Hollywood Theater

edblank on June 12, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Just some notes on some incorrect and/or contradictory information in the posts above.

The theater’s official address is, and always has been, 1447 Potomac Avenue, although it consumes 1449 as well.

It was the much smaller of the two Dormont theaters (the other being the South Hills, later renamed Cinema 4).

The Hollywood is listed in some sources from the 1940s through the 1980s as having 794 seats. A different source indicates the theater had 630 orchestra seats and 184 balcony seats (814 total).

I never saw a movie from the balcony; I was never even up there because it was almost never open. It might have been open on nights when the theater entertained packed weekend houses as for the neighborhood debuts of “La Dolce Vita” and especially the Thanksgiving weekend showings of “West Side Story” in 1962.

The Hollywood never had anything resembling stadium seating; its balcony was a traditional one, accessed by two (as I recall)staircases in the lobby. The nearby, larger South Hills, however, DID have the sort of steeply sloped extension of the orchestra that today would be called stadium seating.

The Hollywood’s oddest feature, perhaps, was that its auditorium was sloped in such a way that a disproportionate number of seats in the front half were tilted upward.

As noted in TomB’s excellent post above, for most of its years the Hollywood played first neighborhood engagements of United Artists, Universal(-International), Warner, Disney and (until their demise in the late 1950s) RKO Radio films, generally a few weeks after their exclusive first-run Downtown engagements ended. (The South Hills, as Tom B noted, got the first-neighborhood runs of Columbia, MGM, Paramount and Fox films.)

Off and on from 1966-68, the Hollywood “day-dated” (played concurrently) with the Manor in Squirrel Hill in hosting the first-run-Pittsburgh showings of many movies.

A few were successful, especially “Endless Summer” and “Up the Down Staircase” (with the North Hills as a third partner), but too many flopped including “Shoot Loud … Louder, I Don’t Understand,” “The Day the Fish Came Out” and “Privilege,” and the Hollywood abandopned its semi-arthouse status. The first run of the original “The Producers” lasted a slim two weeks.

The latest incarnation of the Hollywood, after a thorough refurbishing by Bradley Center, lasted from March 30, 2007, to May 25, 2008. For nine days, through May 24, the theater played “Nim’s Island” and “Prom Night” (separate admissions for each). On Sunday, May 25, the theater opened just long enough to run a special 2:30 p.m. showing (probably a rental) of the Indian film “Kantri.”

For all of the appreciation reflected here by folks who visited the Hollywood one or more times during the 14 months it had reopened, it was defeated by a number of factors. It didn’t help, of course, that almost all parking in safe, nicely maintained Dormont is street parking, much of it with meters.

But the bigger problem is that when neighborhood theaters were constructed during the first 60-70 years of the 20th Century, they were designed (a.) to serve an audience within walking distance or convenient public transportation, and (b.) a very significant portion of the movie audience waited until films had played first run Downtown and then filtered through a pecking order of second, third and fourth runs at lower prices at handy neighborhood houses, generally on bargain double bills.

When a dollar was a dollar and a quarter was a quarter, teenagers and children routinely waited a few weeks until they could see films at affordable prices.

Today, full-price muiltiplexes/megaplexes around the world cater to a free-spending young audience that not only “must” see heavily hyped movies the first weekend but even the first day. Truly, it’s a different world.

Ane because we have so many screens playing first-run films for so long, there’s no blood left in the turnip by the time it’s available for showing at second-run theaters. (As of this moment, the Maxi-Saver in West Mifflin is the last surviving bargain house in the Greater Pittsburgh area, and it’s grosses are terrible. It can’t keep going indefinitely.)

And so, for all of the integrity and good intentions in reopening the Hollywood, it faced a nearly insurmountable challenge in drawing an audience regularly. Collectively, we pay fervent lip service to supporting such theaters; in practice, when we go to moviehouses, we go to big sterile complexes while the buzz is hot.

I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the Hollywood just before it closed – a visit I made a point of making once I learned the ax was about to fall. But I live closer to three first-run multiplexes. If I care to see something such as “Indiana Jones” or “The Happening,” my best intentions to support the Hollywood aren’t going to offset my desire to see a movie in its first month.

I would, though, have made a point of catching second-run art films at the Hollywood (such films premiere almost excluisvely in the city’s eastern sector) because no place else in Pittsburgh’s South Hills is playing them with any regularity.

Ron3853 on May 29, 2008 at 7:42 am

At least the Hollywood got the extensive refurbishing that it did courtesy of the Bradley Home. Perhaps it will attract another buyer at some point in the future. But Dormont needs to get the Presbyterian Church across the street to sell the large parking lot it has to the borough and build a parking garage on that site. That would solve all of the borough’s retail shops' parking problems.

I enjoyed each and every visit that I made to the Hollywood during its short-lived “reincarnation.”

cinema5plus3 on May 29, 2008 at 6:29 am

This theatre is now closed for business. The last day was May 25, 2008.

richardg on January 20, 2008 at 10:49 am

Darren, a Stooge fest can be a profitable venture depending upon several factors of course. The Riviera theatre in North Tonawanda draws close to 1000 people for their annual Stooge Fest. Perhaps it might be something the theatre might want to do for it’s own benefit and do something different for the Dormont Pool.
Looking forward to my next trip to Pittsburgh and the Hollywood theatre.

darrenstroh on January 13, 2008 at 1:22 pm

Update on fundraiser at the Hollywood Theater:

This may not happen, as we are still awating notification from the theater – and the theater is still awaiting permission to run the clips. We’re keeping our fingers crossed so stay tuned…

SusanD on November 14, 2007 at 12:42 pm

This shows what proper investment and promotion can do. It’s a little out of the way, but I’ve enjoyed coming here. It is only a short walk from the “T”. I went with one of my girlfriends to see HAIRSPRAY here this past weekend.

The website should be http://thehollywoodtheatre.com/

Paul Fortini on June 6, 2007 at 5:49 am

Is this operated by the same folks who operate the Norwin?

dwbairborne on April 19, 2007 at 3:20 am

this is to KRYPTON COWBOY, have you seen my hollywood movie on you tube?
I would like to add to hollywood theater web site. let me know.
doug

raubre on April 18, 2007 at 1:52 pm

Question anbout the balcony, don’t you need reservations to sit there?

lcs151 on April 12, 2007 at 3:34 am

As a local i will definately be supporting it. they did a great job restoring the place. this place blows any ciniplex out of the water. It is big, open and roomy. the screen is big, the seats are big, there is space to walk in the rows without climbing over people to get to your seat. Sound is awesome. I will be going every weekend! Too bad they cant get new releases. I think that would really help attendence. So thrilled to have a theater like this so close to my home.

dwbairborne on April 10, 2007 at 7:43 am

If you are interested, I recently posted a first draft movie of the preservation of the Hollywood.
I’ve been photographing the work on the theater since it began last year. The external part of the movie is finished, the interior shots i’m still working on. Go to www.youtube.com and do a search for douglaswbrendel. Please leave a comment.
Thanks
Doug

freshpopcorn on April 2, 2007 at 3:29 pm

Can someone please remind me of the year the Hollywood first opened?
Thanks so much!!!

d55Dana on April 2, 2007 at 10:03 am

What a fabulous new theater! I can’t wait to see another movie there. :o)