Holly Hills Cinema

Holly Hills Cinema was a long-running automated, mini-cinema located in the Holly Hills Mall in Winder, Georgia. It also had the distinction of being one of the first three Jerry Lewis Cinemas opened in the greater Atlanta area.

Modular Cinemas of America based in Atlanta was a pioneer in the Mini-Cinema movement beginning with two theaters opening on April 5, 1968. In fact the chain had a service mark protection for the use of the term, Mini-Cinema. Competition came from companies including two with star power in United General Cinemas and Jerry Lewis CinemaS and its parent, Network Cinema Corporation.

In 1971, four Jerry Lewis Cinemas launched in the greater metro area of Georgia. Franchisees looked for opportunities in suburban area shopping complexes. The first three JLCs were single screen locations in Lilburn, in Snellville, and - the furthest from metro Atlanta - in Winder. A twin-screen opened in Mableton in December of 1971 followed by another in January of 1972 in Forest Park. The Winder location was much like the other locations in that they offered only family fare and were completely automated designed to operate with minimal personnel.

The Winder location, like the many others around the U.S., had to have been disappointed when Lewis and its parent company declared bankruptcy and folded in 1973. The Lewis signage was removed in Winder adopting the mall’s name, the Holly Hills Cinema. And by December of 1974, you could have purchased the Cinema at auction as conditions weren’t particularly favorable.

But the Holly Hills Cinema continued operation and appears to have survived a 25-year leasing period as did the Snellville Cinema - both closing in the home video era. The theater was sliced into two smaller auditoriums either by the theatre operator or the church that followed the operation. As the 2020’s opened, the renamed Holly Hills Shopping Center was struggling as a greyfield status plaza and the former theater space was empty.

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