Parmatown Mall Cinemas
8141 W. Ridgewood Drive,
Parma,
OH
44129
8141 W. Ridgewood Drive,
Parma,
OH
44129
4 people
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I have a couple of old photos on my photobucket page: View link
Somewhere I have several original 8x10 glossy photos and the full-page Plain Dealer ad from the grand opening and a program booklet that I fished out of the managers trash long ago. They aren’t here in New York, but I’ve got stuff in storage (for 22 years) back in Ohio that someday I’m going to have to go through, and they may be there. I’ve moved so many times over the years stuff gets lost. It was billed as ‘Parmatown’s Million Dollar Showplace’. They had the Parma HS Marching band in the mall in front of the theatre, which had a big marquee at the time. There are a couple of shots of the crowd waitiing in the lobby and one in the auditorium with the mayor at the time, I think it was Petruska, and the Mgr and other GCC people having a grand opening ceremony.
When the theatre opened, the stores on the opposite side of the mall, Rosenblums, Susan Ives, Petries, were still under construction and did not have the back wall built up yet, only the roof. The theatre was, of course, open on the mall and the two auditoriums did not have doors on them in those days (the doors were added when Cinema I was split in 1973), so the cold November wind blew right threw the place and even though they had the heat crankin it was cold in there for the first month or so.
Dave, do you have any more pictures from the original General Cinema Parmatown from the 70’s? I have tons from 1997-2004. When we first closed in 2001, unfortunately nobody took the framed Cleveland Plain Dealer article announcing the grand opening in 1967. When the staff returned in Spring of 2002, it disappeared during the remodeling.
I worked at Parmatown Cinema through all three closings — General Cinema in 2001, Cinema Grill in 2002, and Cleveland Cinemas in 2004. I managed there from 2002-2004, but was on the floorstaff since 1997. I’m fairly sure after Kowallek, Kim Brazina former GM of GCC Randall Park, was the next to take over. She was my boss and operated it until just prior to the final close in 2004. Her husband still operates AMC Westwood and the soon to be closed AMC Westgate.
Although I have moved on to AMC Ridge Park Square, my heart remains with the years that I spent at the old GCC Parmatown (1997-2001). After the Cinema Grill renovations, the place never had the heart it once had — both within the structure itself and with the staff.
BTW, the Cinema Grill failed because the owners of the company (Entertainment Film Works) were crooked and never paid their lease. Eventually the mall evicted them. This was a constant with EFW when they took over Hickory Ridge in Brunswick, Midway Theatre in Elyria, and Canton Center in Canton. Also, upon doing research they stuck with their routine all over the country and the last that I heard the IRS was after them and that they were operating under different names. EFW promised a lot when renovating PT, that they never made true on. Construction took almost 8 months because they weren’t paying the crew. Further, the auditoriums were never remodeled with that transition, which would have helped revive the theatre.
Parmatown Mall was responsible for the final closing of Cleveland Cinemas Parmatown in 2004, in order to acquire DICKS sport goods store. The mall management, who the theatre constantly had disputes with over the last 10 years, wanted a tenant that would pay a lease, since the mall owned the theatre and Cleveland Cinemas merely was in charge of operating it. Plans were in effect by the mall to build an 8-screen theatre across from the former one next to Wal-mart, but the last that I heard they were not able to acquire a company that was willing to build and manage it. Consequently, with word of the new Southland theatre (that was supposed to be built and opened last year by Cleveland Cinemas)and the new Cinemark SouthPark Mall location, it is doubtful that Parmatown will ever see a theatre again.
MJZ, mentioned above, has a daughter, MZ, who worked over at the Mercury Cinema in Middleburg Heights. She also ended up in Boston and was the payroll supervisor at the home office right up until AMC closed down the office.
I went there a few times in the 70’s when I was home from college in the summer. I think I saw Oh, Lucky Man there. I kept to theaters on the west side as they were closer.
The trail of Managers throughout the different divisions in the circuit might be an interesting book in itself. Every Cinema has it’s stories and the trail of Management is another aspect of the history of a theatre usually forgotten.
They got the new concession stand setup, with the wood-faced counter, back-lit menu and canopy with the little light bulbs, and the blue carpet, removal of the chandeliers, dark paint job and the ‘art gallery’ wings were sheared off. I lost track of the time-line, though. The Griggs seats were changed out for American Seating (gray plastic, blue upholstery) when Mike Kowallek was the manager. I was in town and walked past the Cinema, he was in the box office and told me he finally got rid of the Griggs seats, but I don’t remember if he was there before or after Denevic. I do remember that Denevic left there to go to the Ridge Pk. Sq. when that was built, but again, since I wasn’t around there frequently I don’t remember the year. The marquee in the mall had been removed in the first remodel of the mall, around 1980. For years, until Cinema Grill took over, there was no sign in the mall, only the poster cases on each side and the little box office sign.
Now that I’m thinking about it, the first manager was Bernie Bispeck and he left in the summer of 1972 to be the DM in Baltimore. Then Lenny Mays, and he left in late 1973 to be the DM in Cincinnati. John Goodwin replaced him, and I don’t remember whatever happened to him, Then Denevic, then Kowallek, and after him I didn’t know the people there anymore. Kowallek and I had been ushers there at the same time around 1970.
BTW, in the 1970 photo, the woman in front of the stand is MJZ, who later would become the secretary to Frank S. at the home office.
I think it was. I just can’t remember how extensive it was. I know Parmatown had been given a backlit backbar graphic treatment, and other lobby details such as removal of the chandeliers but I’m not sure about reseating the auditoriums.
Was that the Cambridge Seven redo?
Back in the late 1980’s while attending a Northeast Manager’s meeting, a group of us Managers from Boston were given a tour of the Parmatown Cinema. GCC had recently given the lobby a facelift with paint and new formica and the Manager was proud of it. Whenever I think of Parmatown, I think of Don Denevic, who ran the theatre for many years.
I have added a couple more pics i found to the above link – the post-GCC lobby in 2003 after the “Cinema Grill” conversion, and the boxoffice. The “Cinema Grill” thing didn’t work, and operations were taken over by Cleveland Cinemas. They retained the lobby configuration but went back to a regular concession stand menu.
here is a picture of the lobby of The Beautiful Parmatown Cinema I & II – when I worked there around 1970….
View link
Unfortunately, the Cinema was completely demolished, and a new building built for the sporting goods store.
My very first date with my boyfriend (who is now my husband) was to see “Love Story” at the Parmatown Cinema. I lived in Cleveland (and had never been to Parmatown Mall). He lived in Garfield Heights. We bought a house in Parma in 1976, the year we were married. We still live in that same house (raised our family here). My son worked for the Cinema, started out as an usher and worked his way up to become a Manager. I will truly miss the Parmatown Cinema. Have fond memories!
Growing up in Los Angeles, I would often be shipped off to Cleveland for the summer to spend time with my grandparents, who lived a couple blocks from Parmatown. Although it’s been twentysomething years since I was last at Parmatown, I still have fond memories of seeing movies like The Apple Dumpling Gang there. I’m saddened to see another relic of my past gone.
R.I.P.
Parmatown Mall Cinemas
Born November 15, 1967
Died August 12, 2004
MOVIES
Parmatown Cinemas will close in August
Saturday, July 31, 2004
John Petkovic
Plain Dealer Reporter
The end.
After 37 years and thousands of movies, the action is coming to a close at Parmatown Cinemas.
The five-screen theater, one of the longest-running in the area, will show its last movie on Aug. 12.
It will be replaced by a Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is scheduled to open in fall 2005.
“The theater was doing well, especially of late,” says Jon Forman of Cleveland Cinemas, which managed the theater since July 2002. “Mall management just made the decision to bring in Dick’s Sporting Goods.”
Pittsburgh-based Dick’s operates more than 150 stores in the eastern half of the United States, including five in the area.
“We had been looking to replace the theater with a big box' retailer,” says Chris Monaco of RMS Investment Corp., which owns and operates the mall. “It’s extremely hard for an old five-screen theater to compete with these new multiplexes out there.”
Twelve-plus screen theaters have become the norm over the last decade, and mall theaters have seen a steady decline. There are three multiplexes within a 15-minute drive of Parmatown.
“Mall operators prefer to use space for retail, which commands more money,” says Forman. “These days, theaters tend to be close but not actually a part of a mall.”
Still, Cleveland Cinemas managed to reinvigorate Parmatown Cinemas after a disastrous run as Cinema Grill. The local chain not only jettisoned Cinema Grill’s dinner-theater approach, it instituted senior specials and Monday discount nights that bolstered attendance.
“Parma is a very loyal film-going market,” says Forman. “People have been living there for, say, 25 years and they’re willing to support their local theater.”
Forman will return the favor by offering free popcorn and drinks Aug. 9-12. And he isn’t excluding the possibility of returning to Parma. “We had long conversations with RMS about relocating the theater,” says Forman. “Right now, it’s a question mark. But there’s no doubt that Parma would support another one.”
As I sit here in New York City reading this a tear has come to my eye – I started in the business as an usher at “The Cinema” way back in the beginning – back then it seemed like it would be there forever. At that time this was the second highest grossing unit in General Cinema, only the Ford City Cinema in Chicago beat us. The crowds waiting to get in would stretch to ¾ of the way across the mall in front of the theatre, and then a line would snake through the mall and wrap around the fountain by The May Co (Kaufmanns). We were ALWAYS sold out. The ticket price then was $2. adults and $0.60 for kids and bargain matinee, and the bargain matinee was the first show only. We had candy for 5 cents (Carmel Creams) plain popcorn in a box was 15 and 25 cents, popcorn with butter in a cup 30, 50 and 95 cents. Sodas were 25 and 35 cents, and there was a 15 cent soda from the vending machines.
Smoking in the auditorium was allowed in the section between the left aisle and the wall. There was no Dolby stereo, there wasn’t any kind of stereo, just mono coming from a single Altec Voice of the Theatre A-10 speaker that was about 7 feet tall. The screens were 23 feet tall and 50 feet wide, and the picture projected with Century projectors (2 in each theatre running 2000' reels, no platters in those days) and Ashcraft carbon-arc lamphouses – no automation, and there was a projectionist for each auditorium.
There were 75 blue floodlights in a ceiling cove that lit up the screen and surrounding walls and ceiling blue during the intermissions. They used the blue lights like the curtain in a conventional theatre. The rule was never have a white screen – the blue lights or the picture had to be on it at all times. When the show was starting the blue lights would start to dim and a cartoon would come on. as the cartoon was ending the blue lights would come up about half-bright, the GCC logo with ‘Coming Attractions’ would appear on the screen, the “mad drummer” would start playing, the blue lights would dim out again then the trailers would come on. As the last trailer was ending, the blue lights came up to half-bright again, the GCC logo with ‘Feature Presentation’ would appear on the screen, the “mad drummer” would start playing again, the blue lights would dim out and then the movie would start.
We were an army of ushers who could empty and fill a sold out 1050 seat auditorium in 20 minutes, of course in those days we didn’t clean the theatre between shows like we do today. At the end of the day the place would be waist-deep in popcorn boxes. When the last show of the day was over there would be a gang of cleaners come in and work all night and finish about the time that we were getting ready to open the next day.
It’s hard to believe that the Parma Theatre, which was there for 31 years before the Cinema was built will still be running after the now 37 year old Cinema is gone. There are a lot of people on this site who will mourn the closing of the Loews Astor here in New York (I worked there, too), but I’ll mourn the closing of the Parmatown Cinema……..
Sadly, Cleveland Cinemas will close the Parmatown Cinema on August 12th, 2004, after 37 years of operation, first by General Cinema, then by Cinema Grill, and finally by Cleveland Cinemas. After the theatre closes, a Dick’s Sporting Goods store is going on the site…most likely the cinema’s interior will be gutted to make way for this store. The final week of the Parmatown Cinema’s operation, August 9-12, the theatre will be giving away free soft drinks and popcorn as a “thank you”.
The films that opened the theatre 1967 were “Cool Hand Luke” in one theatre and “Tony Rome” in the other theatre.
In the early days, since it was the first 2-screen theatre in the area, people would come to the box office and, because there were two titles on the marquee, would ask “It’s a double-feature?”. The cashier would explain that no, it wasn’t a double feature, there were two theatres. The customer would say “Two theatres?? In the same building?? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
Times change – recently, while working at a single screen theatre in New York with one title on the marquee, people would come to the box office and ask “What else are you playing?”