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The latest movie theater news and updates
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January 5, 2011
Olympia Theatre in foreclosure
PALMETTO, FL — The Olympia Theatre which opened in 1916 as the first movie theater on the West Coast of Florida is in foreclosure and will be auctioned off in February 2011.
Manatee Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas awarded a Sarasota County private lender a $419,913.63 foreclosure judgment against Olympia owners Joel and Cindy Jarvis on Dec. 13.
According to court records, the Jarvises borrowed $280,000 from Gordon D. Hester on May 28, 2008, and were unable to pay back the loan and $55,655.93 in interest that had accrued through Dec. 10.
Read more at Bradenton.com.
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January 4, 2011
Rivertowne 12 in Oxon Hill to be renovated, reopened
OXON HILL, MD — The former AMC Rivertowne 12, located in the Rivertowne Commons Market Place will be renovated by Spotlight Amusements of Chicago and reopened in 2011. Several Market Place merchants were glad to hear of this development as their sales have suffered since the theater closed in 2006.
“As the landlord, we’re really excited about the theater,” Weinschenk said. “[AMC] helped bring people into the shopping center. When they went out, we didn’t have as many people visiting the center and I think some of the retailers missed having some additional traffic.”
The full story is in the Washington Post.
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Proposed Regal takeover of closed San Bernardino theater prompts challenge
SAN BERNARDINO, CA — Some controversy has arisen over the proposed agreement by the city council in San Bernardino that would enable Regal to take over the operation of the former CinemaStar Empire 30 that has been closed for quite some time. Eight companies bid on the project and there is some local concern that the Regal bid may not be the best deal.
The letter says the deal would cost taxpayers $12.5 million in subsidies, while the city is snubbing private investors' offer to invest $10 million in the downtown multiplex, which has been closed for two years.
Economic Development Agency chief Emil Marzullo fired back, blasting the letter as inaccurate and saying a major company is better positioned to attract restaurants and shops downtown than a small operator.
The full story is in the Press-Enterprise.
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January 3, 2011
Last curtain call for Palace
HAARLEM, THE NETHERLANDS — The Palace, an original single-screen cinema built in 1915 will close after its farewell film festival, from January 3rd until the 8th. The building and facade haven’t changed much since it was rebuilt in 1917. In 1995 it was renovated and the seat capacity in the auditorium was taken back from 750 to 574 seats.
The Palace is one of the last remaining unsplit single-screen purpose-built theaters in the country, but like many others will have to close due to changing audience habits and a multiplex opening nearby. The building, nominated to be a local monument, will stay intact and soon house a store.
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Marcus Loew Bronze Plaque for sale
I have a vintage Marcus Loew bronze plaque that I am considering selling. Before I post it on ebay, I thought I would list it on this site. This plaque came from the Loew’s Oriental. It was taken in the 70’s. This is one of 144+ plaques installed in every Loew movie palace in the US in 1929. It’s in excellent condition and has an estimated replacement value of $1350 (if it were recreated today).I should mention that there is no signature or other identification of the artist of the bust.
Thanks to Warren Harris for the 1929 article from the New York Times.
At the time of Loew’s death in 1927, 144 theaters had been completed and 24 more were in construction. It is likely (though unconfirmed) that each of those 168 theaters had a memorial plaque installed in 1929. I wonder how many of the original plaques are still in place …
If you are interested or have any questions you may . -
December 30, 2010
Laguna Beach theater threatened by flood
LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A dramatic photograph of water and mud creeping up to the entrance of the Regency Laguna South Coast Twin on December 22 can be seen on the Los Angeles Times website. A call to the theater confirmed that they are now open after being closed for three days. They worked 24 hours a day in order to be open Christmas day. The manager said that they pumped a lot of water out of the building but damage was minimal.
Floods have inundated downtown Laguna Beach many times over the years. According to 1930 archives of the Los Angeles Times, one such flood occurred on January 11, 1930. It was said that over four feet of water inundated the Lynn Theater, which then occupied the location. Owner Fred Aufdenkamp said the organ was ruined along with hundreds of rolls of music. Physical damage to the theater itself included the woodwork and floors. It took three days to pump the water out of the building. Aufdenkamp filed suit against the city in the amount of $3,703.25 citing inadequate storm drains. In December of 1930 Aufdenkamp was awarded $1,300 in damages.
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Showcase Toledo is now just memories and rubble
TOLEDO, OH — Once a prestige first-run and 70mm Cinerama house, the Showcase Toledo has been leveled. The theater was closed in 2005 by National Amusements. It originally opened as twin in 1964 and ended its days as a five-plex.
In fact, Waniewski says water leaks inside of the building left it in bad shape. He also says the theater’s seats had been damaged and that repairs would have been too costly for the building that just wasn’t selling.
The price tag has dropped from more than $7 million to around $3 million and a potential investor pulled out within the last year.
The story with a demolition video is here.
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Film Support Group Looking to Help
The Independent Film Marketing Support Group is seeking to partner with sincere community based group who wish to preserve and promote the traditional movie going experience. We have film marketing, booking and theatre operations experience to draw upon. We are sincerely commited to the film going experience.
We will only wok with groups which have displayed an active dedication to restoring and or operating an existing theatre. We are willing to bring time, relationships and resources to bear for the right opportunity.
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December 29, 2010
Casa Linda Theatre to be transformed into a grocery store
EAST DALLAS, TX – Although many have hoped for over a decade that the Casa Linda Theatre would return as a movie house, its destiny now appears to be a conversion to a natural foods market. The transition is expected to happen by the middle of April.
“Everybody I talk to is disappointed it could not be turned back into a theater,” Morgan said Thursday afternoon. “But a natural grocery store will be a boon to the neighborhood.”
The last serious effort to resurrect the theater came in 2006 when the Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse, which employs the restaurant-combined-with-movie concept, tried to put a deal together for the property.
The full story is in the Dallas News.
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Columbia City Cinema selling its seats to raise desperately-needed cash
SEATTLE, WA — After having an attempt to raise funds by selling stock/ blocked by state regulators, Paul Doyle is now offering the seats of his financially-ailing Columbia City Cinema for sale, with the goal of raising $50,000 by January 1. Purchasers may actually have the seats or have a plaque installed on the seats attesting to the seats' ownership, or have the seats repurchased by the theater when it is back on solid financial ground.
The message that went out to supporters this week: “Hooray! We’ve figured out how to save the cinema. But it’s going to take every one of you, or it won’t work. And it needs to happen now.”
Doyle set a Jan. 1 deadline for raising $50,000. That amount would buy the theater enough time to remain open indefinitely in 2011 while fundraising continues.
The story is in the online Seattle P-I.