Cinemaland
200 Cumberland Street,
Bogalusa,
LA
70427
200 Cumberland Street,
Bogalusa,
LA
70427
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The Trackside Twin Cinema opened June 20, 1975 with “The Towering Inferno” and “Race with the Devil” independently by George and Judy Solomon at the Shopyard Square Shopping Center. At launch, it had two identical and automated 252 aqua-colored seat auditoriums. The color explosion included automate “Chinese Red” curtains in the auditoriums and two-toned wallpaper in the lobby that “one would not normally attempt to blend” according to a local reporter. The previous day’s open house offered, of course, free potholders to those who attended.
On December 21, 1975, George Solomon took over the entire Gulf States Theatre circuit under the Gulf International Cinema nameplate folding in the Trackside to that portfolio. They reverted to Gulf State Theatres moniker for the theatrical operations. On July 4, 1986, Gulf States added three screens to the cinema becoming the Trackside Cinemas 5. It stayed that way just six months when United Artists bought the circuit in December of 1986. The theatre became the UA Trackside 5 Theatres. UA dropped it at the end of lease in October of 1993. MI Theatres next took on the venue closing it in 1999.
It became the Magic Cinemas in October of 2001 under Tim Augustine and Robert “Spec” McClendon. The theatre closed in 2008 under their watch though finding new operators who closed it permanently on December 31, 2010. The theatre sat vacant for a very long period of time.
I know, I haven’t found that they have a website. They’re wonderful people, they really believe in the community which they serve. The last I was through Bogalusa, the cinema was closed, the Coming Soon feature boards still had Magic Cinemas logo. Although the cinema was actually closed, they were there, along with a work crew cleaning and etc. I went inside and spoke briefly with them while they were preparing to reopen, they spoke with alot of positive and hope in their voices.
Like the name not much info the theater to be as old as it is.
This cinema, now known as Cinemaland, was reopened by a local Bogalusa couple Chad and Kimberly Chatellier. Cinemaland screens second run movies with admission of $2.00 and on occassions, they screen first run features. The phone number is 985-732-9600 for movie showtimes.
No showtimes online as of Late December, 2008. Is this cinema closed?
This theatre opened in the early 70’s as the Trackside Twin Cinema and was built and operated by Gulf States Theatres. They also operated The Ritz and The State theatres in downtown Bogalusa. Both of these theatres closed in late 70’s. Gulf States added three auditoriums to the Trackside in 1984 and sold the theatre in November of 1986 along with the entire Gulf States circuit to United Artists Theatres. UA operated the theatre until 1998 and closed it. It remained vacant for about six months until new operators were found and changed the name to Magic Cinema.
During the Gulf States operation, there were two prominent managers, Sis Natasha and Violet Davis. Not many kids were able to get anything over on these two.