The Empire’s downstairs auditorium was never subdivided and remained intact until the end. The balcony was subdivided into 2 additional theaters, and a small screening room was carved out of some upstairs space to make up the fourth screen in the Empire complex. This screening room was at one point called “The Academy” and had a separate entrance and box office. It was reserved for art films and second runs.
The Empire continued to screen the 3-strip Cinerama process on a reserved-seat basis well into the sixties with “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” and “How the West Was Won.” Beginning with “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” the 3-strip process disappeared and was replaced with the seamless 70 mm version of Cinerama.
The Empire’s downstairs auditorium was never subdivided and remained intact until the end. The balcony was subdivided into 2 additional theaters, and a small screening room was carved out of some upstairs space to make up the fourth screen in the Empire complex. This screening room was at one point called “The Academy” and had a separate entrance and box office. It was reserved for art films and second runs.
The Empire continued to screen the 3-strip Cinerama process on a reserved-seat basis well into the sixties with “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” and “How the West Was Won.” Beginning with “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” the 3-strip process disappeared and was replaced with the seamless 70 mm version of Cinerama.