Royal Cinemas
117 East Main Street,
Front Royal,
VA
22630
117 East Main Street,
Front Royal,
VA
22630
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Related Websites
Royal Cinemas (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Pitts' Theaters Inc., R/C Theatres
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Styles: Colonial Revival
Previous Names: Park Theater, Pitts' Park Theater
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
540.622.9997
Nearby Theaters
The Park Theater was built around 1920. It was the first purpose built movie theater in Front Royal.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Here is an item from Boxoffice magazine, May 1950:
FRONT ROYAL-“Riding High” was held at the 997-seat Park for a full week. Benjamin T. Pitts said that following the world premiere patrons from the town and several nearby communities continued in a steady procession to the box office for every performance.
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/26brk4q
Saw Despicable Me there yesterday in # 3. #3 is a 41 seat house in the left theatre storefront. It’s built well. The booth (XCN35 console with Simplex35) is backed by the street windows. Cinema is a converted single creen with balcony. House #1, 273 seats (I saw a Balco platter in the booth) is the original big, main floor. Projection for 1 is from below the balcony. Balcony is walled off. Balcony (house # 2) is 91 seats and projection for it is from original theatre booth. Nice place.
The Pitts' Theatres chain took over the Murphy Theatre in Front Royal in 1930, and took over the Park theater as well, sometime before 1939. It was called Pitts' Park on a list of twenty-five houses operated by Pitts' Theatres in 1952. As Pitts' Theatres was not inclined to give up successful houses, the Park probably remained under their control until the chain was taken over by R/C Theatres in 1970.
I visited the Park/Royal Cinemas in September of 2014. I was in town for a wedding and briefly visited since it happened to be open when I drove by. The staff members were wonderful and told me all about the history of the theater. All three houses have been converted to digital projection, while the entire building is lovingly maintained. This is a gem of which the citizens of Front Royal can be very proud.