Crestwood Theatre
9821 Watson Road,
St. Louis,
MO
63126
9821 Watson Road,
St. Louis,
MO
63126
4 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: AMC Theatres, Komm Theaters, Mid-America Cinema Corp., RKO
Architects: Joe G. Harms, Gerhardt Kramer
Firms: Kramer & Harms
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Located in the Crestwood section to the southwest of St. Louis. Opened June 5, 1964 by Mid- America Cinema Corp. (Komm Theatres) as a large single screen theatre. It was taken over by RKO in 1984. In 1985 it was taken over by AMC. Later twinned and still later, a third auditorium added to the rear of the building.
You would go in on each side of the auditorium and walk up to the seats. At one time smoking was allowed in the upper auditorium. On one side of the lobby was a large atrium with trees and flowers and a small fishpond.
The Crestwood Theatre closed in 1986 and was demolished to make way for a strip mall shopping center.
Contributed by
Charles Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 22 comments)
JAlex….well that makes sense now. I remember seeing “What’s New Pussycat” at the same place I saw “Help” so that’s clear now. It seems I saw a lot of films over the years at Sunset. I remember seeing “Papillion” there as well, as I recall near Xmas…
One thing I don’t get though…what made so many of these…Mark Twain, Crestwood, Sunset Hills….all go out of business? It’s not like people stopped going to the movies…?
Bigger multiplexes killed off the smaller theaters, for the most part. The Mark Twain and the Sunset Hills couldn’t compete with the shiny new cinemas at Crestwood Plaza and Ronnie’s Plaza. The AMC 12 was literally built just behind the instantly-doomed Creve Coeur, a Wehrenberg triplex that was the chain’s flagship when built as a single-screener in the ‘60s. I like the older theaters 'cause they had more character, but that’s just the way it goes. :(
Yes and it’s funny because even my kids hate those multiplex things found in the typical malls and always look for a theater with bigger screen. Wow so many memories growing up in St. Louis and going to all those theaters that are now gone. I guess the one at South County is gone too? Think I saw Great Gatsby there…..
My notes from perusing old microfilms of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Variety show this theater opening the week of May 27, 1964 with “The Chalk Garden.” “What’s New, Pussycat?” opened the week of July 7, 1965 at Loew’s Mid-City and Sunset Hills Cinema I. “Help!” started the week of August 25, 1965 at Loew’s State and Sunset Hills Cinema I. Both “Help!” and “A Hard Day’s Night were paired on a double bill that played for a week at Sunset Hills Cinema II and Grandview Cinema on December 15, 1965. "What’s New, Pussycat?” was paired with “How to Murder Your Wife” on a double bill in 1967 and opened October 18, 1967 at Ronnie’s.
Sunset Hills Cinema went under so Home Depot could be built.
And I saw What’s New Pussycat at the Sunset Hills Cinema.
RSM3853 question for you….do you have any idea which St Louis theater showed a film called “The Wild Westerners”? Was it Sunset Hills? Would have been around 64-65? I either saw it at Sunset or somewhere in Kirkwood as I recall…thanks!
June 5th, 1964 grand opening ad in photo section
First operated by Mid-America Theaters, later by RKO in April 1984, and finally AMC in December 1985. It was closed in March 1987.