According to the information on the Fox Wilshire’s page on Roland Lataille’s Cinerama website: http://cinerama.topcities.com/wilshire.htm, a curved screen was installed in front of the existing flat screen for the move-over run from the Dome.
I am not sure if this Cineamerica East referenced in this web item is the same Cineamerica (or is/was related to it) about which information is being sought, but according to the item, Cineamerica East assets were acquired by Crown Theatres. Crown Theatres apparently became or was acquired by Bow Tie Cinemas. Item here: View link
Michael: Mike Rogers posted his original inquiry about a Showcase Cinema in Cincinnati on the Cincinnati Albee Theater page some days ago. It is hardly the first time that someone has posted an inquiry about a particular theater on another theater’s entry page if they are in the same area and the one being inquired about does not appear to have a page of its own.
This is is essentially what Mike posted on the Albee page: (I have combined two comments and done a bit of editing:
“…Do you know anything about SHOWCASE CINEMAS in Cincinnati? I know it was a modern theatre, but I can’t find this fourplex anywhere on CT…All I know it was located near the Tri-County Shopping Center near I-275. So this fourplex could be [now] be10 screens [i] just don’t know. It was a major theatre complex when it opened in the 70's…. It was called in 1974 SHOWCASE CINEMAS 1.2.3.4.”
I hardly find it “nonsensical” that I should question whether this Cincinnati Mills theater might be the theater Mike had in mind since a) it is in Cincinnati, and b) it is off of I-275 (which I knew from experince). As it turned out, he was thinking of the theater in Springdale, not actually in Cincinnati proper. I was simply trying to raise a point in the interest of accuracy.
Michael, no one on CT admires your probing research and detailed articles more than I, and I too wish that the some site rules were more rigorously observed. However, I think your comments are occasionally unnecessarily abrasive and hurtful.
I can think of two that became bookstores. 1) the Runnymede in Toronto which became a Chapters Bookstore which I think is still operating as such; picture here: View link and 2) The Alabama in Houston which was a BookStop until this past September, picture here: View link
I have not been able to locate any interior pictures, but the demolished Southtown in Chicago hung on as a department store; there was a picture in David Naylor’s book, “American Picture Palaces,” I think. Also in Chicago, the Calo is now a secondhand store. It’s hardly an elegant example, actually it is rather shabby, but you cannot miss the fact that it was a theater when you are in there.
Well, it has to be remembered that the procedure for submitting a news item, and that for posting news on a theater’s entry page are different here on CT. I posted this as a news item, and unless it is flagged as urgent, there is often a time lag of a week or more from the time they are submitted to the time they appear on in the center column on the CT home page, The blog editor usually posts about three items per day, Monday through Friday, and I am sure that he must make decisions regarding each item’s urgency, appropriateness, and timeliness and also wants to be fair to all posters, both those post frequently and those who post occasionally. If the item’s URL is posted on the theater’s entry page as a comment, it usually appears very quickly, as do the comments on the news items. I am sure that the number of news postings varies, and I do not know if Mike Zoldessy regularly scans comments on the various theater pages for news or if he relies on those submitted via the news posting process.
I am not sure he is wrong; on another page he indicates that the mall is off I-275, and this one is. The mall opened as The Forest Fair Mall in 1988 and the theater opened as the Forest Mall Cinemas. It became a Showcase after acquisition by National Amusements. The mall declined over the years and is basically an outlet mall.
I think stadium seating is an important but perhaps not the only factor with regard to the demise of the relatively smaller multiplexes built when this one was. The much-detested shoebox multiplexes of the 1980s and early 90s cannot help but be at a disadvantage when a new cinema with all the now-expected amenities is built somewhere even relatively nearby. Some of the older multiplexes of the Parkway’s era may not be in locations where upgrades are feasible – especially if they are in older malls. (Theaters with their entrances inside a mall – they also seem to be a dying species). Many first and second generation multiplexes are constrained by the size of the real estate on which they sit, or are no longer regarded as profitable by their respective operators.
Considering how many of them were basically concrete block buildings sitting on a pad, with interiors of basically sheetrock, they are almost disposable buildings, which is how their owners probably regard them when no other use can be found.
The US label, as in the case, of this film was United Artists with which Horizon (which, as is the case many independent producers today, had no distribution arm) made a distribution deal. Many UA films of the era were the result of similar arrangements. (Most of Horizon’s later products were distributed by Columbia) These distribution agreements between producers and US studios with distribution arms made in the era before home video (on any media) sometimes explains why it takes so long for some older films to come out on DVD, especially if the production company was dissolved before the necessary legalities over film ownership and DVD distribution are completed. When all this is straightened out, it is sometimes surprising who ends up with DVD distribution rights (which vary in length and marketing territory) – this new DVD is being distributed (at least in US) by Paramount’s home DVD division. I am sure today, DVD distribution is built into production and distribution agreements before the cameras even roll.
Most likely because it was made by Horizon Pictures, which was a UK-based motion picture production company headed by Sam Spiegel; it also made “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” and “Nicholas and Alexandra,” among others.
A recent article about the discovery of old movie posters in the rafters of the building that once was the Dean: View link
According to the information on the Fox Wilshire’s page on Roland Lataille’s Cinerama website: http://cinerama.topcities.com/wilshire.htm, a curved screen was installed in front of the existing flat screen for the move-over run from the Dome.
Here’s a recent article about the the renovation/restoration efforts: View link
I am not sure if this Cineamerica East referenced in this web item is the same Cineamerica (or is/was related to it) about which information is being sought, but according to the item, Cineamerica East assets were acquired by Crown Theatres. Crown Theatres apparently became or was acquired by Bow Tie Cinemas. Item here: View link
Thanks. I am sure that is most likely if not definitely the case as Wehrenberg sold off its more far-flung properties when it was having financial difficulties at that time. The blog item that I found that indicated the theater was closed only mentioned Wehrenberg as the operator. Also “Ciné” is typical part of a Wehrenberg theater name, not often carried over when another operator picks up a previous Wehrenberg house, though in this case it apparently was.
Michael: Mike Rogers posted his original inquiry about a Showcase Cinema in Cincinnati on the Cincinnati Albee Theater page some days ago. It is hardly the first time that someone has posted an inquiry about a particular theater on another theater’s entry page if they are in the same area and the one being inquired about does not appear to have a page of its own.
This is is essentially what Mike posted on the Albee page: (I have combined two comments and done a bit of editing:
“…Do you know anything about SHOWCASE CINEMAS in Cincinnati? I know it was a modern theatre, but I can’t find this fourplex anywhere on CT…All I know it was located near the Tri-County Shopping Center near I-275. So this fourplex could be [now] be10 screens [i] just don’t know. It was a major theatre complex when it opened in the 70's…. It was called in 1974 SHOWCASE CINEMAS 1.2.3.4.”
I hardly find it “nonsensical” that I should question whether this Cincinnati Mills theater might be the theater Mike had in mind since a) it is in Cincinnati, and b) it is off of I-275 (which I knew from experince). As it turned out, he was thinking of the theater in Springdale, not actually in Cincinnati proper. I was simply trying to raise a point in the interest of accuracy.
Michael, no one on CT admires your probing research and detailed articles more than I, and I too wish that the some site rules were more rigorously observed. However, I think your comments are occasionally unnecessarily abrasive and hurtful.
I can think of two that became bookstores. 1) the Runnymede in Toronto which became a Chapters Bookstore which I think is still operating as such; picture here: View link and 2) The Alabama in Houston which was a BookStop until this past September, picture here: View link
I have not been able to locate any interior pictures, but the demolished Southtown in Chicago hung on as a department store; there was a picture in David Naylor’s book, “American Picture Palaces,” I think. Also in Chicago, the Calo is now a secondhand store. It’s hardly an elegant example, actually it is rather shabby, but you cannot miss the fact that it was a theater when you are in there.
Well, it has to be remembered that the procedure for submitting a news item, and that for posting news on a theater’s entry page are different here on CT. I posted this as a news item, and unless it is flagged as urgent, there is often a time lag of a week or more from the time they are submitted to the time they appear on in the center column on the CT home page, The blog editor usually posts about three items per day, Monday through Friday, and I am sure that he must make decisions regarding each item’s urgency, appropriateness, and timeliness and also wants to be fair to all posters, both those post frequently and those who post occasionally. If the item’s URL is posted on the theater’s entry page as a comment, it usually appears very quickly, as do the comments on the news items. I am sure that the number of news postings varies, and I do not know if Mike Zoldessy regularly scans comments on the various theater pages for news or if he relies on those submitted via the news posting process.
I am not sure he is wrong; on another page he indicates that the mall is off I-275, and this one is. The mall opened as The Forest Fair Mall in 1988 and the theater opened as the Forest Mall Cinemas. It became a Showcase after acquisition by National Amusements. The mall declined over the years and is basically an outlet mall.
I think stadium seating is an important but perhaps not the only factor with regard to the demise of the relatively smaller multiplexes built when this one was. The much-detested shoebox multiplexes of the 1980s and early 90s cannot help but be at a disadvantage when a new cinema with all the now-expected amenities is built somewhere even relatively nearby. Some of the older multiplexes of the Parkway’s era may not be in locations where upgrades are feasible – especially if they are in older malls. (Theaters with their entrances inside a mall – they also seem to be a dying species). Many first and second generation multiplexes are constrained by the size of the real estate on which they sit, or are no longer regarded as profitable by their respective operators.
Considering how many of them were basically concrete block buildings sitting on a pad, with interiors of basically sheetrock, they are almost disposable buildings, which is how their owners probably regard them when no other use can be found.
Sorry that link is dead; here’s one with an article that includes the same picture: http://www.crpmuseum.com/index.php?article=138
There’s a typo in the URL indicated above: the correct one is: http://www.lahtf.org/
This theater should now be listed as the Holiday Star Theater; here’s an article about the new owner’s plans for the theater: View link
Recent article about the progress being made to reopen the Ridgewood: View link
Here’s a link to Technicolor’s 3D projection process website for those who interested in technical details: View link
Here the link to Technicolor’s related webpage with technical information for those interested: View link
The US label, as in the case, of this film was United Artists with which Horizon (which, as is the case many independent producers today, had no distribution arm) made a distribution deal. Many UA films of the era were the result of similar arrangements. (Most of Horizon’s later products were distributed by Columbia) These distribution agreements between producers and US studios with distribution arms made in the era before home video (on any media) sometimes explains why it takes so long for some older films to come out on DVD, especially if the production company was dissolved before the necessary legalities over film ownership and DVD distribution are completed. When all this is straightened out, it is sometimes surprising who ends up with DVD distribution rights (which vary in length and marketing territory) – this new DVD is being distributed (at least in US) by Paramount’s home DVD division. I am sure today, DVD distribution is built into production and distribution agreements before the cameras even roll.
Most likely because it was made by Horizon Pictures, which was a UK-based motion picture production company headed by Sam Spiegel; it also made “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” and “Nicholas and Alexandra,” among others.
A proposed construction project in Loveland would include enhancements to the Rialto: View link
According to this article, the owner and the real estate agent for the theater are making some effort to preserve it as a cinema: View link
The reopening is now set for April, 2010: View link
According to this article, this theater is under new management and will now be known as the Holiday Star Theater:
View link
And if you are near one, what about a warehouse store such as Sam’s or Costco? Concessionaires and food service operators buy in bulk from them,
And if you are near one, what about a warehouse store such as Sam’s or Costco? Concessionaires and food service operators buy in bulk from them.
This article about the closing has a picture:
View link