Tacoma Mall Twin Theatre
4302 Tacoma Mall Boulevard,
Tacoma,
WA
98409
4302 Tacoma Mall Boulevard,
Tacoma,
WA
98409
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cineplex Odeon, Loews Cineplex, SRO Theaters
Architects: George T. Nowak
Firms: George T. Nowak & Associates
Previous Names: Tacoma Mall Theatre, Tacoma Mall Twins
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- May 21, 2010 — Happy 30th, "Empire"
- Jan 8, 2010 — Remembering Cinerama (Part 46: Seattle)
- Aug 21, 2009 — "Alien" 30th Anniversary
This former single-screen cinema opened May 16, 1968 with Spencer Tracy in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”. Built at a cost of $1 million it was the first hard-top built in 40 years when it opened.
The News-Tribune wrote at the time that the Tacoma was ‘Grauman’s, the Cathay Circle, Hollywood Boulevard and London Airport all wrapped into one and brought up to date.’
On November 27, 1974, it was split into a duplex and renamed the Tacoma Mall Twins creating a 700-seat and a 400-seat theater out of the large 1,200-seat auditorium. Over the years, the construction of multiplexes and megaplexes damaged the vitality of the theater.
In July 2002, the Tacoma Mall Twin Theatre closed after almost 35 years of delighting area audiences. With Loews Cineplex abandoning the theater, the Tacoma Mall has recently demolished the theater and built a restaurant on the site.
Another 1960’s movie palace lost forever.
Contributed by
Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 44 comments)
Does anyone know a Tacoma resident who can look up old newspaper records to see what the ads said?
This site has many, many newspapers online:wwwfultonhistory/fultonhtml.org
What were the playdates of the Tacoma Mall’s run of “Song of Norway”?
Sterling Recreation Organization bought the Tacoma Mall Theatre in July, 1972. Boxoffice of December 2, 1974 reported that SRO had held the grand opening of the remodeled Tacoma Mall Twin on November 27.
This was opened by United Theatres (Pacific Theatres) on May 16th, 1968 with the same design as the Pacific Lakewood Center near Long Beach, California. Grand opening ads posted.
Two screens on November 27th, 1974.
ad:
Tacoma Mall Theatre 1 14 May 1968, Tue The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) Newspapers.com
and
Tacoma Mall Theatre 2 14 May 1968, Tue The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) Newspapers.com
05/16/68 opened with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. 11/19/69 2001: a space odyssey - twelve weeks 04/22/70 Ice Station Zebra - two weeks 05/20/70 Krakatoa, East of Java - one week 06/11/71 Song of Norway - four weeks
None of the movies were promoted as “in Cinerama”
Marcus Theatres was schedule to build a multiplex at the mall as part of its 2020 redevelopment plan, but with the onset of COVID, the addition never came to pass. The site was to include the largest indoor screen in the state.
Once operated by Cineplex Odeon after the SRO chain was sold to Cineplex in December 1986.