Lastdayofrain… I remember this house also show a decent amount of horror films in the 80s - “Motel Hell” and “The Awakening” among them. I used to go to the General Cinema at NorthShore Shopping Center (as it was called back then) more often than. They seemed to get better movies. I hated the Sack Cinema City in Danvers no RTE 1 nearby this house and would often go to Showcase Cinemas in Lawrence to see films there instead of Cinema City. The Lawrence Showcase on rte 114 was really nice theater. Loved it. Sadly it too is gone now.
I remember this place. I lived in nearby Andover. If I remember correctly, when you entered through the front, the lobby ran down the middle and entrances to each auditorium were on the left and ride side and I think the concessions were at the very end of the lobby. But I remember most was the floor of the lobby ran up at a slight incline, as if walking up a low grade ramp from the front doors toward the back. Or am I wrong about that?
JFILM….I remember the old Stateline Cinema. I remember seeing John Carpenter’s “The Fog” there in 1980. I think the building is long gone, but if I remember correctly, it used to sit in the rear, right corner of the Plaza as a stand-alone building. I recall the marquee was a generic light box, three rows of plastic letters, that sat atop the flat roof over hangning the entrance. Also, it was owned by the same family that owned Salem Tri Cinema in Salem, NH (before Showcase bought that location).
As for Cinema 495, I remember that one well and you were right that it got a mix of first and second run, mostly because it was a safe enough distance up 495 from the 8 screen Showcase in Lawrence that they were able to get a few first run films. But I mostly remember it as a second run house, much like the Stateline and the Twin on rte 28 in North Reading, and it offered a steady diet of teen sexploitation comedies (Porkys, Zapped, Spring Break) and action/horror films. Also loved going there because the owner would sell the movie posters after a film finished its run. I must have bought 50 posters from him (many of which I still have).
da_bunnyman… Yes, that’s how I remember it as well. When driving past on Route 1, you could see the cinema through the break in between the two strip malls where they should have met a right angle. I recall it being a fairly big side building, with tall plate glass windows and a chandeliers in the lobby.
Jerry – YES! That’s the cinema. It was 2nd run twin and it had an outer lobby that rang the length of the front of the building. Just glass windows in metal framing. When you stepped through outer doors into this glass and metal framed outer lobby, to the left was a little room with a counter, just to the left of the doors leading into the cinema lobby. I recall this room was where they kept all the posters. I, too, loved going there for the same reason. I started my film poster collection at age 15 (I’m 53 now) thanks to that cinema and Salem Tri Cinema in Salem NY — also on RTE 28. I knew the projectionist at Salem Tri and he would just give me the posters after the film played. I used to love the North Reading Twin, though, a bit run down, mom & pop cinema. Saw The Exorcist, Rocky II, A Christmas Story, Smokey and the Bandit – a lot of great movies. Love that cinema. Shame there are no pictures. They converted a small room upstairs into a third screen – was really small. More of a screening room than theater auditorium. And you are correct, I believe the building is indeed now a travel agency with a dance school upstairs. Nice to know someone else remembers it.
Does anyone have pictures of or remember the second-run twin cinema (they later added a tiny ‘screening room’ upstairs) that used to be on 28? I seem to remember it being set back from 28, behind where Wendy’s and Joe’s Fish Seafood Bar is today. In fact, I think it might have occupied the space where the Dancing School is.
Can’t find anything anywhere on the internet about it. It’s like it never existed.
Does anyone remember or have pictures of the second-run twin cinema that used to be off main street? As I recall, there was a parking lot that you would pull into off Main and on the sides of the lot were stores. The cinema sat facing Main, somewhat at an angle, in the very rear of the parking lot. I believe the marquee was mounted on the roof of the awning that came out over the entrance. I think the same people that owned Salem Tri Cinema (before selling to Showcase Cinemas) owned this twin.
Lastdayofrain… I remember this house also show a decent amount of horror films in the 80s - “Motel Hell” and “The Awakening” among them. I used to go to the General Cinema at NorthShore Shopping Center (as it was called back then) more often than. They seemed to get better movies. I hated the Sack Cinema City in Danvers no RTE 1 nearby this house and would often go to Showcase Cinemas in Lawrence to see films there instead of Cinema City. The Lawrence Showcase on rte 114 was really nice theater. Loved it. Sadly it too is gone now.
I remember this place. I lived in nearby Andover. If I remember correctly, when you entered through the front, the lobby ran down the middle and entrances to each auditorium were on the left and ride side and I think the concessions were at the very end of the lobby. But I remember most was the floor of the lobby ran up at a slight incline, as if walking up a low grade ramp from the front doors toward the back. Or am I wrong about that?
JFILM….I remember the old Stateline Cinema. I remember seeing John Carpenter’s “The Fog” there in 1980. I think the building is long gone, but if I remember correctly, it used to sit in the rear, right corner of the Plaza as a stand-alone building. I recall the marquee was a generic light box, three rows of plastic letters, that sat atop the flat roof over hangning the entrance. Also, it was owned by the same family that owned Salem Tri Cinema in Salem, NH (before Showcase bought that location).
As for Cinema 495, I remember that one well and you were right that it got a mix of first and second run, mostly because it was a safe enough distance up 495 from the 8 screen Showcase in Lawrence that they were able to get a few first run films. But I mostly remember it as a second run house, much like the Stateline and the Twin on rte 28 in North Reading, and it offered a steady diet of teen sexploitation comedies (Porkys, Zapped, Spring Break) and action/horror films. Also loved going there because the owner would sell the movie posters after a film finished its run. I must have bought 50 posters from him (many of which I still have).
da_bunnyman… Yes, that’s how I remember it as well. When driving past on Route 1, you could see the cinema through the break in between the two strip malls where they should have met a right angle. I recall it being a fairly big side building, with tall plate glass windows and a chandeliers in the lobby.
Hi Rob, the address is 52 Main St #210, North Reading, MA 01864
Jerry – YES! That’s the cinema. It was 2nd run twin and it had an outer lobby that rang the length of the front of the building. Just glass windows in metal framing. When you stepped through outer doors into this glass and metal framed outer lobby, to the left was a little room with a counter, just to the left of the doors leading into the cinema lobby. I recall this room was where they kept all the posters. I, too, loved going there for the same reason. I started my film poster collection at age 15 (I’m 53 now) thanks to that cinema and Salem Tri Cinema in Salem NY — also on RTE 28. I knew the projectionist at Salem Tri and he would just give me the posters after the film played. I used to love the North Reading Twin, though, a bit run down, mom & pop cinema. Saw The Exorcist, Rocky II, A Christmas Story, Smokey and the Bandit – a lot of great movies. Love that cinema. Shame there are no pictures. They converted a small room upstairs into a third screen – was really small. More of a screening room than theater auditorium. And you are correct, I believe the building is indeed now a travel agency with a dance school upstairs. Nice to know someone else remembers it.
Does anyone have pictures of or remember the second-run twin cinema (they later added a tiny ‘screening room’ upstairs) that used to be on 28? I seem to remember it being set back from 28, behind where Wendy’s and Joe’s Fish Seafood Bar is today. In fact, I think it might have occupied the space where the Dancing School is.
Can’t find anything anywhere on the internet about it. It’s like it never existed.
Does anyone remember or have pictures of the second-run twin cinema that used to be off main street? As I recall, there was a parking lot that you would pull into off Main and on the sides of the lot were stores. The cinema sat facing Main, somewhat at an angle, in the very rear of the parking lot. I believe the marquee was mounted on the roof of the awning that came out over the entrance. I think the same people that owned Salem Tri Cinema (before selling to Showcase Cinemas) owned this twin.