the original Intro is out of date, but for history purposes, I am copying it here:
The Landis Theatre was originally a stop on the vaudeville circuit but eventually became a full fledged movie theater.
The Landis Theatre Redevelopment Association (located at 560 Chestnut Terrace in Vineland) has been struggling for years to prevent the destruction of this exceptional structure but as of yet no renovation has taken place. The owner of the Landis Theatre, along with a handful of volunteers, is working feverishly to comply with the city of Vineland, New Jersey over health code violations. The former art deco movie house was cited for everything from not cleaning up debris and pigeon feaces to failing to fix a broken retaining wall. Landis supporters haven’t had much luck lately after the city denied a $600,000 grant application to restore it, and the owner was then forced to return over $450,000 from a grant from the state’s Historic Trust because it could not match the funds. Fortunately, The Landis is listed on the National Register of Historic Places which should help protect it from being torn down in the near future.
Great to have guidelines. No disrespect meant for the wonderful people running the site, but it is not so good feel like Editing Police landed on the site. I’ve added many theaters, so I’ve got a few comments.
Why must we spell out numbers? That feels too picky.
In many countries, the word “cinema” isn’t their word either but given the name of this website, using “cinema” might work.
Cineplex became a commonly used term long ago.
Vertical sign is ok. There’s nothing wrong with blade or vertical marquee. I prefer vertical sign, but this instruction truly is too picky.
As of today, Cinema treasures itself is STILL classifying megaplexes (Look at “Number of Screens” at 10 screens or more (which I’ve never understood) yet when we use the term they must be 16?
You want us to telephone any theater (sorry, cinema) in the world to verify??? Who is going to pay the bill?
How do we add new styles? I thought we can’t?
So far as I know, the hyphen 924-seat is not proper grammar. It might be, but it doesn’t sound right.
Yes, noticed the hallway. I don’t know about 1987, but in 1988, AMC did not open & close curtains in front of their movie screens.
I don’t know if Budco (which sold their movie operations to AMC) had used curtains. Were there leftover curtains?
How well did the City Line Center Theatre do for ticket sales? for Saturday matinees, evenings, etc? probably not many people during the week. Were there problems with the moviegoers? Were there many from adjoining neibbhorhoods in West Philly, or still many people attending from Overbrook Park & the western suburbs? Any particular movies you recall that did very well or that you were happy to see presented on the big screen?
Thanks for the diagram. The little boxes you drew are speakers for the sound?
What do you mean by catwalks? an attic over the auditorium? or just main floor hallways?
Thanks! I remember movie poster cases in the passageway to the alley behind the theater.
I would like to have seen Auditorium 1 on the video.
Did Auditorium 1 have the same screen it did when the theater only had one big house? That is, did Auditorium 1 retain seats in front of where Auditorium 2 ended? Or, did Auditorium 2 and the storage space in front of it go all the way to the same front wall where Auditorium 1’s screen was also located? I’m trying to figure out if I had gone into Auditorium 1 whether I’d have been watching a movie on the same exact size screen in its same location that it was
before the twinning?
I recognized the marquee, ticket booth, and the doors with portholes that opened to the auditorium. From your description and the video, it seems there was a vestibule lobby, and then the main lobby itself opened to the auditorium.
I was never in the projection booth. I assume it had 35mm projectors and not 70mm projection? Do you know how big the movie screens were? (usually they have tags stating how many feet wide, tall). How many seats were in Auditorium 2?
Yes, I’d very much like to see it on You Tube!
I was inside when it was a single, vast auditorium. I’m not sure just how many seats it had, but it was huge and had a large, curtained screen. This was long after the original stage opening, prosenium arch, curtains, etc. had been modified for wide screen cinemascope film in the 1950s.
Before it was twinnged, I remember the doors to the auditorium having portholes so you could see the movie playing thru them.
I didn’t visit inside after it was twinned, but did see the exterior intact until conversion to store.
What were the offices & back rooms like? Was there any collection of vintage movie posters or photos of the theater? Do you know of any still photos-perhaps you snapped some yourself?
Did you work in other theaters?
Thanks again for documenting this gem.
thanks to Jack Coursey for this link, http://www.gsf-dc.org/about_outreach.html
with an etching of what may be the former Carver Theatre and soon to be Good Samaritan Foundation.
Kevanos, did you shoot the film inside the theater? does it show the lobby? I’d be interested in seeing any part of the theater on film or photo. Maybe you could post on YouTube or flickr and link here?
I remember the stand alone ticket booth, but haven’t found photos of the exterior as a theater or the interior. As you know, the ticket booth & marquee are gone since TJ Maxx.
Though a few people do it, THIS website isn’t a forum to rail against Cablevision’s operation of sports! or electronic stores. This website is about movie theaters.
Pedas owns the Uptown & did a GREAT job as Circle Uptown in operating it. They know the value of having excellent standards in the theater, and could bring 35 mm blockbusters & 70 mm classics to the huge screen.
The book mentioned above didn’t give specs for theaters with more than 3500 seats, but there was not much difference between 2000 seat screen and 3500 seat screen.
Loews renamed their theaters Sony after its owner, but after merger with Cineplex Odeon, the Loews name returned. So, Sony and Loews was the same operator. I think Loews stayed longer. My notes indicte maybe until 1997. When Sony Lincoln Square opened, arthouse movies often began there.
to make it clear, that was Ray’s introduction. The newer Intro will better reflect the current plans, and mention earlier history.
the original Intro is out of date, but for history purposes, I am copying it here:
The Landis Theatre was originally a stop on the vaudeville circuit but eventually became a full fledged movie theater.
The Landis Theatre Redevelopment Association (located at 560 Chestnut Terrace in Vineland) has been struggling for years to prevent the destruction of this exceptional structure but as of yet no renovation has taken place. The owner of the Landis Theatre, along with a handful of volunteers, is working feverishly to comply with the city of Vineland, New Jersey over health code violations. The former art deco movie house was cited for everything from not cleaning up debris and pigeon feaces to failing to fix a broken retaining wall. Landis supporters haven’t had much luck lately after the city denied a $600,000 grant application to restore it, and the owner was then forced to return over $450,000 from a grant from the state’s Historic Trust because it could not match the funds. Fortunately, The Landis is listed on the National Register of Historic Places which should help protect it from being torn down in the near future.
Vintage exterior photo that I see recently was placed online:
View link
Great to have guidelines. No disrespect meant for the wonderful people running the site, but it is not so good feel like Editing Police landed on the site. I’ve added many theaters, so I’ve got a few comments.
Why must we spell out numbers? That feels too picky.
In many countries, the word “cinema” isn’t their word either but given the name of this website, using “cinema” might work.
Cineplex became a commonly used term long ago.
Vertical sign is ok. There’s nothing wrong with blade or vertical marquee. I prefer vertical sign, but this instruction truly is too picky.
As of today, Cinema treasures itself is STILL classifying megaplexes (Look at “Number of Screens” at 10 screens or more (which I’ve never understood) yet when we use the term they must be 16?
You want us to telephone any theater (sorry, cinema) in the world to verify??? Who is going to pay the bill?
How do we add new styles? I thought we can’t?
So far as I know, the hyphen 924-seat is not proper grammar. It might be, but it doesn’t sound right.
Interior photo that I found on flickr:
View link
2006 exterior photo:
View link
Yes, noticed the hallway. I don’t know about 1987, but in 1988, AMC did not open & close curtains in front of their movie screens.
I don’t know if Budco (which sold their movie operations to AMC) had used curtains. Were there leftover curtains?
How well did the City Line Center Theatre do for ticket sales? for Saturday matinees, evenings, etc? probably not many people during the week. Were there problems with the moviegoers? Were there many from adjoining neibbhorhoods in West Philly, or still many people attending from Overbrook Park & the western suburbs? Any particular movies you recall that did very well or that you were happy to see presented on the big screen?
Friends of the Oakland Fox video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnaLUSNw1t8
Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre video including interview with owner & organist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p_Dt0RhE74
Video about the Ritzy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBums7k9pVc
Video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzfmM2oH5NM
Thanks for the diagram. The little boxes you drew are speakers for the sound?
What do you mean by catwalks? an attic over the auditorium? or just main floor hallways?
Thanks! I remember movie poster cases in the passageway to the alley behind the theater.
I would like to have seen Auditorium 1 on the video.
Did Auditorium 1 have the same screen it did when the theater only had one big house? That is, did Auditorium 1 retain seats in front of where Auditorium 2 ended? Or, did Auditorium 2 and the storage space in front of it go all the way to the same front wall where Auditorium 1’s screen was also located? I’m trying to figure out if I had gone into Auditorium 1 whether I’d have been watching a movie on the same exact size screen in its same location that it was
before the twinning?
I recognized the marquee, ticket booth, and the doors with portholes that opened to the auditorium. From your description and the video, it seems there was a vestibule lobby, and then the main lobby itself opened to the auditorium.
I was never in the projection booth. I assume it had 35mm projectors and not 70mm projection? Do you know how big the movie screens were? (usually they have tags stating how many feet wide, tall). How many seats were in Auditorium 2?
Wait, the main floor might be that of another Palace cinema, though it looks like this one, too.
Current photos.
Top of exterior of Palace cinema:
View link
Main floor of shopping mall with food stand. Lots of delicious choices!
View link
Yes, I’d very much like to see it on You Tube!
I was inside when it was a single, vast auditorium. I’m not sure just how many seats it had, but it was huge and had a large, curtained screen. This was long after the original stage opening, prosenium arch, curtains, etc. had been modified for wide screen cinemascope film in the 1950s.
Before it was twinnged, I remember the doors to the auditorium having portholes so you could see the movie playing thru them.
I didn’t visit inside after it was twinned, but did see the exterior intact until conversion to store.
What were the offices & back rooms like? Was there any collection of vintage movie posters or photos of the theater? Do you know of any still photos-perhaps you snapped some yourself?
Did you work in other theaters?
Thanks again for documenting this gem.
thanks to Jack Coursey for this link,
http://www.gsf-dc.org/about_outreach.html
with an etching of what may be the former Carver Theatre and soon to be Good Samaritan Foundation.
Kevanos, did you shoot the film inside the theater? does it show the lobby? I’d be interested in seeing any part of the theater on film or photo. Maybe you could post on YouTube or flickr and link here?
I remember the stand alone ticket booth, but haven’t found photos of the exterior as a theater or the interior. As you know, the ticket booth & marquee are gone since TJ Maxx.
Though a few people do it, THIS website isn’t a forum to rail against Cablevision’s operation of sports! or electronic stores. This website is about movie theaters.
This link has auditorium & marquee photo, and classic films shown:
http://www.in70mm.com/news/2008/royal/index.htm
Pedas owns the Uptown & did a GREAT job as Circle Uptown in operating it. They know the value of having excellent standards in the theater, and could bring 35 mm blockbusters & 70 mm classics to the huge screen.
The book mentioned above didn’t give specs for theaters with more than 3500 seats, but there was not much difference between 2000 seat screen and 3500 seat screen.
Pathe did not return.
Loews renamed their theaters Sony after its owner, but after merger with Cineplex Odeon, the Loews name returned. So, Sony and Loews was the same operator. I think Loews stayed longer. My notes indicte maybe until 1997. When Sony Lincoln Square opened, arthouse movies often began there.
It is no secret, but well known. I think it was after Pathe’s lease was up, when Sony leased it that Fine Arts was the name.
Well, that might be different.