Bel Air Cinema

I’m sitting in the parking lot right now. The back/side door is wide open with a lot of construction equipment & trash in it, and the entire front doors are gone. The whole place is completely gutted & just sitting here. I’ve explored this theater a bunch of times since it’s been “abandoned”…has or had some fascinating details in it (I LOVE the iron spiral staircase!). I also went here as a kid to middle schooler..I remember in either late 70s or early 80s, they used to have cheap weekday cartoons/movies for young kids & my mom took me. For some reason I vaguely remember a man in the front standing either on a small stage or just the area in front of the screen…he was doing an intro bit & ? I don’t know why I think he was doing some sort of magic trick or something to entertain the kids. It was WILD in there with all those little kids!! I think it was a summer thing. Anybody else remember? I also remember “picking up” my 1st set of boys with my best friend, probably like 13ish? Chad. He was cute. Great memories, but also has been a great abandoned theater to explore and photograph!!

I remember seeing Schindler’s List at this theater went I went to USA in the early 90s.

Hi, I’m gonna start working on an independent film about the abandoned movie theatre which has had many name changes, thats located in the Bel Air mall parking lot this weekend as a film buff and a believer in preservation of film history this theatre interest me greatly but there’s a huge lack of info on it and I’ve been inside because the back door is easily accessible and its not looking too good and i wish to buy the property one day before it’s too late, but anyway if anyone has any additional info on the building it’ll be greatly appreciated.

I believe the man in the checkered coat is Mr. Weldon Limroth. He was the long time manager of another Giddens & Rester theater in Mobile (The Downtown), and probably this one too.