The Rotunda Twin, originally opened in the 1970s by J-F Theatres, has always been a small twin house (it’s on the ground floor of a tiny mall). It would’ve been impossible to install Cinerama there.
Also, in 1982 the left-side balcony was converted into an obscenely small theatre. Its sound system was a beat-up home stereo speaker placed on the floor in front of the screen!
I don’t remember the Charles in “Cecil”. The theatres used were the Senator, Hippodrome (pre-restoration), and Beltway Movies 6 (the theatre the “guerillas” raid about halfway through). The alley used to access the Hippodrome was actually Davis St., which runs between Calvert St. & Guilford Ave. around Saratoga St.
Glen Burnie Towncenter 7 opened in 1988, operated by the local J-F chain (I believe it was the last theatre to be opened by J-F before they were sold to Loews). Loews closed it circa 1999, but in early 2001 the house was reopened by a chain called DTTS. This incarnation lasted only three or four months.
The space has since been gutted for possible office/retail use.
I believe the actual street address should be Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard, as Ritchie Hwy. is a block and change to the southeast.
If I recall from Headley’s “Exit,” the Times was originally booked to show newsreels exclusively (hence the name “Times”).
Throughout the 1980s, the manager/director of the Charles was Pat Moran, who also played in John Waters' pictures and is now a well-respected Hollywood casting director. Moran’s projectionist, the late Garey Lambert, was one of the best in his field.
The Avalon was for some years the “studio” of Baltimore’s original UHF Channel 24, which went off the air circa 1970. The building remained vacant until its demise.
Also…the offices of F.H. Durkee Enterprises, owners of the Arcade, Senator and many other theatres, were located on the second floor of the shopping arcade.
Regal Eastpoint (originally run by R/C Theatres) opened in 1995 or 1996. It boasted the area’s first modern stadium-seating screen (auditorium #4), but the other 9 screens are rather ordinary. For a while there was a tenth projector set up in the lobby which showed trailers.
LM, the photo in your first post was of the original Hollywood, which burned down in the mid-1990s. The community pressured R/C Theatres to replace it with the current 4-screener.
Wixie Children’s Musical Theatre staged live performances at the 5 West on weekday mornings in the 1960s (I saw their “Wizard of Oz” as a kid); the company later moved to the Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills.
The Aurora was known for some years as the 7 East, art-house sister to the Parkway/5 West across Charles St. The Aurora did reopen in 1981, under its original name, as a “repertory” theatre similar to the nearby Charles. This policy failed, and for its final years the house was called the “Aurora X.”
The address should be 7 East North Ave., NOT “72.” The Center Stage arson fire was in 1974.
In its last days the Apollo’s projection system was notoriously out-of-kilter! On “flat” films the top of the picture was cut off – you could see it reflected on the ceiling – while for “scope” films the ends were missing.
The art house was taken over by local businessman Bob Weinholt in spring 1984; but it didn’t catch on. Wienholt closed the Playhouse in February 1985. The theatre reopened very briefly in spring 1985 to show the indie film “Two for the Money.”
You all forgot the fire that extensively damaged the original Lexington St. lobby, circa 1967. That’s what caused the entrance to be moved to Park Ave., while the old lobby was sealed off and converted to retail.. The auditorium was given a bland, mostly white color scheme.
In the 1990s, the building was occupied by New York Fashions, which reconnected the the old lobby area to the former auditorium. Part of the upstairs concourse was still visible in the store.
The Rotunda Twin, originally opened in the 1970s by J-F Theatres, has always been a small twin house (it’s on the ground floor of a tiny mall). It would’ve been impossible to install Cinerama there.
That should be, “…ELEVENTH projector set up in the lobby…”
Also, in 1982 the left-side balcony was converted into an obscenely small theatre. Its sound system was a beat-up home stereo speaker placed on the floor in front of the screen!
Actually, the Strand closed in ‘85 or '86. In 1993 it was gutted for transformation into a sports bar, which didn’t catch on. It’s now a dollar store.
Closed in 1988, to be exact. I believe it was run by F.H. Durkee Enterprises in its last days.
I don’t remember the Charles in “Cecil”. The theatres used were the Senator, Hippodrome (pre-restoration), and Beltway Movies 6 (the theatre the “guerillas” raid about halfway through). The alley used to access the Hippodrome was actually Davis St., which runs between Calvert St. & Guilford Ave. around Saratoga St.
Perry Hall Movies was a 5-screen house in a strip shopping center, originally operated by Bob Wienholt.
Glen Burnie Towncenter 7 opened in 1988, operated by the local J-F chain (I believe it was the last theatre to be opened by J-F before they were sold to Loews). Loews closed it circa 1999, but in early 2001 the house was reopened by a chain called DTTS. This incarnation lasted only three or four months.
The space has since been gutted for possible office/retail use.
I believe the actual street address should be Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard, as Ritchie Hwy. is a block and change to the southeast.
The Cluster ran adult movies for a brief spell in the early-mid 1980s, but was closed down due to neighborhood and church complaints.
If I recall from Headley’s “Exit,” the Times was originally booked to show newsreels exclusively (hence the name “Times”).
Throughout the 1980s, the manager/director of the Charles was Pat Moran, who also played in John Waters' pictures and is now a well-respected Hollywood casting director. Moran’s projectionist, the late Garey Lambert, was one of the best in his field.
The Avalon was for some years the “studio” of Baltimore’s original UHF Channel 24, which went off the air circa 1970. The building remained vacant until its demise.
Also…the offices of F.H. Durkee Enterprises, owners of the Arcade, Senator and many other theatres, were located on the second floor of the shopping arcade.
The Arcade reopened as a “Smart Bros.” dollar house in 1980 or 1981, but lasted only a few years.
The Apex DID try showing mainstream movies, circa 1981, as a bargain house. That didn’t last very long, and they went back to smut.
Chuck, that 7-Eleven has been there for at least 25 years.
The Uptown closed as a cinema in 1975, and was converted to a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall.
Regal Eastpoint (originally run by R/C Theatres) opened in 1995 or 1996. It boasted the area’s first modern stadium-seating screen (auditorium #4), but the other 9 screens are rather ordinary. For a while there was a tenth projector set up in the lobby which showed trailers.
LM, the photo in your first post was of the original Hollywood, which burned down in the mid-1990s. The community pressured R/C Theatres to replace it with the current 4-screener.
Wixie Children’s Musical Theatre staged live performances at the 5 West on weekday mornings in the 1960s (I saw their “Wizard of Oz” as a kid); the company later moved to the Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills.
The Aurora was known for some years as the 7 East, art-house sister to the Parkway/5 West across Charles St. The Aurora did reopen in 1981, under its original name, as a “repertory” theatre similar to the nearby Charles. This policy failed, and for its final years the house was called the “Aurora X.”
The address should be 7 East North Ave., NOT “72.” The Center Stage arson fire was in 1974.
The housing on the Biddle site is private, not public.
In its last days the Apollo’s projection system was notoriously out-of-kilter! On “flat” films the top of the picture was cut off – you could see it reflected on the ceiling – while for “scope” films the ends were missing.
The Howard was last used as an athletic-wear store, the insignia of which still remains.
The old marquee remained on the building for some years. The Harford did reopen as an adult theatre in the early 1970s, but only briefly.
The art house was taken over by local businessman Bob Weinholt in spring 1984; but it didn’t catch on. Wienholt closed the Playhouse in February 1985. The theatre reopened very briefly in spring 1985 to show the indie film “Two for the Money.”
You all forgot the fire that extensively damaged the original Lexington St. lobby, circa 1967. That’s what caused the entrance to be moved to Park Ave., while the old lobby was sealed off and converted to retail.. The auditorium was given a bland, mostly white color scheme.
In the 1990s, the building was occupied by New York Fashions, which reconnected the the old lobby area to the former auditorium. Part of the upstairs concourse was still visible in the store.