I recall going to the Saco as a kid with my Dad during our annual summer Vacations to Old Orchard Beach in 1983, 1984, and 1985. Saco was the closest theatre to Old Orchard Beach and the films I specifically remember seeing were Krull in 1983, Top Secret! in 1984, and probably a tad before they closed Rambo:First Blood Part II in 1985 (my first R rated film thanks to Dad, I was 10 at the time). It was a big single screen neighborhood theatre that was never carved up into multiple screens. The auditorium sort of looked liked the Coolidge Corner theatre in Brookline Mass. minus the balcony, but unlike the Coolidge Corner, it was never kept up well and I recall the seats were old, the sound was never good, and it smelled like a basement. I also recalled the print of Rambo: First Blood Part II broke during the screening but they did get it back up after 5 minutes or so. Regardless good times and memories with Dad and with it’s close proximity to Old Orchard Beach it’s a shame it couldn’t get spiffed up and remain a neighborhood theatre.
Regarding that NY Times article that stevenj shared please Decurion Corp, just sell it to a group or a chain that actually cares and can re-open it. Decurion Corp has clearly been holding on to the property out of pride with failed promises of a re-opening, re branding, or renovations that are just not happening. The complex had been sitting vacant and collecting dust for 3 years now. Regency or Landmark would be perfect fits. If I had the money and could take it off of Decurion Corps hands and run it independently I would. Something needs to be done fast to re-open it and get it out of Decurion Corps hands. The longer it remains vacant and collecting dust, the more danger it will never re open.
This was a weird theatre. One could see glimpses of what at one time was a huge single screen theatre that got half ass divided four ways, downstairs cut in half and balcony cut in half. And the 2 add on theatres to the left were truly UGLY shoe boxes with horrible sight lines. The old General Cinema 6 plex at Shoppers World/Framingham across the street a bit was so much classier.
I remember this theatre fondly as it was my neighborhood theatre growing up. I can recall this theatre as a twin around 1980, the main huge auditorium with a balcony and a second screen with it’s own separate entrance outside at the “stage door” which was basically the old stage and backstage area that was converted into a small long narrow auditorium and later a tri-plex in 1982 with the main auditorium split down the middle for screens 1 and 2 (the former balcony was closed off and converted to the new projection booths for screens 1 and 2) and the small narrow stage door auditorium now screen 3. I recall the main ladies restroom was upstairs by where the former balcony now projection room was and the men’s room was downstairs in a scary basement like area. The small stage door auditorium had it’s own concession area (that was closed off when Loews took over) and 2 one stall restrooms. The 600 seat count I believe is slightly wrong. Screens 1 and 2 easily sat about 300 each after the split and screen 3 I’m guessing about 100. During the Sack years it was a neighborhood 2nd run theatre, but crowds and sellouts were common on weekends. I believe when Loews became the operator they more or less gave up keeping it up and getting the right bookings. Sacks always had the right booking idea, one films for teens (A John Hughes film, Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Flashdance), one prestige film for adults (Gandhi, The Last Emperor, A Passage to India, Amadeus), and a film for kids (A Disney re release, a cartoon, something family oriented) booked on the 3 screens.
I recall going to the Saco as a kid with my Dad during our annual summer Vacations to Old Orchard Beach in 1983, 1984, and 1985. Saco was the closest theatre to Old Orchard Beach and the films I specifically remember seeing were Krull in 1983, Top Secret! in 1984, and probably a tad before they closed Rambo:First Blood Part II in 1985 (my first R rated film thanks to Dad, I was 10 at the time). It was a big single screen neighborhood theatre that was never carved up into multiple screens. The auditorium sort of looked liked the Coolidge Corner theatre in Brookline Mass. minus the balcony, but unlike the Coolidge Corner, it was never kept up well and I recall the seats were old, the sound was never good, and it smelled like a basement. I also recalled the print of Rambo: First Blood Part II broke during the screening but they did get it back up after 5 minutes or so. Regardless good times and memories with Dad and with it’s close proximity to Old Orchard Beach it’s a shame it couldn’t get spiffed up and remain a neighborhood theatre.
Regarding that NY Times article that stevenj shared please Decurion Corp, just sell it to a group or a chain that actually cares and can re-open it. Decurion Corp has clearly been holding on to the property out of pride with failed promises of a re-opening, re branding, or renovations that are just not happening. The complex had been sitting vacant and collecting dust for 3 years now. Regency or Landmark would be perfect fits. If I had the money and could take it off of Decurion Corps hands and run it independently I would. Something needs to be done fast to re-open it and get it out of Decurion Corps hands. The longer it remains vacant and collecting dust, the more danger it will never re open.
This was a weird theatre. One could see glimpses of what at one time was a huge single screen theatre that got half ass divided four ways, downstairs cut in half and balcony cut in half. And the 2 add on theatres to the left were truly UGLY shoe boxes with horrible sight lines. The old General Cinema 6 plex at Shoppers World/Framingham across the street a bit was so much classier.
I remember this theatre fondly as it was my neighborhood theatre growing up. I can recall this theatre as a twin around 1980, the main huge auditorium with a balcony and a second screen with it’s own separate entrance outside at the “stage door” which was basically the old stage and backstage area that was converted into a small long narrow auditorium and later a tri-plex in 1982 with the main auditorium split down the middle for screens 1 and 2 (the former balcony was closed off and converted to the new projection booths for screens 1 and 2) and the small narrow stage door auditorium now screen 3. I recall the main ladies restroom was upstairs by where the former balcony now projection room was and the men’s room was downstairs in a scary basement like area. The small stage door auditorium had it’s own concession area (that was closed off when Loews took over) and 2 one stall restrooms. The 600 seat count I believe is slightly wrong. Screens 1 and 2 easily sat about 300 each after the split and screen 3 I’m guessing about 100. During the Sack years it was a neighborhood 2nd run theatre, but crowds and sellouts were common on weekends. I believe when Loews became the operator they more or less gave up keeping it up and getting the right bookings. Sacks always had the right booking idea, one films for teens (A John Hughes film, Dirty Dancing, Footloose, Flashdance), one prestige film for adults (Gandhi, The Last Emperor, A Passage to India, Amadeus), and a film for kids (A Disney re release, a cartoon, something family oriented) booked on the 3 screens.