Showcase Cinemas Louisville
3408 Bardstown Road,
Louisville,
KY
40218
3408 Bardstown Road,
Louisville,
KY
40218
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 29 comments
The neon lettering reading “CINEMA” that was on top of this theater are now on the back of the main screen of the Georgetown drive-in, just across the river in Indiana. So glad to know the signage went to a good home!
This cinema was so popular that its caused traffic congestion.
Found on Newspapers.com
New Showcase Presentations in Louisville article includes mention of the numerous 70mm (and roadshow) engagements here at the Showcase Cinemas (along with other Louisville cinemas).
Ad from December 19th, 1973 opening with 6 screens in photo section
June 4th, 1971: renamed Showcase Cinemas. Ad in photo section.
December 23rd, 1970 grand opening ad for Cinema 4 in photo section
October 3rd, 1968 grand opening ad for Cinema 3 in photo section.
September 30th, 1965 grand opening ad as Cinema 1 & 2 in photo section.
Louisvillepete is dead on. This was a special event theater. A’s on your report card, birthday, stuff like that. I remember seeing earthquake in sensearound. Lol. Good times. They also got all of the bond movies
When I was growing up in Louisville in the seventies, this was THE theater to see a movie in. It was so nice. All of the big films played here. Christmas ‘71 for example had diamonds are forever, straw dogs, dirty harry and dollars. They had artwork on the walls, and huge corridors. Beautiful theater.
I have fond memories of seeing Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark there with my brother. When I was young (1970’s), I remember that going to a movie there with the family was a very special occasion – we would get all dressed up and everything! And I think it was theater #4(?) that had that huge, mammoth screen! Also fond memories of seeing Fast Times at Ridgemont High with my first girlfriend there. An awesome theater it was. It’s all gone now. Completely razed. Cinematic destruction. Check out the Showcase Cinemas demolition photos I took:
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When this theatre opened the louvered Cinerama screen was 73 feet by 28 feet. In 1969 the screen was replaced with a single sheet and in 1992 it was replaced with a flat screen.
It has recently been announced it will soon be demolished.
Showcase cinemas, bashford manor mall, and the toy tiger. I remember that strip like i lived there, but I was actually from bardstown. I remember peeing my pants as a kid when my uncles took me to see star wars there. I didn’t want to miss anything. It took us what seemed like hours just to get out of the parking lot, and they made me sit in the back of the truck all the way to bardstown. I still think of that when I see people getting up during a movie, I was only seven. All that’s gone, it’s a totally different place now. I went there on some awesome date nights when I got older, and I made sure to go before the movie.
Three exterior lights still burning. “For Sale, Lopp Commercial Real Estate, 1-800-576-5677”
I can relate to many of the comments above. I have many fond memories of Showcase Cinemas on Bardstown Road. As a youngster I remember most seeing the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. Later on I was going on dates to Showcase. My travels around town this past week took me by the site and it looks very run down. I also remember the Take 5 restaurant that was built in the front parking lot and operated for many years. I have many great memories of that place.
Sounds like the same situation we have here in New Jersey. NA’s old Amboys Multiplex, where I worked as a projectionist for years, closed in 2005, when the floor in the lobby sank. It is still standing, all boarded up. And in 2006 NA closed the All-Jersey Multiplex near Newark airport, and it too sits all boarded up. The only thing these two buildings are see now are the graffitti artists, who do their thing, then NA has someone come and whitewash the buildings again. One final note, Amboys opened in 1979, was 14 screens at the end, All-Jersey opened in 1991 as 12 and closed as 12.
Well, the building is still standing.
I lived on Fegenbush in Louisville in 2004 just a few miles from the Showcase. Growing up in Louisville I too watched the Bonds, Star Wars and other big titles here. It was great back in the day but that area was pretty rough when I lived there briefly 3 years ago.
They apparently don’t want it reopened to give their new theaters competition. Sad.. Oh well, I may have to swing by to photograph the site this summer when i visit the area.
Supposedly being converted into a Megachurch now, but the deal hasn’t been closed. Place is, as mentioned above, just sitting vacant because they won’t sell it to anyone who wants to open a theater.
Wow, I can’t believe this place fell so far. I remember this being the premiere site to go see movies in Louisville. Before I moved away in 1989, this place was where every big movie opened in town. The importance of the movie or popularity either put the showing in the cavernous Cinema #1 or #’s 3 & 4. The smaller theaters were built to compete with the miniplexes that opened in around the city in the mid 80’s. I remember those huge windows too and the Hellish traffic getting in and out of the complex.
I remember riding my 10 speed from Jeffersonville in order to catch matinee showings of several movies including The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Good times..
Now that it’s closed, This place is REALLY creepy looking at night! The fact that it is an all white building boarded up with white boards makes it look ghostly. I was driving past last night and noticed the “national amusements” sign in the side of the main building still works. You wouldn’t think it still had electricity!
It’s a shame this place got so run down before it closed. NA has 2 newer theaters in Louisville, but neither of them have the atmosphere that this one did.
I remember going to the releases of the special edition Star Wars films when I younger. I also remember all of the HUGE windows that were everywhere! They would always paint movie characters on the windows at the entrance.
Oh, I can beat that! I saw Earthquake there in Sensaround (sp?) in 1974, and it was phenomenal! The whole theatre rumbled and shook. You felt it in your seat before you heard it, and it was such cool technology at the time. The first movie I saw there, though was the re-release of the Sound of Music in ‘72 or '73. My best (worst) memory, though, was seeing Jaws there for my birthday in 1975, and then walking across the road to the Kingfish restaurant! Bleah!!
When we first moved to J-town in 1972, there were only two main cinemas, and they shared a big lobby. They added the others later; I think there were 6 when we left in 1976. It was always our first choice theatre, and I’m so glad I got to see all the epic 70s disaster pics on the huge screens that they had.