West 11th Movieland Cinema
808 Seneca Road,
Eugene,
OR
97402
808 Seneca Road,
Eugene,
OR
97402
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Grand opening ads from August 8th 1969 as drive-in and April 30th, 1975 as the 3-screen walk-in in the photo section. As well as an USGS aerial.
Prior to 1975 this theatre was known as the West 11th Twin Drive-in. Built originally in 1968, with only one screen – located where the Fred Meyer store is today. The projection booth had two sets of windows, although the 2nd drive in screen was never constructed. The theatre ran as a combo drive-in and 3 screen indoor for several years beginning in 1975. The original drive-in snack bar was connected to and served the 3 indoor screens, and even later, the 6 indoor screens.
I took a girl there on a date to see the movie “U Turn” in November 1997. I was a freshman at the U of O. It seemed to be just slightly dicey, as it was located behind the Fred Meyer and was otherwise surrounded by a gritty industrial area. After it closed, I remember the area surrounding the theater was fenced off and the whole place looked creepy and decrepit for quite some time. Eventually it was torn down, and now there’s a Home Depot standing it it’s place.
Monsieur Rivest…
That June 12, 1987 date you cited was when the theater changed its name to “Movieland” and opened its sixth screen. The theater actually opened twelve years earlier as the three-screen West 11th Walk-In Cinema in conjunction with the West 11th Drive-In.
The vitals… (per researching original newspaper promotion in the Eugene Register-Guard)
Original name:
West 11th Movie Entertainment Center
AKAs:
West 11th Walk-In Cinema, West 11th Tri-Cinema, Movieland, Movieland 6
Grand Opening:
April 30, 1975 (3 screens)
Owners:
Moyer Theatres (1975-1995)
Act III Theatres (1995-1998)
Regal Cinemas (1998-2001)
Debut Bookings:
THE GODFATHER PART II
DIRTY HARRY / MAGNUM FORCE (double feature)
BRANNIGAN!
Expansion to five screens: May 22, 1987
Expansion to six screens: June 12, 1987 (name change to Movieland)
Longest-Running Engagements:
JAWS (1975, 24 weeks)
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977-78, 24 weeks)
BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985, 24 weeks)
RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983, 22+ weeks)
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984, 22 weeks)
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979-80, 19 weeks)
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977, 16 weeks)
Dolby Stereo was installed in 1979.
The theater was equipped for 70mm. Among such presentations: INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984).
In 1987 one auditorium in the complex became THX certified.
By 1995 the theater featured digital sound.
The theater was closed in 2001.
This opened on June 12th, 1987