DU QUOIN- Attendance problems at Grand Theater in Du Quoin forced owners to close the historic theater Monday, but owners aren’t ruling out a re-opening if they can find help with funding.
Rich Baker, co-owner of the theater, said the reason for closing is simple, “We just went broke.”
He said the theater simply couldn’t sell enough tickets to make the business viable. Baker said the theater screened two new releases Friday night, but only around 20 people came to the theater. He said attendance Saturday and Sunday wasn’t much better.
He said he’s tried to keep the theater open. It employed one full-time employee and about 10 part-time employees.
“Attendance has been so bad,” Baker said. “We thought maybe if we had a good weekend we could keep it going.”
Baker said attendance has been an issue since he bought the theater in 2006. He said summer attendance is always better but it drops sharply when students return to school.
Baker said he’s looking into possible grant opportunities and potential help from the city to keep the nearly 100-year-old theater operating.
As a small, independent theater, Baker said it is more difficult to get films; many times the theater has to put forward an advance to get first-run films, with no guarantee of recouping the cost.
“If we could just break even we’d be happy,” he said. “We invested our entire life savings into that theater. We’ve had some good times, just not enough of them.”
Du Quoin Mayor John Rednour Sr., who was out of town on business, said he first heard of the theater closing Tuesday and, upon his return, was going to see what, if anything, the city could do to help.
Fred Huff, president of Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber will do everything possible to keep the historic theater in operation.
“It’s part of Du Quoin’s history,” Huff said. “There’s just something about a movie theater – it’s the heart of the community. One way or the other, I feel it would reopen as a theater.”
618-351-5823
Copyright 2010 thesouthern.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 2:00 am
This afternoon a out of control Saluki Express bus crashed into the east wall of the theater. Tore up the wall pretty good. Bricks from pretty much roof height to the ground (about 25 feet) fell, and a pretty good sized hole in the wall. According to WSIL a structural engineer has been called in to observe the building.
Originally opened as a twin in 1973. Expanded to 5 screens sometime in the 1980’s. Has recently had DTS Digital sound installed. This theater appears to have a bright future ahead of it.
Trying to find a picture of the Liberty’s old marquee is pretty rare, but I did find one in the September 22, 1982 issue of the Southern Illinoisan. If you look just behind the speed limit sign and “No Parking” sign there it is. Notice it bears no resemblance to the current one. It also appears to have the big black letters. And it has “LIBERTY” on the top.
the University Place 8 opened as a 8 screen theater on August 7, 1987. It previously had 4 screens and was known as the Univerity 4. That theater opened sometime in 1979-1980. the University 4 was previously located in the University Mall before moving to the University Place location.
I also forgot to add that in either April or May they had one screen running films, more than likely it was the new third screen they had just opened. The other two theatres were still being renovated at the time.
The Varsity burned on February 16, 1981. The third theater was already constructed at the time. The fire was caused by a worker’s cutting torch, he was cutting a piece of conduit that went thru the wall between the back of the main theater and the new one. Sparks from the torch went thru the pipe and ignited some seats stacked against the wall behind the main theater. the fire then spread to a curtain on the screen and went up into the attic. The main theater was completely destroyed. The second and third theaters suffered major smoke damage. The Varsity was closed for the next three and a half months. It finally reopened for business as a triplex on June 12, 1981. The following movies shown that night were Raiders of the Lost Ark, Breaker Morant, and Clash of the Titans. A newspaper ad for June 11 proclaimed the Varsity had new seats, new decor, new sound and projection equipment, and new transitional heating and air conditioning.
The last two movies shown the day before it burned were Altered States and Charlie Chan and the Curse of The Dragon Queen.
They could always reopen running sub/second run features.
The Grand closed again October 18, 2010.
View link
DU QUOIN- Attendance problems at Grand Theater in Du Quoin forced owners to close the historic theater Monday, but owners aren’t ruling out a re-opening if they can find help with funding.
Rich Baker, co-owner of the theater, said the reason for closing is simple, “We just went broke.”
He said the theater simply couldn’t sell enough tickets to make the business viable. Baker said the theater screened two new releases Friday night, but only around 20 people came to the theater. He said attendance Saturday and Sunday wasn’t much better.
He said he’s tried to keep the theater open. It employed one full-time employee and about 10 part-time employees.
“Attendance has been so bad,” Baker said. “We thought maybe if we had a good weekend we could keep it going.”
Baker said attendance has been an issue since he bought the theater in 2006. He said summer attendance is always better but it drops sharply when students return to school.
Baker said he’s looking into possible grant opportunities and potential help from the city to keep the nearly 100-year-old theater operating.
As a small, independent theater, Baker said it is more difficult to get films; many times the theater has to put forward an advance to get first-run films, with no guarantee of recouping the cost.
“If we could just break even we’d be happy,” he said. “We invested our entire life savings into that theater. We’ve had some good times, just not enough of them.”
Du Quoin Mayor John Rednour Sr., who was out of town on business, said he first heard of the theater closing Tuesday and, upon his return, was going to see what, if anything, the city could do to help.
Fred Huff, president of Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber will do everything possible to keep the historic theater in operation.
“It’s part of Du Quoin’s history,” Huff said. “There’s just something about a movie theater – it’s the heart of the community. One way or the other, I feel it would reopen as a theater.”
618-351-5823
Copyright 2010 thesouthern.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted in Local on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 2:00 am
As of right now, according to the Kerasotes site, the University Place 8 is temporarily closed.
Story, with picture on thesouthern.com:
View link
This afternoon a out of control Saluki Express bus crashed into the east wall of the theater. Tore up the wall pretty good. Bricks from pretty much roof height to the ground (about 25 feet) fell, and a pretty good sized hole in the wall. According to WSIL a structural engineer has been called in to observe the building.
Went out and got some up close pictures today.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128471443/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129243182/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129245390/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129247972/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128481133/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4129253724/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128485493/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128487701/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bodkin1/4128489807/
This theater burned down?
Picture from October 1985:
View link
Picture from February 1985:
View link
Picture from February 1982:
View link
Picture from February 1982:
View link
Picture from June 1984:
View link
Picture from February 1982:
View link
(Ah-ha there’s your picture of the old marquee!)
Picture from April 1986:
View link
Picture from February 1985:
View link
Scratch the previous post, the Gateway was still a twin in 1988, it didn’t expand to 4 screens until March 30, 1990.-CB
The Beltline opened August 16, 1978 with the following movies:
Hooper
Grease
Animal House
The Beltline closed on October 15, 1988 and moved into the newly expanded Gateway Cinema 4.
*source: Evans A. Criswell
Originally opened as a twin in 1973. Expanded to 5 screens sometime in the 1980’s. Has recently had DTS Digital sound installed. This theater appears to have a bright future ahead of it.
If there is anybody who has a better picture of the old marquee, please post it. My memory of the old one is pretty fuzzy…
Wonder if there’s any way we can contact any former employees of the Liberty by any chance?
Trying to find a picture of the Liberty’s old marquee is pretty rare, but I did find one in the September 22, 1982 issue of the Southern Illinoisan. If you look just behind the speed limit sign and “No Parking” sign there it is. Notice it bears no resemblance to the current one. It also appears to have the big black letters. And it has “LIBERTY” on the top.
View link
the University Place 8 opened as a 8 screen theater on August 7, 1987. It previously had 4 screens and was known as the Univerity 4. That theater opened sometime in 1979-1980. the University 4 was previously located in the University Mall before moving to the University Place location.
Bought by the Kerasotes chain sometime in the late 1960’s. Kerasotes closed the Rodgers July 31, 1980 on account of slumping business.
In October 1981 the Grand was listed as still being a single screen.
However in July 1984 it was listed as a twin, so it was either twinned sometime in 1983 or early 1984.
I also forgot to add that in either April or May they had one screen running films, more than likely it was the new third screen they had just opened. The other two theatres were still being renovated at the time.
The Varsity burned on February 16, 1981. The third theater was already constructed at the time. The fire was caused by a worker’s cutting torch, he was cutting a piece of conduit that went thru the wall between the back of the main theater and the new one. Sparks from the torch went thru the pipe and ignited some seats stacked against the wall behind the main theater. the fire then spread to a curtain on the screen and went up into the attic. The main theater was completely destroyed. The second and third theaters suffered major smoke damage. The Varsity was closed for the next three and a half months. It finally reopened for business as a triplex on June 12, 1981. The following movies shown that night were Raiders of the Lost Ark, Breaker Morant, and Clash of the Titans. A newspaper ad for June 11 proclaimed the Varsity had new seats, new decor, new sound and projection equipment, and new transitional heating and air conditioning.
The last two movies shown the day before it burned were Altered States and Charlie Chan and the Curse of The Dragon Queen.
Mann Theatres was operating the Fox Eastgate in September 1980, Wehrenberg’s was operating it by July 1982.