I used to manage this theater, albeit very briefly in the nineties, if I’m not mistaken. Back when it was owned by Wade Harn, along with Main Street Cinemas, a three-screen theater on the North End of HHI, which I managed much, much longer than that. It was old and run-down even then. (I sure hope they’ve fixed it up some since then!) It was an Island institution back in those days, the largest screen on the Island, and it held the most seats as well. We played “Jurassic Park” there to a full house, night after night after night. My earliest memory of the theater, though, was back in the late 70’s. My brother and I saw “Grizzly” there one night, and were scared to death walking home on the bike paths, because there were no street lights on HHI. Dark as heck, if you know what I mean. We knew there weren’t any bears on HHI, but there sure as heck were gators!
Bryan Orr.
As mentioned in my earlier comment, Main Street Cinemas opened in the early to mid-80’s, NOT 1990 as this site has indicated. Not sure of the time-line, BUT I am sure of the movies that played there during my tenure, and that’s around 1987. And as I also mentioned, I was not the first manager at this site.
Bryan Orr.
I was manager of this great three-screen theater for most of the eighties and nineties, under four different owners: Kent Fulton, Wade Harn, David Fedor, and Marquee Cinemas. I was not, however, there its first year or two in inception, sometime in the mid-80’s. Main Street actually managed to stay open for a little while after the 10-Screen right down the street opened, but the writing was on the wall and I left before the doors could be closed in my face. The kids who worked for me at Main Street Cinemas were the greatest group of kids I’ve ever known, and I’ve continued in this business long since my days at Main Street were over. Carrie and Susie Thompson, the late great Kim Labartino, Justin Smith, Tasha Aiken, Tara, Janet Hay, Vanessa and Jay Scharfenberg, and many others. All of whom I continue to love and cherish in my memories. The projectors upstairs were a hodgepodge of parts, Strong and Century if I recall correctly. Nothing better than surround sound and mono, as far as audio went. No DTS. #1 was our biggest house, then 2, then 3. Nice big lobby and concessions stand. Movies played at Main Street include: Big, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction. The Shawshank Redemption. Forrest Gump. And The Silence of the Lambs, just to name a very few. For awhile we were the most popular place in town for the young people of HHI. The bowling alley was right across from us and miniature golf/batting cages were right down the street. I’ve been in this business more or less since 1980, and I can honestly say the happiest of those days were spent managing this small three-screen miracle. If any of you guys should run across this on the internet one day, how about pass on my feelings to the rest of the gang. I hope you’re all doing well and are very, very happy. God bless you.
Bryan Orr.
I used to manage this theater, albeit very briefly in the nineties, if I’m not mistaken. Back when it was owned by Wade Harn, along with Main Street Cinemas, a three-screen theater on the North End of HHI, which I managed much, much longer than that. It was old and run-down even then. (I sure hope they’ve fixed it up some since then!) It was an Island institution back in those days, the largest screen on the Island, and it held the most seats as well. We played “Jurassic Park” there to a full house, night after night after night. My earliest memory of the theater, though, was back in the late 70’s. My brother and I saw “Grizzly” there one night, and were scared to death walking home on the bike paths, because there were no street lights on HHI. Dark as heck, if you know what I mean. We knew there weren’t any bears on HHI, but there sure as heck were gators! Bryan Orr.
As mentioned in my earlier comment, Main Street Cinemas opened in the early to mid-80’s, NOT 1990 as this site has indicated. Not sure of the time-line, BUT I am sure of the movies that played there during my tenure, and that’s around 1987. And as I also mentioned, I was not the first manager at this site. Bryan Orr.
I was manager of this great three-screen theater for most of the eighties and nineties, under four different owners: Kent Fulton, Wade Harn, David Fedor, and Marquee Cinemas. I was not, however, there its first year or two in inception, sometime in the mid-80’s. Main Street actually managed to stay open for a little while after the 10-Screen right down the street opened, but the writing was on the wall and I left before the doors could be closed in my face. The kids who worked for me at Main Street Cinemas were the greatest group of kids I’ve ever known, and I’ve continued in this business long since my days at Main Street were over. Carrie and Susie Thompson, the late great Kim Labartino, Justin Smith, Tasha Aiken, Tara, Janet Hay, Vanessa and Jay Scharfenberg, and many others. All of whom I continue to love and cherish in my memories. The projectors upstairs were a hodgepodge of parts, Strong and Century if I recall correctly. Nothing better than surround sound and mono, as far as audio went. No DTS. #1 was our biggest house, then 2, then 3. Nice big lobby and concessions stand. Movies played at Main Street include: Big, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction. The Shawshank Redemption. Forrest Gump. And The Silence of the Lambs, just to name a very few. For awhile we were the most popular place in town for the young people of HHI. The bowling alley was right across from us and miniature golf/batting cages were right down the street. I’ve been in this business more or less since 1980, and I can honestly say the happiest of those days were spent managing this small three-screen miracle. If any of you guys should run across this on the internet one day, how about pass on my feelings to the rest of the gang. I hope you’re all doing well and are very, very happy. God bless you. Bryan Orr.