Oxon Hill Theatre

6195 Livingston Road,
Oxon Hill, MD 20745

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The Oxen Hill Theatre opened April 6 1966.

Contributed by Robert R

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

flickboy
flickboy on December 16, 2008 at 1:09 pm

This single-auditorium theater, part of an otherwise undistinguished strip mall (Giant Food, Kemp Mill Records, etc.), showed first-run movies on a wide screen during the 1970s and early ‘80s. In its heyday, it was one of five theaters in the Washington metro area to show 70mm prints. (The others were the Uptown, Cinema, and MacArthur in DC and one of the screens in the multiplex at Springfield Mall in Virginia). As a child, I saw quite a few films there, including at least one of the Superman flicks and a James Bond one.

flickboy
flickboy on December 16, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Further note: I believe it was part of the Showcase chain for much of its lifetime.

sconnell1
sconnell1 on March 22, 2009 at 9:17 pm

The Oxon Hill opened on 4/6/66 with the film THE TROUBLE WITH ANGLES which opened at several other theaters on that date a first-run engagement. It played there for three weeks.

jgrow
jgrow on January 5, 2010 at 5:49 pm

I was the projectionist here from the mid 70’s to closing in 1986.
It had a 70' cinemascope screen and sat 1100 people. The booth had two century projectors and carbon arc lamphouse’s and mono sound. Many people thought we ran 70mm because the screen was so large but never did. In the early 80’s we had an “upgrade” to the booth, installed a platter,xenon lamphouse and retained our mono sound. That was the beginning of the end. This was a great theatre to watch a film in even with the mono sound and it sold out many shows. It deserved better than being converted into a CVS.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on January 5, 2010 at 5:59 pm

I was never a projectionist,but in management and jgrow i can honestly say having a trained man in the booth during my days made life easier. I got in on the tail end of carbon arcs and the beginning of platters. I don’t know how many unionoperators realized their days were numbered. By the time i quit GCC, they were wanting the operators to start the last feature and leave the booth and a manager would cut everything off.
I am glad i quit when i did. Theatre business is gone down hill since i started as a doorman by in 1974.

jgrow
jgrow on January 5, 2010 at 6:12 pm

Thank you for the kind words Mike. Not only did the union guys know their days were numbered but every true projectionist did. When one chain (AMC) had ushers handling the booths, I knew it was over.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on January 5, 2010 at 6:32 pm

Believe it or not, I got In the IATSE Local 629 Stagehands once taking off my suit and tie,but even before then i know we gave you guys hell alot . It was always a comfort to know we had trained men that actually cared about picture and sound and not like today when they flip them on and leave the booth. Plus,you guys always had clean restrooms!

sconnell1
sconnell1 on February 20, 2010 at 9:52 pm

The Oxen Hill opened on 4/6/66 with THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, starring Rosilind Russell and Hayley Mills. The film opened at this theater and several others as a first-run engagement. It was not shown in any downtown D.C. theater.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on August 5, 2010 at 12:33 pm

This theatre is listed as a Loews in their 1965 annual report.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 27, 2015 at 1:59 pm

April 6th, 1966 grand opening ad in photo section

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