Hunt's Cinestage Theatre
217 N. High Street,
Columbus,
OH
43215
217 N. High Street,
Columbus,
OH
43215
2 people
favorited this theater
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This became the Uptown theatre on February 16th, 1935. Grand opening ad posted.
This was renamed Lyceum on August 18th, 1914.
The High Street Theater opened on September 3rd, 1894. Grand opening ad posted.
This was located at the previous location of the Park Theatre. On November 24, 1893, a massive fire next door at the Chittenden Hotel spread to the theatre and on to the other businesses to the north. It was possibly the largest fire to occur in downtown Columbus. The Chittenden Hotel and the theatre (renamed the High Street Theatre) were rebuilt. Both structures would be demolished in the early 1970s.
Sometime around late 1970, I came to Columbus to see a showing of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 70mm at Hunt’s Cinestage. All of these years later, I’ve tried to remember where it was located. It was right next to the Chittenden Hotel, also long gone. I was surprised to learn that I may be working in the the building located where Hunt’s Cinestage one stood. Or, it may have been located in the same block but further up North High Street.
Regarding 2001 at the Cinestage, it also played a short 1-week run from 3-8-72 to 3-14-72. This was about a month before the theatre closed.
I appreciate that info! It’s very helpful and means a lot. Thank you!
ChasSmith – the Cinestage had “The Sound of Music” in August-September 1969.
Herman Hunt was the exhibitor who ran the Cinestage and McCook.
MarkDHite…The Cinestage played 2001 in 70 mm starting Nov 11 1970 between Patton and Song of Norway.
2001 played at the Grand. But maybe it had a later run at Hunt’s? Although I don’t remember the Cinestage as running anything except as first-run.
No Mike, the other theatre it ran was the Hunt’s McCook in Dayton, Ohio.
Is this the same Hunt’s theater chain that owned all the movie theaters in Wildwood New Jersey?
Are you sure? I saw it at the Grand Cinerama.
I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey at Hunt’s Cinestage
Charles, it could have been any of them…the Ohio, Palace or the Cinestage. According to list on the Grand Cinerama, it did not play there.
SOUND OF MUSIC was not a current release by 1968 and any of these locations could have picked it up as a re-release.
For the record, the original Columbus run was at Northland.
I’m wondering if Hunt’s Cinestage is the theater that was running “The Sound of Music” at some point in the 1968-1969 time frame — and if not, which downtown Columbus theater might have been the one.
I still have the half-ticket stub from when I was 13 and my brother took me to see “Lawrence of Arabia” at Hunt’s Cinestage on September 7th 1963. The wide screen and incredible sound system made me duck when the biplanes first “strafed the audience! I THINK I saw Patton there, too, but not sure.
Please do not imply from my post above that there is proof that the projectionist union was responsible for the bombing. To my knowledge, the persons responsible were never apprehended.
The bomb exploded on the roof of the building on 4/8/1962. The Projectionist’s Local had struck the theatre on 3/3/62 over wages and working hours. The bomb exploded about 25 minutes after the last employee left the building. It was apparently thrown from an alley adjacent to the theatre. Had it been thrown 4 feet farther, it would have done severe damage to the projection booth.
Thanks for these posts. Do you know when the bomb was placed?
Sorry for the typos in that last post. Sure wish there was an editing tool here.
I hope to do a lot more research on this labor problem with Hunt’s. I’ll post any info I find. There were also labor problems with the Linden theatre at about the same time.
Thanks Mark for that bit of History.mike Local 629.
In the early 60’s, Moving Picture Machine Operators Union #306 ran regualar ads stating that “Hint’s Cinestage Theatre is Unfair to Organized Labor”.
A bomb was placed on the theatre roof during the run of EL CID which damaged 3 dozen windows and tore a 3' hole in the roof. Police were unable to find the bomber.
Films which played at Hunt’s Cinestage from November 1963 through December 1966. Research is from microfilms of Variety and The Columbus Dispatch. The date listed is the Wednesday of the film’s opening week.
Cinestage
11/20/63 Fantasia
12/18/63 Kings of the Sun
02/05/64 Tom Jones
07/15/64 The Fall of the Roman Empire
09/02/64 Becket
12/23/64 My Fair Lady
12/08/65 DARK
12/22/65 The Cincinnati Kid
02/02/66 The Loved One
03/02/66 DARK
03/16/66 The Agony and the Ecstasy
05/18/66 DARK
05/25/66 Doctor Zhivago
“The Longest Day” and “Lawrence of Arabia” played at the Cinestage before “Fantasia” but I don’t yet have the opening dates. Following “Doctor Zhivago,” “Hawaii” played there – again, I haven’t yet gone through the microfilms for 1967’s opening dates yet.
Holiday films included:
1967 – Camelot
1968 – Finian’s Rainbow
1969 – Cactus Flower
1970 – Song of Norway
1971 – Sweet Charity