Bradlick Theatre
5105 Backlick Road,
Annandale,
VA
22003
5105 Backlick Road,
Annandale,
VA
22003
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While in High school at R.E.Lee, I worked as one of the cashiers from 1964 until summer 1966. I remember the longest lines of people came for “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” but stayed away from movies like the Pawnbroker.“ I learned a lot about film making from seeing so many movies. I dated the projectionist at that time, who went on to become a big real estate developer in WDC. And yep, it did have 900 seats when it opened. I saved all the money I made there and eventually got the projection to drive me to St. Louis, from where I flew out to LA.
April 29th, 1964 grand opening ad in photo section
I worked at the Bradlick for a few months before it closed. It had in the neighborhood of 850 seats. (which was HUGE being in the corner of that shopping center!) There was a nice lobby with a small box office, and you would walk up a set of stairs to concessions and the theater. It was owned by the Circle/Showcase company.
A few interior photos of the Bradlick Theatre in Boxoffice, July 19, 1965. Captions say the house had 900 seats.
I’m glad I wasn’t a kid named Brad growing up in Annandale when this theater was operating. The mockery they must have endured!
The Bradlick opened on 5/1/64, and its first attraction was THE BRASS BOTTLE with Tony Randall, Burl Ives, and Barbara Eden! Ives played the genie in this one. The film opened at several local D.C. theaters on this date. It did not open any of the downtown theaters.
No, no, the Bradlick Theatre was part of the Bradlick Shopping Center, which is still in use (it was recently renovated). The theater was located at the northernmost section of the shopping center that faced Backlick Road (next to Dart Drug). When the theater closed in the 1980s, the space was converted to small shops, which are still there.
I grew up within walking distance of the Bradlick during the 1960s and saw many a movie there. Especially Disney ones, which always cost more (hated that)! We’d buy nickel candy bars at Dart Drug and then head inside. It was a great neighborhood house — wide and spacious with a single screen.
I can post a picture of the part of the shopping center that housed the theater, if anyone’s interested (taken during a visit there in 1980). Sadly, it’s from a distance and you can’t make out much detail.
Apparently the Bardlick Theatre is no more. The 5105 Bradlick Road address is an office park which appears to have been built around the time the theatre closed in 1985. The shopping plaza next door does not appear to have ever had a 900 seat theatre as a tenant.
Re: Address.. Everyone is right. All are speaking of different points in time.
Bradlick Shopping center is at the intersection of the 5100 block of BackLICK Rd and the 6900 block of BRADdock Rd appears that in the past addresses were assigned to the stores per the road they faced. Also a Bradlick address vs actual street was sometimes used (there is no Bradlick street or road)
In the past the theatre could have been 5105 Backlick Road (Ben Franklin store, next to theatre was 5125)
Now all of the addresses used are Braddock Road Addresses. 5105 is a group of office condos just north of the shopping center(Fairfax County tax records) & maps)
Ah, I see, I thought you were talking about the theater name. You could be right with the street address. All I know is it was 5105. I was assuming Bradlick but it certainly could be Backlick checking on google maps.
Only mentioned as there is a chiropractor currently at 5105 Backlick Road in Annandale.
Bradlick is a small little road actually off of Backlick Road. It’s pretty much at the intersection of Braddock and Backlick. A bit confusing.
I think it’s Backlick Road.