Hollywood is jeopardizing its most valuable asset: the theatrical release date. The movie industry is looking to change the way it distributes content.
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Original murals restored, reinstalled at Sioux City’s Orpheum
SIOUX CITY, SD — Two original murals dating from the Orpheum’s opening in 1917 have been restored and now grace again the walls of this theater that was home to vaudeville and movies. Three others are undergoing restoration and will be installed later, although the location of two others is unknown.
The dancing Grecian ladies in the murals at the Orpheum Theater recently became more vivid, even as their history remains a cloudy mystery.
After a yearlong, $40,000 restoration project, two murals original to the 1913 building were reinstalled this week, without the almost 100 years of grime.
“We are very excited to have these murals back in the building safe, sound and restored,” said Russ DeCurtins, the general manager for SMG, the company that has managed the theater for the city since 2003.
The full story is in the Argus Leader.
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November 19, 2009
Edenton’s Taylor Twn Cinema in financial jeopardy
EDENTON, NC — Built in 1925 as the Taylor Theater, the Taylor Twin has hit rough financial waters and is in danger of closing. Some citizens are already rallying to save the South Broad Street landmark.
Another good friend has been Frank Jones, co-owner of the Soda Shoppe. Jones has known Krochmal since he (Jones) managed the McDonald’s franchise here and the two have participated in joint ventures before.
Wanting to help his old friend, Jones developed a plan to donate 20 percent of the proceeds from all meals eaten at the Soda Shoppe during specially designated hours on Fridays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and on Sundays from noon until 2 p.m.
“My brother Steve and I know Bob is struggling, as many of us downtown are in this tough economy, and we wanted to do whatever we could to help him,” Jones said.
Read the story in the Daily Advance.
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Jackson Heights, Queens, New York Theaters
NEW YORK, NY — The New York Daily News has printed a story on the closure of two Houses, the Eagle and the Jackson Triplex. Warren G. Harris has kindly provided this link.
What’s left of the Eagle Theater’s once majestic marquee is rusting. Signs on the Jackson Triplex advertise films the movie house will never show.
Both of the small Jackson Heights movie theaters have closed within the last six months due to financial problems. And though many locals mourn the loss of cinemas in the neighborhood, others see it as a golden opportunity.
Read more in the New York Daily News.
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New independent cinema to open in Stonington
STONINGTON, CT — William and Casey Cyr Gash are about to open the Mystic Independent Theater. They hope to feature films that did not make the cut at various film festivals as well as live events.
The intimate 46-seat theater, which had been home to the now-defunct Stonington Film Society, has been renovated and will not only show independent films but host music and drama presentations, family celebrations, birthday parties, business meetings and other events.
It is all part of the couple’s diversified plan to ensure the economic success of the theater, which features tiered seats, a raised stage, adjustable lighting and top-quality video and sound systems.
Read more in the California Chronicle.
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November 18, 2009
Happy 50th, “Ben-Hur”
BEN-HUR
50th Anniversary — The Roadshow EngagementsCompiled by Michael Coate
Commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s 1959 production of “Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ,” I would like to present a list of the award-winning film’s original North American roadshow engagements.
The list, created for the sake of nostalgia and historical record, is noteworthy as it represents a breakdown of the first theaters anywhere to have played the film, and, as far as I know, such a list has never before been published. In addition, this (work-in-progress) article is a celebration of the fondly-remembered “Cinema Treasures” in which the film played as much as it is a celebration of the classic film.
The bookings are listed chronologically by premiere date. Duration data has been included for selected entries, many of which are/were a record for a given market or theater.
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Requesting Intervention on behalf of The SENATOR Theatre
BALTIMORE, MD —
Dear Friends,
We are volunteers at The Senator Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland and members of the advocacy group, Friends of The Senator [FOTS].
The Senator was recently acquired through foreclosure by Baltimore City, and the responsibility of determining the future of the irreplaceable historic theatre has been delegated to the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), a public/private non-profit that primarily serves as the city’s real estate development agency. The BDC issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) to identify a potential buyer or lessee for The Senator Theatre, without prior professional consultation with experts in the field of historic theatre preservation. The RFP submissions are due on Friday November 20th.