Shoppingtown Theatre 1-2-3-4

3691 Erie Boulevard East,
Dewitt, NY 13214

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Related Websites

Kallet Shoppingtown I & II

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Hoyts Cinemas, Kallet Theaters Inc.

Previous Names: Kallet Shoppingtown Theatre I & II

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News About This Theater

Shoppingtown Theatre 1-2-3-4

In 1968, when a department store was built in front of the original (1957) Kallet Shoppingtown Theatre, Kallet built the first twin theatre in central New York state. Sharing a huge outer lobby/gallery, the two identical 800 seat auditoriums each had their own inner lobby and restrooms. Between the two inner lobbies was a two-sided concession stand, through which you could see into the lobby on the other side.

The Kallet Shoppingtown I & II opened in December 1968 with two roadshows: Julie Andrews in “Star!”, next to Barbra Streisand in “Funny Girl”. Other roadshow engagements here were “Hello, Dolly!”, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”, “Shoes of the Fisherman” and “Sweet Charity”. The Shoppingtown I & II was, along with the Kallet Genesee on the west side, the prestige theatres in Syracuse.

Other movies shown in the I & II were “Airport”, “Earthquake”, “Airport 1975”, “Woodstock”, “What’s Up, Doc?”, the 1973 reissue of “The Sound of Music”, “The Andromeda Strain”, “Tommy”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, and “That’s Entertainment!”.

Kallet sold the Shoppingtown I & II in 1974, and each twin was subsequently subdivided in half, front and back. It was operated as a fourplex until the Shoppingtown was converted into a mall. A bland multiplex was built in the mall, and the Shoppingtown 1-2-3-4 was demolished.

Further details of the Kallet Shoppingtown I & II and the original Shoppingtown theatre can be found at the link below.

Contributed by TJ Edwards

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

exit
exit on November 4, 2007 at 3:29 am

Anyonr have any pictures of this theatre?

joemasher
joemasher on February 22, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Even as a quad, this was a great theater. All 4 auditoriums were pretty large and had great presentation. Loews was the last operator. When Hoyts bought all of the Loews operations in Syracuse, this one closed, I believe.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on July 18, 2010 at 3:05 am

Can’t believe this theatre opened with two musicals in each theatre,Stupid booking or either you folks up there like musicals!

crunchocky
crunchocky on July 18, 2010 at 4:17 am

Hoyts did operate this theatre after buying it from Loews up until their mall basement 10-plex (now the Stadium 14) was ready (it would have to be sometime in the mid ‘90s up until October of 1997).

Syraflix
Syraflix on September 13, 2011 at 9:08 am

“It was operated as a fourplex until the Shoppingtown was converted into a mall.”

What does this mean? Shoppingtown was always a mall.

The map is also way off. Shoppingtown is the gray area near the end of Erie just north of Genesee Street. IIRC, the cinemas were just north of Grenfell Rd, about where Dick’s Sporting Goods is today. I watched a few movies there including Return of the Jedi and Cocoon.

Syraflix
Syraflix on September 13, 2011 at 9:11 am

By the way, I could have sworn it was still a twin in 1983 when Jedi played, although it was definitely a quad by the time of Cocoon in 1985.

crunchocky
crunchocky on September 13, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Correct address for this theatre was 3691 Erie Boulevard East, the current site of the mall’s Chili’s outparcel. The Chili’s replaced this theatre when Hoyts and then mall owner Wilmorite elected to move the theatre into the basement in 1997.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 4, 2013 at 10:03 pm

December 26th, 1968 grand opening ad uploaded here.

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