Great Northern Theatre
26315 Brook Park Road,
North Olmsted,
OH
44070
26315 Brook Park Road,
North Olmsted,
OH
44070
5 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Armstrong Circuit, National Theatre Corp., Regal Entertainment Group, RKO, Stanley-Warner Theatres
Architects: Drew Eberson
Functions: Retail
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News About This Theater
- May 17, 2012 — REMEMBERING CINERAMA (Part 49: Cleveland)
The Great Northern Theatre opened on March 24, 1966 with Henry Fonda in “Battle of the Bulge” presented in Cinerama. The theatre was in the Great Northern Plaza in North Olmsted. It was originally a single screen theatre. The screen was a curved 90-foot CinemaScope type. After National Theatre Corporation took over the Great Northern from RKO Stanley Warner, the original auditorium was twinned on June 15, 1977. It was subsequently converted into a 4-screen theatre, and on December 20, 1985 a screen with THX sound was installed, the first in the Cleveland-Akron market. Later, on April 5, 1986, 2 more screens were added behind the original auditorium.
Regal later took over Great Northern Theatre when they bought out National, and the theatres closed on October 22, 2000, after Regal opened a new eight-plex in nearby Westlake. A Dunham’s Sporting Goods store now occupies the former Great Northern Theatre.
Contributed by
Toby Radloff
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Recent comments (view all 24 comments)
Multiplex opening ad from December 16th, 1982 (With Garfield Mall Movies) at View link
Photos added for Great Northern. One from ‘Cleveland Press’ article published in 1966; better quality picture at: http://cinerama.topcities.com/great_northern.htm
Some black/white from 1973 during St. Richards Church services at theatre (was still single screened) due to church renovations.
Four color pictures taken on Oct. 23, 2000 day after theatre closed which by that time was a Seven screened theatre complex. Four of the Seven theatres were in the original auditorium. The remaining Three were in newer construction in the rear.
I have more pictures if any interest.
This is the way movie theaters should be build. NOt this crazy multi theater they do now. And I hate that they paly all the movies in every theater now
Right on riausche.
March 24th, 1966 grand opening ad uploaded here
Final day of business at the Great Northern Theater was 10/22/2000. The final films shown were Get Carter, Meet The Parents, Remember The Titans, Urban Legends 2, The Watcher, Bring It On, The Replacements, and What Lies Beneath.
Two screens on June 15th, 1977. Another ad posted
List of Owners: 1966-1975 RKO 1980-1994 Armstrong Circuit 1994-2000 Regal Entertainment Group
Expanded to seven screens on April 5, 1986.
On December 20, 1985, the NTC Great Northern Theatre became the first THX theater in the Cleveland-Akron market and the second in the state of Ohio, just in time for the theater’s premiere of “Rocky IV”.
During its THX installations the previous week, a then-new 80x45ft screen was constructed with an estimate cost of $1.1 million. A group then tested the sound system by running a 12-minute clip of “Return Of The Jedi”, and was a success.