Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
The latest movie theater news and updates
-
August 4, 2008
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.
2 comments -
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
Audience preference for downloads may affect marketing
This article in the Independent looks at how Hollywood may require a new marketing approach to handle the changing demand.
Is the Hollywood blockbuster finally eating itself? As cult movies attract a new audience who download more obscure films from the internet, so the marketing machine of the major studios is being called into question.
Every weekend in summer, multi-million-dollar would-be smashes go head to head. But by Monday morning, when the box-office figures are announced, movies that may have taken years to make are either crowned champions, as has just happened with The Dark Knight, or instantly dismissed – the sad fate of Speed Racer.
But a new generation of movie-download sites is offering fans an alternative to the summer blockbuster. Just as iTunes has transformed the record industry, so internet film download services – such as cinemanow.com in the US and vizumi.com in Britain – are beginning to have an impact on Hollywood, offering fans an unprecedented level of choice.