The Lake Parker Mall’s grand opening was held on May 31, 1971. The Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema 1 & 2 opened March 1, 1972 with “Dollars” and “Song of Norway” in Lake Parker Mall (it was renamed the Lakeland Mall in July of 1974 and the theater was renamed after the mall in August of 1974).
If those dates work in the entry above by Andy, that’s probably close enough. If I were writing the entry based on my research, it might be a bit closer to the venue’s history to say that:
The Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema 1 & 2 opened March 1, 1972 with “Dollars” and “Song of Norway” in Lake Parker Mall (it was not called Lakeland Mall in 1972). The venue was supposed to have opened in December of 1971 and the three month delay was very likely due to the impending failure of Network Cinemas and Jerry Lewis Cinemas Circuit. Other operators were delayed similarly at the same time period when Network Cinemas was unable to provide all of the parts needed to make their one-button systems function.
Lake Parker Mall’s roots dated back to 1963 when the shopping center was announced and opened with a Montgomery Ward store as its first retailer in 1964. An expansion with a Woolco anchor store and an enclosed shopping mall, called the Lake Parker Mall, occurred in 1971 and included this Jerry Lewis Twin project.
The Lake Parker Mall’s grand opening was held on May 31, 1971. As noted, the Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema 1 & 2 opened about nine months later. The in-mall cinema got to watch the implosion in 1972 and bankruptcy of Network Cinemas and Jerry Lewis' departure from the project in 1973. But the venue kept the Jerry Lewis name until 1974. A Michigan-based firm acquired the Lake Parker Mall in 1974 and it was renamed as the Lakeland Mall on July 17, 1974. A month later, on August 23, 1974, the theater was renamed as the Lakeland Twin Cinema at Lakeland Mall which was quickly renamed as the simplified, Lakeland Mall Twin Cinema. It ran under multiple independent operators until its closure.
The Lakeland Mall Cinema’s greatest hit by far was 1982’s “E.T.” that played for some 25 weeks and moved a lot of concessions, as well. It was a true “popcorn film” hit for the theater. The viability of the entire mall teetered, however, when Lakeland Square / Lakeland Square Mall opened nearby in 1988. Within a year of that opening, the mall downtrended to “greyscale status” - a term akin to a dead mall with vacancies above 50 percent.
There was no correction for the Lakeland Mall’s death spiral. But like many mall cinemas - such as the Woodland Mall Fox in Toledo or the Festival / Forum Theatre in Arlington, Texas - the cinema just kept rolling out films for a cadre of patrons even as fewer people came to the dead / dying mall. 1990 was the Lakeland Mall Cinema’s low point as the mall was considered closed for the most part. And for many weeks of its operation in 1990, only one feature is listed and from November 2, 1990 to November 8, 1990, the feature listed is “Arachnophobia” with the explanation: “one screen only this week”.
There were no screens listed the next week or from that point further. And no ads or mentions are made of the theatre from that point forward. November 8, 1990 appears to be the date of permanent closure. The interior mall was was officially closed in 1994 and the exterior anchors had all gone by 1995 ending the Lake Parker Mall turned Lakeland Mall. In 1999, the First Baptist Church At The Mall was a project that converted a former retail anchor for its main facility and used the former Lakeland Mall Cinema Twin’s spot for youth gatherings and programming. That facility was still in use in the 2020s.
The Winston-Muss Palm Coast Shopping Center Plaza was the largest project ever in West Palm Beach at $2 million when it was announced in 1959. During an expansion, Orange State Theatres, Inc. built and opened the Cinema 70 to the plans of architects Ernest Schroeder and Jack Willson. It was located at 7923 South Dixie HighwayThe venue opened June 27, 1966 with Alfred Hitchcock’s “Torn Curtain.” S&S Cafeteria was another added business and was the Cinema’s neighbor.
On December 16, 1967, Loews Theatres acquired both the Cinema 70 and the Boynton Beach Cinema owned by Florida State. The venue’s name changed to the slightly redundant Loews Cinema 70 Theatre. In 1971, the shopping plaza added an indoor mall connector in yet another expansion doubling the number of stores since its original opening.
In a major business development announced on May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to its rival, General Cinema Corp. (GCC), effective June 14, 1972. The Loews Cinema 70 Theatre became the GCC Cinema 70. Michael E. Stinson would be the venue’s manager for some 17 years.
On October 13th, 1977, the Venue became the General Cinema 70 I, II, III as it was triplexed. The theatre closed at the end of a leasing period on April 30, 1989 with “Fletch Lives,” “Tropical Snow” and “Dangerous Liaisons.” The venue was razed but the Palm Coast Plaza was still vibrant after more than 60 years in the 2020s.
The Regal Arbor @ Great Hills theatre was one of 20 theaters approved for lease relief in a bankruptcy maneuver with Regal’s parent in bankruptcy protection. Most closed September 14, 2022 while others - like the Austin Regal Arbor @ Great Hills location - continued into the month hoping for a few more patrons. They were few and far between with the venue closing permanently on a Friday - September 23, 2022.
Just to add some improved, more specific information to the above, Loews created its 170th Street Cinema as part of a strategy to reinvent movie theaters as luxury suburban destinations. Loews 170th could present virtually any format of film other than Cinerama. Its 60' screen could present 35mm and 70mm shows and was compatible with Cinemiracle, Todd-AO, VistaVision, and CinemaScope. It also provided free parking to set itself apart from aging downtown theaters often hampered by parking limitations and costs. Following an invitational opening event screening on August 6, 1958 with Brigitte Bardot in “La Parisienne,“ that same film was used for the opening to the general public the next day.
In a major business development announced on May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to its rival, General Cinema Corp. (GCC), effective June 14, 1972. The Loews 170th Street Theatre became the GCC 170th Street Cinema. The 170th Street Cinema and the former Loews turned GCC Lauderhill Cinema were both closed by GCC after successful runs of “Jaws” on September 28, 1975 to be twinned. The move was made to keep the venue viable but defeated the original architectural intent of the theater. It became the 170th Street Cinema I and II beginning on November 7, 1975 with John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn in “Rooster Cogburn” and Michael Caine in “Peeper".
In October of 1987, the venue was downgraded to a discount, sub-run house offering all seats and showtimes for $1.50. The theater was subtly retitled briefly as the GCC 170th Street Cinema 2 used for the venue’s waning GCC days. General Cinema closed on March 19, 1989 with “Things Change” and “The Land Before Time” coinciding with the 10-screen Miracle Center that had just opened that weekend. GCC’s Westchester 2 discount venue also closed that night.
Unlike the Westchester, a new operator took over the theatre beginning on March 23, 1989 through November 11, 1993 operating as the RK (formerly RD Theatres) 170th Street Cinema. Under Mitchell Knohl, the theater did have an embarrassing moment sponsoring a $10 a ticket, Barney, the Dinosaur, event in February of 1993 that was neither super-dee-duper nor tee-rific. The theater hired a Barney that reportedly had - ostensibly - the wrong costume and not all that ready to delight the youthful patrons. This led to kids likely shouting, “We don’t love you… you don’t love us, and we want refunds for all.” And they got their way. The theatre closed under RK Theatres in November 11, 1993.
The venue had one last chance closing for a major refresh under SunVista next became the SunVista Sunny Isles Beach Cinema 6 opening on October 7, 1994. The company also had the former Loews Inverrary Cinema in its operational portfolio. Unfortunately, just prior to its third weekend of operation, a fire at a neighboring print shop on October 26, 1994 ended the very short-lived SunVista Sunny Isles Beach Cinema 6 permanently.
Architects of the theatre were Jacob L. Gottfried and Genaro Garcia, Jr. of Gottfried & Garcia Architects of Tampa. The broader complex encompassing the cinema in early stages appears to have been executed by architect Harry A. MacWen.
This venue opened as Loew’s Westchester Theatre with Manager Peter Graybill and an opening ceremony followed Peter O'Toole in “Night of the Generals” on February 17, 1967. Graybill would move on to open the Loews Lauderhill in June of 1967 with Butch Payack taking over the Westchester.
On May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to General Cinema Corp. (GCC) effective June 15, 1972. The venue became the GCC Westchester Cinema. On October 9th, 1974, the venue was twinned becoming the Westchester Cinema I & II. But by the 1980s, GCC was eschewing old twins in favor of multiplexes.
The theater was subtly retitled briefly as the GCC Westchester 2 used for the venue’s final stretch when it was downgraded to a discount, sub-run house with all seats and all times for $1.50. It closed on March 19, 1989 with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Tequila Sunrise” coinciding with the 10-screen Miracle Center that had just opened that weekend. The venue was quickly boarded up and the outside attractor covered. The building has since been razed.
This location closed as the Regal Boynton 8 Cinemas on March 28, 2004 at the end of a leasing period. The final films were “Passion of Christ,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Secret Window,” “Hidalgo,” “Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London,” “Taking Lives” and “Dawn of the Dead.” Not long after the closing appeared a construction plan that would replace the former theatre.
The Loews Inverrary Triplex Theatres opened on December 19, 1976 with “King Kong” and “The Marquise of O.” In May of 1980, Loews moved on and the venue became the Inverrary Cinema 3. In December of 1990, it was renamed the Inverrary Cinemas 4. That venue closed January 4, 1994. Ten days later it was damaged by fire.
It was relaunched under the Sun Vista circuit on July 4, 1994 as Sun Vista’s Inverrary Cinemas, a discount sub-run house. Sun Vista moved on August 13, 1995. The venue reopenied as a five-plex with a Grand Reopening on November 22, 1995 as the Santray Inverrary Theatre 5 now playing first-run movies until April 6, 2000.
The venue reopened January 1, 2001 under new operators as the Inverrary Cinema 5. It closed after just one month. No further listings appear thereafter.
Lakes Mall opened November 30, 1972 and AMC had signed on to be in the center in 1972. The architect was Lloyd Frank Vann of Miami and the AMC was opened June 29, 1973. But the Lakes Mall ran into severe rouble in the 1980s during an economic downturn and retailers fleeing the center at 15-year opt outs on their leases.
The Lakes had already reached “greyscale status” 15 years after its launch - a term akin to a “dead mall.” AMC downgraded the venue to a sub-run discount house. The AMC Lakes Mall 6 went down offering all times and all shows for a buck. It closed with “I’m Gonna Get You, Sucka,” “Major League,” “Lean on Me,” “Police Academy 6: City Under Siege,” “Rainman,” and “Disorganized Crime” on May 13, 1989. The Mall, itself, drifted badly being declared unsafe as of April 1990 operating more as a strip center. It was mercifully torn down in 1996 taking the former AMC theatre with it.
The Margate Twin Cinema closed at the expiry of a 20-year leasing agreement on November 18, 1993 with “In the Line of Fire” splitting a screen with “The Firm” and “Striking Distance” splitting with “Sleepless in Seattle.”
This venue opened as the Coconut Creek Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse on October 11, 1991 with Kevin Costner in “Robin Hood” and Leslie Nielsen in “The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear.” The last advertised shows were on March 14, 1996 with Bruce Willis in “12 Monkeys,‘ Pierce Brosnan in "GoldenEye,” and Steve Martin in “Father of the Bride 2.” It closed under the same name of the Coconut Creek Cinema 'n’ Drafthouse
The fledgling Atlanta-based start-up Value Cinemas and William Stembler had launched its first Florida budget theatre in February of 1989 in North Fort Lauderdale. Value Cinemas established a Florida unit adding this location as a conversion officially in Atlantis Plaza II - the sequel to the neighboring and original Atlantis Plaza. The project was handled by Pound Construction Company in 1990.
The Value Cinemas of Atlantis Plaza six-plex launched November 15, 1990 with “My Blue Heaven,” “Dick Tracy,” “Problem Child,” “Darkman,” “Witches of Eastwick,” “Pretty Woman,” “Flatliners,” and “Presumed Innocent.” In July of 1998, the venue was taken on by GTC under the name of GTC Value Cinemas of Atlantis Plaza. It is presumed that this was a year-to-year subleasing agreement - though not certain - that apparently ended July 14, 1998.
The venue is renamed the Value Cinema of Atlantis and closed following showtimes of June 25, 2000 in a dispute with the shopping complex’s owner. Future showtimes listed in the newspaper were not screened. Final titles were “Erin Brockovich,” “Mission to Mars,” “Price of Glory,” “The Road to El Dorado,” “Romeo Must Die.” “Snow Day” and “Walt Disney’s The Tigger Movie.”
The Tam O'Shanter Shopping Center launched theatre-less. The fledgling Atlanta-based start-up Value Cinemas and William Stembler took on a former hardware store in the Tam O'Shanter plaza and spent $500,000 to convert it to the Value Cinemas 6. The cinema had marble floors and a self-serve concession stand operating as a sub-run discount house. It launched on February 25, 1989 with “Physical Evidence,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “My Stepmother is an Alien,” “Land Before Time,” “Tequila Sunrise,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”
Value Cinemas established a Florida unit adding a location in Lantana, Florida, as well, in 1990. Price points ranged from 99 cents to $1.50 with $1 being the opening day price. The North Fort Lauderdale venue closed at the expiry of a ten-year lease on March 4, 1999 with “Mighty Joe Young,” “Rugrats,” “Enemy of the State,” “Pleasantville,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and “The Waterboy.” The Lantana Value Cinema closed in early Summer of 2000.
The Silver Screen Cinema Café launched April 5, 1996 with “Babe,” “Jumanji,” and “Bridges of Madison County.” The independently-run venue closed as the Silver Screen Cinema Café (and Comedy Club) on February 26, 2009 at the end of a leasing month with “Bolt,” and “Marley and Me” splitting with “Seven Pounds” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
UA dropped its Movies at Magnate venue late in 1993. It was taken over by Movies, Inc. (aka MI Theatres) which rebranded it as Movies 8 Margate Dollar Cinema beginning on November 19, 1993 operating as a sub-run discount house. In April of 1997, Silver Cinemas took on the venue operating it as Silver Cinemas Movies 8 Margate and continuing as a sub-run discount house. The Silver Cinemas Movies 8 closed permanently on April 4, 2000.
The Loehmann Plaza Cinema closed “temporarily” following April 6, 1995 showtimes of “Shawshank Redemption,” “The Last Seduction,” and “Higher Learning.” By the 2020s, even die hard fans of the venue were beginning to give up hope of a grand reopening.
Regal launched here on November 15, 1996. Just after its first year of operation, the Regal Middleburg had protesters as one of ten cities in which labor unions picketed Regal’s business practices. The theatre soldiered on all the way until being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic along with most of the theaters in North America on March 16, 2020. Regal reopened here on August 21, 2020 but closing soon thereafter on October 8, 2020 when the circuit once again shut down operations worldwide.
Regal reopened the Middleburg Town Square on May 21, 2021. However, it closed permanently following showtimes on September 14, 2022 with the company’s parent, Cineworld, in its latest round of bankruptcy protection. It was one of 20 locations approved by a bankruptcy judge allowing the venue to break leases as it was unable to pay all of its September leasing due to liquidity problems.
Yes, of course. The 20 leases that Regal can now bail on are:
California:
Regal Edwards Anaheim Hills 14 - 8030 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road - Anaheim Hills (closed 9/14/22)
Regal UA Broadway Faire Stadium 10 - 3351 W. Shaw Ave. in Fresno (closed 9/14/22);
Regal Edwards Grand Palace Stadium 6 - 4767 Commons Way in Calabasas (continuing past 9/14);
Regal Crow Canyon - 2525 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon (closed 9/14/22);
Regal Edwards Westpark - 3735 Alton Parkway in Irvine (closed 9/14/22);
Connecticut:
Regal Brass Mill 495 Union St. in Waterbury (open past 9/14);
Regal Stonington 10 85 Voluntown Road in Pawcatuck (open past 9/14);
Florida:
Regal Cypress Creek Station 16, 6415 N. Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale (open past 9/14);
Regal River City Marketplace Stadium 14 12884 City Center Blvd. in Jacksonville (closed 8/25/22)
Michigan:
Regal Lansing Mall Stadium 12 & RPX - 5330 West Saginaw Highway in Lansing (open past 9/14)
Missouri:
Regal Gravois Bluffs Stadium 12 - 754 Gravois Bluffs Blvd. in Fenton (open past 9/14)
Nevada:
Regal Colonnade Stadium 14 - 8880 South Eastern Ave. in Las Vegas (closed 9/14/22);
North Carolina:
Regal Greenville Grande Stadium 14 - 750 SW Greenville Blvd. in Greenville (closed 9/14/22);
Ohio:
Regal Middleburg Town Square Stadium 16 - 18348 Bagley Road in Cleveland (closed 9/14/22);
Pennsylvania:
Regal Richland Crossing 12 - 185 North West End Blvd. in Quakertown (closed 9/14/22);
Texas:
Regal UA Amarillo Star Stadium 14 - 8275 Amarillo Blvd. W in Amarillo (closed 9/14/22);
Regal Arbor @ Great Hills 9828 Great Hills Trail in Austin (open past 9/14);
Regal Edwards West Oaks Mall 700 West Oaks Mall in Houston (open past 9/14);
Washington (State):
Regal Parkway Plaza 5910 South 180th St. in Tukwila (closed 9/14/22)
The locations that opened past 9/14 would likely be closed permanently on September 25 or September 28/29th and presumably had leases cleared for the month.There is little to no chance of any further operations at these locations.
If you have gift cards, it might be time to use them. Though open, the theatre was one of 20 theaters approved for lease relief in a bankruptcy maneuver with Regal’s parent in bankruptcy protection. Most closed September 14, 2022 while others - like the Fenton location - continued through the month hoping for a miraculous turnaround. There was little to no chance of operations continuing into October.
Regal closed its Regal Crow Canyon on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened many locations in September of 2020 though not the Crow Canyon. Regal reopened the Crow Canyon on May 21, 2021. However, it closed permanently following showtimes on September 14, 2022 with the company in its latest round of bankruptcy protection. It was one of 20 locations approved by a bankruptcy judge allowing the venue to break leases as it was unable to pay all of its September leasing due to liquidity problems.
The Lake Parker Mall’s grand opening was held on May 31, 1971. The Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema 1 & 2 opened March 1, 1972 with “Dollars” and “Song of Norway” in Lake Parker Mall (it was renamed the Lakeland Mall in July of 1974 and the theater was renamed after the mall in August of 1974).
If those dates work in the entry above by Andy, that’s probably close enough. If I were writing the entry based on my research, it might be a bit closer to the venue’s history to say that:
The Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema 1 & 2 opened March 1, 1972 with “Dollars” and “Song of Norway” in Lake Parker Mall (it was not called Lakeland Mall in 1972). The venue was supposed to have opened in December of 1971 and the three month delay was very likely due to the impending failure of Network Cinemas and Jerry Lewis Cinemas Circuit. Other operators were delayed similarly at the same time period when Network Cinemas was unable to provide all of the parts needed to make their one-button systems function.
Lake Parker Mall’s roots dated back to 1963 when the shopping center was announced and opened with a Montgomery Ward store as its first retailer in 1964. An expansion with a Woolco anchor store and an enclosed shopping mall, called the Lake Parker Mall, occurred in 1971 and included this Jerry Lewis Twin project.
The Lake Parker Mall’s grand opening was held on May 31, 1971. As noted, the Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema 1 & 2 opened about nine months later. The in-mall cinema got to watch the implosion in 1972 and bankruptcy of Network Cinemas and Jerry Lewis' departure from the project in 1973. But the venue kept the Jerry Lewis name until 1974. A Michigan-based firm acquired the Lake Parker Mall in 1974 and it was renamed as the Lakeland Mall on July 17, 1974. A month later, on August 23, 1974, the theater was renamed as the Lakeland Twin Cinema at Lakeland Mall which was quickly renamed as the simplified, Lakeland Mall Twin Cinema. It ran under multiple independent operators until its closure.
The Lakeland Mall Cinema’s greatest hit by far was 1982’s “E.T.” that played for some 25 weeks and moved a lot of concessions, as well. It was a true “popcorn film” hit for the theater. The viability of the entire mall teetered, however, when Lakeland Square / Lakeland Square Mall opened nearby in 1988. Within a year of that opening, the mall downtrended to “greyscale status” - a term akin to a dead mall with vacancies above 50 percent.
There was no correction for the Lakeland Mall’s death spiral. But like many mall cinemas - such as the Woodland Mall Fox in Toledo or the Festival / Forum Theatre in Arlington, Texas - the cinema just kept rolling out films for a cadre of patrons even as fewer people came to the dead / dying mall. 1990 was the Lakeland Mall Cinema’s low point as the mall was considered closed for the most part. And for many weeks of its operation in 1990, only one feature is listed and from November 2, 1990 to November 8, 1990, the feature listed is “Arachnophobia” with the explanation: “one screen only this week”.
There were no screens listed the next week or from that point further. And no ads or mentions are made of the theatre from that point forward. November 8, 1990 appears to be the date of permanent closure. The interior mall was was officially closed in 1994 and the exterior anchors had all gone by 1995 ending the Lake Parker Mall turned Lakeland Mall. In 1999, the First Baptist Church At The Mall was a project that converted a former retail anchor for its main facility and used the former Lakeland Mall Cinema Twin’s spot for youth gatherings and programming. That facility was still in use in the 2020s.
The Winston-Muss Palm Coast Shopping Center Plaza was the largest project ever in West Palm Beach at $2 million when it was announced in 1959. During an expansion, Orange State Theatres, Inc. built and opened the Cinema 70 to the plans of architects Ernest Schroeder and Jack Willson. It was located at 7923 South Dixie HighwayThe venue opened June 27, 1966 with Alfred Hitchcock’s “Torn Curtain.” S&S Cafeteria was another added business and was the Cinema’s neighbor.
On December 16, 1967, Loews Theatres acquired both the Cinema 70 and the Boynton Beach Cinema owned by Florida State. The venue’s name changed to the slightly redundant Loews Cinema 70 Theatre. In 1971, the shopping plaza added an indoor mall connector in yet another expansion doubling the number of stores since its original opening.
In a major business development announced on May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to its rival, General Cinema Corp. (GCC), effective June 14, 1972. The Loews Cinema 70 Theatre became the GCC Cinema 70. Michael E. Stinson would be the venue’s manager for some 17 years.
On October 13th, 1977, the Venue became the General Cinema 70 I, II, III as it was triplexed. The theatre closed at the end of a leasing period on April 30, 1989 with “Fletch Lives,” “Tropical Snow” and “Dangerous Liaisons.” The venue was razed but the Palm Coast Plaza was still vibrant after more than 60 years in the 2020s.
The Regal Arbor @ Great Hills theatre was one of 20 theaters approved for lease relief in a bankruptcy maneuver with Regal’s parent in bankruptcy protection. Most closed September 14, 2022 while others - like the Austin Regal Arbor @ Great Hills location - continued into the month hoping for a few more patrons. They were few and far between with the venue closing permanently on a Friday - September 23, 2022.
Just to add some improved, more specific information to the above, Loews created its 170th Street Cinema as part of a strategy to reinvent movie theaters as luxury suburban destinations. Loews 170th could present virtually any format of film other than Cinerama. Its 60' screen could present 35mm and 70mm shows and was compatible with Cinemiracle, Todd-AO, VistaVision, and CinemaScope. It also provided free parking to set itself apart from aging downtown theaters often hampered by parking limitations and costs. Following an invitational opening event screening on August 6, 1958 with Brigitte Bardot in “La Parisienne,“ that same film was used for the opening to the general public the next day.
In a major business development announced on May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to its rival, General Cinema Corp. (GCC), effective June 14, 1972. The Loews 170th Street Theatre became the GCC 170th Street Cinema. The 170th Street Cinema and the former Loews turned GCC Lauderhill Cinema were both closed by GCC after successful runs of “Jaws” on September 28, 1975 to be twinned. The move was made to keep the venue viable but defeated the original architectural intent of the theater. It became the 170th Street Cinema I and II beginning on November 7, 1975 with John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn in “Rooster Cogburn” and Michael Caine in “Peeper".
In October of 1987, the venue was downgraded to a discount, sub-run house offering all seats and showtimes for $1.50. The theater was subtly retitled briefly as the GCC 170th Street Cinema 2 used for the venue’s waning GCC days. General Cinema closed on March 19, 1989 with “Things Change” and “The Land Before Time” coinciding with the 10-screen Miracle Center that had just opened that weekend. GCC’s Westchester 2 discount venue also closed that night.
Unlike the Westchester, a new operator took over the theatre beginning on March 23, 1989 through November 11, 1993 operating as the RK (formerly RD Theatres) 170th Street Cinema. Under Mitchell Knohl, the theater did have an embarrassing moment sponsoring a $10 a ticket, Barney, the Dinosaur, event in February of 1993 that was neither super-dee-duper nor tee-rific. The theater hired a Barney that reportedly had - ostensibly - the wrong costume and not all that ready to delight the youthful patrons. This led to kids likely shouting, “We don’t love you… you don’t love us, and we want refunds for all.” And they got their way. The theatre closed under RK Theatres in November 11, 1993.
The venue had one last chance closing for a major refresh under SunVista next became the SunVista Sunny Isles Beach Cinema 6 opening on October 7, 1994. The company also had the former Loews Inverrary Cinema in its operational portfolio. Unfortunately, just prior to its third weekend of operation, a fire at a neighboring print shop on October 26, 1994 ended the very short-lived SunVista Sunny Isles Beach Cinema 6 permanently.
Architects of the theatre were Jacob L. Gottfried and Genaro Garcia, Jr. of Gottfried & Garcia Architects of Tampa. The broader complex encompassing the cinema in early stages appears to have been executed by architect Harry A. MacWen.
This venue opened as Loew’s Westchester Theatre with Manager Peter Graybill and an opening ceremony followed Peter O'Toole in “Night of the Generals” on February 17, 1967. Graybill would move on to open the Loews Lauderhill in June of 1967 with Butch Payack taking over the Westchester.
On May 30, 1972, Loews sold all of its theatres in Florida to General Cinema Corp. (GCC) effective June 15, 1972. The venue became the GCC Westchester Cinema. On October 9th, 1974, the venue was twinned becoming the Westchester Cinema I & II. But by the 1980s, GCC was eschewing old twins in favor of multiplexes.
The theater was subtly retitled briefly as the GCC Westchester 2 used for the venue’s final stretch when it was downgraded to a discount, sub-run house with all seats and all times for $1.50. It closed on March 19, 1989 with “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” and “Tequila Sunrise” coinciding with the 10-screen Miracle Center that had just opened that weekend. The venue was quickly boarded up and the outside attractor covered. The building has since been razed.
It’s Loews - sorry, those got autocorrected and I missed the second one
This location closed as the Regal Boynton 8 Cinemas on March 28, 2004 at the end of a leasing period. The final films were “Passion of Christ,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “Secret Window,” “Hidalgo,” “Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London,” “Taking Lives” and “Dawn of the Dead.” Not long after the closing appeared a construction plan that would replace the former theatre.
The Loews Inverrary Triplex Theatres opened on December 19, 1976 with “King Kong” and “The Marquise of O.” In May of 1980, Loews moved on and the venue became the Inverrary Cinema 3. In December of 1990, it was renamed the Inverrary Cinemas 4. That venue closed January 4, 1994. Ten days later it was damaged by fire.
It was relaunched under the Sun Vista circuit on July 4, 1994 as Sun Vista’s Inverrary Cinemas, a discount sub-run house. Sun Vista moved on August 13, 1995. The venue reopenied as a five-plex with a Grand Reopening on November 22, 1995 as the Santray Inverrary Theatre 5 now playing first-run movies until April 6, 2000.
The venue reopened January 1, 2001 under new operators as the Inverrary Cinema 5. It closed after just one month. No further listings appear thereafter.
Lakes Mall opened November 30, 1972 and AMC had signed on to be in the center in 1972. The architect was Lloyd Frank Vann of Miami and the AMC was opened June 29, 1973. But the Lakes Mall ran into severe rouble in the 1980s during an economic downturn and retailers fleeing the center at 15-year opt outs on their leases.
The Lakes had already reached “greyscale status” 15 years after its launch - a term akin to a “dead mall.” AMC downgraded the venue to a sub-run discount house. The AMC Lakes Mall 6 went down offering all times and all shows for a buck. It closed with “I’m Gonna Get You, Sucka,” “Major League,” “Lean on Me,” “Police Academy 6: City Under Siege,” “Rainman,” and “Disorganized Crime” on May 13, 1989. The Mall, itself, drifted badly being declared unsafe as of April 1990 operating more as a strip center. It was mercifully torn down in 1996 taking the former AMC theatre with it.
The Margate Twin Cinema closed at the expiry of a 20-year leasing agreement on November 18, 1993 with “In the Line of Fire” splitting a screen with “The Firm” and “Striking Distance” splitting with “Sleepless in Seattle.”
This venue opened as the Coconut Creek Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse on October 11, 1991 with Kevin Costner in “Robin Hood” and Leslie Nielsen in “The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear.” The last advertised shows were on March 14, 1996 with Bruce Willis in “12 Monkeys,‘ Pierce Brosnan in "GoldenEye,” and Steve Martin in “Father of the Bride 2.” It closed under the same name of the Coconut Creek Cinema 'n’ Drafthouse
The fledgling Atlanta-based start-up Value Cinemas and William Stembler had launched its first Florida budget theatre in February of 1989 in North Fort Lauderdale. Value Cinemas established a Florida unit adding this location as a conversion officially in Atlantis Plaza II - the sequel to the neighboring and original Atlantis Plaza. The project was handled by Pound Construction Company in 1990.
The Value Cinemas of Atlantis Plaza six-plex launched November 15, 1990 with “My Blue Heaven,” “Dick Tracy,” “Problem Child,” “Darkman,” “Witches of Eastwick,” “Pretty Woman,” “Flatliners,” and “Presumed Innocent.” In July of 1998, the venue was taken on by GTC under the name of GTC Value Cinemas of Atlantis Plaza. It is presumed that this was a year-to-year subleasing agreement - though not certain - that apparently ended July 14, 1998.
The venue is renamed the Value Cinema of Atlantis and closed following showtimes of June 25, 2000 in a dispute with the shopping complex’s owner. Future showtimes listed in the newspaper were not screened. Final titles were “Erin Brockovich,” “Mission to Mars,” “Price of Glory,” “The Road to El Dorado,” “Romeo Must Die.” “Snow Day” and “Walt Disney’s The Tigger Movie.”
The Tam O'Shanter Shopping Center launched theatre-less. The fledgling Atlanta-based start-up Value Cinemas and William Stembler took on a former hardware store in the Tam O'Shanter plaza and spent $500,000 to convert it to the Value Cinemas 6. The cinema had marble floors and a self-serve concession stand operating as a sub-run discount house. It launched on February 25, 1989 with “Physical Evidence,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “My Stepmother is an Alien,” “Land Before Time,” “Tequila Sunrise,” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”
Value Cinemas established a Florida unit adding a location in Lantana, Florida, as well, in 1990. Price points ranged from 99 cents to $1.50 with $1 being the opening day price. The North Fort Lauderdale venue closed at the expiry of a ten-year lease on March 4, 1999 with “Mighty Joe Young,” “Rugrats,” “Enemy of the State,” “Pleasantville,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and “The Waterboy.” The Lantana Value Cinema closed in early Summer of 2000.
The Silver Screen Cinema Café launched April 5, 1996 with “Babe,” “Jumanji,” and “Bridges of Madison County.” The independently-run venue closed as the Silver Screen Cinema Café (and Comedy Club) on February 26, 2009 at the end of a leasing month with “Bolt,” and “Marley and Me” splitting with “Seven Pounds” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”
UA dropped its Movies at Magnate venue late in 1993. It was taken over by Movies, Inc. (aka MI Theatres) which rebranded it as Movies 8 Margate Dollar Cinema beginning on November 19, 1993 operating as a sub-run discount house. In April of 1997, Silver Cinemas took on the venue operating it as Silver Cinemas Movies 8 Margate and continuing as a sub-run discount house. The Silver Cinemas Movies 8 closed permanently on April 4, 2000.
The Loehmann Plaza Cinema closed “temporarily” following April 6, 1995 showtimes of “Shawshank Redemption,” “The Last Seduction,” and “Higher Learning.” By the 2020s, even die hard fans of the venue were beginning to give up hope of a grand reopening.
Regal launched here on November 15, 1996. Just after its first year of operation, the Regal Middleburg had protesters as one of ten cities in which labor unions picketed Regal’s business practices. The theatre soldiered on all the way until being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic along with most of the theaters in North America on March 16, 2020. Regal reopened here on August 21, 2020 but closing soon thereafter on October 8, 2020 when the circuit once again shut down operations worldwide.
Regal reopened the Middleburg Town Square on May 21, 2021. However, it closed permanently following showtimes on September 14, 2022 with the company’s parent, Cineworld, in its latest round of bankruptcy protection. It was one of 20 locations approved by a bankruptcy judge allowing the venue to break leases as it was unable to pay all of its September leasing due to liquidity problems.
Yes, of course. The 20 leases that Regal can now bail on are:
California:
Regal Edwards Anaheim Hills 14 - 8030 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road - Anaheim Hills (closed 9/14/22)
Regal UA Broadway Faire Stadium 10 - 3351 W. Shaw Ave. in Fresno (closed 9/14/22);
Regal Edwards Grand Palace Stadium 6 - 4767 Commons Way in Calabasas (continuing past 9/14);
Regal Crow Canyon - 2525 San Ramon Valley Blvd. in San Ramon (closed 9/14/22);
Regal Edwards Westpark - 3735 Alton Parkway in Irvine (closed 9/14/22);
Connecticut:
Regal Brass Mill 495 Union St. in Waterbury (open past 9/14);
Regal Stonington 10 85 Voluntown Road in Pawcatuck (open past 9/14);
Florida:
Regal Cypress Creek Station 16, 6415 N. Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale (open past 9/14);
Regal River City Marketplace Stadium 14 12884 City Center Blvd. in Jacksonville (closed 8/25/22)
Michigan:
Regal Lansing Mall Stadium 12 & RPX - 5330 West Saginaw Highway in Lansing (open past 9/14)
Missouri:
Regal Gravois Bluffs Stadium 12 - 754 Gravois Bluffs Blvd. in Fenton (open past 9/14)
Nevada:
Regal Colonnade Stadium 14 - 8880 South Eastern Ave. in Las Vegas (closed 9/14/22);
North Carolina:
Regal Greenville Grande Stadium 14 - 750 SW Greenville Blvd. in Greenville (closed 9/14/22);
Ohio:
Regal Middleburg Town Square Stadium 16 - 18348 Bagley Road in Cleveland (closed 9/14/22);
Oregon:
Regal Sherwood Stadium 10 - 15995 SW Tualatin Sherwood Road in Sherwood (closed 9/14/22);
Pennsylvania:
Regal Richland Crossing 12 - 185 North West End Blvd. in Quakertown (closed 9/14/22);
Texas:
Regal UA Amarillo Star Stadium 14 - 8275 Amarillo Blvd. W in Amarillo (closed 9/14/22);
Regal Arbor @ Great Hills 9828 Great Hills Trail in Austin (open past 9/14);
Regal Edwards West Oaks Mall 700 West Oaks Mall in Houston (open past 9/14);
Washington (State):
Regal Parkway Plaza 5910 South 180th St. in Tukwila (closed 9/14/22)
The locations that opened past 9/14 would likely be closed permanently on September 25 or September 28/29th and presumably had leases cleared for the month.There is little to no chance of any further operations at these locations.
Closed as the Regal Edwards Anaheim Hills 14
Closed as the Regal UA Broadway Faire Stadium 10
Regal Parkway Plaza Stadium 12
If you have gift cards, it might be time to use them. Though open, the theatre was one of 20 theaters approved for lease relief in a bankruptcy maneuver with Regal’s parent in bankruptcy protection. Most closed September 14, 2022 while others - like the Fenton location - continued through the month hoping for a miraculous turnaround. There was little to no chance of operations continuing into October.
Regal closed its Regal Crow Canyon on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened many locations in September of 2020 though not the Crow Canyon. Regal reopened the Crow Canyon on May 21, 2021. However, it closed permanently following showtimes on September 14, 2022 with the company in its latest round of bankruptcy protection. It was one of 20 locations approved by a bankruptcy judge allowing the venue to break leases as it was unable to pay all of its September leasing due to liquidity problems.