This oughta give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, a photo of what remains of the Franklin/Cinema 75 as of spring 2005: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
Was the seating configuration for the Cinema 75 100, 200 and 300?
I am working on a page for the Arrowhead just now. If my finite memory serves me well, it was a very minimalist structure with 3 large square auditoriums, each with the same seating capacity, big screens and dynamite sound. Maybe that was why it was one of the elite four theatres in the metro Atlanta area to get first booking on the original Star Wars in 1977.
I am still looking into it. I have come across a few instances in some of the directories in which the both the physical address of the theatre is listed as well as a mailing or bussiness address. I do not know if that is the situation here but will update when I find out. Thanks for your information.
Someone needs to pull a copy of the Tennessean for Thanksgiving, 1965. I’ve yet to get a consensus as the whether this is the Loews Crescent or the Loews Vendome. Although the Vendome was razed in 1968, it continued to be a first run house up until the day of its closure.
Came across an ad for the 007 “Dr No” engagement at the Cobb Centre. The ad mentioned the theatre had 1,000 luxurious rock chair seats. I think that theatre was initially part of the Martin circuit and later acquired by Georgia Theatre Company.
No debate here either. I wholly agree with Lostmemory on the nomenclature of listing theatres. In my registry, what is contained in the theatre name field is the name the theatre is most identified with. During my tenure in Marthasville, there were more than a few who preface Tara with the name of whoever was its suitor at the time (e.g. Loew’s Tara, Lefont Tara, etc.) Moving on…what is the Regal Tara’s (my that seems awkward) current seating capacity? The fore mentioned 1200 was applicable when the theatre opened but does not include the adjacent auditorium built by Lefont or the seating lost in the tripling of the original auditorium.
Thanks for the update. The structure that I saw could have easily accommodated 550. AMC built an 18-screen multiplex here in 1998 also called the Colonial with a seating capacity at lease four times greater than the original theatre.
The Sylvan was listed under the heading of Community Theatres in the July 29, 1945 edition of the Atlanta Constitution. I do not know if this was the name of a circuit or just a label stating the Sylvan was a community theatre.
Located film listing for the Bankhead in the 1935 through 1940 editions of the Atlanta Constitution, but no street address. A film titled “Espionage Agent†was playing there on July 8, 1935.
The Bankhead, along with the College Park, the Temple, Sylvan, etc. are vestiges of a generation that is gone with the wind. Unless there has been some major development along what was once known as the (Tallulah) Bankhead Hwy, the remains of the Bankhead should still be as it was a decade or so ago. Next time I am in Atlanta, I hope to have the time to visit the archives of the main library and get some more details on these sites (and possibly photos as well}. I have received one unconfirmed report on the College Park that might have some merit. It allegedly was a recording studio during the 60s and 70s where budding talent such as Lynerd Skynerd supposedly cut a few tracks there prior to their achieving stardom. Possibly someone involved in the Atlanta music scene during this period could offer some insight regarding the validity of this claim.
I’ve got a listing from a 1952 directory showing a Pike Theatre at 4200 Kingston Pike. Is this the same as mentioned above? This Kingston Pike area appears to have the most growth in theatre construction in Knox County since the late 1960s.
Thank you for the update and correction. Although I’ve been able reference some IMPAs in the main libraries of most major cities, I haven’t had much luck in getting hold of criss cross and other such directories for out of state cities. Didn’t get a chance to hit the Atlanta library during my last visit in the area. Greatly appreciate you effort in checking this out and getting it straight. Were the screens at either of these Sandy Springs theatres comparable to the main screens in any of the newer megaplexs?
A 2005 photo of the original entrance to the theatre from Woodland Street can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/22960067/ There is a photograph on file at the main branch of the Nashville Public Library of the Woodland when it was still a theatre and before these unsightly additions were made to the façade.
There is a theatre in Madison, TN that Loews opened about this same time. The lobby of the Madison is smaller than the Tara, but it appears to have about the same seating capacity. There is a 2005 photo of the Loew’s Madison at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/22960058/
Great article! I vaguely recall a cinema on Dale Mabry that might be the one in the photo beneath the Tara. Although I cannot recall the name of the theatre, I distinctly remember that it had been acquired by General Cinema and converted into a twin. When I visited it Saturday Night Fever was playing in one auditorium and Looking for Mr. Goodbar was screening in the second.
Curious as to why the other Loews Atlanta theatre, the 12 Oaks, wasn’t mentioned in this article.
This oughta give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, a photo of what remains of the Franklin/Cinema 75 as of spring 2005: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
Was the seating configuration for the Cinema 75 100, 200 and 300?
I am working on a page for the Arrowhead just now. If my finite memory serves me well, it was a very minimalist structure with 3 large square auditoriums, each with the same seating capacity, big screens and dynamite sound. Maybe that was why it was one of the elite four theatres in the metro Atlanta area to get first booking on the original Star Wars in 1977.
I am still looking into it. I have come across a few instances in some of the directories in which the both the physical address of the theatre is listed as well as a mailing or bussiness address. I do not know if that is the situation here but will update when I find out. Thanks for your information.
Photos of the Cinema 8 from spring 2005 can be view at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
I believe the seating was 1,189 after its conversion to a triplex. Can’t figure where the additional 189 seats came in.
Someone needs to pull a copy of the Tennessean for Thanksgiving, 1965. I’ve yet to get a consensus as the whether this is the Loews Crescent or the Loews Vendome. Although the Vendome was razed in 1968, it continued to be a first run house up until the day of its closure.
Came across an ad for the 007 “Dr No” engagement at the Cobb Centre. The ad mentioned the theatre had 1,000 luxurious rock chair seats. I think that theatre was initially part of the Martin circuit and later acquired by Georgia Theatre Company.
No debate here either. I wholly agree with Lostmemory on the nomenclature of listing theatres. In my registry, what is contained in the theatre name field is the name the theatre is most identified with. During my tenure in Marthasville, there were more than a few who preface Tara with the name of whoever was its suitor at the time (e.g. Loew’s Tara, Lefont Tara, etc.) Moving on…what is the Regal Tara’s (my that seems awkward) current seating capacity? The fore mentioned 1200 was applicable when the theatre opened but does not include the adjacent auditorium built by Lefont or the seating lost in the tripling of the original auditorium.
Photos of the Hollywood 27 can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/
It is simply the “Tara” to those who inhabited the land at the time of its inception.
Thanks for the update. The structure that I saw could have easily accommodated 550. AMC built an 18-screen multiplex here in 1998 also called the Colonial with a seating capacity at lease four times greater than the original theatre.
The College Park was also known as the Park Theatre between 1935 and 1946.
The Sylvan was listed under the heading of Community Theatres in the July 29, 1945 edition of the Atlanta Constitution. I do not know if this was the name of a circuit or just a label stating the Sylvan was a community theatre.
The Suburban Plaza opened as a Martin theatre in the early 1960s and was initially called the Eastgate.
Located film listing for the Bankhead in the 1935 through 1940 editions of the Atlanta Constitution, but no street address. A film titled “Espionage Agent†was playing there on July 8, 1935.
Information on the renovation of the Fulton theatre can is available at View link and http://www.hapeville.org/ecodev/Projects.htm
The Bankhead, along with the College Park, the Temple, Sylvan, etc. are vestiges of a generation that is gone with the wind. Unless there has been some major development along what was once known as the (Tallulah) Bankhead Hwy, the remains of the Bankhead should still be as it was a decade or so ago. Next time I am in Atlanta, I hope to have the time to visit the archives of the main library and get some more details on these sites (and possibly photos as well}. I have received one unconfirmed report on the College Park that might have some merit. It allegedly was a recording studio during the 60s and 70s where budding talent such as Lynerd Skynerd supposedly cut a few tracks there prior to their achieving stardom. Possibly someone involved in the Atlanta music scene during this period could offer some insight regarding the validity of this claim.
Wasn’t the Centre razed a while back and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art built on this site?
I’ve got a listing from a 1952 directory showing a Pike Theatre at 4200 Kingston Pike. Is this the same as mentioned above? This Kingston Pike area appears to have the most growth in theatre construction in Knox County since the late 1960s.
Thank you for the update and correction. Although I’ve been able reference some IMPAs in the main libraries of most major cities, I haven’t had much luck in getting hold of criss cross and other such directories for out of state cities. Didn’t get a chance to hit the Atlanta library during my last visit in the area. Greatly appreciate you effort in checking this out and getting it straight. Were the screens at either of these Sandy Springs theatres comparable to the main screens in any of the newer megaplexs?
You can view a 2005 photo of the Mecca at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/23521206/
A 2005 photo of the original entrance to the theatre from Woodland Street can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/22960067/ There is a photograph on file at the main branch of the Nashville Public Library of the Woodland when it was still a theatre and before these unsightly additions were made to the façade.
Here are a couple of photos from spring 2005 of the Madison Square: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/22960058/
There is a theatre in Madison, TN that Loews opened about this same time. The lobby of the Madison is smaller than the Tara, but it appears to have about the same seating capacity. There is a 2005 photo of the Loew’s Madison at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maincourse/22960058/
Great article! I vaguely recall a cinema on Dale Mabry that might be the one in the photo beneath the Tara. Although I cannot recall the name of the theatre, I distinctly remember that it had been acquired by General Cinema and converted into a twin. When I visited it Saturday Night Fever was playing in one auditorium and Looking for Mr. Goodbar was screening in the second.
Curious as to why the other Loews Atlanta theatre, the 12 Oaks, wasn’t mentioned in this article.
Was unable to locate the Bluebonnet a couple of years ago when I was in the Houston area. It appears to have been demolished some years ago.