Tara Cinemas
12315 Largo Drive,
Savannah,
GA
31419
12315 Largo Drive,
Savannah,
GA
31419
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Litchfield Theatres, United Artists Theater Circuit Inc., Weis Theatres
Previous Names: Weis Theatre, Weis Cinema Center
Nearby Theaters
Seeing a movie at this theatre was a throwback to the earlier times of going to a large auditorium with a big screen. The 906-seat Weis Theatre started off in a small shopping center on March 17, 1966 with Jack Lemmon in “The Great Race”. Albert Weis tore down the shopping center and added a 326-seat second screen on August 30, 1968 and it became the Weis Cinema Center. On August 2, 1974 a 3rd screen was added.
Litchfield Theatres took over on April 5, 1984 when it was closed for refurbishment. It reopened as the Tara Cinemas on May 11, 1984. It was taken over by United Artists and was closed in 1999. The last time I was in Savannah, the theater was torn down.
Contributed by
Jesse Brantley
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
When the theater was open it was called Cinema 1. This was the large theater. The theate was part of a small mall that Weis built. Later he inclosed the mall to create three additional theaters. This addition took place over several years in the early 1970’s. During the early 70’s he called it Cinema 1 and Cinema 2. The Cinema 1 was called the popular showplace and Cinema 2 was called the intimate theater. When the third cinema was added he called it the Weis Cinema Center.
Hi all I was born in Savannah Ga. and there to 1975 I was 15 when we move to Metter Ga. as a kid I went to This cinema my mom and dad would drop me and friends off for a little time away from us kids.
StanMalone: Hi Swamp here yes I fun memories of the Oglethorpe theater I saw my first James Bond movie there Diamonds Are Forever (1971) so the opening was not in 1975 I am not sure of the opening because I move to Metter Ga. in 1975
I managed the Weis Cinema (906 seats) on Largo Drive beginning in 1967. It had a large lobby to accomodate sell-out crowds. Ticket price was $1.50 for adults.
There were two open-air courtyards on either side of the lobby. In time the one to the right (looking towards Largo Drive from the concession stand) was enclosed and Cinema II was created (326 seats). The left side courtyatd was encloed too and was rented to a Spa/Exercise club. After that failed Albert Weis converted the space to Cinema III. Cinema II played mostly “art” films; often foreign language which was a tough sell then in Savannah.
By then Albert moved me downtown into the main office on Broughton Street from where I ran the adjacent Weis Theatre (1200 seats)
fyfas, do you have any photos from the Weis Cinema days of the Tara? I worked there from around 1987-1999. Do you remember the large creepy pictures by artist Ben Smith that were in the lobby near the bathrooms?
This was my favorite movie theater growing up during the late 1970’s, 1980’s, and early 90’s. It was THE place to see a big movie. I saw “Smokey and the Bandit”, “Superman”, “The Empire Strikes Back”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Return of the Jedi”, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, “Back to the Future”, “The Return of the Living Dead”, “Aliens”, “Terminator 2”, and countless other classics in the big house. What great memories!
The Weis Cinema opened on March 17th, 1966, with “The Great Race”. The Weis Cinema II opened on August 30th, 1968, and the theatre was renamed the Weis Cinema Center on August 2nd, 1974, as the 3rd screen opened. It closed on April 5th, 1984, for renovations by its new owners, Litchfield Theatres who reopened it as the Tara Cinemas on May 11th, 1984. Later, it was taken over by United Artists, who closed it in 1999. 1966, 1968 and 1984 grand opening ads posted.
In what year did the fourth screen open?
the 4th screen opened in early 1978.
The Tara closed on January 28th, 1999 as everyone went to the new cinemas. Article posted.