Tara Theatre
2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE,
Atlanta,
GA
30324
2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE,
Atlanta,
GA
30324
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 127 comments
Thank you same for the correction and update! A great piece of vintage 1960’s era cinema architecture. Would be great to see the original screen back in place.
Forty years ago today, “Star Wars,” after five weeks of playing in other markets around the country, finally arrived in Atlanta, opening here at the Tara (and at three suburban locales). The movie would go on to play at the Tara for 25 weeks. Any Cinema Treasures members see it here?
The source of all things Tara resides in Sandy Springs…the one called George Lefont. He took over operation after Loews folded and built the third auditorium, ground up, in the late 1970s, early 1980s. George also had the left auditorium divided into two during the 1980s as well.
Forty years ago today, “Smokey and the Bandit” opened at the Tara (and nearly 400 other cinemas in the South and Southwest regions of the United States). And here’s the link to a new retrospective article which details the cinemas in which the movie played and many other tidbits about the popular movie.
In which year was the fourth screen built?
Now called Regal Tara Cinemas 4 Operated by Regal Entertainment. Website: http://www.regmovies.com/Theatres/Theatre-Folder/Regal-Tara-Cinemas-4-2749?utm_medium=social+network&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=local+post&utm_term=United+Artists+Tara+Cinemas+4
Fell in love with this theater last December when I was in town and saw Room there. Hope it lasts forever.
First movie I saw here was The Gods Must Be Crazy, back in 1981 or 1982. It had played there for nearly a year (maybe more), and one Saturday my daddy said we needed to see what the fuss was about. So we trekked from the suburbs to the Tara.
I remember seeing a midnight advanced screening of Pulp Fiction here in 1994. It had won the Palm d'Or and everyone was so excited. I thought someone would get trampled when they open the doors.
Worked here in 1996 and 1997. Helped run the booth and worked concession. Good times.
Here’s an idea: reconfigure the original building to bring back the original screen by moving back the walls of the front two auditoriums. The original screen would out IMAX IMAX. Install stadium seating in all four of the auditoria. The larger screen could be used for screening 70mm classics like Lawrence of Arabia, Aliens, Patton and of course, Gone With the Wind. This would make it one of the best art houses in the USA and insure that it remains a viable operation for another 50 years. Just a thought…
Went here in December to see Room/ Loved the theater.
This theater is very interesting. It is very very small. The tile work is very amazing. But, if you want to see a new movie you will be out of luck. This theater only shows independent and small release films. Movies come here before they get released to “ Straight to DVD ” They also play special editions an director cut films here. Sometimes it is even closed for private screenings. I myself have only been here a few times * count on one hand * But I know if you like running into famous people this is the theater in Atlanta to goto.
Remember the Tara, while living in Atlanta in the early seventies my wife and I saw “The Sting” here, great movie, seems it was a single screen theater then, so glad the Tara is still in business.
Planning a 45th from July 8 – 11, 2013 Looking for pictures, infor, etc.
That is AWESOME, thanks for posting. GREAT article. Too bad the theatre isn’t like that anymore. Well, at least it’s still open, chopped up though it may be. Back in 1969 seeing a 70mm film at the Loew’s Tara was a real event.
This theater is now all-digital projection. The projection is quite poor in auditorium 2, however, because of the angle of the room and the configuration of the projector — the picture is so askew it’s practically diagonal. Hopefully that can be fixed. Other auditoriums look good.
The Tara underwent a modestly budgeted face-lift in mid-2004 under the Regal Entertainment Group design team of Nicole Potter and Angie Berry. They began with the interesting curved shapes of the existing lobby space and used it as the embryo for their “new” interior concept—One that was intended to convey what might have been built during the transitional phase between the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne time periods. Working almost exclusively with off-the-shelf materials, they were able to coax a “vintage” cinema feel from what had previously been a dated hodgepodge covered in a forlorn coat of unflattering pink paint. From there, they made full upgrades to the refreshment stand and restroom spaces that also helped mirror the 1930’s-‘40’s, replete with rich finishes, banded-aluminum inlaid millwork, and lighting fixtures chosen to enhance a period look. From the earlier lobby, several dramatic monochrome portraits of Golden-Age film icons were salvaged and mounted on the high walls, along with a selection of classic deco travel posters. Finally, they added custom carpet, and a seating area with period-look furnishings to create a comfortable place to gather before or after the film. Several photos taken of the finished project have been added.
Stan, did you know a Mr. Kinard that operated the concessions at the Piedmont Drive-In?
I think the Buckhead Art Cinema at west paces ferry and Peachtree was there the longest? BTW, anyone remember the drive-in at the site of the Richway->Lindbergh Marta station?
now showing Sept.13 2001
“CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION”
“BROTHER”
“HEDWIG and THE ANGRY INCH”
“APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX”
Thanks Stan. Speegie would have been proud.
Nope. Like you I was assuming that Jack meant indoor theatres, or as they say in the trades, walk in or hardtops.
The Starlight opened the south field in 1949 and the north in 1953. The south was closed for a while when the snack bar burned. The north closed a year later when it was split. Every winter one side or the other closes for the season, something I never understood the theory on. However, as far as I know, at least something has been open there since opening day although they close on Christmas Eve, and for the occasional power outage.
I no longer work there, at least regularly, but I did write a history of the place on its page here:
/theaters/11497/
As for indoors, without looking at a list, I can think of the Grand, the Fox, Garden Hills / Fine Art, Plaza (if you count its XXX years), and the Lenox which might have been only 39 years 8 months. I hesitate to even go down this road because I know that people will start listing reasons why some of these places were not in continious operation. Even the Tara shut down once for two days when it was first twinned.
Maybe I should start off the previous paragraph with the words “Generally speaking….”
Most of the indoor theatres built during the 60’s lasted only 25 or so years at the most, some a lot less. I think that the shortest existance for a regular indoor theatre (as opposed to some of the XXX storefront operations) was the Atlantic, an Eastern Federal location on Memorial Drive in or near the Kirkwood area. It lasted only about 5 years.
Stan, are you saying that the Tara has been in continuous operation longer than the Starlight Drive In; are you sure? That does not seem right to me though I could well be wrong. Did the Starlight shut down for a while at some point? Please, straighten me out on this one.
For Jack Coursey’s post just above this reply: What about the Starlight Drive-In Theater that opened in the 1950’s…or are you referring to actual indoor theaters?
Wow. The Tara was NEVER closed? Not even for a week or a month when changing ownership? If that’s the case, that’s pretty impressive.
Quite right! It will be 42 come this May. The Tara still holds the distinction of being the only theatre in the Atlanta area with more than forty years of continuous operation.