Cinema 1

69 Public Square,
Lima, OH 45801

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rivest266
rivest266 on October 21, 2022 at 3:02 pm

Sigma theatre opening

rivest266
rivest266 on October 21, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Some history:

Sigma Theatre historySigma Theatre history 01 Mar 1949, Tue The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) Newspapers.com

rivest266
rivest266 on December 3, 2020 at 10:26 am

Padlocked November 30th, 1972 for showing adult movies https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64530579/cinema-one-padlocked/

Cinema One padlockedCinema One padlocked Fri, Dec 1, 1972 – 1 · The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) · Newspapers.com

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on March 22, 2020 at 6:11 am

The Empire launched as a motion picture theatre on March 18, 1911 in the existing Collins Building which had recently housed a plumbing and heating store. It closed and was gutted for a refresh on May 15, 1919. It relaunched as the Sigma in 1920.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 1, 2013 at 11:15 am

This house opened in 1911 as the Empire Theatre. The April issue of Motography ran this notice:

“The Empire theater, Lima’s new moving picture house, was recently opened to the public by Messrs. H. B. Hoffman and H. B. Spencer. The decorations and equipment are elaborate in every detail and have been installed without regard to expense. There is a seating capacity of 300, fitted with opera chairs, and the floor inclines sufficiently to provide a clear view from any point in the house. On the opening night all patrons were presented with a bouquet of flowers.”
This 2011 article from limaohio.com (with two photos) says that the theater was enlarged and renamed the Sigma in late 1919-early 1920. It had another remodeling in 1931, and was was closed for a full year after the 1949 fire, reopening on March 1, 1950. The article doesn’t mention the theater closing in the 1960s, but only that it “fell on harder times” during that decade and operated as a second-run house. In its last years as the Cinema 1, adult films were shown. The conversion to office space took place in 1981.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 7, 2008 at 8:02 pm

It says “Newly Remodeled and Embellished”. They must have done some work on the theater at that time. Here is an April 1967 ad from the Lima News:
http://tinyurl.com/6mfmca

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 12, 2007 at 10:07 pm

Here is an ad from the Lima News dated 4/13/50:
http://tinyurl.com/2syoxf