Joe was always willing to share a story or two on our favorite subject. When planning the 2002 THSA Conclave, I mostly wanted to impress Joe, as I had the utmost respect for him. I remember when we were exiting the Loew’s Kings, he put his arm around my shoulder and said, “You did good, kid!” I’ll never forget him!
Bow Tie Cinemas will keep Cinema City open and operating! Our new Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square is set to open on 11/2/07. Look for some improvements at Cinema City in the near future.
This listing is a mistake. Nutmeg/Cinema National/USA Cinemas/Loews had four locations in Westport – The Fine Arts 1 & 2 (now Restoration Hardware), Fine Arts 3 (directly behind it), and Fine Arts 4 (just east of the 1 & 2 – now a bridal shop), and the Post Cinema (now a furniture store). There was never an operating entity known as the “Fine Arts III & IV”.
The location of the Fine Arts 3 was directly behind the original Fine Arts (later Fine Arts 1&2 – now Restoration Hardware). The building now serves as a restaurant.
Yes…the Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square in W.Hartford is set to open 11/2/07. We are opening our new Movieland Cinemas in Downtown Schenectady, NY on 5/17/07. We’re also going to continue operations at the Cinema City in Hartford, which we acquired on 11/17/06. It was supposed to close this August under the last operator.
The Plaza was opened in 1970 by the Brandt organization as a single screen, 1000 seat house. Over the years, it was triplexed by walling off the former stadium area in the back of the theater, then splitting that area. There are 450 seats and a huge screen on the orchestra level, and two stadium seated theaters with 120 seats each. The seats were new about 4 years ago.
After its stint as a Brandt house, it became a Trans-Lux operation (new name for Brandt), followed by Cinamerica, Crown, and now, Bow Tie Cinemas (www.bowtiecinemas.com). Name should be changed to Plaza 3.
The Erie was the original Proctor’s. The ‘new’ Proctor’s, around the corner on State St. replaced it in 1926. At that time, it became the Erie, and was later named the Wedgeway. It was adjacent to the State, but not attached to it.
ZARDOZ,
Thanks for the wonderful comments! To your comment that we need more theaters like the Criterion, we are opening another Criterion in West Hartford, CT in November, and are opening a similar theater in Downtown Schenectady, NY next month. Look at our Plaza Cinemas in Greenwich, CT to start featuring the Criterion style soon!
By the way…May is “Joan Crawford Month”, with some of her ‘best’! On Mother’s Day, we’ll again feature a screening of “Mommie Dearest” with ‘New Haven’s Own Joan Crawford, and her 'daughter’, Christina' in attendance, and signing autographs after the show!
The theater actually opened long, long before 1963. As far as I know, it opened in 1914 as the Greenwich Playhouse. The stage is still fully rigged, and there are several dressing rooms in the basement. I used to be the Division Mgr. for this theater during my tenure at Clearview.
It was announced last year that the theater would be closing. The building was sold for a huge amount of money given its location on prestigious Greenwich Ave. The current thinking is to gut the building for retail space. To my knowledge, Clearview is operating on a month-to-month, and the new landlord has to give them 120 days to vacate with notice. To date, they haven’t received such a notice. The downstairs seats approximately 320, and the former balcony upstairs seats approximately 120. The chandelier in the lobby is a Clearview addition. The ceiling height in the lobby was lowered at one point, and upstairs in an office suite (that formerly served as Loews Division Office when they had the place) there is a storeroom that features what used-to-be the original lobby ceiling.
The last chain to operate the Colonial was Loews. It was inherited through its purchase of CinemaNational/USA Cinemas. After Loews closed it, around 1988 or so, it became an independent showing repertory product on a published calendar. After not meeting with much success, it closed for good around 1990 and sat vacant until it was demolished, about 10 years ago. At the time of its closing, the interior was deco in style.
There were two other singles that all closed in the 80’s – the Capitol (demolished), and the Heights (open again). The Elmira 1-2-3 behind the Colonial operated into the early 2000’s and has since been sitting vacant.
The Marquis opened as a 10 screen house in 1990, to replace the Crown 3 at the Trumbull Mall (formerly a UA Dimension 150 house). Four years later, six additional stadium-seating screens were added.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of this facility on 11/17/06.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of the Cinema City (note name restored to its original) on 11/17. With our new Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square opening this fall, we have not yet finalized our plans for the future of Cinema City. Should we countinue to operate it, look forward to a decent renovation (seats, projection & sound, concessions, etc.).
On 11/17/06, Bow Tie Cinemas has completed its purchase of all of the Connecticut and Maryland locations of Crown Theatres. We now have 11 locations in CT, 2 in MD, and 1 in CO. Three more are currently under construction – Movieland Schenectady, a 6-plex next to Proctor’s in downtown Sch'dy, NY (Spring ‘07); Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square, a 6-plex in W. Hartford, CT (Fall '07); and Movieland Richmond, a 16-screener in Richmond, VA (Spring '08). Look for the former Crown locations to be re-branded as “Bow Tie Cinemas” in the coming months.
There is a LaGrange Theatre in operation that was one of the B&K theatres. It operates as a subrun house. www.lagrangetheatre.com for showtimes and a marquee pic. The history of the current LaGrange seems to indicate that it has always been called that.
Correct—it is the Middlebrook Galleria Cinemas. This 10 was built to replace the twin that still stands (as a tire store) a few hundred feet away. It was scheduled to open as a Loews, but they pulled out mid-construction to build at the Monmouth Mall about 4 miles away. An independent stepped in and finished the theater, and since he was able to open before the Monmouth Mall Cinema the Galleria was able to play day-and-date with them and still can to this day. Clearview Cinemas bought this theater from the independent in the late 90’s. This theater has the largest seat count in the Clearview chain.
The theater building is still there in the center of the shopping plaza. It’s been converted to retail use. The center is on Route 35.
I drove by recently—it’s now a karate studio.
Joe was always willing to share a story or two on our favorite subject. When planning the 2002 THSA Conclave, I mostly wanted to impress Joe, as I had the utmost respect for him. I remember when we were exiting the Loew’s Kings, he put his arm around my shoulder and said, “You did good, kid!” I’ll never forget him!
Yes, that’s part of the plan. The are really comfortable, though…
Bow Tie Cinemas will keep Cinema City open and operating! Our new Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square is set to open on 11/2/07. Look for some improvements at Cinema City in the near future.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of this theater on 11/17/06.
Theater is currently “Closed for Renovations”, to correct some water damage from the last heavy rain storm.
This listing is a mistake. Nutmeg/Cinema National/USA Cinemas/Loews had four locations in Westport – The Fine Arts 1 & 2 (now Restoration Hardware), Fine Arts 3 (directly behind it), and Fine Arts 4 (just east of the 1 & 2 – now a bridal shop), and the Post Cinema (now a furniture store). There was never an operating entity known as the “Fine Arts III & IV”.
The theater was in the space on the left of the building-now occupied by a bridal shop.
The location of the Fine Arts 3 was directly behind the original Fine Arts (later Fine Arts 1&2 – now Restoration Hardware). The building now serves as a restaurant.
Yes…the Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square in W.Hartford is set to open 11/2/07. We are opening our new Movieland Cinemas in Downtown Schenectady, NY on 5/17/07. We’re also going to continue operations at the Cinema City in Hartford, which we acquired on 11/17/06. It was supposed to close this August under the last operator.
The Plaza was opened in 1970 by the Brandt organization as a single screen, 1000 seat house. Over the years, it was triplexed by walling off the former stadium area in the back of the theater, then splitting that area. There are 450 seats and a huge screen on the orchestra level, and two stadium seated theaters with 120 seats each. The seats were new about 4 years ago.
After its stint as a Brandt house, it became a Trans-Lux operation (new name for Brandt), followed by Cinamerica, Crown, and now, Bow Tie Cinemas (www.bowtiecinemas.com). Name should be changed to Plaza 3.
The Erie was the original Proctor’s. The ‘new’ Proctor’s, around the corner on State St. replaced it in 1926. At that time, it became the Erie, and was later named the Wedgeway. It was adjacent to the State, but not attached to it.
ZARDOZ,
Thanks for the wonderful comments! To your comment that we need more theaters like the Criterion, we are opening another Criterion in West Hartford, CT in November, and are opening a similar theater in Downtown Schenectady, NY next month. Look at our Plaza Cinemas in Greenwich, CT to start featuring the Criterion style soon!
By the way…May is “Joan Crawford Month”, with some of her ‘best’! On Mother’s Day, we’ll again feature a screening of “Mommie Dearest” with ‘New Haven’s Own Joan Crawford, and her 'daughter’, Christina' in attendance, and signing autographs after the show!
The theater actually opened long, long before 1963. As far as I know, it opened in 1914 as the Greenwich Playhouse. The stage is still fully rigged, and there are several dressing rooms in the basement. I used to be the Division Mgr. for this theater during my tenure at Clearview.
It was announced last year that the theater would be closing. The building was sold for a huge amount of money given its location on prestigious Greenwich Ave. The current thinking is to gut the building for retail space. To my knowledge, Clearview is operating on a month-to-month, and the new landlord has to give them 120 days to vacate with notice. To date, they haven’t received such a notice. The downstairs seats approximately 320, and the former balcony upstairs seats approximately 120. The chandelier in the lobby is a Clearview addition. The ceiling height in the lobby was lowered at one point, and upstairs in an office suite (that formerly served as Loews Division Office when they had the place) there is a storeroom that features what used-to-be the original lobby ceiling.
The last chain to operate the Colonial was Loews. It was inherited through its purchase of CinemaNational/USA Cinemas. After Loews closed it, around 1988 or so, it became an independent showing repertory product on a published calendar. After not meeting with much success, it closed for good around 1990 and sat vacant until it was demolished, about 10 years ago. At the time of its closing, the interior was deco in style.
There were two other singles that all closed in the 80’s – the Capitol (demolished), and the Heights (open again). The Elmira 1-2-3 behind the Colonial operated into the early 2000’s and has since been sitting vacant.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of the Majestic 6 on 11/17/06.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of the Plaza on 11/17/06.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of this 4-plex on 11/17/06.
The Marquis opened as a 10 screen house in 1990, to replace the Crown 3 at the Trumbull Mall (formerly a UA Dimension 150 house). Four years later, six additional stadium-seating screens were added.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of this facility on 11/17/06.
As of 11/17/06, Bow Tie Cinemas has assumed operation of the Playhouse.
Bow Tie Cinemas assumed operation of the Cinema City (note name restored to its original) on 11/17. With our new Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square opening this fall, we have not yet finalized our plans for the future of Cinema City. Should we countinue to operate it, look forward to a decent renovation (seats, projection & sound, concessions, etc.).
On 11/17/06, Bow Tie Cinemas has completed its purchase of all of the Connecticut and Maryland locations of Crown Theatres. We now have 11 locations in CT, 2 in MD, and 1 in CO. Three more are currently under construction – Movieland Schenectady, a 6-plex next to Proctor’s in downtown Sch'dy, NY (Spring ‘07); Criterion Cinemas at Blue Back Square, a 6-plex in W. Hartford, CT (Fall '07); and Movieland Richmond, a 16-screener in Richmond, VA (Spring '08). Look for the former Crown locations to be re-branded as “Bow Tie Cinemas” in the coming months.
There is a LaGrange Theatre in operation that was one of the B&K theatres. It operates as a subrun house. www.lagrangetheatre.com for showtimes and a marquee pic. The history of the current LaGrange seems to indicate that it has always been called that.
Correct—it is the Middlebrook Galleria Cinemas. This 10 was built to replace the twin that still stands (as a tire store) a few hundred feet away. It was scheduled to open as a Loews, but they pulled out mid-construction to build at the Monmouth Mall about 4 miles away. An independent stepped in and finished the theater, and since he was able to open before the Monmouth Mall Cinema the Galleria was able to play day-and-date with them and still can to this day. Clearview Cinemas bought this theater from the independent in the late 90’s. This theater has the largest seat count in the Clearview chain.