Lefont Toco Hills Theatre

3003 N. Druid Hills Road NE,
Atlanta, GA 30329

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Storey Theatres Inc.

Architects: Harrison Benning

Firms: Benning Construction Company

Previous Names: Toco Hills Theatre

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Lefont Toco Hills Theatre

Opened by H.B. Meiselman Theatre on February 19, 1965 with Kirk Douglas in “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. This theatre was almost a secret to those who knew it. Hidden in a small strip mall, it boasted one of the largest screens and seating areas in Atlanta. I think only the Fox Theatre challenged it in size while it was open. It was taken over by Storey Theatres in 1983.

It closed in 2000, after years of lack-luster attendance.

It was last operated by the Lefont chain of theatres, named after George Lefont, who often brought foreign-language and award-winning Cannes films to the city.

Contributed by Daniel Rouk

Recent comments (view all 30 comments)

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on June 18, 2010 at 11:57 pm

That’s a crying shame someone would fire your brother for such a kind act .When I worked at Pizza Hut we had about the poorest family in town live down a dirt road behind the Hut.We would find them eating out of the dumpest.We would make them a large Cheese pizza every once awhile and they would pick it up. they were always wanting to pick up trash in the parking lot just so they weren’t getting charity. To fire a kid for giving away a bit of popcorn that doesn’t cost hardly anything to make,well there is a special place in hell for that theatre manager!And I use to be a theatre manager! But i was a pretty nice guy.

Josh Massey
Josh Massey on July 24, 2010 at 7:23 pm

Sadly, it looks like the Toco Hills theater is turning into a bagel shop. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago, and the construction guys were hard at work. I didn’t go in, so I’m not sure the extent they’re renovating the actual theater (the lobby was being gutted, though).

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Daryl
Daryl on July 24, 2010 at 7:35 pm

I remember seeing “Von Ryan’s Express” with Frank Sinatra there back in the summer of 1965.
posted by Daryl-Atlanta on Mar 3, 2010 at 9:18am

My mistake…I saw this film at the Cherokee Plaza Theater in Brookhaven.

Barb1957
Barb1957 on August 11, 2011 at 3:46 am

I went here many times with my girlfriends when I was 12 and under. Our moms would drop us off, and pick us up after the movie. It was $.50 to get in. And next door was a Planters Peanut shop on one side, and a Dipper Dan ice cream shop on the other side. Many good memories at this theatre.

galateasca
galateasca on September 25, 2016 at 5:34 pm

Went there many times. It was a lovely theater. The last thing I remember seeing there was in the early-mid 90’s, but I’m not sure which film it was. I went a lot as a child, because I took dance lessons at the studio there and we’d sometimes go to the theater after dance class. I hated dance class, so this was my bribe.

GoodEagle
GoodEagle on April 7, 2017 at 6:55 pm

As best as I recall, this theater had the advantage, at least for the customer, that there was plenty of room between each row of seats. The customer had no trouble walking down the row in front of other customers already seated to get to an empty seat. In my childhood, my friends and I saw many Saturday matinees there including probably every James Bond movie that came out during that period and we saw that classic Christmas movie, seen by all, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) (currently available for viewing on YouTube). For some reason my friends frequently wanted to sit on the front row.

rivest266
rivest266 on April 7, 2018 at 4:49 pm

This opened on February 19th, 1965. Grand opening ad in the photo section.

rivest266
rivest266 on April 12, 2018 at 12:06 am

This opened on February 19th, 1965 and taken over by Storey theatres in 1983. Grand opening ad in the photo section.

rivest266
rivest266 on April 16, 2018 at 9:25 am

and closed in 2000.

Rstewart
Rstewart on April 16, 2018 at 10:23 pm

Was operated by an independent and either the recorded telephone greeting or the ads in the AJC mentioned “The Green Room” like it was the circuit’s name. As best as I can recall this was immediately before Lefont gave it a go. The only time I visited it during that operators time I took my kids to see The Flintstones, so that puts it around 94.

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