The Sound of Music was a grand film, but the roadshow attraction I remember being the most elaborate and special was OLIVER! at the newly built and plush LOEW’S TARA theatre in Atlanta. It was a single screen theatre in those days, beautifully lit with twinkling lights running up and down the columns of the building. OLIVER! was spared no expensive. Elaborate window designs, special marquee highlighting it’s showing, it was a real EVENT.
When I was a little kid my dentists office was in the building directly across the street. His window looked down at this theatre and I remember the colorful marquee for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
That is AWESOME, thanks for posting. GREAT article. Too bad the theatre isn’t like that anymore. Well, at least it’s still open, chopped up though it may be. Back in 1969 seeing a 70mm film at the Loew’s Tara was a real event.
This theatre is CRAP. Seriously. It was designed for television viewership, not for an audience. The first row balcony is a joke. So far from the stage, participants on stage looking like ants. It will remind you of all the reasons why never to sit in a balcony. The lobby small, unattractive with little or no light streaming in from the outside. Truly a claustrophobic experience unless you’re seated downstairs near the stage.
This was one of the more exciting and exclusive theaters in Atlanta. Big films would play here and often be held over for months and months. It was an “event” theater and the marquee was always lit up and exciting to drive by. Whatever film was booked you know it was important. The musical HALF A SIXPENCE played there for quite a while.
This was a neighborhood Drive-In theatre. If I had known it was going to be torn down I would have taken pictures. I moved to Los Angeles and when I came back it was torn down. Of all the Drive In Movie theaters I’ve been to in my life, and I’ve been to alot, this was by far my favorite. There was something magical about that little dead end road that one had to drive down to get to this Drive-In. Sad looking back at that era that is no longer and the people that were around then that are no longer around now. The warm spring and summer nights with all that dreaming. The memories I have at the N.E. Expressway Drive-In are all good memories. It was another life then and another me. I tell myself not to look back. It drags at your heart till you can’t do anything but look back.
NO Mike, BOTH pictures were equally important. I compared both of them last night. It was fascinating.
latest edit [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ePhtYEFwQ[/url]
Incredible photos. Makes me sad. I use to go to the Loew’s Grand in the 70’s when they played all those black exploitation and exorcism movies. There was something special about being in that theatre. Of course it hadn’t been restored and was going down hill, but even a marginal movie playing there felt like an event of some kind. What a shame the city of Atlanta couldn’t see the specialness in that theatre. They destroyed another movie palace around the same time called the ROXY theatre. It just sickens me, even to this day. http://cliffcarson.com
I CAN’T stand AMC. Why wasn’t I snapping pictures of the original NORTH DEKALB MALL theatre when it was a single theatre and the entry way was from outside. That was a beautiful theatre. Saw many wonderful movies there starting with OLIVER! and then WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
Who was it that said, “growing up in Atlanta is like watching your past hauled away in a dump truck”??
No appreciation for nostalgia.
Americans bitch and complain about job loss and the economy, but they did it to themselves by funding and pouring their money into corporations rather than privately owned sectors. Horrible stores like WALMART and Costco.
The Sound of Music was a grand film, but the roadshow attraction I remember being the most elaborate and special was OLIVER! at the newly built and plush LOEW’S TARA theatre in Atlanta. It was a single screen theatre in those days, beautifully lit with twinkling lights running up and down the columns of the building. OLIVER! was spared no expensive. Elaborate window designs, special marquee highlighting it’s showing, it was a real EVENT.
This isn’t the Tara theatre. It’s the Twelve Oaks
Love it. Wonderful fun movie
THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT. I remember that summer of 77'. What a film that was.
LOVE IT
When I was a little kid my dentists office was in the building directly across the street. His window looked down at this theatre and I remember the colorful marquee for THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
That is AWESOME, thanks for posting. GREAT article. Too bad the theatre isn’t like that anymore. Well, at least it’s still open, chopped up though it may be. Back in 1969 seeing a 70mm film at the Loew’s Tara was a real event.
This theatre is CRAP. Seriously. It was designed for television viewership, not for an audience. The first row balcony is a joke. So far from the stage, participants on stage looking like ants. It will remind you of all the reasons why never to sit in a balcony. The lobby small, unattractive with little or no light streaming in from the outside. Truly a claustrophobic experience unless you’re seated downstairs near the stage.
I saw many films here, THE WAY WE WERE. EARTHQUAKE, DRUM
A great theatre for a big film like OLIVER!
Love this picture. I was in this beautiful theatre before Atlanta was stupid enough to tear it down. The Roxy was gorgeous.
This is amazing. Thanks for posting
Love this
Love it
I love this
This was after the remodeling. Originally the aisle was on the left and right with the seats in the middle.
This was one of the more exciting and exclusive theaters in Atlanta. Big films would play here and often be held over for months and months. It was an “event” theater and the marquee was always lit up and exciting to drive by. Whatever film was booked you know it was important. The musical HALF A SIXPENCE played there for quite a while.
LOVE THIS PICTURE
This was a neighborhood Drive-In theatre. If I had known it was going to be torn down I would have taken pictures. I moved to Los Angeles and when I came back it was torn down. Of all the Drive In Movie theaters I’ve been to in my life, and I’ve been to alot, this was by far my favorite. There was something magical about that little dead end road that one had to drive down to get to this Drive-In. Sad looking back at that era that is no longer and the people that were around then that are no longer around now. The warm spring and summer nights with all that dreaming. The memories I have at the N.E. Expressway Drive-In are all good memories. It was another life then and another me. I tell myself not to look back. It drags at your heart till you can’t do anything but look back.
NO Mike, BOTH pictures were equally important. I compared both of them last night. It was fascinating.
latest edit [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ePhtYEFwQ[/url]
I absolutely LOVE these photographs. Thank you Alonzo Jeter
http://cliffcarson.com
Incredible photos. Makes me sad. I use to go to the Loew’s Grand in the 70’s when they played all those black exploitation and exorcism movies. There was something special about being in that theatre. Of course it hadn’t been restored and was going down hill, but even a marginal movie playing there felt like an event of some kind. What a shame the city of Atlanta couldn’t see the specialness in that theatre. They destroyed another movie palace around the same time called the ROXY theatre. It just sickens me, even to this day.
http://cliffcarson.com
@ChrisD, I believe it was intentional. Atlanta has very little regard for it’s history or preservation.
http://cliffcarson.com
I CAN’T stand AMC. Why wasn’t I snapping pictures of the original NORTH DEKALB MALL theatre when it was a single theatre and the entry way was from outside. That was a beautiful theatre. Saw many wonderful movies there starting with OLIVER! and then WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.
Who was it that said, “growing up in Atlanta is like watching your past hauled away in a dump truck”??
No appreciation for nostalgia.
Americans bitch and complain about job loss and the economy, but they did it to themselves by funding and pouring their money into corporations rather than privately owned sectors. Horrible stores like WALMART and Costco.
View link
I love it. Thanks for posting that pic. N. E. Expressway Drive In IS and always will by MY Drive In. Forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H56VUwZU88M