Oxon Hill Theatre
6195 Livingston Road,
Oxon Hill,
MD
20745
6195 Livingston Road,
Oxon Hill,
MD
20745
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The Oxen Hill Theatre opened April 6 1966.
Contributed by
Robert R
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
This single-auditorium theater, part of an otherwise undistinguished strip mall (Giant Food, Kemp Mill Records, etc.), showed first-run movies on a wide screen during the 1970s and early ‘80s. In its heyday, it was one of five theaters in the Washington metro area to show 70mm prints. (The others were the Uptown, Cinema, and MacArthur in DC and one of the screens in the multiplex at Springfield Mall in Virginia). As a child, I saw quite a few films there, including at least one of the Superman flicks and a James Bond one.
Further note: I believe it was part of the Showcase chain for much of its lifetime.
The Oxon Hill opened on 4/6/66 with the film THE TROUBLE WITH ANGLES which opened at several other theaters on that date a first-run engagement. It played there for three weeks.
I was the projectionist here from the mid 70’s to closing in 1986.
It had a 70' cinemascope screen and sat 1100 people. The booth had two century projectors and carbon arc lamphouse’s and mono sound. Many people thought we ran 70mm because the screen was so large but never did. In the early 80’s we had an “upgrade” to the booth, installed a platter,xenon lamphouse and retained our mono sound. That was the beginning of the end. This was a great theatre to watch a film in even with the mono sound and it sold out many shows. It deserved better than being converted into a CVS.
I was never a projectionist,but in management and jgrow i can honestly say having a trained man in the booth during my days made life easier. I got in on the tail end of carbon arcs and the beginning of platters. I don’t know how many unionoperators realized their days were numbered. By the time i quit GCC, they were wanting the operators to start the last feature and leave the booth and a manager would cut everything off.
I am glad i quit when i did. Theatre business is gone down hill since i started as a doorman by in 1974.
Thank you for the kind words Mike. Not only did the union guys know their days were numbered but every true projectionist did. When one chain (AMC) had ushers handling the booths, I knew it was over.
Believe it or not, I got In the IATSE Local 629 Stagehands once taking off my suit and tie,but even before then i know we gave you guys hell alot . It was always a comfort to know we had trained men that actually cared about picture and sound and not like today when they flip them on and leave the booth. Plus,you guys always had clean restrooms!
The Oxen Hill opened on 4/6/66 with THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, starring Rosilind Russell and Hayley Mills. The film opened at this theater and several others as a first-run engagement. It was not shown in any downtown D.C. theater.
This theatre is listed as a Loews in their 1965 annual report.
April 6th, 1966 grand opening ad in photo section