Funny, isn’t it so funny. I was one of the first kids to walk through that movie theater when it opened in 1967. My uncle, Royale Milo, who designed the lighting and drapery of that theater gave me a private tour. Richard Crowther the architect of the building worked with my uncle on this beautiful creation. The lobby featured large round rings of jeweled lights giving a prismatic effect. As a kid of about 9 I was REALLY impressed and as an adult years later, so saddened to learn of the theater’s destruction.
IMHO: Cinema 70 was the most beautiful and elegant theatre of its time. The interior was magnificent. I can remember asking my uncle, Royale Milo, why he picked the beige color for the draperies. He said that he was in love with Dorothy Dandridge who had worn a beige-blond dress in the movie, “Island in the Sun” and he wanted the auditorium be be as beautiful as she was.
I remember when the Cooper was opened, it was called the Cooper (without any following numbers). Later, in the 1960s, Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper advertising called it the Cooper 70, however, building signage was not changed. Joe is correct that in the 70s the name,including building signage, was changed to Cooper 1-2-3.
Cinema 70 certainly is confusing. According to records at the Colorado Springs Regional Planning Office, the original building at 412 N. Chelton, the name is the NEW CINEMA 70 and the architects were Lusk and Wallace and Associates. The theatre was owned by Westland and Arcadia Properties; the Cooper Foundation never owned the NEW CINEMA 70. The NEW CINEMA 70 opened in 1965 with My Fair Lady. Interior design, was done by Hans Tager who also did the mural inside the Peak Theatre in Colorado Springs in 1950. The creame-beige-blond draperies were done by Royale Milo. With seating for 2000 persons, NEW CINEMA 70 was the largest auditorium in Colorado at the time. Mel C. Glatz and Associates appear to have had no connection with the NEW CINEMA 70 project, although Glatz may have incorporated ideas from the NEW CINEMA 70 Theatre, in his later work on the Ute 70 Theatre. It is known that Royale Milo did assist Glatz on the draperies in the Ute 70, however. NEW CINEMA 70 was in direct competition with the COOPER CINERAMA in Denver and the UTE 70 in Colorado Springs.
Funny, isn’t it so funny. I was one of the first kids to walk through that movie theater when it opened in 1967. My uncle, Royale Milo, who designed the lighting and drapery of that theater gave me a private tour. Richard Crowther the architect of the building worked with my uncle on this beautiful creation. The lobby featured large round rings of jeweled lights giving a prismatic effect. As a kid of about 9 I was REALLY impressed and as an adult years later, so saddened to learn of the theater’s destruction.
A link to Dorothy Dandridge and “Island in this Sun” is here: http://www.listal.com/viewimage/864003
IMHO: Cinema 70 was the most beautiful and elegant theatre of its time. The interior was magnificent. I can remember asking my uncle, Royale Milo, why he picked the beige color for the draperies. He said that he was in love with Dorothy Dandridge who had worn a beige-blond dress in the movie, “Island in the Sun” and he wanted the auditorium be be as beautiful as she was.
I remember when the Cooper was opened, it was called the Cooper (without any following numbers). Later, in the 1960s, Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper advertising called it the Cooper 70, however, building signage was not changed. Joe is correct that in the 70s the name,including building signage, was changed to Cooper 1-2-3.
Cinema 70 certainly is confusing. According to records at the Colorado Springs Regional Planning Office, the original building at 412 N. Chelton, the name is the NEW CINEMA 70 and the architects were Lusk and Wallace and Associates. The theatre was owned by Westland and Arcadia Properties; the Cooper Foundation never owned the NEW CINEMA 70. The NEW CINEMA 70 opened in 1965 with My Fair Lady. Interior design, was done by Hans Tager who also did the mural inside the Peak Theatre in Colorado Springs in 1950. The creame-beige-blond draperies were done by Royale Milo. With seating for 2000 persons, NEW CINEMA 70 was the largest auditorium in Colorado at the time. Mel C. Glatz and Associates appear to have had no connection with the NEW CINEMA 70 project, although Glatz may have incorporated ideas from the NEW CINEMA 70 Theatre, in his later work on the Ute 70 Theatre. It is known that Royale Milo did assist Glatz on the draperies in the Ute 70, however. NEW CINEMA 70 was in direct competition with the COOPER CINERAMA in Denver and the UTE 70 in Colorado Springs.