Kipling Cinema 6

dallasmovietheaters on March 24, 2020 at 5:41 am

The Brattleboro Jerry Lewis Cinema franchised location was announced in March of 1971 as part of what would be called Fairfield Plaza shopping center anchored by a Grand Union store and a Giant store. The architect for the project was Zane Yost of Yost Architects. The groundbreaking was on November 10, 1972.

This Jerry Lewis Cinema launched the automated 350-seat theater on June 22, 1973 with a preview screening of “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” The grand opening to the public was with the same film a day later. However, in the two years it took to launch, the Lewis Cinema concept had already filed for bankruptcy earlier in 1973 and was in free fall. Four months later on October 24, 1973, the operators changed the venue’s name to 1st Cinema (aka First Cinema) with “Night Witch.”

Under new management in 1995, the theater had a renaming contest. Kipling Cinema was chosen within the 50 entries in honor of former resident, author Rudyard Kipling. It relaunched under that name after renovating to the three screens on Nov. 6, 1995 with “Enchanted April,” “The Fugitive,” and “Pochahontas.” Another expansion the next year brought the screen count to six.

Spinelli Cinema circuit took on the location on December 12, 1998. It was closed forty years after its launch by its final operator, the Boston Culinary Group on March 24, 2011 which likely was the end of a leasing period. It was demolished two years later and replaced by an Aldi grocery store.

spectrum on May 13, 2013 at 2:19 pm

The Kipling was demolished last week (May 2013)

spectrum on March 26, 2011 at 8:57 am

The Kipling Cinemas have closed. No indication whether this is temporary or permanent.