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The latest movie theater news and updates
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October 19, 2007
Bethesda returns with live theatre
WASHINGTON, DC — The Bethesda Theatre opened again after renovations first mentioned a few months ago.
The Bethesda Theatre joins this group of preserved deco landmarks with some of the same compromises. On Thursday, the 1938 movie palace reopened as a venue for live dramatic performances with “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” The title of the musical revue well summarizes the attitude toward reviving the old cinema on the part of Smith Payes of Bethesda and the Bozzuto Group of Greenbelt.
After skirmishes with local preservation groups, the developers embraced Montgomery County’s requirement of finding a new cultural use for the building and enlisted Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment to operate it as a theater for lighter off-Broadway fare. They resuscitated the worn-out structure by hiring Oehrlein & Associates Architects of the District to meticulously restore its interior, down to 32 original paint colors.
Read the full story in the Washington Times.
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Egyptian turns 85
HOLLYWOOD, CA — The Egyptian Theatre (or what many would say what’s left of it) celebrated its 85th yesterday.
The term “Hollywood” conjures myriad images — many of them contradictory. But before Hollywood was a state of mind or a brickbat, it was a place. Not much remains of the original Hollywood now, but a few landmarks still command respect, even reverence. Among the oldest is the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Less storied and glamorous than the Chinese, its younger sibling a few blocks west, it almost didn’t live to celebrate its 85th birthday this month.
Yet about a decade ago, some determined and enterprising folks decided the save the then-bedraggled Egyptian, preserving it as the oldest functioning cinema on Hollywood Boulevard. Not a commercial house, it instead serves as the locus of the American Cinematheque.
Read more in Variety.
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Los Angeles theaters: Broadway and Eighth
Does anyone know which theater sat on the NORTH side of 8th Street in Los Angeles during World War 2? A photograph shows something called the Newsreel Theater but does not indicate if it was owned by any theater chain of the time period. I know that the location was NOT the Tower Theater (also at Broadway and 8th.)
The website does not show this theater in its main index of newsreel theaters.
Many thanks.
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RARE BOOK: American Film Exhibition by Gary Edgreton: Why so hard to find???
My student niece was able to borrow this book from her university library for me, and it looks quite interesting. But somebody please tell me why this out of print book about exhibition published in 1983 is so incredibly hard to find. In fact, bookfinder.com even lists it as “Out of Print- Hard to Find”.
FYI:The circulating copy in the NYC Performing Arts library was absconded. No other public libraries have it. Grab it with both hands should it come available on Ebay, Amazon, etc.
Am quite intrigued how this book ended up being so obscure.
Printed Garland Publishing of NYC -
Paid top money for old sound equipment & pick up
WANTED: Cash paid for old amplifiers, speakers, horns, single drivers or pairs, Altec A7, A4, A5 515, field Coil Speakers and drivers, Large Horns, pressure units, microphones, audio valves, tubes, crossovers, Altec, Klangfilm, RCA, jbl, Western Electric and Westrex, 124, 147, 1086A, 1086B, 515 drivers, TA Speakers, 91A, 10a, 9a 41,42,43 and all d spec units 618a, b, c transformers. All spare transformers, also McIntosh, Marantz, JBL or any other interesting equipment.
Condition is not important can be rusty and not working or missing parts. Cash paid on time of pick up, call 773-339-9035. .
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October 18, 2007
Horror-Thon 2007 Film Festival comes to the historic Lafayette Theatre, October 19-20-21
SUFFERN, NY — The Horror-Thon 2007 Film Festival at the historic Lafayette Theatre presents seven chilling movie programs including several rarely shown titles from the golden age of cinema and all on the Lafayette Theatre’s giant silver screen. The festival is an annual tradition at the Lafayette and this year’s event promises to be the best one yet. Screening on October 19-20-21 will be films starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney and even Abbott & Costello. All of the films are screening in the finest studio and archive 35mm prints available and most shows will feature pre-show music from the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ.
Special Added Attraction Bela Lugosi’s original Dracula cape will be on display. The Lafayette is proud to announce that prior to the showing of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein on Sunday at 2pm, there will be a display of the Bela Lugosi’s legendary Dracula costume cape, as worn on-screen in the film. This incredible one-of-a-kind artifact comes to the Lafayette courtesy of collector Todd Feiertag. There will also be displays of rare movie posters and other movie memorabilia throughout the weekend.
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Carthay Circle to be rebuilt in Disney’s California Adventure
ANAHEIM, CA — In a move to revamp their theme park, California Adventure, Disney is including a replica of the Carthay Circle Theatre.
Read more at L.A. Observed.
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Drive-In Theater wanted
Interested in buying a closed drive-in theater for renovation and reopening. Preferably northeast Pennsylvania. Any condition. Also open to offers regarding open and operating drive-in theaters. Please contact:
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October 17, 2007
Rio Theater for sale
SWEET HOME, OR — A great opportunity for a family owned and turnkey single screen movie theater with stage and 275 seats. Has a large studio apartment and would be great for a retired couple.
Illness forces sale. Sacrifice land, building, equipment, inventory, and collections for only $375,00 or best offer. Call me at 5414013500.
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Cinema 10 closing set for October 21
FLINT, MI—The Cinema 10 will close on Sunday, October 21. The closing was previously announced last August, but the closing date wasn’t announced until now. As with the co-owned and now closed Showcase Cinema Flint East, the closing is because operation of this multiplex is no longer viable. National Amusements, which leased this theater, will make “every effort” to relocate the Cinema 10’s 30 employees to National Amusements' other theaters.
Details can be found in the Flint Journal.
National Amusements' cutbacks in Michigan are the subject of the latest Flinn’s Journal from this writer.