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The latest movie theater news and updates
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January 23, 2008
Forgotten days at the Park
CHATTANOOGA, TN — Some memories of the long gone Park Theater:
Locally, the screen of the Park Theater was one that held audiences' attention for many weekend afternoons and evenings. The Park was housed in a small yellow brick building located at 2102 McCallie Avenue at Willow Street in the Highland Park community. For over forty years, audiences bought tickets at the window under the marquee awning, with “Park” in bright neon.
Two entrepreneurs were associated with the Park Theater — Abe Solomon and Samuel H. Borisky. Mr. Solomon established the Independent Theaters chain in Atlanta in 1912, and moved to Chattanooga in 1914 to establish the Strand Theater. According to “Prominent Tennesseeans 1796-1938,” Mr. Borisky was a graduate of Georgia Tech with a degree in engineering, and was a veteran of World War I. The two men held the roles of president-treasurer and vice-president/secretary in their business, and were also active in the Southern Theater Owners Association.
Read the full story in the Chattanoogan.
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January 22, 2008
Milan cinemas added to Cinema Treasures
There were NO Milan cinemas on Cinema Treasures, so recently (12-30), I added 17. Most interesting:
MANZONI, with links to photos of amazing 1950 lobby and auditorium, but sadly closed.
PRESIDENT with a sleek Moderne style lobby.Others:
De Amicis
Ambasciatori
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Baltimore cinema history
BALTIMORE, MD — A look at the local history of cinemas past and present:
With the addition of just one new movie house – November’s opening of the Landmark Theatres in Harbor East – the number of Baltimore theaters skyrocketed by a whopping 33 percent.
How times have changed. Over the past century, Baltimore has had more than 100 movie houses, from the palatial – the Grand, the Metropolitan, the Northwood, the Patterson – to the neighborly – the Blue Bell, the Community, the Plaza.
But beginning in the 1960s, theaters began flocking to the suburbs. Parking was easier; the huge movie palaces of the silent era became too expensive to maintain; neighborhoods became places to move away from, rather than grow up in.
Read more in the Baltimore Sun.
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Drive-in speakers wanted
Hello, I’m in need of VERY UNUSUAL drive-in speakers. Ones that no one has seen before…the truly bizarre!!! Odd shapes, “stereo” ones with multiple cones per unit, Polemounts! I’m paying over $200 (two-hundred) dollars for each for speaker I can add to my collection. Contact me even if it’s just to share pictures.
I have hundreds of photos of many nice, unique speakers. Also, I can send you a list of “everything made” in speakers to help you organize your collection. I also collect weird junction boxes and heaters and catalogs/brochures for Drive in equipment. Finders fees paid…Any help appreciated.
Mathew (408) 923-0919
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January 21, 2008
The WGA strike: When will it end and do we really care anymore?
I’ve often found from personal experience, that if you are without something for a long-enough period of time (voluntary or not), you’re likely to become used to the situation. I’ve spent a little time browsing through related blogs and comment boards and was surprised to see that a vast majority of people have been able to easily replace the time they used to spend watching broadcast television by instead watching DVD’s, reading and going out. Even late night talk show hosts proved they could still put on an entertaining show without the writers. Perhaps many are realizing for the first time that what was on television before the strike was not so great after all. In a nutshell, it’s beginning to look like we don’t care anymore about this strike.
I have been and continue to be one of those people! Sure, there are two sides to every argument in terms of sympathizing with the writers, but for me, it’s ultimately about the quality of entertainment that’s being written for the big and small screen. Were I happy with either, I’d be more sympathetic. But I (and many, many others) find it very difficult to be sympathetic to those who likely are making at least three times the amount of money I earn in a year! I mean, would I sympathize with the restaurant chef who wants more money if the food he/she was routinely preparing was just plain lousy?
What would a continued strike mean for the future of the movies? Well, so far, if it means the cancellation of films like TRANSFORMERS 2 and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, then not only would I not care if the strike didn’t end, I’d probably encourage its prolongment!
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NuWilshire theatre facade designated as city landmark!!!
SANTA MONICA, CA — The NuWilshire Theatre facade has now been named a Landmark! According to the Santa Monica Daily Press, the Landmarks Commission “voted unanimously on Monday (January 14, 2007) night to designate the NuWilshire Theatre at 1314 Wilshire Blvd. as a historic piece of Santa Monica’s past.”
So, this means that the exterior of the theatre will be restored, while unfortunately the interior will be whatever the owner wants to make of it. The owner, Soundview Investment Partners (some partners alright) is now unable to make whatever changes they wished to make at the exterior of the building, but only to the interior. According to the article, “…but the landmarks designation will restrict what the developer will be able to do with the facade of the theatre.”
This is a great relief to the people of Santa Monica, who have loved this theatre for a long time. In addition to that, it will be one of the last art-deco style facades in Santa Monica.
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Capitol Theater makes push as concert venue
DAVENPORT, IA — The Capitol Theater, a 1920’s Rapp and Rapp house will re-open on Feburary 28 with a concert by progressive rock and jam band Umphrey’s McGee. A $3 million dollar renovation will also be included in the plans.
Most popular musicians play to houses that hold 500 to 1,500 patrons, said Bozarth, former executive director of the River Music Experience and now a partner in N-Vents. Bozarth hopes to bring those acts to the Quad-Cities, announcing Thursday that N-Vents will lease and renovate the historic Capitol Theatre and book entertainment there.
“I’ve had people ask me why, in a community of 400,000, there is no action here,” Bozarth said. “The acts that are playing Chicago in houses of 500 to 1,500 don’t play here. And the reason for that is that we don’t have a venue of that size.”
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January 18, 2008
Regal to buy Consolidated
The biggest just got bigger. Regal Entertainment Group is purchasing Charlotte-based Consolidated Theatres.
Regal Entertainment Group, the largest movie exhibitor in the United States, on Tuesday announced plans to acquire Charlotte-based Consolidated Theatres for about $210 million in cash, its biggest purchase in three years.
Consolidated operates 400 screens at 28 locations, including Charlotte’s Phillips Place Cinemas, Arboretum Cinemas and Park Terrace Cinema. Outside North Carolina, it has theaters in Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Knoxville-based Regal has a presence in all of those states. It has 6,355 screens in 526 locations in 39 states, operating as Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theaters.
Read more in the Charlotte Observer.
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El Portal history
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — An article in the L.A. Daily News tells the tumultous history of the El Portal Theatre.
The El Portal Theatre has staged thousands of comedies, dramas and musicals – but the story behind the playhouse could make for its own interesting script.
From vaudeville to punk rock, the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood has seen a lot in the past 81 years – including an earthquake that nearly toppled the historic building and the revival of its surrounding arts district.
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Info on Reilly & Hall
I’m trying to track down information on the firm of Reilly & Hall. They did a theater in Montclair, NJ in 1922 called the Wellmont that I’m going to be working on. Any info?
Bill Dahn
Dahn & Krieger Architects Planners PC