Martin Cinerama
4218 Lindell Boulevard,
St. Louis,
MO
63108
4218 Lindell Boulevard,
St. Louis,
MO
63108
2 people
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Mikeoaklandpark: I can add the Atlantic City detail if it was a reserved seat run. I would prefer not to add it, however, if it was a reserved performance since the focus of my article’s Roadshow Engagements segment was specifically on the film’s reserved-seat bookings (i.e. phase one of its release cycle). Reserved performances (i.e. modified roadshow) were phase two.
MSC77 Fiddler opened June 27th at the Virginia Theater in Atlantic City NJ.It was Reserved performances. Can you add the above information to that page too.
Here’s a new 4-page 50th anniversary FIDDLER ON THE ROOF retrospective featuring a roadshow playdate chronology and historian Q&A. The Cinerama’s lengthy run is mentioned in the piece.
The Martin Cinerama in St. Louis was an identical twin to the Martin Cinerama in New Orleans. Both are gone now.
New Showcase Presentations in St. Louis article includes mention of the Cinerama and 70mm engagements here (and other St. Louis area cinemas).
January 10th,1963 grand opening ad in photo section.
The J. Evan Miller collection of Cinerama Theater Plans lists the Martin Cinerama Theatre in St. Louis as having been designed by the architectural firm of Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild, & Paschal.
I have pictures of the theatre on my web site.
http://incinerama.com/ctmartinstl.htm
Martin Theaters of Georgia, Inc. & Martin Theaters of Alabama, Inc. in the Martin Bldg., Columbus, Ga., Roy E. Martin Jr. Chairman of the Board had 159 theaters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Martin CINERAMA, New Orleans, Louisiana, Martin CINERAMA, St. Louis, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia and Seattle, Martin CINERAMA, Seattle, Washington.
Yes,Plez do if you can.Movie ads anything we eat them up.
Never realized Martin went that far away from Georgia.
Too bad there are not more photos.
Paul P. Danesh is my dad and he was the manager of the Martin Cinerama for many years. It was breath taking and way ahead of its time! Certainly whey a head of St.louis time! I remember going there as a child and seeing movies like “How The West Was Won” and getting to meet Charleton Heston and Harvey Kietel an Danny Thomas etc… Every time a major movie would premier the movie stars would come to town and make special appearances at the theater. I thought my dad was a movie star! The attendants were all nice and dressed up and some times wore white gloves! The theater was beautiful and very elegant! The sound was amazing and they would also sell the soundtracks to the movies.
There has never been another theater like this ever! I will try to find some pictures and post them. My dad said the first movie to be shown there was “This is Cinerama” He started there on the 20th of febuary 1962 and loved every day he went to work. Anybody who got to see a movie there knows there has never been anything like it! Ever!
I would LOVE to know why Trans-Lux stopped operating this place. A little bit more patience and faith and they could have shown “Earthquake,” “Towering Inferno,” “Jaws,” and “Star Wars” in here!
As I said before…REGRETS.
We saw “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” and “How the West Was Won” in original three strip cinerama. Years later, when I was in college, I saw “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Martin Cinerama. I miss this theatre. When I’ve been in St. Louis and am driving down Lindell, I always look for the area where this wonderful theatre was located. 70MM films were an experience to be cherished!
I agree with rodinal — it literally took your breath away when the curtains opened during a 70mm presentation. They would dim the lights to half during the overture (instead of showing commercials). The ushers (female) wore white gloves. I never saw 3-strip Cinerama here, but the 70mm presentation was truly amazing. I took a final walk around the place just before they tore it down and found a rear door open (thanks to homeless occupants). Taking a quick peek inside, I discovered a partially used box of huge Ultrex 11.5mm x 25" arc carbons that were used for 70mm presentations — now one of my most valued possessions.
From Boxoffice magazine, January 1963:
ST. LOUIS-The VIP previews and a sold out gala premiere launched the Martin Cinerama Theater at 4218 Lindell Boulevard. The VIP previews were held Tuesday and Wednesday, January 8 and 9, for the press, city officials and film people. The premiere was a sold out benefit for the Knights of Columbus.
Regular performances for the theater started Friday. Manager Jesse Marlowe said the Martin Cinerama Theater is the first million dollar theater built in St. Louis in 35 years. “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” was the opening attraction.
Regrets:
Working for McDonalds instead of Universal Studios Hollywood on bad advice from my mother.
Not giving my heart to my best friend from high school after she called me in college to tell me that she loved me and wanted us to be together.
Being born and raised in St. Louis, MO and NEVER, EVER SEEING A MOVIE IN THIS PLACE! Granted, I was only ¾ years old when this theatre stopped showing movies, but nevertheless. Can any of you St. Louis folks imagine STAR WARS in this theatre??? INSANE!
Theatre had a seating capacity of 913.
When plans were announced in 1962 the architects listed were:
Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild, Paschal and Associates of Atlanta; John Sweeny of St. Louis, associate architect.
I first visited Martin Cinerama or Trans Lux in 1968 for the opening night of “2001”. Words cannot describe the experience of seeing a 70mm film in this theater. Sitting in the 7th row about center was the perfect sweet spot for this experience. The screen was huge – in front of the first row of seats the floor curved up to touch the bottom edge of a massive curtain. As the curtain opend the curved screen filled your vision. The sound quality was incredible – the sound started as the house lights slowly slowly dimed. All the 70mm films presented in this venue were well worth the expereince many times over. In later years 35mm films were shown on a masked screen. I recall demanding my money back after seeing the start of a masked down screen. Yes, unless you expereinced the Martin Cinerama in the 70mm days, you don’t know what a theater experence can be like.
I went on a field trip to see “Tora,Tora,Tora!” for my history class-and WOW WOW WOW was I blown away by the whole experience-so sad to hear that it was demolished-So many theaters become parking lots or Walgreens..oh well, supposed to be progress..I don’t think so-today’s kids have no clue what it was like to go to the show-the multiplexes have no style-no class..
In the late 1960s, early 1970s I saw many roadshows in this beautiful theater. The screen was vast, covered by draperies that wrapped across the entire front of the house. The carpeting was totally wall-to-wall and the presentations were truly deluxe. I have happy memories of seeing “Star!”, “Ice Station Zebra”, “Krakatoa”, “Paint Your Wagon”, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “Ryan’s Daughter” in this venue. Gorgeous theater, the kind that doesn’t exist anymore in abundance. What a waste that it’s gone!
Opened January 10, 1963.
Trans-Lux took over management July 8, 1968.
Last day as film house was February 19, 1974.
Later used as a church.
Demolished for a parking lot for an adjacent drugstore.