This theatre is where I worked for 29 years (1977 — 2006). Floor staff, Projectionist, Assistant Manager, and finally General Manager (1994 — 2006). A few inaccuracies in the above text should be corrected: Seating capacity in Theatres 1 & 2 are correct (with the 600 seat #1 house also having a 45-foot-wide, curved silver screen), but the seating in #3 & #4 were 300 and 150 respectively. Also, theatres #5 & #6 were built in 1981 and seated 185 each. We were the first theatre in town to install Dolby Stereo with Surround Sound (4-channel) in 1978. Theatre #1 had two projectors and ran one-hour reels with a single changeover in the middle of the show to the other projector. All the other cinemas at the Crown had platters. I got to build the print of STAR WARS in June of 1977 ——– and I ended up projecting that same print (non-stop) for one-and-a-half years ! That length of run remained a record at the Crown till closing in 2006. (TITANIC only ran 8 months in 1998). The first films that I projected at the theatre (as a newly trained projectionist) in 1977 were JOYRIDE, BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY, Playboy’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and a reissue of ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH (with Kirk Douglas). What a selection for my initiation into film projection. Before I worked there, I took my high school girlfriend to this theatre to see MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL in 1975. Became an Assistant Manager in 1991 and the General Manager in 1994. Also not mentioned in the text above is that Regal Cinemas took over from United Artists in 2002 at the Crown. AND, the Crown stayed open until 2006 (not 2003). We closed the Crown’s doors in March of 2006. Why? Two reasons: a new 14-plex Carmike Cinema opened across town next to the big Valley Hills Mall (and took most of our business away), and, the building’s original tar-and-gravel roof had started leaking everywhere and needed to be completely replaced ——– to the tune of $70,000.00. Corporate cut their losses and closed the theatre. But, 29 years of great memories (with over a thousand employees that I either worked with or hired over those years) !!! I do miss it .
This theatre is where I worked for 29 years (1977 — 2006). Floor staff, Projectionist, Assistant Manager, and finally General Manager (1994 — 2006). A few inaccuracies in the above text should be corrected: Seating capacity in Theatres 1 & 2 are correct (with the 600 seat #1 house also having a 45-foot-wide, curved silver screen), but the seating in #3 & #4 were 300 and 150 respectively. Also, theatres #5 & #6 were built in 1981 and seated 185 each. We were the first theatre in town to install Dolby Stereo with Surround Sound (4-channel) in 1978. Theatre #1 had two projectors and ran one-hour reels with a single changeover in the middle of the show to the other projector. All the other cinemas at the Crown had platters. I got to build the print of STAR WARS in June of 1977 ——– and I ended up projecting that same print (non-stop) for one-and-a-half years ! That length of run remained a record at the Crown till closing in 2006. (TITANIC only ran 8 months in 1998). The first films that I projected at the theatre (as a newly trained projectionist) in 1977 were JOYRIDE, BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY, Playboy’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and a reissue of ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH (with Kirk Douglas). What a selection for my initiation into film projection. Before I worked there, I took my high school girlfriend to this theatre to see MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL in 1975. Became an Assistant Manager in 1991 and the General Manager in 1994. Also not mentioned in the text above is that Regal Cinemas took over from United Artists in 2002 at the Crown. AND, the Crown stayed open until 2006 (not 2003). We closed the Crown’s doors in March of 2006. Why? Two reasons: a new 14-plex Carmike Cinema opened across town next to the big Valley Hills Mall (and took most of our business away), and, the building’s original tar-and-gravel roof had started leaking everywhere and needed to be completely replaced ——– to the tune of $70,000.00. Corporate cut their losses and closed the theatre. But, 29 years of great memories (with over a thousand employees that I either worked with or hired over those years) !!! I do miss it .