Could anyone clarify-the grand opening ad from 1982 says 14 cinemas. The picture at top of page says Beverly Center Cinemas 13. The ad from 1987 says we’ve gone through the roof with two new theaters. So did the addition make it a 15 or 16 plex? The listing on Cinema Treasures still calls it the Beverly Center 13 Cinemas. I apologize if I’m missing something, but ? ? ?
Grand opening ads as a four-plex have been added. Friday August 17, 1984. The first picture is a larger view of the grand opening ad. This ad was created by Gary Downs, who was the advertising director at the Dickinson home office at the time. We put his part on top and built the rest of the theaters around it. I always thought Gary created some really great artwork for special occasions. I’ve added the full ad also, so everyone can see what “classics” were playing at the time. For the record, we were the first theater in Topeka to have Dolby Stereo-only in the two new theaters (and it was 1984, so Topeka was definitely behind the times!). The next week, our film booker moved the bomb Sheena to the Fairlawn, and Warner Bros sent us a Dolby print of Purple Rain (Held Over 5th week! Now in Dolby Stereo!). That really showed off the new system. Fun times!
Drove by the site this morning. Demolition work was in progress, the west third of the building (theaters 2 and 3) are gone. Took some pictures, will try to get help uploading. The Fox White Lakes theater is still 2 blocks south, also needing a wrecking ball. Boarded up doors and windows, no roof on the former lobby, and the marquee face has been smashed.
The end is here. The Topeka Capital-Journal reporter Keishera Lately, reported in today’s edition that the former GCC movie theater is being demolished. GCC opened the theater in 1974 and operated it until 1987, when Crown Cinema ran it until closing in 1994 at the end of the lease. For the past several years it has been the Wild Horse Saloon. Julie Pamplin Castaneda bought the business in April and plans to relocate. The building is owned by a company called 911 Walnut located in Parkville, MO. Sterling Scott, owner and landlord of the property announced plans for a $15 million dollar project to build a strip retail center in back of the former theater, with two restaurants in front. Chick-Fil-A has confirmed their new store, and Whataburger is expected to be the other. According to the article, Mr. Scott wants the city to provide tax incentives for the project. “We’re trying to follow through with the city’s wishes and redevelop things on that side of town and make some positive impacts, and I think we’re going to.” R.D. Johnson Excavating Co is handling the demolition. The Applebees restaurant that was just east of the cinema was torn down several months ago. The Richman Gordman department store building, which was also an original tenant in 1974, has been acquired by Mainline Printing as an additional location for their business.
I forgot ‘A Man Called Otto,’ which is also on the schedule (at $9.83 for Sat night). I should also clarify that even tho this theater and 3 Wichita theaters are operated by Regal, they are not actually branded on the buildings as Regal. This theater retains the Hollywood Theatres logo and the Wichita theaters still say Warren on the front.
Yes, it appears that Regal is changing its policy at this theater. A first-run Crown Cinema venue when it opened in 1993, it became a second-run Hollywood/Wallace theater in 2004 when Hollywood opened their new 14-plex a couple of miles north. Now that Regal has closed the 14-plex in their bankruptcy, this property (which has always been owned outright, not leased) is changing to a varied mix of first-run and older films. The pricing is also quite varied. The final Regal second-run pricing was around $4.99 per ticket for evening shows. A look at Fandango pricing for Saturday night (Jan 28, 2023) at prime evening shows (6-8 pm) shows the range. For older films The Whale, The Fabelmans and Everything Everywhere, adult tickets are $5.47. For Fear and Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody adult tickets are $7.37. For M3GAN and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish adult tickets are $9.83. and for Avatar: The Way of Water adult tickets are $12.02. (this is quite a bit less than B&B’s top Sat eve price for Avatar of $20.44. Regal’s matinee pricing is also varied, at lower pricing. It will be interesting to see if, or how, they will monitor people buying low priced tickets and simply walking into a higher priced auditorium. Regal is not known for staffing their theaters at proper levels. Also will be interesting to see how many people are willing to forgo the luxuries of stadium seating, heated reclining seats and Dolby Atmos at B&B to save money. This theater will be 30 years old in July, and as far as I know, has the original sloped floors and seats. I believe this theater and a couple of former Warren venues in Wichita are the only Regal branded properties left in Kansas.
Yes, the theater ended with 3 screens. Mann added the second screen on October 22, 1976, reopening with ‘Marathon Man’ and ‘The Ritz’. After Dickinson took over from Mann, they split the balcony and it became a tri-plex, reopening on December 9, 1983 with ‘Sudden Impact,’ ‘Yentl,’ and ‘To Be or Not to Be (on 12/16). I remember seeing 'Yentl’ after the remodel and it was a very nice theater. They had added Dolby Stereo to the main floor and the ‘Yentl’ balcony theater. The third theater had no stereo sound. I’m pretty sure the main theater never had any alterations other than the addition of Dolby Stereo. The Plaza was always so much nicer than the tiny, awful basement screens at the Seville 4 down the street. It’s a shame to see it sit vacant.
On April 25, 2019, a fire broke out inside the old Fox Theater. According to an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal, “Battalion Chief Chuck Gatewood said workers were cleaning the place and burning some debris in the old theater building” (!). Evidently the fire was put out quickly, reportedly causing some damage to the roof, but from the street view no fire damage is visible. The theater remains boarded up and extremely decrepit in appearance as of today. The article is at https://www.cjonline.com/news/20180425/topeka-fire-crews-respond-to-fire-at-old-fox-movie-theater
There is a heartfelt letter by owner Jerry Harrington at the website www.tivolikc.com detailing the reasons for closing.
This theater was originally opened by Mid America Cinema on Dec 18 1987 as the Manor Square 3. AMC took over operation of all Mid America theaters on January 6, 1989. The Justice Dept decided that was a monopoly in the Kansas City area, and Crown Cinema Corp took over in 1990. In 1992, Crown Cinema turned this theater over to Mr. Harrington, who had already been operating a Tivoli Theater in Kansas City. He changed the name of this theater to Tivoli Manor Square, and operated both “Tivoli’s” as arthouses for several years, eventually closing the original, and keeping this one.
Arthouse patrons in Kansas City owe Mr. Harrington a debt of gratitude for this fine venue.
AMC reopened the Northrock 14 on March 30, 2018 after extensive renovations. The theater, previously operated by Dickinson Theaters, had been closed since 2012.
Information on the new amenities can be found at bigscreen.com
The Wichita Eagle also had an extensive article at www.kansas.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article207047279.html.
The theater now includes Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, recliners and a McGuffin’s Bar among the upgrades.
The AMC Salina 10, is one of three Kansas theaters acquired from Starplex Cinemas on December 16, 2015.
I believe this theater, along with the Hays 8, and Pittsburg 8) are the first AMC theaters in Kansas that are located outside the Kansas City metro area.
AMC Theaters acquired this theater from Starplex Cinemas on December 16, 2015, along with the Hays 8 and Salina 10 in Kansas. The three theaters appear to be the first AMC theaters in Kansas that are not located in the Kansas City metro area.
Information is available at their official website amctheatres.com.
This theater is now listed as the AMC Hays 8 after their takeover from Starplex December 16, 2015.
I believe the three theaters they bought from Starplex are the first AMC Theaters in Kansas that are not located in the Kansas City metro. Hays and Pittsburg both have populations under 25,000, and Salina is about 47,000. Years ago, when I asked AMC why they didn’t build in Topeka, I was told the city was too small…and the population at the time was about 125,000.
I suppose (at least initially) they had to take all the theaters Starplex operated, whether they really wanted them or not. I am interested to see if they modernize the theaters and keep them, or if they sell them off to B&B or another chain that operates in smaller Kansas towns.
For what its worth: Bill Hunt, who runs the popular digitalbits website, took his posse to see Force Awakens at the above Arclight Cinerama Dome Thursday night. His entire post Friday was on the experience. It seems the head of Christie Digital showed up to make an announcement before the showing. Bill raves about the presentation (and the movie). This reportedly half a million dollar system that was installed is evidently THE definitive way to see this movie. Sadly, I don’t live anywhere near Los Angeles. For those of you who do, you might want to check it out and report back. I don’t know Mr. Hunt, but his credibility in the industry seems legitimate. His article is at www.thedigitalbits.com.
Additional info on the recent change in ownership according to an article by Joyce Smith in the December 8 Kansas City Star:
The owners of Legends Outlets Kansas City have purchased the centers 14-screen theater and will convert it to an AMC.
The deal closed Friday. The theaters reopened as AMC Legends 14 on Saturday December 12, 2015, and will remain open through a renovation scheduled for 2016.
Legends 14 Theater was owned by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and has been managed by Phoenix Big Cinemas LLC since it opened in 2005.
In a statement, Doug Bach county administrator said: “The sale of the theater paves the way for private sector re-investment in the 10-year-old facility, and insures that both residents and tourists will be able to enjoy this asset for years to come.
The Legends Center is near the Kansas Speedway, a 72,000 seat capacity motorsports facility for NASCAR races and other auto-related events.
This theater closed on August 16, 2015. The mall is closing and most of the tenants have vacated the premises.
An article by Joyce Smith in the Kansas City Star said that B&B Theaters was looking at land and developments in South Olathe for a possible new location.
The B&B website lists the theater as ‘This location is now closed. Please visit us in Overland Park.
Actually, the Palace is not in the same space as the Seville Square 4, but it is in the same building. The building was evidently a Sears originally. I remember going there in the early 80s. It had been converted into a shopping mall, with dozens of very expensive boutique shops, mostly jewelry and clothing. It had four floors, plus basement, with a skybridge on the 2nd floor that took you over the street to and from the parking garage. The Seville 4 was located in the west end of the basement. There was a bar/restaurant on the east end. Those theaters were operated by MidAmerica Cinemas and the auditoriums were so tiny and the projection booth so low, that when you stood up, the light from the projectors would cast a shadow on the screen. Pretty bad place to see a movie, altho it certainly did business in the ‘70s. The last time I was there, the basement was closed off, that theater long gone. The three elevators are in the same place (upgraded) and the escalators too. There are still a few first floor retail spaces, mostly vacant, but the Cinemark 14 now occupies the west upper half of the building. The theaters are on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the projection booths are on the 3rd and 4th floors. When I came back in 2002, I was amazed at the job they had done incorporating some of the original building into the theater. Even the skybridge is still there, but now it is part of the theater, (carpeted), and takes you from the lobby to the 5 large auditoriums which were built on top of the parking garage across the street. You can exit from those theaters into the garage, but you can no longer enter from there. Two of the original escalators (up, down) take you to the 2nd floor where you buy your tickets and then enter, while the other escalators (up, down) are inside the lobby and take you to the 9 other auditoriums on the 3rd floor. The escalators that went from 3 to 4 have been removed. Two of the elevators will take you to the 2nd floor entrance, while the 3rd elevator has been incorporated inside the theater to serve the 3rd floor down to the 2nd and vice versa for purposes of ADA accessibility. (In other words, if you get on at the 1st floor, the elevators will not take you to the 3rd or 4th floor anymore and let you bypass the ticket window on the 2nd!). The 2nd floor lobby has a concession stand and a “VIP” theater which is very small, about 40 seats with a tiny screen, and serves food and drinks. I prefer the 5 theaters across the skybridge, which are large, spacious and comfortable theaters with large screens and excellent sound systems seating 250 to 400. There is an additonal concession stand there. The 9 theaters on the 3rd floor are all fairly small, ranging from 65 to 150 seats. I haven’t been to the theater in several years, but it was a favorite spot back when I used to make frequent trips to Kansas City. Their architect did a great job of repurposing the space, but it is a little strange to see that large building that used to be home to so many businesses, now primarily occupied by one.
I’ve done a little research from the Capital Journal archives to come up with a history of this theater which I remember from my youth:
General Cinema Corp opened the Topeka Boulevard Cinemas I-II on Wednesday October 16, 1974. The opening movies both featured Omar Sharif: “The Tamarind Seed,” and “Doctor Zhivago.”
The west auditorium was closed briefly in spring 1981 and was split. The Topeka Boulevard Cinemas I-II-III reopened Friday June 19, 1981, showing “Superman II,” “Bustin' Loose,” and holdover “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia.”
Crown Cinema Corp took over operation of the theater from GCC on Friday April 3, 1987. Advertising renamed Boulevard 3.
After opening their new West Ridge 8 in July 1993, Crown Cinema turned the Boulevard 3 into a $1.25 second-run theater on Friday September 10, 1993. This competed with Crown’s Gage 4, which had become a discount house in 1988.
A Capital Journal article on Wednesday Sept. 21, 1994 said the Boulevard 3 would close when the lease was up. Crown Cinema owner Richard Durwood stated that Topeka was unable to support two discount theaters.
Crown Cinema closed the theater on Thursday October 6, 1994. The final films were “Speed,” “Blankman,” and “The Flintstones.”
As of 2015, the building is still in use as a country and western themed nightclub.
The timeline of the Fox Theater through Capital Journal archival research: The theater opened Wednesday June 14, 1967 with “8 on the Lam” starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller. National General was the operator for the first five years.
Mann Theaters took over operation of the theater from National General on Sunday July 1, 1973.
Mann twins the original theater and reopens on December 22, 1977.
Dickinson Theaters took over operation of the theater from Mann on Friday February 1, 1980.
Dickinson adds two more screens on the east end of the original building, opening on August 17, 1984.
Hollywood Theaters (Wallace) took over operation of the theater from Dickinson on Friday October 3, 1997.
Wallace turns the Fox into a $2.00 second-run theater on Friday October 14, 1999.
Wallace closes the Fox Theater on Tuesday March 16, 2004 after almost 37 years of operation.
The theater was sold in a bankruptcy auction in 2015 for just over $27,000. Future plans for the building have not been finalized.
Could anyone clarify-the grand opening ad from 1982 says 14 cinemas. The picture at top of page says Beverly Center Cinemas 13. The ad from 1987 says we’ve gone through the roof with two new theaters. So did the addition make it a 15 or 16 plex? The listing on Cinema Treasures still calls it the Beverly Center 13 Cinemas. I apologize if I’m missing something, but ? ? ?
Grand opening ads as a four-plex have been added. Friday August 17, 1984. The first picture is a larger view of the grand opening ad. This ad was created by Gary Downs, who was the advertising director at the Dickinson home office at the time. We put his part on top and built the rest of the theaters around it. I always thought Gary created some really great artwork for special occasions. I’ve added the full ad also, so everyone can see what “classics” were playing at the time. For the record, we were the first theater in Topeka to have Dolby Stereo-only in the two new theaters (and it was 1984, so Topeka was definitely behind the times!). The next week, our film booker moved the bomb Sheena to the Fairlawn, and Warner Bros sent us a Dolby print of Purple Rain (Held Over 5th week! Now in Dolby Stereo!). That really showed off the new system. Fun times!
This theater should be listed as demolished. I have uploaded pictures of the demolition to the photo page.
Drove by the site this morning. Demolition work was in progress, the west third of the building (theaters 2 and 3) are gone. Took some pictures, will try to get help uploading. The Fox White Lakes theater is still 2 blocks south, also needing a wrecking ball. Boarded up doors and windows, no roof on the former lobby, and the marquee face has been smashed.
The end is here. The Topeka Capital-Journal reporter Keishera Lately, reported in today’s edition that the former GCC movie theater is being demolished. GCC opened the theater in 1974 and operated it until 1987, when Crown Cinema ran it until closing in 1994 at the end of the lease. For the past several years it has been the Wild Horse Saloon. Julie Pamplin Castaneda bought the business in April and plans to relocate. The building is owned by a company called 911 Walnut located in Parkville, MO. Sterling Scott, owner and landlord of the property announced plans for a $15 million dollar project to build a strip retail center in back of the former theater, with two restaurants in front. Chick-Fil-A has confirmed their new store, and Whataburger is expected to be the other. According to the article, Mr. Scott wants the city to provide tax incentives for the project. “We’re trying to follow through with the city’s wishes and redevelop things on that side of town and make some positive impacts, and I think we’re going to.” R.D. Johnson Excavating Co is handling the demolition. The Applebees restaurant that was just east of the cinema was torn down several months ago. The Richman Gordman department store building, which was also an original tenant in 1974, has been acquired by Mainline Printing as an additional location for their business.
I forgot ‘A Man Called Otto,’ which is also on the schedule (at $9.83 for Sat night). I should also clarify that even tho this theater and 3 Wichita theaters are operated by Regal, they are not actually branded on the buildings as Regal. This theater retains the Hollywood Theatres logo and the Wichita theaters still say Warren on the front.
Yes, it appears that Regal is changing its policy at this theater. A first-run Crown Cinema venue when it opened in 1993, it became a second-run Hollywood/Wallace theater in 2004 when Hollywood opened their new 14-plex a couple of miles north. Now that Regal has closed the 14-plex in their bankruptcy, this property (which has always been owned outright, not leased) is changing to a varied mix of first-run and older films. The pricing is also quite varied. The final Regal second-run pricing was around $4.99 per ticket for evening shows. A look at Fandango pricing for Saturday night (Jan 28, 2023) at prime evening shows (6-8 pm) shows the range. For older films The Whale, The Fabelmans and Everything Everywhere, adult tickets are $5.47. For Fear and Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody adult tickets are $7.37. For M3GAN and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish adult tickets are $9.83. and for Avatar: The Way of Water adult tickets are $12.02. (this is quite a bit less than B&B’s top Sat eve price for Avatar of $20.44. Regal’s matinee pricing is also varied, at lower pricing. It will be interesting to see if, or how, they will monitor people buying low priced tickets and simply walking into a higher priced auditorium. Regal is not known for staffing their theaters at proper levels. Also will be interesting to see how many people are willing to forgo the luxuries of stadium seating, heated reclining seats and Dolby Atmos at B&B to save money. This theater will be 30 years old in July, and as far as I know, has the original sloped floors and seats. I believe this theater and a couple of former Warren venues in Wichita are the only Regal branded properties left in Kansas.
Yes, the theater ended with 3 screens. Mann added the second screen on October 22, 1976, reopening with ‘Marathon Man’ and ‘The Ritz’. After Dickinson took over from Mann, they split the balcony and it became a tri-plex, reopening on December 9, 1983 with ‘Sudden Impact,’ ‘Yentl,’ and ‘To Be or Not to Be (on 12/16). I remember seeing 'Yentl’ after the remodel and it was a very nice theater. They had added Dolby Stereo to the main floor and the ‘Yentl’ balcony theater. The third theater had no stereo sound. I’m pretty sure the main theater never had any alterations other than the addition of Dolby Stereo. The Plaza was always so much nicer than the tiny, awful basement screens at the Seville 4 down the street. It’s a shame to see it sit vacant.
On April 25, 2019, a fire broke out inside the old Fox Theater. According to an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal, “Battalion Chief Chuck Gatewood said workers were cleaning the place and burning some debris in the old theater building” (!). Evidently the fire was put out quickly, reportedly causing some damage to the roof, but from the street view no fire damage is visible. The theater remains boarded up and extremely decrepit in appearance as of today. The article is at https://www.cjonline.com/news/20180425/topeka-fire-crews-respond-to-fire-at-old-fox-movie-theater
There is a heartfelt letter by owner Jerry Harrington at the website
www.tivolikc.com detailing the reasons for closing.
This theater was originally opened by Mid America Cinema on Dec 18 1987 as the Manor Square 3. AMC took over operation of all Mid America theaters on January 6, 1989. The Justice Dept decided that was a monopoly in the Kansas City area, and Crown Cinema Corp took over in 1990. In 1992, Crown Cinema turned this theater over to Mr. Harrington, who had already been operating a Tivoli Theater in Kansas City. He changed the name of this theater to Tivoli Manor Square, and operated both “Tivoli’s” as arthouses for several years, eventually closing the original, and keeping this one.
Arthouse patrons in Kansas City owe Mr. Harrington a debt of gratitude for this fine venue.
AMC reopened the Northrock 14 on March 30, 2018 after extensive renovations. The theater, previously operated by Dickinson Theaters, had been closed since 2012.
Information on the new amenities can be found at bigscreen.com
The Wichita Eagle also had an extensive article at www.kansas.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article207047279.html.
The theater now includes Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, recliners and a McGuffin’s Bar among the upgrades.
It is the first Wichita theater in AMC’s history.
This theater may now be listed as demolished as of March 2017. The Metro North Mall has been torn down to make way for new development.
Article and pictures in the Kansas City Star. Link is www.kansascity.com/news/local/article130664359.html
The AMC Salina 10, is one of three Kansas theaters acquired from Starplex Cinemas on December 16, 2015.
I believe this theater, along with the Hays 8, and Pittsburg 8) are the first AMC theaters in Kansas that are located outside the Kansas City metro area.
AMC Theaters acquired this theater from Starplex Cinemas on December 16, 2015, along with the Hays 8 and Salina 10 in Kansas. The three theaters appear to be the first AMC theaters in Kansas that are not located in the Kansas City metro area.
Information is available at their official website amctheatres.com.
This theater is now listed as the AMC Hays 8 after their takeover from Starplex December 16, 2015.
I believe the three theaters they bought from Starplex are the first AMC Theaters in Kansas that are not located in the Kansas City metro. Hays and Pittsburg both have populations under 25,000, and Salina is about 47,000. Years ago, when I asked AMC why they didn’t build in Topeka, I was told the city was too small…and the population at the time was about 125,000.
I suppose (at least initially) they had to take all the theaters Starplex operated, whether they really wanted them or not. I am interested to see if they modernize the theaters and keep them, or if they sell them off to B&B or another chain that operates in smaller Kansas towns.
For what its worth: Bill Hunt, who runs the popular digitalbits website, took his posse to see Force Awakens at the above Arclight Cinerama Dome Thursday night. His entire post Friday was on the experience. It seems the head of Christie Digital showed up to make an announcement before the showing. Bill raves about the presentation (and the movie). This reportedly half a million dollar system that was installed is evidently THE definitive way to see this movie. Sadly, I don’t live anywhere near Los Angeles. For those of you who do, you might want to check it out and report back. I don’t know Mr. Hunt, but his credibility in the industry seems legitimate. His article is at www.thedigitalbits.com.
Additional info on the recent change in ownership according to an article by Joyce Smith in the December 8 Kansas City Star:
The owners of Legends Outlets Kansas City have purchased the centers 14-screen theater and will convert it to an AMC.
The deal closed Friday. The theaters reopened as AMC Legends 14 on Saturday December 12, 2015, and will remain open through a renovation scheduled for 2016.
Legends 14 Theater was owned by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and has been managed by Phoenix Big Cinemas LLC since it opened in 2005.
In a statement, Doug Bach county administrator said: “The sale of the theater paves the way for private sector re-investment in the 10-year-old facility, and insures that both residents and tourists will be able to enjoy this asset for years to come.
The Legends Center is near the Kansas Speedway, a 72,000 seat capacity motorsports facility for NASCAR races and other auto-related events.
This theater is now owned and operated by AMC Theatres. It is listed as the ‘AMC Bowles Crossing 12.’
The phone number for showtimes is 888-AMC-4-FUN and the number for Guest Services is 303-973-2059.
Information can be found at their official website: www.amctheatres.com
This theater is now owned and operated by AMC Theatres. The name is listed as ‘AMC Cherry Creek 8.’
The phone number for showtimes is 888-AMC-4FUN and the number for Guest Services is 303-393-0530.
Information can be found at their official website: www.amctheatres.com
This theater is now owned and operated by Landmark Theaters as the Landmark Theatre’s Olde Town Stadium 14.
Information can be found at their official website: www.landmarktheatres.com.
This theater closed on August 16, 2015. The mall is closing and most of the tenants have vacated the premises.
An article by Joyce Smith in the Kansas City Star said that B&B Theaters was looking at land and developments in South Olathe for a possible new location.
The B&B website lists the theater as ‘This location is now closed. Please visit us in Overland Park.
Thanks to rivest266. You have been doing a great job in finding so many classic theater ads from the past!
Actually, the Palace is not in the same space as the Seville Square 4, but it is in the same building. The building was evidently a Sears originally. I remember going there in the early 80s. It had been converted into a shopping mall, with dozens of very expensive boutique shops, mostly jewelry and clothing. It had four floors, plus basement, with a skybridge on the 2nd floor that took you over the street to and from the parking garage. The Seville 4 was located in the west end of the basement. There was a bar/restaurant on the east end. Those theaters were operated by MidAmerica Cinemas and the auditoriums were so tiny and the projection booth so low, that when you stood up, the light from the projectors would cast a shadow on the screen. Pretty bad place to see a movie, altho it certainly did business in the ‘70s. The last time I was there, the basement was closed off, that theater long gone. The three elevators are in the same place (upgraded) and the escalators too. There are still a few first floor retail spaces, mostly vacant, but the Cinemark 14 now occupies the west upper half of the building. The theaters are on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and the projection booths are on the 3rd and 4th floors. When I came back in 2002, I was amazed at the job they had done incorporating some of the original building into the theater. Even the skybridge is still there, but now it is part of the theater, (carpeted), and takes you from the lobby to the 5 large auditoriums which were built on top of the parking garage across the street. You can exit from those theaters into the garage, but you can no longer enter from there. Two of the original escalators (up, down) take you to the 2nd floor where you buy your tickets and then enter, while the other escalators (up, down) are inside the lobby and take you to the 9 other auditoriums on the 3rd floor. The escalators that went from 3 to 4 have been removed. Two of the elevators will take you to the 2nd floor entrance, while the 3rd elevator has been incorporated inside the theater to serve the 3rd floor down to the 2nd and vice versa for purposes of ADA accessibility. (In other words, if you get on at the 1st floor, the elevators will not take you to the 3rd or 4th floor anymore and let you bypass the ticket window on the 2nd!). The 2nd floor lobby has a concession stand and a “VIP” theater which is very small, about 40 seats with a tiny screen, and serves food and drinks. I prefer the 5 theaters across the skybridge, which are large, spacious and comfortable theaters with large screens and excellent sound systems seating 250 to 400. There is an additonal concession stand there. The 9 theaters on the 3rd floor are all fairly small, ranging from 65 to 150 seats. I haven’t been to the theater in several years, but it was a favorite spot back when I used to make frequent trips to Kansas City. Their architect did a great job of repurposing the space, but it is a little strange to see that large building that used to be home to so many businesses, now primarily occupied by one.
I’ve done a little research from the Capital Journal archives to come up with a history of this theater which I remember from my youth:
General Cinema Corp opened the Topeka Boulevard Cinemas I-II on Wednesday October 16, 1974. The opening movies both featured Omar Sharif: “The Tamarind Seed,” and “Doctor Zhivago.”
The west auditorium was closed briefly in spring 1981 and was split. The Topeka Boulevard Cinemas I-II-III reopened Friday June 19, 1981, showing “Superman II,” “Bustin' Loose,” and holdover “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia.”
Crown Cinema Corp took over operation of the theater from GCC on Friday April 3, 1987. Advertising renamed Boulevard 3.
After opening their new West Ridge 8 in July 1993, Crown Cinema turned the Boulevard 3 into a $1.25 second-run theater on Friday September 10, 1993. This competed with Crown’s Gage 4, which had become a discount house in 1988.
A Capital Journal article on Wednesday Sept. 21, 1994 said the Boulevard 3 would close when the lease was up. Crown Cinema owner Richard Durwood stated that Topeka was unable to support two discount theaters.
Crown Cinema closed the theater on Thursday October 6, 1994. The final films were “Speed,” “Blankman,” and “The Flintstones.”
As of 2015, the building is still in use as a country and western themed nightclub.
The timeline of the Fox Theater through Capital Journal archival research: The theater opened Wednesday June 14, 1967 with “8 on the Lam” starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller. National General was the operator for the first five years.
Mann Theaters took over operation of the theater from National General on Sunday July 1, 1973.
Mann twins the original theater and reopens on December 22, 1977.
Dickinson Theaters took over operation of the theater from Mann on Friday February 1, 1980.
Dickinson adds two more screens on the east end of the original building, opening on August 17, 1984.
Hollywood Theaters (Wallace) took over operation of the theater from Dickinson on Friday October 3, 1997.
Wallace turns the Fox into a $2.00 second-run theater on Friday October 14, 1999.
Wallace closes the Fox Theater on Tuesday March 16, 2004 after almost 37 years of operation.
The theater was sold in a bankruptcy auction in 2015 for just over $27,000. Future plans for the building have not been finalized.