This is the only movie theatre left in Watertown as the Watertown Drive-In is now abandoned and decayed and the Community Theatre now houses a live theatre. I’m not sure of the owner’s name, but he has a foreign accent and runs the cinema with his son, I believe. It is a very poorly operated theatre. It is falling apart and dirty. At least once per show there is a gap in the movie because the next reel is having trouble starting or was threaded wrong. Also, a friend in the business tells me any prints received from Country Cinema are absolutely destroyed. That being said, I still go to movies here because, after all, where else can you see a show for only $4.00?
Check out the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation at http://www.sfneighborhoodtheater.org/ . Their goal is to preserve the neighborhood theatres in San Francisco. Maybe they can assist you. I notice on their website that the Metro Theatre and Alexandria Theatre in San Francisco are for sale, but they both seem to be a lot bigger than what you are looking for.
I’d love to know if anyone finds any others for sale on the web. I’m especially interested in any for sale in Connecticut since that is where I live. (Anyone know if anything is being done with the former State Theatre in Jewett City which closed last spring?)
When did this cinema close? When I was about 12 years old around 1989 I remember attending a movie at a Fox Theatre somewhere in Montana. It may have been this one in Missoula since I know one town I was in was Missoula. The theatre I remember took my breath away. It was by far the largest single screen theatre I had ever been in, with ornate decoration and a balcony.
I see there is a medical office building at the Hi-Way’s former address, but was this really the Hi-Way building? It looks nothing like a theatre and I am inclined to think that they demolished the cinema and built this office building in its place. Please respond if you know for sure.
Konrad Wargulewski bought the theatre this fall. He has sent me photos of it since they started to renovate it. All seats and equipment have been removed at this point. He is going to run it as a nightclub.
With no disrespect to Cinema Treasures which is a great site, CinemaTour is the most comprehensive listing of movies theatres around the world. I visit it many times per day for both research and entertainment purposes.
My above summary is wrong. I have seen a few movies at the Gilson recently as well as taken extensive photographs of the interior. The upstairs theatre was NOT a former balcony. Rather it is former office space above the lobby converted into a tiny 50 seat theatre. One door to it still has a sign for the Attorney at Law who used to work in that office on the window!
You need to get add-a-photo working again! It’s been out for nearly a year and I have dozens of theatres to add to the database, but I don’t want to do it until I can add my photos of them too!
This is the only movie theatre left in Watertown as the Watertown Drive-In is now abandoned and decayed and the Community Theatre now houses a live theatre. I’m not sure of the owner’s name, but he has a foreign accent and runs the cinema with his son, I believe. It is a very poorly operated theatre. It is falling apart and dirty. At least once per show there is a gap in the movie because the next reel is having trouble starting or was threaded wrong. Also, a friend in the business tells me any prints received from Country Cinema are absolutely destroyed. That being said, I still go to movies here because, after all, where else can you see a show for only $4.00?
Check out the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation at http://www.sfneighborhoodtheater.org/ . Their goal is to preserve the neighborhood theatres in San Francisco. Maybe they can assist you. I notice on their website that the Metro Theatre and Alexandria Theatre in San Francisco are for sale, but they both seem to be a lot bigger than what you are looking for.
The official website is http://www.avontheatre.com/
I’d love to know if anyone finds any others for sale on the web. I’m especially interested in any for sale in Connecticut since that is where I live. (Anyone know if anything is being done with the former State Theatre in Jewett City which closed last spring?)
When it was a movie theatre in the 1930’s it was called the Paramount. It stopped showing movies around the time the Park Theatre opened nearby.
When did this cinema close? When I was about 12 years old around 1989 I remember attending a movie at a Fox Theatre somewhere in Montana. It may have been this one in Missoula since I know one town I was in was Missoula. The theatre I remember took my breath away. It was by far the largest single screen theatre I had ever been in, with ornate decoration and a balcony.
I see there is a medical office building at the Hi-Way’s former address, but was this really the Hi-Way building? It looks nothing like a theatre and I am inclined to think that they demolished the cinema and built this office building in its place. Please respond if you know for sure.
That is the new marquee that was put up when the theatre was restored in the last few years. The previous one was the typical triangular marquee.
The Madison Theater is for sale at View link
Konrad Wargulewski bought the theatre this fall. He has sent me photos of it since they started to renovate it. All seats and equipment have been removed at this point. He is going to run it as a nightclub.
A new building has been constructed behind the Colonial’s facade. A Brazilian restaurant is expected to open inside that new building very soon.
er…Varsity
“You can enjoy a movie while watching a great movie."
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Plus, this cinema is already listed as the Barsity Theatre at /theaters/5265/ .
With no disrespect to Cinema Treasures which is a great site, CinemaTour is the most comprehensive listing of movies theatres around the world. I visit it many times per day for both research and entertainment purposes.
The Art was also known as the Nelson and the Fox.
It is now a Dollar Dreams.
I believe the Capitol was previously the Gilmore Theatre and was part of the Gilmore Hotel building.
The Bing Arts Center, as it is now called, is being renovated by the X Main Street Corporation.
My above summary is wrong. I have seen a few movies at the Gilson recently as well as taken extensive photographs of the interior. The upstairs theatre was NOT a former balcony. Rather it is former office space above the lobby converted into a tiny 50 seat theatre. One door to it still has a sign for the Attorney at Law who used to work in that office on the window!
Who does a guy have to kill to change this theatre listing from open to closed?
The Beacon was at 1003 40th Ave. It seated 585.
This theatre is already listed elsewhere on Cinema Treasures as theatre #1942, Loews Cineplex Elmwood.
I clicked on this to make a comment, but John Coles seems to have said exactly what I was going to say. Please include the locale with the headline!
You need to get add-a-photo working again! It’s been out for nearly a year and I have dozens of theatres to add to the database, but I don’t want to do it until I can add my photos of them too!
The former State Theatre is now CLOSED! It has been closed since April!!!