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The latest movie theater news and updates
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November 12, 2008
$1 Million Approved For LaGrange Theater Restoration
LA GRANGE, IL — The Village of La Grange has approved $1 million for the restoration of the La Grange Theater. The 83 year-old movie house is owned by David Rizner and John Rot, who are also using $650,000 of their own money towards the restoration. The funds will cover new plumbing and electrical systems, as well as other much-needed repairs. The La Grange Business Association has pledged another $50,000 which will help with replacing the current theater marquee with a replica of the original.
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Economic downturn hits Marshall Islands
SAIPAN, MARSHALL ISLANDS — The economic downturn, which forced the only cinema on the islands to close two days a week, has led to the only branch of Blockbuster video being closed.
When word leaked out, bargain-hunters descended on the store, and by 7 pm, people were no longer being allowed inside because it was full.
Last month, the seven-screen Hollywood Theatre-Saipan Megaplex started closing its doors two days a week because of poor economic conditions and rising costs. Last April 18th it closed completely, re-opening May 23rd only after overwhelming complaints from the public.
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Electric co. turns off drive-in power
NORTHUMBERLAND, PA — Because the Point Drive-In Theatre was 10 days late in paying its $310 electric bill, the utility cut off its power for the weekend, costing the owner $3,000 in business.
For the last eight years, the drive-in has run a horror movie marathon on weekends in October. On Friday, October 24th, PPL Electric Utilities cut off the power, and despite the owner paying the bill that day, the electric company refused to restore power until the following week.
The owner claims he never received a shut-off notice and no one had tried to called him about the bill.
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Hanover theater closes suddenly
HANOVER, PA — The manager of the Diamond Cinema found out his theater was closing when an employee called him Monday morning to say the signs were missing and most of the equipment and supplies were gone.
Rushing to the discount theater, he found a note from the owner saying the theater was closing.
The owner sited last years writers' strike as the cause of a falloff in business. Less movies are being released and first-run theaters are holding onto them longer, resulting in less business in the second-run circuit.
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Theatre seats for sale
The Columbia Theatre is a non-profit performing arts center, that was once a vaudeville house and movie theatre in Longview, Washington. We are undergoing renovation and will have new seats, so we’d like to sell the existing seats.
The blue seats are in the Columbia Theatre and there are two sizes there are 980 seats in the Columbia
Small ones:
bottoms are 151/2" w x 161/2" Long
backs are 17" w and 32" from the floorLarge ones:
Bottoms are 17"w x 17" Long
Backs are 19"W x 32" from floorPepper seats are red and there are (86 seats total) and only one size
Bottoms are 19"w x 18" long
Backs are 201/2"w and 331/2" from the floor -
November 11, 2008
Remembering Cinerama (Part X: Oklahoma City)
REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part X: Oklahoma CityThe following is Part Ten in a series of retrospectives on Cinerama, the legendary motion picture process that kicked off the widescreen revolution. The series focuses on providing a market-by-market, film-by-film breakdown of when and where Cinerama and its multi-panel clones were exhibited. The easy-to-reference articles also serve to provide nostalgia to those who experienced the Cinerama presentations when they were new and to highlight the movie palaces in which the memorable events took place. (The series will not describe the particulars of what Cinerama was or how it worked, as extensive coverage of such is accessible in numerous books and websites.)
Part I: New York
Part II: Chicago
Part III: San Francisco
Part IV: Houston
Part V: Washington, D.C.
Part VI: Los Angeles
Part VII: Atlanta
Part VIII: San Diego
Part IX: DallasAnd now…Part X: Cinerama Presentations in Oklahoma City!
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New York’s Pioneer Theater closes
NEW YORK, NY — The Pioneer Theater on Third Street at Avenue A, owned by the popular Two Boots pizza chain, held a farewell party last Friday. The 99-seat theater was a victim of rising rents. Four films were shown for free, and all the food and drinks were free as well.
Interestingly enough, the single-screen theater was relatively new, only nine-years old, bucking the multiplex trend, having been built as a labor of love by the pizza chain and programming quirky independent films. This leaves only the Ziegfeld and the Paris as single-screen theaters in Manhattan.
Read more in Vanishing New York.
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Theater for sale in Arkansas
MALVERN, AR — I have the Ritz Theater for sale in Malvern, Arkansas. It was originally built in 1937, burned in 1947 and was rebuilt.
It has kept the original charm and still has the cry room. It was one of the first theaters in the South to have air conditioning. The owners shut it down in Sept. due to health reasons. They remodeled the theater 4 years ago and spent over $100,000 on the project which included a new rubber roof and new seats. This is a turn key operation priced right to sell. $155,000.
Please feel free to email me for more information.
Shelly Snowden
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November 10, 2008
Construction finally begins at gutted Lebowsky Center
OWOSSO, MI — Construction has finally begun at the fire damaged and partially demolished Lebowsky Center beginning with repairs to the four story stage house.
Details can be found in the Argus-Press.
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The growing scarcity of quality 35 mm prints for classic film screenings
A theatre I am involved with has been finding it harder to get quality prints of classic films of late. We book a movie in our schedule. Then we advertise only to find that the print the vendor/source thought they had is damaged, or non-existent.
Have others found this to be the case? Have any other theatres set up arrangements with print collectors? It just seems as though there isn’t enough money in most retro films these days for the distributors to keep quality prints available.