Metro Park 8

movieguyphx65 on August 28, 2021 at 4:21 pm

This theatre opened in December of 1977. It had two large auditoriums that were later split into four. Later four more screens were added to include a total of eight. The original high walls in the lobby, which also had an ice cream counter, had a collage of old movie posters. I remember seeing Gone With the Wind, ET, French Lieutenants Woman, Out of Africa, The Color Purple and a few others there. This theatre opened as a Blair Cinema and later was operated by United Artists Theatres. I moved to California in 1990, so don’t know when it actually closed. Wish I had all those posters that were cut up to use as the lobby decorations.. Probably worth a few thousand by now. Happy memories!

euge_phoenix on June 11, 2012 at 11:55 pm

Right, this theater opened as a two-plex and then Bill Blair expanded it to a four-plex and finally an eight-plex. With each expansion you could see that the architecture got a little bit better. The original two theatres had the front few rows at an angle so that the people in those seats were leaning back and toward the screen. I think part of the rationale was to give you a better view but it also made it easier to clean the theater at night with a leaf blower, with everything going into the gulley.

Coate on February 18, 2011 at 5:34 pm

<<< “Metro Park 8 Theatres opened in 1977” >>>

This theater did open in 1977, as claimed, but certainly not as an 8-plex. (I bet the number of 8-plexes in existence in 1977 can be counted on one hand.) I believe it opened, as a twin, on December 23, 1977, with the debut features being “Oh, God!” and “The Choirboys.”

Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois on June 30, 2010 at 10:35 pm

Might have been open 1990-2001?

Previously operated or owned by:

Blair Theaters?

United Astists Theaters

More info and photos?