Pine Ridge Twin Cinema

The Mountain Pines Cinema 1 & 2 opened in the Paradise Plaza Shopping Center by Theater Development Circuit of Nevada between Albertson’s and Kmart. The $175,000 twin screen was originally planned as a single-screen 300-seat venue by Leroy Miller & Associates and was reimagined as a twin-screen complex that was scheduled to open as the Paradise Plaza Twin Cinema. However, it launched on April 9, 1980 with Paula Newman in “When Time Ran Out” and a Walt Disney double-feature of “101 Dalmations” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”.

Theatre Development subleased the theatre to an operator late in 1981 who lost between $35k and $40k in just five months. He closed the theatre in March of 1982 with “Border” and “Cannery Row.” A lawsuit was brought against the circuit which reopened the complex just weeks later. Theatre Development dissolved in March of 1983 ending the theatre’s short run.

However, the venue was continued by the independent operators of the Pine Ridge Theatre since its opening in 1977, Jim and John Harrison. The Harrisons took over the Mountain Pines on May 22, 1983 and changed its name to the Park Ridge Twin Cinema 1 & 2.

The former Harrison’s and Stratton’s Grocery store had served the area for 30 years from 1946 when it was built to 1976. Stratton’s left at the terminus of the lease and Jim and John Harrison decided to convert the retail venue into a new, first-run 262 seat movie theatre. The theatre launched October 14, 1977 with Henry Fonda in “Rollercoaster". (It has its own page on Cinema Treasures).

The two theatre complexes proved plucky but the addition of the Paradise 7 Cinema with stadium seating in 1999 led to the Harrisons to drop the prices to $3 at the original Park Ridge venue. When that failed to bring about the desired audience levels, the Harrisons closed the single-screen theatre on January 30, 2000. Its bookings were moved here to the Pine Ridge Twin Cinema. The Park closed just two months later on March 26, 2000 with “Reindeer Games,” “Snow Day,” and “Wonder Boys.” The space was converted for other purposes.

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