Doraville Cinema 'N' Drafthouse

5742 Buford Highway NE,
Doraville, GA 30340

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Showing 26 - 30 of 30 comments

Cliff Carson
Cliff Carson on July 10, 2009 at 4:29 am

Among the many films I saw at the DORAVILLE MINI CINEMA were:

WILLARD
THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
LOST HORIZON
BONNIE AND CLYDE
LITTLE BIG MAN
HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS
NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS
KING KONG
OLIVER!
HELLO DOLLY!
THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED
THUNDERBALL
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

For as small as the Doraville Mini Cinema was, it had a rather large screen. I remember thinking how small it was when I entered it for the first time. The movie was OLIVER! As the years went by and movie theaters by and large began to shrink in size, the Doraville mini Cinema began to look larger. We would often eat at KRYSTAL hamburgers afterwards, which was located right next door. I had wonderful movie going experiences at that theatre. Ones I will cherish forever.

Cliff Carson
Cliff Carson on August 1, 2008 at 12:46 am

I saw STAR WARS at Doraville Mini Cinema. Absolutely

StanMalone
StanMalone on January 23, 2008 at 5:03 pm

My apologies Jack. I do not know why I was so arrogant as to think that my memory was better than yours.

As for you R2, this makes three times you have had to correct me. I think that from now on I will just send you my comments for vetting prior to posting. Either that or just end each comment with “…I think.”

R2D2
R2D2 on January 20, 2008 at 10:05 am
***QUOTE: The Doraville lucked up on booking "Star Wars" during its initial release in 1977.***

***QUOTE: One correction on the above post: Star Wars never played at this location. That event took place across Buford Highway at the Septum Buford Highway Twin.***

Actually, you are both correct! “Star Wars” indeed played at both theaters. It played at DORAVILLE from June 29, 1977-December 15, 1977 and then at BUFORD HIGHWAY from December 23, 1977-June 1, 1978.

StanMalone
StanMalone on July 31, 2005 at 3:34 pm

The Doraville Mini Cinema was the fourth of five theatres built around Atlanta by the Mini Cinema chain, and the last manager operated single screen. The next and last location was the Candler Road Twin which had a dedicated manager and separate projectionist. Both of these were built in new Grant City Shopping Centers. Doraville was much like the earlier Peachtree Battle and Sandy Springs locations with one screen, 370 seats and a tiny lobby. Two changes which made for a better presentation were a slightly curved screen and a Cinemation Mark 3 pegboard automation system for program management. The projectors were Century with 6000 foot reels.

Being located further away from the first run theatres than its predecessors, the Doraville was pretty successful at the start. (For a more detailed history of the Mini Cinema operation and its demise see my comment at the Sandy Springs Theatre page of this website.) After Weis bought out the chain and then left town the site was converted to a Cinema and Draft House which ran for many years. I do not know any details of this part of its history.

One correction on the above post: Star Wars never played at this location. That event took place across Buford Highway at the Septum Buford Highway Twin. That location started out as one of the ill fated Jerry Lewis Cinemas that was bought out by Septum who installed one of the first Dolby sound systems in Atlanta. During Christmas of 1977 they picked up Star Wars the day after its 5 month mono run at the Loews Tara ended. Thanks to heavy newspaper advertising with such slogans as “Loudest Sound In Atlanta” they did incredible business there for months.