No, the theater shows films of all ratings (except perhaps NC-17). It is a very well-appointed, comfortable modern multiplex, and the little museum area devoted to Mary Pickford and her husband, Charles “Buddy” Rogers is a unique touch. (I have always thought it a bit odd though that Mary Pickford, though known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was Canadian by birth).
There would not be the loss of a climatic build to a movie’s climax if the intermission was built into the film’s construction from the outset, as it was during the days of the great roadshow presentations. Directors of films such as “2001,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Ben-Hur,” “Cleopatra,” etc., understood that epic, extended-length films needed an Act I – Act II structure; in fact, in the grand old roadshow day,s one could often anticipate that the intermission was nigh by a couple of indicators, such as the swelling of the musical score, a pullback camera shot, or even sometimes something obvious, such as the chorus on the soundtrack of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, World” singing, “Now step into the lobby/for whatever/is your hobby…”. If directors such as Cameron, and Jackson and others want their films described as “epic"they should learn a lesson from the golden age of the epic film. An intermission should not simply mean just stopping the film for fifteen or twenty minutes.
According to this article about a new art cinema soon to open in Austin, Landmark will no longer be managing the Dobie in the fall of 2010 and that mall management is looking for a new operator for the theater: View link
The Theater’s original Wurlitzer organ, a five manual, twenty-eight rank masterpiece, still survives, installed in a basement replica of a movie palace in the home of man in Racine Wisconsin. There’s more information here: View link
Perhaps you might want to contact the operators of the recently-closed Bright Leaf Drive-in in Mt. Airy, NC as all their equipment is for sale; website here: http://www.brightleafdrivein.biz/
My apologies, stevenj; I did not realize until after I re-read your comment that you were actually relating your experience being in the Castro Theater during a different, earlier quake, because of the way the comment began. I did not recognize the real significance of the phrase “In the 80’s” .
Now that I look at the recent pictures of the theater’s facade and the sketch, it looks to me that the theater did get at least a version of the proposed new marquee (though it seems flatter than that in the sketch), but not the panels above, especially the arched ones with the lanterns. They probably would look dated now, but would still be an improvement over all that blue blahness and that section now painted red from the theater’s original entryway.
Well, here’s a site that has a sketch of what the the front of the theater was supposed to look like after Loew’s took it over, but I don’t think it actually ever got this facelift: View link
Ah, no; the 1989 Loma Prieta quake was along the San Andreas fault as it runs through Santa Cruz County and it measured between 6.9 and 7.1. The epicenter was near Mt. Loma Prieta in Santa Cruz County, which why it has that name. There was a 5.8 earthquake along the Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville fault in 1980, commonly called the Livermore quake. It caused only relatively minor damage. Source: U.S. Geological Survey.
Perhaps Landmark might have considered taking over the Esquire in years past, but I do not think there’s any chance of that happening now; they seem content with the multiplex they built in the shell of the old Century Theater up north and their other operation further north in Chicagoland. Also the company seems to be in a state of contraction – it pulled out of the New Orleans and Columbus, OH markets during the past year and will leave Austin, TX in the fall.
I saw many movies there in the 70s, especially when it was a twin. “Rocky Horror” was shown regularly late at night on Saturdays along with another film in the other auditorium. I recall once going down there on a Saturday night with some friends to see the other film, There was a rather elderly couple in front of us at the boxoffice, and they asked for tickets to ‘Rocky Horror" The cashier was a bit taken aback, and asked “Are you sure? or "Do you know what this film is about?” or something like that. They said they still wanted to see it. As it turned out, both films let out about the same time, and the elderly couple was getting into their car near where ours was parked, so, out of curiosity, I asked the gentlemen, who still had eyes like saucers, what he and his wife thought of the film. He said, “We never seen nuthin’ like that before.” His wife just got in the car and stared blankly ahead.
The future of this theater may have become murky; according to this article, although AMC wants to close the theater; the building’s owner wants to keep it as a cinema: View link
No, the theater shows films of all ratings (except perhaps NC-17). It is a very well-appointed, comfortable modern multiplex, and the little museum area devoted to Mary Pickford and her husband, Charles “Buddy” Rogers is a unique touch. (I have always thought it a bit odd though that Mary Pickford, though known as “America’s Sweetheart,” was Canadian by birth).
This should be the ABC Plitt; it opened as the Brookdale Theater.
An article that focuses on the By-Jo and an area drive-in, the Holiday: View link
There would not be the loss of a climatic build to a movie’s climax if the intermission was built into the film’s construction from the outset, as it was during the days of the great roadshow presentations. Directors of films such as “2001,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Ben-Hur,” “Cleopatra,” etc., understood that epic, extended-length films needed an Act I – Act II structure; in fact, in the grand old roadshow day,s one could often anticipate that the intermission was nigh by a couple of indicators, such as the swelling of the musical score, a pullback camera shot, or even sometimes something obvious, such as the chorus on the soundtrack of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, World” singing, “Now step into the lobby/for whatever/is your hobby…”. If directors such as Cameron, and Jackson and others want their films described as “epic"they should learn a lesson from the golden age of the epic film. An intermission should not simply mean just stopping the film for fifteen or twenty minutes.
It is here: /theaters/7410/
According to this article about a new art cinema soon to open in Austin, Landmark will no longer be managing the Dobie in the fall of 2010 and that mall management is looking for a new operator for the theater: View link
An article about the theater: http://www.sgvtribune.com/living/ci_14906538
The Carolina Theatre & Grille abruptly closed on April 11, 2010; story here: View link
The Theater’s original Wurlitzer organ, a five manual, twenty-eight rank masterpiece, still survives, installed in a basement replica of a movie palace in the home of man in Racine Wisconsin. There’s more information here: View link
The City is demanding that the owner at least paint the exterior or else the city will arrange it and bill the owner for the cost: View link
The “1982” picture must have incorrect information in its caption; “The Love Bug” was released in 1968, and the theater was razed in 1977.
An article about the Cinema 12 on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary: View link
The theater us being renovated by new owners and will now be used for more than movies: View link
Not as ugly as the name though.
Perhaps you might want to contact the operators of the recently-closed Bright Leaf Drive-in in Mt. Airy, NC as all their equipment is for sale; website here: http://www.brightleafdrivein.biz/
My apologies, stevenj; I did not realize until after I re-read your comment that you were actually relating your experience being in the Castro Theater during a different, earlier quake, because of the way the comment began. I did not recognize the real significance of the phrase “In the 80’s” .
Now that I look at the recent pictures of the theater’s facade and the sketch, it looks to me that the theater did get at least a version of the proposed new marquee (though it seems flatter than that in the sketch), but not the panels above, especially the arched ones with the lanterns. They probably would look dated now, but would still be an improvement over all that blue blahness and that section now painted red from the theater’s original entryway.
It celebrated its 60th anniversary on April 10, 2010 with a free movie showing: View link
Well, here’s a site that has a sketch of what the the front of the theater was supposed to look like after Loew’s took it over, but I don’t think it actually ever got this facelift: View link
Ah, no; the 1989 Loma Prieta quake was along the San Andreas fault as it runs through Santa Cruz County and it measured between 6.9 and 7.1. The epicenter was near Mt. Loma Prieta in Santa Cruz County, which why it has that name. There was a 5.8 earthquake along the Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville fault in 1980, commonly called the Livermore quake. It caused only relatively minor damage. Source: U.S. Geological Survey.
Perhaps Landmark might have considered taking over the Esquire in years past, but I do not think there’s any chance of that happening now; they seem content with the multiplex they built in the shell of the old Century Theater up north and their other operation further north in Chicagoland. Also the company seems to be in a state of contraction – it pulled out of the New Orleans and Columbus, OH markets during the past year and will leave Austin, TX in the fall.
I saw many movies there in the 70s, especially when it was a twin. “Rocky Horror” was shown regularly late at night on Saturdays along with another film in the other auditorium. I recall once going down there on a Saturday night with some friends to see the other film, There was a rather elderly couple in front of us at the boxoffice, and they asked for tickets to ‘Rocky Horror" The cashier was a bit taken aback, and asked “Are you sure? or "Do you know what this film is about?” or something like that. They said they still wanted to see it. As it turned out, both films let out about the same time, and the elderly couple was getting into their car near where ours was parked, so, out of curiosity, I asked the gentlemen, who still had eyes like saucers, what he and his wife thought of the film. He said, “We never seen nuthin’ like that before.” His wife just got in the car and stared blankly ahead.
I just tested the ‘ Acadiana Cinemas’ link in the headnote and seems to be working just fine.
No? Then perhaps audience wondered if D-Box seats had been installed.
The future of this theater may have become murky; according to this article, although AMC wants to close the theater; the building’s owner wants to keep it as a cinema: View link