Loew's Chisholm
300 Chisholm Place,
Plano,
TX
75075
300 Chisholm Place,
Plano,
TX
75075
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Loew's Inc.
Functions: Church
Previous Names: Loew's Chisholm Place
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The Loew’s Chisholm Place was opened on December 18, 1981. It was closed on November 9, 2000. It’s most distinctive feature was that it looked like an office building from the outside, rather than a movie theater.
This theatre is now home to the Mount Olive Church of Plano.
Contributed by
Bruce Calvert
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
On December 18, 1981, it was the grand opening of the Loew’s at Plano theater. Settling on the Loew’s Chisholm Place as its name within the 75-acre area at North Central Expressway and Park Blvd., the theater had two 575-seat auditoriums, one 550-seater, and two 375 seat houses. The lobby had a round island refreshment stands with multiple lines around it. A mural in that lobby 10' by 75' featured Chaplin, Monroe, Bogart, Gable, Wayne, Garbo, Harlow, and Bing Crosby. Its neon lighting effect ensured that theatergoers would have a different look as they came repeatedly to the facility.
Competition for the best bookings came in the form of competition less than a half mile to the north when AMC opened its seven-screen Central Center (renamed the Central Park). But by the 1990s, the multiplex era was replaced by the megaplexes and both AMC and Loews aging multiplexes were waiting for the bad news. It would be from Cinemark in June of 1999 when it opened its 24-screen Legacy just north of the two multiplexes. Business turned quickly as audiences gravitated to the far-superior CInemark theater and within four months, AMC should close the Central Park.
Somehow, the Chisholm soldiered onward despite Loews going into severe financial difficulties and Cinemark decimating the Chisholm audiences. But like the Loews Preston Park, the Chisholm got the dreaded “vote of confidence” in late October of 2000 as Loews said neither theater was going to be closing anytime soon. Patrons walking into the Nov. 9, 2000 screenings found the candy removed from the concession stand within two weeks of Loews vote of confidence, both Loews Plano theaters closed quietly and would be converted for non-theatrical purposes. The Chisholm ostensibly stayed open for a 20-year leasing cycle and became a house of worship.
Fond memories of this theater. My first job at the age of 14 was here in 1984.
Three memorable movies playing at the time were Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, and This is Spinal tap.
The Chisholm did attract some controversy in 1990, when the theater staff booked the NC-17 movie “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover”. They dropped it after only two weeks, due to the theater having under pressure from residents, including the then-mayor of Plano despite him not seeing the movie.
The mayor concluded on the basis of its original rating that it wasn’t appropriate for the city of Plano. The mayor even suggested that officials have went to the city council to pass a law prohibiting future NC-17 rated films from being screened in Plano, but unfortunately this did not last long, as “Showgirls” did play at the Chisholm five years later.