Cinema Four

The Brunswick Plaza Cinemas I & II opened its doors on April 10, 1968 with Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate” playing in both screens. It was later renamed the Cook’s Corner Cinemas I & II right afterward. During its early days, the theater experienced several incidents between patrons and the management.

On November 14, 1975, a person named William S. Morse of Bath, Maine, went to the Cook’s Corner Cinemas where he purchased a ticket to see “Bigfoot: The Mysterious Monster” in Screen 1 at the time. Instead, he went inside Screen 2, which was screening “Let’s Do It Again” starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. During intermission, manager Charles LaFlamme entered the auditorium and told the customer that he was forced to leave. Morse immediately objected, insults were exchanged, and a fight ensued in the midst of the theater audience. Morse suffered minor injuries, including a broken leg, and was transported by fire department to a nearby hospital.

Right after a third screen was added in 1978, another incident occurred that same year. On November 11, 1978, Peter S. Riley of Topsham, Maine, decided to take his family to the Cook’s Corner Cinemas to see “Wilderness Family Part 2” but the film didn’t came out at the theater until four days later. Unfortunately he went there anyway. He was chosen a seat but after that, there was 45 minutes of dead silence. No flicker, no audio, just a blank screen with its lights on. The audience was immediately told that there was no movie playing in the auditorium at the time. Riley stormed back to the lobby and demanded a refund but was refused. Brunswick Police arrived at the scene before arresting the man on criminal trespassing charges.

A fourth screen was added in 1982, and was renamed the Cinema Four (sometimes known as Cook’s Corner Cinemas 1-2-3-4). The Cinema Four was still open in 1996 right after Hoyts opened their nearby Brunswick Cine 10, but its closing date remains unknown at this time.

It became an auto-parts store.

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