Reel Theatres from Boise, Idaho opened this location in April of 1997. Their first location to contain one stadium house (No.1)along being their first location built from the ground up.
Mann Theatre’s “Plywood Palace” Carillon 4. Entire booth floor base was out of plywood. If a person was standing next to that island snakbar in the lobby, they could hear the projectionist walking on the floor of the booth and around checking the four machines. Projectionists had to take their shoes off and walk in stocking feet and walk light so not to be heard downstairs in the lobby.
Mann Theatres opened this location along with Ogden’s City Square 4 (which is now behind LHM’s District 13) in the early 80s, along with Carillon, and the 5400s Redwood 6plex
Capitol was on the corner on the same block as the Chief. The Orpheum was down the next block. I was a projectionist at the Chief during the late 70’s with Mann Theatres..
Also, The OP can add to the list above additional 70mm releases at the VILLA (from my memory..) 1981 IJ:Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984 IJ:Temple of Doom. (sadly, Villa didn’t get any of the Star Wars series – Plitt had those premieres at the Centre..but all in 70mm)
I attended the Villa many times to witness 70mm showings. My first experience at the Villa is when we drove down to SLC from E. Idaho in October of 1968 to visit relatives. Most of us kids wanted to see what this “2001: a Space Odyssey” was all about, so the parents dropped us off at the VILLA to witness this movie. Outside of the majority of us being confused on what the story was all about, all of us will never forget the “WOW!” we all said in the presentation – from the time the huge side draw curtains would open to the grandeur of the 70mm being shown on that huge 120 foot plus deep curved screen…and how it sounded as well being with 5 channel behind the screen sound (later on I found out about the 6th channel being surround sound for the wall speakers…)
After this experience, everytime we went down to SLC, I would always see what is playing at the Villa.
My last show I saw at the Villa is when MANN Theatres still ran this place. The movie was “Hunt for Red October” in the fall of 1990, and I could tell the change from carbon arc and the Century “JJ’s” to the Christie SLH xenon lamphouse and the Norelco “AA-2”. The changeover with the xenon lamphouse really ruined large screen movies since the light was simply not there as with the usage of carbon arc – the loss of color and contrast was definitely apparent..at least to my eyes.
Now, I miss the grand ol' Palace, but at least glad to see the building being still used.
Also, on a side topic: I also do miss the Cinedome 70 theatre in Ogden. That was also a great place to witness 70mm presentations.
The Yellowstone Triplex, opening in late June of 1977, was a continuing expansion format for MANN THEATRES in this intermountain area – being that the floor plan is identical to the ALAMEDA Triplex in Pocatello, which opened in December of 1976, and the CACHE VALLEY Triplex in Logan, UTAH, which opened in the summer of 1976.
MANN THEATRES operated these small triplexes until December of 1988 when the sale of these three location, plus the MANN’s Boise 5Mile 4plex were assembled in a package and sold to the Chicago company being that of EXCELLENCE Theatres, whom then was received in operation by CARMIKE in 1991.
The Cache Valley Triplex is currently in operations under the Westates banner. The ALAMEDA have been since closed by CARMIKE Cinemas, with CARMIKE opening a new 10plex across the street from their Starlite Cinema 7 discount complex in Pocatello. the YELLOWSTONE closed shortly afterwards from the opening of the new EDWs 14 complex on the south end of Idaho Falls, in the summer of 2000.
I used to work at the Virginia in 1980 as a projectionist on Sundays when this theatre used to perform Hispanic movies for the Hispanic community that were contain in Bingham County.
Rest of the week, the theatre performed regular 1st run movies that were released at the time..
The Country Club Cinemas opened in May of 1971 under the Carroll Cinemas banner – first multiscreen complex in the city. Cinema contained two identical very wide and comfortable, 350 seat houses. In the fall of 1976, UA Cinemas purchased the location and made the decision to split the two houses into a 4plex design.
The left side contain identical 150 seat houses and the other side was split off-center to contain one house of 130 seats and the final house, being their largest with 210 seats.
In the mid-80’s is when UA pulled out of the Eastern Idaho market and Hollywood Cinemas resumed operation of the 4plex until closure.
..and we must not forget the “Morris Bros.” other Drive-In in the city – the Starlite Drive-In .. where the PineRidge Mall is now located at on the old US-91 highway.
Starlite closed down after the 1979 season for the land to be sold for the development of the new mall.
There were times that the Paramount on “A” street and the Rio on Broadway would compete in being the best theatres in town. In the middle 50’s, for a couple of years, the RIO had the lead in that exhibition race, but eventually, Fox Intermountain’s “Paramount” would reign supreme for the city.
The Pocatello Reel Theatre, which is now independently owned, was originally the Crest Theatre.
A very nice plush art moderne single house that contained almost 700 seats until the split in the late 80’s by then, their parent company RWD Associates, to turn it into a twin screen, discount run location.
Missed a segment of history: T.O.I. was absorbed by Excellence Theatres in 1988, whom became owners of the Holiday 3plex and that is when the theatre was split to a 3plex since Excellence Theatres were under a massive remodel plan to remodel all of the locations that they acquired during this time. Then, it was in 1991 that Excellence asked CARMIKE to receive their financial situations and thus all of Excellence Theatre locations became under the CARMIKE banner..
The Holiday Theatre opened its doors in the Spring of 1971 under the banner of D&D Enterprises.
This was their first and only new location that was construced by this local chain, being based out of Blackfoot whom their headquarters were located in the old Nuart Theatre.
D&D (DeMortant and Drennin) owned many theatres in Eastern Idaho, being which of the Main in Salmon, the Roxy in St. Anthony, the Romance (Westwood) in Rexburg, the Rio, Centre and the Motor-Vu Dr.In in Idaho Falls, and the Nuart in Blackfoot.
In the early 80’s D&D sold out their operations to a firm out of Bozeman, Montana being that of Theatre Operators Incorporated. It was this that the decision of the Holiday to split the single house and adding on another screen to the side to make it a more profitable location as a 3plex.
Business fell to the worse for T.O.I to ask CARMIKE to receive their operations, thus the Holiday became under the CARMIKE banner in as well as for the Romance to change its name to the Westwood with extensive remodeling…and its eventuall closure..and the pullout of CARMIKE recently from Rexburg.
The Five Mile Plaza Theatre begain its operations under the banner of MANN THEATRES in December of 1979 – one of the newer complexes built in the Treasure Valley since the opening of Overland Park 3 in the summer of 1977.
Operations of the 4plex began slow since of the location that this theatre was located at .. at the corner of 5mile and Overland..being that time was considered out in the rural area of the community.
In December of 1988, MANN THEATRES had to perform a financial adjustment in their operations and had to let their Boise Location go as a package to sell off the Idaho locations.
The Idaho locations were then sold to a Chicago group, Excellence Theatres (formally named ESSANESS THEATRES) and the 4plex continued operations under the EXCELLENCE banner until February of 1991 when CARMIKE Cinemas accepted receivership of operation of EXCELLENCE THEATRES to run all of EXCELLENCE’s operations and finally absorb all of these locations under the CARMIKE banner.
CARMIKE then continued operation of the 4plex after the EDW’s 21 complex opened up the road on Overland, but situation forced CARMIKE to leave the Boise area and the location was converted to a dollar store in 2001.
..the owners of the Overland 3plex contains experience in discount operations in the Treasure Valley for over 30 yrs and rightfully deserve the credit due to them. They managed to keep the “Magic in the Cinemas” alive since they know how to serve the public and give the public what they want with no hesitiation, condition, or any form of hinderance in their operation. If one really wants to know how to be successful in your own business, chek these people out for they’ve got it down.
Northgate Cinemas opened in August of 1989 within the newly constructed Northgate Shopping Plaza in the North End of Boise. Northgate Cinemas was a part of the Idaho expansion plans for Cineplex Odeon, whom has built the Nampa Cinemas that previous June of 1989 and the famous Towne Square Cinemas in December of 1988 for the newly built Towne Square Mall which opened that previous month of May of the same year.
Northgate remained open until Cineplex Odeon (LOWES Cineplex Entertainment) had to make some financial adjustments for their locations across the country, and these three Idaho locations were chosen for these financial adjustment plans and were closed down..being that of year 2000.
Northgate reopened up in April of 2001 as a privately owned discount operation which lasted only a year. The following year, Reel Theatres took over operations for the Northgate Cinemas as a first-run operation and remains presently as such.
The comment above mentioning that Northgate had stadium seating is false since the building remained as originally planned this present day, thus the auditoriums still remains with sloped flooring, yet all auditorium now are equipped with Dolby Digital sound.
..I remember being in the Cinedome back in 1971 to watch John Wayne’s “Big Jake” on that HUGE curved screen – about as big as the Villas in SLC. On the other side was MGM’s “Ryan’s Daughter” in 70mm. NOW, that was an experience to witness-beautiful presentation and excellent 7 channel stereo magnetic sound!! Went up in the booth later on (being a projectionist myself) to witness the massive operation of that massive twin.
What was so intriging was the lobby layout: Center concession stand, organ in the middle of the floor entertaining customers with actual lobby music, massive crystal chandliers hanging in their respective places…just a massive beautiful layout that one can imagine…
I remember my first visit to the Cache Triplex.. fall of 1976 under the MANN banner – whom I was employed with. Interesting layout of the building..and just remember the booth layout with a two machine using 6k reels…and the machine layout at the other end of the booth with that horribly wide staircase which caused the two machines to be so far apart..and having horrible angles to the screen using massive corrective keystone methods..
the Alameda in Pocatello, and the Yellowstone in Idaho Falls were from this same floor plan design – but the booth staircase was massive redesigned to eliminate that keystone error..
Reel Theatres from Boise, Idaho opened this location in April of 1997. Their first location to contain one stadium house (No.1)along being their first location built from the ground up.
Now, a $3.00 location.
…now, a discount 8plex to run with Water Gardens.. Bad decision by the owners, for now SF people have to go to Provo to see 1st run movies.
Mann Theatre’s “Plywood Palace” Carillon 4. Entire booth floor base was out of plywood. If a person was standing next to that island snakbar in the lobby, they could hear the projectionist walking on the floor of the booth and around checking the four machines. Projectionists had to take their shoes off and walk in stocking feet and walk light so not to be heard downstairs in the lobby.
Mann Theatres opened this location along with Ogden’s City Square 4 (which is now behind LHM’s District 13) in the early 80s, along with Carillon, and the 5400s Redwood 6plex
Seems that Firth H.S. used the auditorium for quite the while…back in the 70’s
Twin opened up in the mid 70’s ..
Capitol was on the corner on the same block as the Chief. The Orpheum was down the next block. I was a projectionist at the Chief during the late 70’s with Mann Theatres..
Also, The OP can add to the list above additional 70mm releases at the VILLA (from my memory..) 1981 IJ:Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984 IJ:Temple of Doom. (sadly, Villa didn’t get any of the Star Wars series – Plitt had those premieres at the Centre..but all in 70mm)
Almost a year…what I heard…
70mm showings are even better than any digital showing any day of the week.
I attended the Villa many times to witness 70mm showings. My first experience at the Villa is when we drove down to SLC from E. Idaho in October of 1968 to visit relatives. Most of us kids wanted to see what this “2001: a Space Odyssey” was all about, so the parents dropped us off at the VILLA to witness this movie. Outside of the majority of us being confused on what the story was all about, all of us will never forget the “WOW!” we all said in the presentation – from the time the huge side draw curtains would open to the grandeur of the 70mm being shown on that huge 120 foot plus deep curved screen…and how it sounded as well being with 5 channel behind the screen sound (later on I found out about the 6th channel being surround sound for the wall speakers…)
After this experience, everytime we went down to SLC, I would always see what is playing at the Villa.
My last show I saw at the Villa is when MANN Theatres still ran this place. The movie was “Hunt for Red October” in the fall of 1990, and I could tell the change from carbon arc and the Century “JJ’s” to the Christie SLH xenon lamphouse and the Norelco “AA-2”. The changeover with the xenon lamphouse really ruined large screen movies since the light was simply not there as with the usage of carbon arc – the loss of color and contrast was definitely apparent..at least to my eyes.
Now, I miss the grand ol' Palace, but at least glad to see the building being still used.
Also, on a side topic: I also do miss the Cinedome 70 theatre in Ogden. That was also a great place to witness 70mm presentations.
The Yellowstone Triplex, opening in late June of 1977, was a continuing expansion format for MANN THEATRES in this intermountain area – being that the floor plan is identical to the ALAMEDA Triplex in Pocatello, which opened in December of 1976, and the CACHE VALLEY Triplex in Logan, UTAH, which opened in the summer of 1976.
MANN THEATRES operated these small triplexes until December of 1988 when the sale of these three location, plus the MANN’s Boise 5Mile 4plex were assembled in a package and sold to the Chicago company being that of EXCELLENCE Theatres, whom then was received in operation by CARMIKE in 1991.
The Cache Valley Triplex is currently in operations under the Westates banner. The ALAMEDA have been since closed by CARMIKE Cinemas, with CARMIKE opening a new 10plex across the street from their Starlite Cinema 7 discount complex in Pocatello. the YELLOWSTONE closed shortly afterwards from the opening of the new EDWs 14 complex on the south end of Idaho Falls, in the summer of 2000.
I used to work at the Virginia in 1980 as a projectionist on Sundays when this theatre used to perform Hispanic movies for the Hispanic community that were contain in Bingham County.
Rest of the week, the theatre performed regular 1st run movies that were released at the time..
The Country Club Cinemas opened in May of 1971 under the Carroll Cinemas banner – first multiscreen complex in the city. Cinema contained two identical very wide and comfortable, 350 seat houses. In the fall of 1976, UA Cinemas purchased the location and made the decision to split the two houses into a 4plex design.
The left side contain identical 150 seat houses and the other side was split off-center to contain one house of 130 seats and the final house, being their largest with 210 seats.
In the mid-80’s is when UA pulled out of the Eastern Idaho market and Hollywood Cinemas resumed operation of the 4plex until closure.
..and we must not forget the “Morris Bros.” other Drive-In in the city – the Starlite Drive-In .. where the PineRidge Mall is now located at on the old US-91 highway.
Starlite closed down after the 1979 season for the land to be sold for the development of the new mall.
There were times that the Paramount on “A” street and the Rio on Broadway would compete in being the best theatres in town. In the middle 50’s, for a couple of years, the RIO had the lead in that exhibition race, but eventually, Fox Intermountain’s “Paramount” would reign supreme for the city.
The Pocatello Reel Theatre, which is now independently owned, was originally the Crest Theatre.
A very nice plush art moderne single house that contained almost 700 seats until the split in the late 80’s by then, their parent company RWD Associates, to turn it into a twin screen, discount run location.
Missed a segment of history: T.O.I. was absorbed by Excellence Theatres in 1988, whom became owners of the Holiday 3plex and that is when the theatre was split to a 3plex since Excellence Theatres were under a massive remodel plan to remodel all of the locations that they acquired during this time. Then, it was in 1991 that Excellence asked CARMIKE to receive their financial situations and thus all of Excellence Theatre locations became under the CARMIKE banner..
To set a record straight for the books:
The Holiday Theatre opened its doors in the Spring of 1971 under the banner of D&D Enterprises.
This was their first and only new location that was construced by this local chain, being based out of Blackfoot whom their headquarters were located in the old Nuart Theatre.
D&D (DeMortant and Drennin) owned many theatres in Eastern Idaho, being which of the Main in Salmon, the Roxy in St. Anthony, the Romance (Westwood) in Rexburg, the Rio, Centre and the Motor-Vu Dr.In in Idaho Falls, and the Nuart in Blackfoot.
In the early 80’s D&D sold out their operations to a firm out of Bozeman, Montana being that of Theatre Operators Incorporated. It was this that the decision of the Holiday to split the single house and adding on another screen to the side to make it a more profitable location as a 3plex.
Business fell to the worse for T.O.I to ask CARMIKE to receive their operations, thus the Holiday became under the CARMIKE banner in as well as for the Romance to change its name to the Westwood with extensive remodeling…and its eventuall closure..and the pullout of CARMIKE recently from Rexburg.
The Five Mile Plaza Theatre begain its operations under the banner of MANN THEATRES in December of 1979 – one of the newer complexes built in the Treasure Valley since the opening of Overland Park 3 in the summer of 1977.
Operations of the 4plex began slow since of the location that this theatre was located at .. at the corner of 5mile and Overland..being that time was considered out in the rural area of the community.
In December of 1988, MANN THEATRES had to perform a financial adjustment in their operations and had to let their Boise Location go as a package to sell off the Idaho locations.
The Idaho locations were then sold to a Chicago group, Excellence Theatres (formally named ESSANESS THEATRES) and the 4plex continued operations under the EXCELLENCE banner until February of 1991 when CARMIKE Cinemas accepted receivership of operation of EXCELLENCE THEATRES to run all of EXCELLENCE’s operations and finally absorb all of these locations under the CARMIKE banner.
CARMIKE then continued operation of the 4plex after the EDW’s 21 complex opened up the road on Overland, but situation forced CARMIKE to leave the Boise area and the location was converted to a dollar store in 2001.
..the owners of the Overland 3plex contains experience in discount operations in the Treasure Valley for over 30 yrs and rightfully deserve the credit due to them. They managed to keep the “Magic in the Cinemas” alive since they know how to serve the public and give the public what they want with no hesitiation, condition, or any form of hinderance in their operation. If one really wants to know how to be successful in your own business, chek these people out for they’ve got it down.
Okey..let’s set the records right:
Northgate Cinemas opened in August of 1989 within the newly constructed Northgate Shopping Plaza in the North End of Boise. Northgate Cinemas was a part of the Idaho expansion plans for Cineplex Odeon, whom has built the Nampa Cinemas that previous June of 1989 and the famous Towne Square Cinemas in December of 1988 for the newly built Towne Square Mall which opened that previous month of May of the same year.
Northgate remained open until Cineplex Odeon (LOWES Cineplex Entertainment) had to make some financial adjustments for their locations across the country, and these three Idaho locations were chosen for these financial adjustment plans and were closed down..being that of year 2000.
Northgate reopened up in April of 2001 as a privately owned discount operation which lasted only a year. The following year, Reel Theatres took over operations for the Northgate Cinemas as a first-run operation and remains presently as such.
The comment above mentioning that Northgate had stadium seating is false since the building remained as originally planned this present day, thus the auditoriums still remains with sloped flooring, yet all auditorium now are equipped with Dolby Digital sound.
..I remember being in the Cinedome back in 1971 to watch John Wayne’s “Big Jake” on that HUGE curved screen – about as big as the Villas in SLC. On the other side was MGM’s “Ryan’s Daughter” in 70mm. NOW, that was an experience to witness-beautiful presentation and excellent 7 channel stereo magnetic sound!! Went up in the booth later on (being a projectionist myself) to witness the massive operation of that massive twin.
What was so intriging was the lobby layout: Center concession stand, organ in the middle of the floor entertaining customers with actual lobby music, massive crystal chandliers hanging in their respective places…just a massive beautiful layout that one can imagine…
I remember my first visit to the Cache Triplex.. fall of 1976 under the MANN banner – whom I was employed with. Interesting layout of the building..and just remember the booth layout with a two machine using 6k reels…and the machine layout at the other end of the booth with that horribly wide staircase which caused the two machines to be so far apart..and having horrible angles to the screen using massive corrective keystone methods..
the Alameda in Pocatello, and the Yellowstone in Idaho Falls were from this same floor plan design – but the booth staircase was massive redesigned to eliminate that keystone error..