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Closings
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October 25, 2006
Garden Hills Theatre to close
ATLANTA, GA — The Garden Hills Theatree is closing after about 65 years of near constant operation. This is yet another example of the inability of old single screen theatres to compete with the megaplexes of today, even in the “art house” niche.
To read more about this, visitAccess Atlanta. Registration is required and it is good through 10/30/06 when it will move to the archives where you will have to pay to see it.
Several personal histories and a detailed description of this site are in the comment section of its Cinema Treasures page.
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September 27, 2006
Westgate Cinema closes
RACINE, WI — The first-run Marcus Westgate Cinema opened in the late 1960’s and was named to honor the recently-demolished Westgate Outdoor Theatre which itself had been truncated over the years for encroaching commercial construction (the Westgate shopping center) which eventually overwhelmed the Westgate Outdoor.
The Westgate Cinema’s demise had been expected to occur around Thanksgiving as the Marcus chain prepares its new multi-screen complex in the nearby village of Sturtevant. So the sudden closing on Sunday night after the final screening of “Hollywoodland” at 11:39 pm took the community by surprise.
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September 26, 2006
Laemmle closes Fairfax 3
LOS ANGELES, CA — Laemmle closed The Fairfax 3 Cinemas last week. The theater was mostly known for second-run indepedent films and minor festivals. This is the message of the Laemmle website:
After five years and a thousand and one good foreign, independent and art movies (or thereabouts)
Laemmle Theatres reluctantly announces we are ending our tenancy at the historic Fairfax Theatre.
Sincere thanks to all our Fairfax customers for their loyal patronage.
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September 19, 2006
San Francisco’s Metro Theatre to close in one week
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The staff of the Metro Theatre in San Francisco was informed over the weekend that it will close its doors forever on Saturday Sept 23. The owner of the building has bought out Regal Entertainment’s lease and plans on demolishing the building and replacing it with condo apartments.
The Metro, which opened in 1924 and was designed by famed theater architect Timothy
Pfluger, had one of the biggest screens and best sound systems in San Francisco. Their superior screen image was provided by 35/70mm Todd-AO/Norelco projectors with a 5000 watt water cooled lamphouse.The sound system was first rate and to Regal’s credit, they had a tech come in and tune it up on a regular basis.
It will be a shame to see this place go.
JimC/San Francisco
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September 14, 2006
Violations close Unique
SALIDA, CO — The historic Unique Theater in Salida has been ordered closed by the city due to several fire and structural violations/hazards.
City officials temporarily closed the Unique Theater on west First Street Aug. 7 because of structural and fire hazards.
The building was closed after inspections by the Salida Fire Department and building inspector. Building owner John Groy has been instructed he has until Oct. 17 to obtain a report about the building from a structural engineer.
For more, read the Mountain Mail.
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September 12, 2006
Fine Arts Cinema to close
GREENBURGH, NY — After 34 years, the Fine Arts Cinema is set to close. Working under a
handshake lease deal since 1992, the cinema succumbs to market pressure and must close its
doors.The full story is available in the The Journal News.
Editor’s Note: In the back of my mind, I always knew this day was coming. I never was old enough to appreciate the art deco movie palaces of our past. Instead, this non-descript few hundred seat theater was my gem growing up. I loved when high-profile independent films would open in limited release and in the NY Metro area they would just be playing at the Angelika, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and this theater. The Fine Arts always had high-quality programming and a warm feeling inside.
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September 11, 2006
Tacora Theatre to close
AURORA, MN — The Tacora Theatre is closing due to rising costs of maintaining the theater as well as the economic conditions of its patrons.
Tonight at 7, the lights will dim at the Tacora Theatre for the showing of the movie “World Trade Center.”
The film will play on a large silver screen that’s been displaying motion pictures since 1955 — one of the few remaining old-time screens in the region.
Movie-goers will have the chance, as they have for a number of years, to order a custom-made pizza as a concession, delivered to them at a table in the theater’s auditorium — or to get free refills of large sodas and popcorn, just as they have in the past.
For more, read the full story in Mesbi Daily News.
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September 1, 2006
Lighthouse Cinemas to close
PACIFIC GROVE, CA — Struggling since the opening of a nearby multiplex from Century, this institution will soon be shutting its doors.
An inability to draw first-run Hollywood movies and low attendance numbers is forcing Lighthouse Cinemas in Pacific Grove to shut its doors.
A theater representative said the last movies will be shown at the four-screen theater Sept. 7.
“We wanted to do everything possible to keep the theater up and running, but for all its quaintness and charm we simply couldn’t get the kind of movies needed to keep it operating,” said David Corwin, president of Metropolitan Theatres Corps., which has operated the Lighthouse for the past two years.
To read more about this story, visit the Monterey Herald.
(Thanks to City Itinerary for allowing us to use their photo.)
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August 29, 2006
York Beach Cinema to close
YORK BEACH, ME — A long-standing summer tradition will be gone in a few weeks when the York Beach Cinema closes its doors.
For 78 years, no summer was complete for locals, seasonal residents and visitors alike without taking in a movie at the York Beach Cinema. Like tasting that first Goldenrod kiss of the season, it was tradition.
But in a few short weeks, as August gives way to September, this beach stalwart will be closing its doors for good.
For more, read the full story in Seacoast Online.
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August 24, 2006
Gateway Cinema in Edwardsville, PA closes.
EDWARDSVILLE, PA — The 42 year old Gateway Cinema has closed.
The theater opened December 1964 as a single screen but has been multi-plexed during its lifetime. The original theater was divided into 4, while two newer screens were added during the late 1980’s.
The cinema is a casualty of the new R/C 14 screen theater that recently opened across the river in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The future of the Gateway building is uncertain for now.
The full story can be read atin the Times Leader.