The Cinemart opened just as movie theater chains began to multi-plex
their existing old theaters, leaving the Cinemart obsolete almost as soon as it opened. Making matters worse, the Governor Prinz Blvd. was already well into it’s long decay, which started when I-95 opened. The greatest victim of this was the Merchandise Mart, which used to be Wilmington’s most vital suburban style strip shopping center. The Cinemart also was located very close to the late and still missed Edgemoor Theater, a grand venue with a long history of independent ownership. The Cinemart, booked by the Budco Chain, was doomed from the start, and never was given “big” films, unlike the Edgemoor, which premiered both “Jaws', and "The Godfather”. I remember one particularly sad week, when a desultory little Aussie film called “Dogpound Shuffle” was booked there. I passed by the theater every day while on my ice cream truck route, and remember no more than ten cars in their parking lot all week.
I remember the Cinemart to have a rather gaudy interior motif, with lots of gold paint, mirrors, and a very large chandelier. You can still catch a peek at the interior if you look through the dirty glass in the doors. Please also catch a look at the “shadow box” to the left of the entrance, there is still a small Budco sign there, along with period appropriate shag carpet which was used as the backdrop to the posters. These are my most compelling memories, I hope that they have been useful to you. Cheers!
The Cinemart opened just as movie theater chains began to multi-plex
their existing old theaters, leaving the Cinemart obsolete almost as soon as it opened. Making matters worse, the Governor Prinz Blvd. was already well into it’s long decay, which started when I-95 opened. The greatest victim of this was the Merchandise Mart, which used to be Wilmington’s most vital suburban style strip shopping center. The Cinemart also was located very close to the late and still missed Edgemoor Theater, a grand venue with a long history of independent ownership. The Cinemart, booked by the Budco Chain, was doomed from the start, and never was given “big” films, unlike the Edgemoor, which premiered both “Jaws', and "The Godfather”. I remember one particularly sad week, when a desultory little Aussie film called “Dogpound Shuffle” was booked there. I passed by the theater every day while on my ice cream truck route, and remember no more than ten cars in their parking lot all week.
I remember the Cinemart to have a rather gaudy interior motif, with lots of gold paint, mirrors, and a very large chandelier. You can still catch a peek at the interior if you look through the dirty glass in the doors. Please also catch a look at the “shadow box” to the left of the entrance, there is still a small Budco sign there, along with period appropriate shag carpet which was used as the backdrop to the posters. These are my most compelling memories, I hope that they have been useful to you. Cheers!