Times Towne Theatre
101 6th Street,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
101 6th Street,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
3 people
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Great showmanship at the Times redoing the outside of the theatre for each long run. Signage, repainting. Big lines around the block on weekends in the mid-late 60s when we’d come down from college at Miami U. to see James Bond films, A SHOT IN THE DARK, THE PINK PANTHER and THE BOYS IN THE BAND. Sad to see all of the downtown Cincinnati theaters torn down when i visited last year. I was shocked. But glad to see Cleveland had saved most of theirs.
October 25th, 1940 grand opening ad in photo section
A great pre-teen memory at this theater – sitting in the middle of a packed house seeing CARRIE for the first time, watching the popcorn fly in the air at the final “shocker” shot.
I have the onesheet too and I like war movies, WW2 mainly.
Yhea we showed that one too.I dont like war movies.At the LOEWS CRESCENT.I have a 1-sheet for it.
Yeah you got all the BONDS. We did get BRIDGE TOO FAR which was a UA product.It was long ,but i enjoyed it.
We ran a lot of the U.A. stuff.
We didn’t get it it went to DANIEL VILLAGE. GEORGIA THEATRES got all the UA product.
We also ran this movie at the LOEWS CRESCENT the Times they are a changing.
The TIMES THEATRE on August 9 1974 was playing Clint Eastwood in “THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT” rated R.They started showing it at 11:40 am and run shows with the last one at 11:50 pm.
atmos, Our l940 RKO Grand Theater on Vine Street, a block away from Times Cinema, was a Drew Eberson design venue, but I’ve not be able to confirm the architect for the Times.
The Times Theater opened Oct.25,1940 ,a Friday, according to the Post Newspaper ad. Its opening attraction was ,“He Stayed For Breakfast”, (somewhat ironic considering it became the site of an Arby’s Restaurant later)starring Loretta Young and Melvyn Douglas. Admission prices were 20 cents till 6p.m.,33 cents after 6,children 10 cents all times. Former site was the Times Star Newspaper, hence this venues first name. Times Towne Theater was sold July 19,1978, it closed in 1979, twas gutted to become an Arby’s in 1980.
Can anyone confirm this theatre opened around 1939.If it did the architect was John Eberson.
I took a closer look at those two night photos of the Times – is that a female mannequin in the box office? One of those slow nights when they were selling tickets inside and needed a creative way to tell people to come in?
Good pics. I added those to my small collection. You guys have some fantastic stuff. I wish they would let everyone post pics on this website.
I remember the purple urinals…
Can’t find too many pix of the Times. Yeah, it DID look kind of gaudy when it became the “Times Towne Cinema.” Looks like how Elvis would have decorated it. (No slam on Elvis, because I’m a big fan).
Way “back in the day” , when my Mom was young and new to the “Big City”, she would often go to the Times Theatre, then a decent, inexpensive theatre, not necessarily “first run.” Believe she paid 35 cents or so admission, back in the late 40’s, early 50’s. Theatre had a makeover in the mid-sixties , and became rather fancy first run “Times Towne Cinema”. Thunderball did, indeed, play there “forever” – that was where I saw it, and loved it… the sound system, for its day, was awesome. I also recall “Whats New, Pussycat?” running there for weeks on end as well. “times towne cinema” fancy and a little too garish (lots of pinks and reds etc) for my tastes, but wish it were still there! (wish downtown cincy had ANY theatre really!) Theatre utltimately became a Skyline chili restaurant (with an Arby’s below, I believe) which made me very sad at time, although being a native Cincinnatian, I do love Skyline. Later demolished altogether to make room for the Aronoff Center.
Classy clientele at the Times Towne Cinema, especially when the “Living Room” supper club operated just up the street. (interestingly enough, Larry Flynt’s original and notorious Hustler Club, complete with the girl in the window, also opened just up street!)
I have a photo of the Times if you want it. Just email me at and I’ll reply with it.
My grandfather was an usher at the Times Towne Cinema in the late ‘50s and early '60s. You’re right, they always got the James Bond films. And they stayed there forever, it seemed. I thought “Thunderball” was going to be there for 10 years. But, the Times is gone. It was on the northeast corner of 6th & Walnut Street downtown Cincinnati. That entire block now houses the Aronoff Center which has mainly plays. Still, every time I go through 6th & Walnut, I always think of the Times and my grandfather and the popcorn he used to bring me all of the time. I hate popcorn to this day!!!