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The latest movie theater news and updates
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August 4, 2008
Where have all the drive-ins gone?
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — This San Francisco Chronicle article looks back at the Bay Area drive-in landscape that once was.
At least 35 drive-in theaters have operated in Bay Area history. With the Skyview Drive-In on the edge of Santa Cruz closing last year to make room for a medical facility, now there are only two.
In the interest of nostalgia, and to look for the ghosts of drive-ins past, we found the addresses and drove to many of the sites of former drive-ins to see what’s there now. Research also included frequent visits to the sites Cinematreasures.org, Cinematour.com and Drive-ins.com. Of the 35 Bay Area drive-ins that we could confirm existed, most have been replaced by retail space, industrial parks or housing developments. But drive-in land has also been turned into a waterslide parking lot, part of a college campus and a BART station.
In addition to reminiscing, the piece also discusses how today’s economic climate might facilitate a return of demand for such an operation.
(Thanks to Dalboz17 for providing the photo.)
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Seats available from Pasadena’s historic Raymond Theatre!
The historic seats from Pasadena’s Raymond Theatre are available.
A 20-year battle to save the Raymond Theatre took place, but in the end, the theater was gutted and converted to condos.
However, the historic 1921 seats survived! They have an “R” on the end standards for “Raymond” and there are 800 to 1,000 seats available.
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Pickwick Theatre for sale or lease
DOBBS FERRY, NY – The Pickwick Theatre is located in the affluent river town of Dobbs Ferry, NY. The village has a population of 10,662 whom express a desire for a movie theater. The town has a municipal lot and many restaurants.
Dobbs Ferry is located on the west side of Westchester County 20 miles north of Manhattan. The town has no direct competition for for a cinema. The building has a seating capacity of 350 and is currently in use as a music complex.
The building is maintained on a regular basis and is in very good condition.T he building also has four retail stores for rental income.
For information please contact Peter by email at or at 914-384-4632.
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August 1, 2008
Petition to save the historic Ridgewood Theatre
QUEENS, NY — Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, established by Michael Perlman of the Queens Preservation Council board of directors, is spearheading a campaign to preserve and reopen the 1916 Ridgewood Theater (55-27 Myrtle Ave, Ridgewood, Queens, NY), designed by America’s foremost theater architect Thomas Lamb. We are seeking a historically-sensitive tenant/buyer who sees the potential for creative adaptive reuse. In addition, we are hoping to encourage the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to designate the highly intact terra cotta & Indiana limestone facade, and theater lobby, as a NYC Individual Landmark & Interior Landmark, respectively. Please take a few moments to sign an online petition, urging the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission to act swiftly. Posting a comment would be extremely helpful. The link is as follows:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/RTheatre/petition.html
Also, please join Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre at www.myspace.com/ridgewoodtheatre for history, photos, & status updates. Please forward this appeal to as many contacts as possible. Cinema Treasures fans worldwide, unite for a worthy cause! Thank you for your time!
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Special benefit at Fox
BAKERSFIELD, CA — Just a reminder that the fundraiser at the Fox Theatre with historical local films.
On Aug. 1st, Kern County’s past will come to life on the big screen in a way that it never has before, in a must see event at the majestic Fox Theater in Bakersfield. Two new films about Kern County’s rich history will premier at the Fox as part of a gala fund raising event for the Lopez Hill House preservation project. The event’s sponsors hope this will be a landmark event for Kern County. “I am really excited because I think it’s a throwback,” said Jeff Nickell, Assistant Director of the Kern County Museum, “We’re going to do a premier like it would have been in Hollywood’s heyday.”
Read more in the Kern Valley Sun.
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Beach shows off old town charm
ST. PETERSBURG BEACH, FL — Fighting against the neighboring multiplexes, the Beach Theatre separates itself from its competition with promotions and film selection.
One local spot that’s doing things a little differently these days is the Beach Theatre, the vintage St. Pete venue purchased last year by screenwriter Michael France. You’ll find pretty much all the expected bases covered at the Beach, from ubiquitous indies like Flight of the Red Balloon to The Dark Knight, but you’ll also discover some surprising movies and film-related activities that give this theater a refreshingly unique personality. Even when this place indulges in the expected, it does it with style, from the Cosmopolitans offered in the lobby bar for Sex and the City to the shark sandwiches that were served during Jaws.
Read the full story in Creative Loafing.
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July 31, 2008
A return at Center Stage
FONTANA, CA — After a thorough restoration, the Center Stage Theatre reopened with a Boadway revue.
The curtain has opened at Center Stage Theater, and the audience is cheering.
Fontana’s newly-renovated theater held its grand opening this past weekend (July 25-27), adding another jewel to the city’s downtown crown.
The dinner theater’s first show, “Best of Broadway,” will continue on weekends through Sept. 14 at 8463 Sierra Avenue, just south of the new Lewis Library and Technology Center (which opened in April).
Get the full story in the Fontana Herald News.
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A look back at the Nickel
BANGOR, ME — This story revisits the history of the town’s first regular movie theater, the Nickel Theatre.
The new movie theaters in Bangor and other cities across the nation became one of the great democratic institutions a century ago. Almost anyone could afford the nickel admission. A fellow with a nickel, perhaps a shoe shine boy, could find himself sitting next to the man whose shoes he had shined that morning. But he had to know how to act. No hissing, spitting, or wearing big hats. And be careful of that sneezing powder.
By the summer of 1908, Bangor’s first full-time movie theater, The Nickel, was only a year old. A competitor, The Gem, had existed for just a few months. Thousands flocked to see the flickering films and to sing along with the illustrated songs. A whole new class of people including farmhands and shop girls as well as the impoverished inhabitants of Hancock Street and what remained of the Devil’s Half Acre turned out. They were people who were rarely, if ever, seen at the Bangor Opera House, where the fare – plays, polite vaudeville and an occasional movie of import – was more sophisticated and expensive.
Read the full story in the Bangor News.
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Photos of Orangeville Uptown
Looking for anyone who has old photos and stories of the “Uptown Theater” in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada.
Thank you and have a great day.
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July 30, 2008
Downtown Film Festival premieres on Broadway
LOS ANGELES, CA — On Wednesday, August 13, 7:30 pm, the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation (LAHTF) and Downtown Film Festival-Los Angeles, in association with the Orpheum Theatre and IFC Films, present a special screening of “In Search of a Midnight Kiss.” This benefit event is the opening night attraction of the new Downtown Film Festival – L.A., set for August 13-17.
Visit www.dffla.com for more information about the Festival and to purchase tickets.
The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation is a non-profit membership organization which seeks to protect, preserve, restore and sustain historic theatres. Official Website