Sandy Springs Theatre
6125 Roswell Road,
Atlanta,
GA
30328
6125 Roswell Road,
Atlanta,
GA
30328
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 27 comments
Thanks!
Cone
I am sure Cone can elaborate, but it was not closed until about 1979. It was sold to Weis in Summer of 1974 and they ran it several years. I can recall one of the later features as being Ode To Billy Joe because I remember seeing the projectionist local running a picket line there and at Doraville.
Cone I remember the ad for that Hail Hero. The first movie I saw here was Impossible Years. I also recall a four week run of Airport after it left its downtown run at the Rialto. True Grit in August of 1969 is another one I remember.
Closed 1973. Nice comment, madcone.
Conner’s Capital Corporation was an internal transfer in an effort to divert some money from our real estate to fund the theaters when C&S reneged on our funding agreement.
We opened Hail Hero first run Atlanta at Sandy Springs and Ansley. Michael Douglas first staring role. We had so few patrons, we took an add in the Atlanta Newspapers offering to pay $1.00 to anyone who would watch the movie. We limited it to the first 500 patrons. Turns out even if paid no one wanted to watch Michael Douglas in his first film. Cone Maddox
This opened on December 18th, 1968. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Stan, I got a tru understanding now, thanks.
Chris, thank you for the compliment. I do my best although my memory does play tricks on me from time to time. It is nice to know that there are people out there who value such efforts.
As for your question, the above ad is on the correct page. This is confusing to someone who did not live it, but the easiest way to keep it straight is to remember that the other theater never had “Sandy Springs” in its name and kept the same owner the entire time. It opened as “Cinema 285” and before too long was renamed “Hammond Square Cinema” when the shopping center it was in was renamed. (The reason for all if this is in my intro for that theater on its page.) It was run by Georgia Theater Company for its entire run.
This location started off as “Sandy Springs Mini Cinema” the third of what would be a chain of five mini cinemas in the Atlanta region plus some out of town locations. In 1971 it was renamed “Sandy Springs Theater” by its franchisee when they pulled it out of the Mini Cinema chain when the chain was sold. In 1973 another new owner purchased all of the Atlanta properties and reunited them under the Mini Cinema name calling them “A Division of Conners Capital Corp.” (Except for the Peachtree Battle and Ansley Mall locations which had already been sold off.) In the summer of 1974, all of these plus the under construction triple on Franklin Road in Marietta were sold to Weis Theaters which was a major player in the Atlanta first run/exclusive run market.
This might not be exactly accurate, but it is the way the story was told to those of us who worked there at the time. The ad above is from the spring of 1974 based on what was playing. By this time I had graduated from college and was managing a theatre for Georgia Theatre Company. I can date this by the Papillon sub-run ad and the Great Gatsby ad to the right. (The Lenox ad was for Where The Lillies Bloom.) This was just a month or two before the chain was sold to Weis. The reason such a low rent film was playing in this neighborhood location was simple. The current owner, not nearly as nice to work for as the original people, owed money to all of the major studios for unpaid film rent plus National Screen and every concession supply house in town. The only distributors he could get product from were minor independents that he did not yet owe money to.
As to why Weis even got involved I do not know. They were a Savannah outfit and controlled that market, but they had no sub-run locations here. Maybe they wanted some or maybe they foresaw the coming of the end of the exclusive first run days and wanted a wider presence for the wide break patterns to come. If so they were very smart as in 1977 they got three of the four Atlanta bookings for Star Wars. However, they soon blind bid their way into the poor house and sold off their properties and left town.
Sandy Springs was the only one of their locations that did not continue on as a theater for at least a few years.
Stan from all my readings it seems your are very good at clearing up confusion. I very much enjoy reading all that you write. So the ad in the header is for the theatre down the road not the Sandy Springs Mini Cinema
I must confess, I loved the movie business. I’m happy to add what I can regarding the Alps Road MiniCinema.
Best wishes,
Cone
Cone,If you have anything on the Alps and Athens Drive-ins in Athens plez add them to the very small intro i did. Great to read your articles. TLSLOEWS.you a theatre dawg too.
Thanks Cone and welcome to C.T.Mike Rogers and Nick are the men!Old theatre dawgs.
Sandy Springs and Athens were franchised rather than company owned. Charles and Brooks Schoen owned the Athens MiniCinema. It was the first franchised theater in the world. Jerry Lewis came along several years later. The Sandy Springs MiniCinema was the second and last franchise to open. We quickly learned that franchiseing was not a viable option as we were unable to provide profitable film product in competative markets. When C&S Bank renigned on our financing, we were forced to sell the theaters to pay the Bank. The Sandy Springs and the Athens MiniCinema continued in business for some time.
Hope this helps. I’m happy to answer any questions any one may have. It’s great to learn that every ones efforts are not forgotten.
Best wishes,
Cone Maddox
Still alive & kicking !
There was also a single screen called WEIS CINEMA located at Peachtree and 13th ave. In Atlanta.
Now playing WEIS SANDY SPRINGS is THE GROOVE TUBE. rated R. Shows at 3 ,4:45, 6:30 , 8:10 and 9;45.
WEIS CINEMAS in Atlanta in Oct. 19 1974 are PEACHTREE BATTLE, SANDY SPRINGS, WEIS CANDLER 1 and 2 cinemas, ATLANTA THEATRE, WEIS DORAVILLE , BROADVIEW 1 and 2 cinemas, and FINE ART. Albert Weis owned walk ins and drive ins in Augusta,Macon,and Savannah is home of operations.
My father and I saw ‘King Kong’ with Jeff Bridges in 1975. Two years later the cinema began getting a little on the seedy side and played racey material mixed with re-released stuff. Not knowing this I took my first date here to see “A boy and His Dog,” and “Flesh Gordon.”
Please notify
Hi Barbara, You won’t believe this one. Remembering what you said about your father and the cinemas, I Googled Bestoink Dooley, found his picture and this comment from you. Attended the first showing of Romeo and Juliett. Also, Straw Dogs and many Kurt Vonnegut films. Did you Know Lilli Nyyland and her husband {Netherlands}? They had cinemas here in central Florida. Do you remember Bestoink? What was his favorite gift? Thanks you for rekindling all those memories! Memories of Houlihan’s and your laughter. Please send me an email.
Bob Williams Maitland, Fl.
321-356-4020
Hey Stan. Cone and family were our next door neighbors, but neither of them were lawyers. Don’t know where that “fact” got started! I also remember the name of Jeff/Geoff Tyre, but can’t really remember any details about him off the top of my head. Dad and Cone founded owned the entire Mini Cinema chain until it was sold. I remember looking at different logos when they were deciding on the one to use. (The corporate name was Modular Cinemas of America.) I don’t know the “story behind Storey” though. P'tree Battle was DEFINITELY the first one to open. No doubt whatsoever. I believe Ansley was 2nd, but won’t take an oath to swear it! I’m almost positive dad
was still involved when Doraville opened — Candler doesn’t ring a bell, but I was only about 12-14, so I don’t remember completely. Also, I believe there was another theater in Athens, GA. My mom’s favorite movie was “The Twelve Chairs,” one I have vague but fond
memories of. I remember taking a bunch of kids from school to
P'tree Battle for FREE, making me very popular! My sister worked
the concession stand at P.B. when she was in high school, too. Both
mom and dad are gone, but I, too, have very fond memories of
that “new concept” in movie theater experiences. Too bad dad and
Cone were ahead of their time. I would be a gazillionaire heiress
today!
Barbara: Thank you for that very interesting post. I do not recognize your fathers name, but he must have been the other half of the…“two lawyers who owned the theatre”. I do remember Cone Maddox very well as he was a frequent visitor to the theatre, especially when we had family films when he would bring his children. I also remember a man named Jeff (or Geoff) Tyre who I believe was English.
Perhaps you could clear up something for me. I was under the impression that your father and Cone owned the franchise to the Sandy Springs location and not the Mini Cinema chain as a whole, and that this is why went independent during the days that Storey was contracted to book and manage the chain. Do you know the story behind this?
Also, was the Peachtree Battle the first theatre in the chain? I always thought so but know someone who insists that it was the Ansley Mall which was first. I know that the Sandy Springs opened third, followed by Doraville and Candler Road. Was your father still involved when the last two were built?
I would love to hear anything you know regarding these or other aspects of the Mini Cinema operation. Oddly enough, I did not do much actual theatre work at the Sandy Springs since it required such a small staff. Usually just fill in for sick or vacationing employees or extra help during busy times. For most of those early years I worked at the North Springs, Cherokee, and Atlanta. However, I did do a lot of behind the scenes work there such as film and concession supply deliveries, marquee changes, trips to National Screen, and even spent the night there twice helping to pump out the auditorium when the Laundromat next door would cause a flood.
If you are interested, I believe all of the other Mini Cinemas have pages on this site:
Doraville: /theaters/11795/
Ansley Mall: /theaters/16291/
Peachtree Battle: /theaters/12131/
Candler Road: /theaters/16454/
Chattanooga: /theaters/17006/
Macon: /theaters/17559/
As for the movie going experience, Peachtree Battle, Sandy Springs, Doraville, and Macon were good places to see a movie. Ansley and Candler somewhat less so. Still they were better than most of the auditoriums that you will find in the megaplex of today. If your dad is still alive tell him “Thank You” for me as I have very fond memories of the theatres and the people that I met while working in them.
lefonts sandy springs seems to do well, its been around a while….
Jack and Stan, you have great knowledge of the Mini Cinema chain. You forgot, however, one fact that is near and dear to me: my father, Robert Gentry, and his partner Cone Maddox founded the company. I remember when the P'tree Battle theater was getting ready to open. The press would be there en masse for this new concept in movie theaters, and our house was buzzing with excitement. Unfortunately, one can never predict the unexpected, as an event happened that day which took practically every reporter from Atlanta out of town. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. happened the night of our big grand opening.
Thank you for the update and correction. Although I’ve been able reference some IMPAs in the main libraries of most major cities, I haven’t had much luck in getting hold of criss cross and other such directories for out of state cities. Didn’t get a chance to hit the Atlanta library during my last visit in the area. Greatly appreciate you effort in checking this out and getting it straight. Were the screens at either of these Sandy Springs theatres comparable to the main screens in any of the newer megaplexs?
A couple of corrections to my comment above. Aside from the typos, I mistated a couple of dates. Storey took over the management contract in late 1971, not 1970. Also, Weis bought the location in mid 1974, not 1975.
To clarify the information in the post which started this page: The Sandy Springs Theatre and the Sandy Springs Mini Cinema are the same location, namely this one. As for the Cinema 285, it was built in 1971 by Georgia Theatre which operated the site for its entire life. In 1974, the name was changed to Hammond Square Cinema to reflect the new name of its shopping center. As for the confusion about its opening, that may be due to the fact that the shopping center in which Cinema 285 was located had several starts and halts during its construction. During the two to three years it took to build the center, there was a large sign facing Roswell Road listing the proposed tennants, one of which was Sandy Springs Theatre. This was just a generic listing, probably painted before an operator for the proposed theatre space was even signed up. Later a newer sign was put up listing “Georgia Theatre” which undoubtedly referred to Georgia Theatre Company. For the complete story on the Cinema 285 / Hammond Square, I have posted a page on this website, although it has not been listed as yet. Maybe tomorrow.
As for the Comedy Spot, it is located in The Balconies Shopping Center and I believe the address is 220 Hildebrand Drive. That center was built in 1972 although the Comedy Club did not open there until many years later. There was never any movie theatre connection to that site.
There were two different theatres in Sandy Springs, neither of which was located at the Johnson Ferry, Roswell Road, Mt. Vernon Highway intersection. This comment is in regards to the Sandy Springs Mini Cinema which at other times was known as the Sandy Springs Theatre, and the Weis Sandy Springs. The correct address for is was 6125 Roswell Road. This is the shopping center at the intersection of Roswell Road and Hildebrand Drive. The Comedy Spot mentioned above is located across Hildebrand Drive in a shopping area which was built in 1972.
I was not paying attention to movies or theatres at the time the Sandy Springs was built but it appeared in late 1967 or early 1968. It was part of the Modular Cinemas of America chain which went by the name of Mini Cinema. The chain was already operating the Peachtree Battle Minii Cinema, (later known as Weis Peachtree Battle and still later George LeFont’s Silver Screen), and the Ansley Mall Mini Cinema, (later much more famous as George Ellis’s Film Forum.)
When I first attended a movie there is was like no theatre I had ever seen. First is was not built as a theatre, but was just a converted storefront in a strip shopping center. Second was the size. 350 seats might sound like a lot these days, but at the time it hardly seemed like a real theatre. The lobby was very small, running the width of the front. There was a desk just inside the door where the cashier sat. Entrances to the auditorium were on each side. On the left entrance you passed the janitor / storage room. On the right entrance side was the concession stand. From the concession stand was the entrance to the projection booth. There was no office. The manager used a desk in the booth. Rest rooms were located downstairs underneath the booth, something that wouold be illegal in todays post ADA world. The staff consisted of the cashier and a concession attendant. There was seldom enough business to justify an usher and the stand was too small for two people to work at the same time.
The auditorium, while small was a nice shape, almost square. A slope had been cut into the floor so you had to go up steps to exit the back fire escape. except for the exit doors on each side the screen was wall to wall. The projection booth was equipped with 35MM Century projectors, 6000 foot reels and changeover automation. Lights, curtain and masking had to be operated by the projectionist. With the wide screen, short throw and shallow auditorium, the the movies looked and sounded very good. For the most part the first four Mini Cinemas (Doraville becoming the fourth in `969) were very fortunate when it came to theatre management. Modular contracted with the local projectionist union to run the booth, and this included a daily fee for the operator to also manage the location. There were several ex Loews and Georgia Theatre managers in the local and with the good pay and zero oversight by Modular finding good people to fill these jobs was seldom a problem.
Although the Peachtree Battle and Ansley Mall usually ran first run movies, Sandy Springs, Doraville, and the Candler Road Twin, when it opened in 1971, always were second run houses. As with the case of the nearby Cinema 285, earning a living with second run product was hard in this area which contained most of the first run theatres in town. Modular soon tired of the business and in late 1970 contracted out the booking, advertising, and home office duties to the Storey chain. The Mini Cinemas started appearing in the Storey Theatre ads. Sandy Springs, being the only franchise of the group did not go for this and struck out as an independent theatre. Although also using Storey for the mechanics of booking, the theatre manager took on the duties of picking movies and taking out the newspaper ads which appeared under the name of “Sandy Springs Theatre.”
With its low overhead and payroll, the theatre could still make money as an independent. In March of 1973 it booked “Worlds Greatest Athelete” on the day after it left the Fox, and did record business. That summer, “The Sound of Music” was also a big hit in its 1973 reissue. However, its connection to Modular did cause problems. At different times, both Sandy Springs and Modular were somewhat slow to pay bills. Since the vendors were not interested in sorting out just who was who, the credit and billing problems of both parties often spread to each other. By 1972 and 1973, most of the films and concession supplies were on a COD basis only. I can remember several times writing a personal check to get the print released when I went to Benton Brothers to pick up film, later to be reimbursed from the box office receipts. Likewise, I would usually take cash with me when going to Wil-Kin or Blevins to get concession supplies.
Of course no business can operate for long this way. In the summer of 1973, the agreement with Storey ended and all of the theatres except Peachtree Battle , which had been sold to Weis, and Ansley Mall, run by Ellis, were back under the Mini Cinema name. By this time, many film companies would not bother with this chain even under a COD basis after several prints never were run because no one could come up with the cash to pay the COD.
In 1975, Weis bought out the Sandy Springs, Doraville, and Candler Road. This would have been good news at an earlier time but by this time Weis was just a shell of its former self having almost blind bid its way into bankruptcy. Weis' efforts to slash costs and cut payroll led to a dispute with the projectionists union and resulted in a long running picket line. The last movie of note to play at any of these theatres was the Jessica Lange remake of King Kong. Within the year all of the Weis Theatres in Atlanta were either sold off or closed.
The Sandy Springs location was gutted and became a seafood resturant. Later it was converted to an independent resturant known as The Brickery. The Brickery is still going strong after many years, and in a nice turn of events, some of us gather there for our periodic retired / former theatre employees lunches.