This was a very popular second run house for many years. Cinemark remodeled this location with “luxury” seating and a first run policy. They never regained the level of audiences they had experienced in the past. This also resulted in a massive decline in the profits from their concessions. Carriage Place had new owners and Cinemark decided to simply not renew their lease and closed this location in June of 2023
It has been announced that the opening has been delayed. They hope to open in time for the Christmas holidays in 2022. Among the reasons cited was the shortage of microchips which has delayed the acquisition and installation of a new digital projection system.
It has been the stated goal to have the theatre open every day. They also want the theatre to be an asset to everyone in the community. One of the goals to to make movies available to those people who have not been able to afford to go to a movie for many years.
In August 2022, Chris Skinner, who had served as the executive director for less that a year, has suddenly left his position to fill a similar position at the Schine’s Theatre, also known as The Ashland, in Ashland, Ohio.
They are hoping to open in Summer 2022. In July of 2022, Chris Skinner, who had been the executive director of The Midland Theatre in Newark, Ohio for less than a year has been hired away to oversee the operation of this restored venue.
At the time of its opening, it was promoted as having the largest screen in the area. In 2022, a print of the film promoting the opening, that was shown at other venues, still exists.
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.
In September 2021, more upgrades were announced for the “Old Town Hall”. A new HVAC system has already been installed to supply air condition to the Sterling Theater. The bottom floor is now occupied by the Pataskala Chamber of Commerce and the city’s utility department.
Tma8446: Into the 1950s, downtown Newark also included the Grand Theatre (South side of the Square) and the Arcade Theatre (located in the Arcade Annex). In earlier decades, Newark also had its share of storefront movie “theatres” and nickelodeons.
Part of the extensive celebration of the original opening in December 1928 were the receipt of congratulatory telegrams from such industry luminaries as Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lon Chaney (Sr.), Greta Garbo, Douglas Fairbanks (Sr.), Mary Pickford, John Barrymore, Ronald Colman and Gloria Swanson. It is assumed that none of these original telegrams still exist.
The original décor of the Midland was dominated by red, especially the extensive use of red velvet, including the stage curtains. The aisle carpeting was an exclusive design commissioned by Shea for installation in their theatres. This décor was not replicated for the restoration. The original chandelier always looked to me like a giant glass badminton shuttlecock. The original chandelier had to be replaced during the restoration because a former tenant used the original for target practice.
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.
In the late 1960s, I drove to Columbus to see a movie (which I had seen years before) that was advertised at the Markham. I was late arriving at the theater. It was past the listed starting time so the movie had already started. When I walked into the auditorium and got my first glance at the screen, I stopped dead in my tracks and even said “wow!” It was the first time I had ever seen an anamorphic widescreen (“scope”) print shown in its full width at an indoor theater. It showed me how much I had been missing seeing films at other theaters. I learned years later that it had become an “adult” theatre. It was sad to learn the fate of such a large and beautiful theater.
I discovered the Graceland Twin Cinemas in the mid-1970s, and it quickly became one of my favorite venues to see a movie. I would drive all the way to Columbus specially to go to the Graceland Twin Cinemas. The attraction was not only the $1.00 admission, but the fact that, unlike most multiplexes, the Graceland had screens that were wide enough to fully show anamorphic widescreen prints. I remember Disney’s “The Black Hole,” despite its faults, being an absolutely gorgeous film to watch on the full wide screen at the Graceland. Their screens were an obvious advantage to the showings of many other films including “The Untouchables,” ”The Thing” and “Scarface.” The short-lived 3D revival in the early 1980s gave the Graceland the opportunity to show their technical expertise. A showing of “Fantastic Invasion of Planet Earth” (an edited version of a film originally titled “The Bubble”) contained a floating tray sequence that actually made it look as if the tray was only three feet away from your face. To this day it remains the finest 3D effect I have experienced in a movie. The technical quality of the presentations was superior to that found in the more expensive first-run houses. There were obviously fully qualified projectionists in the booth. And after the movie, I would go across High Street to the Krispy Kreme and get a donut that was so fresh that it was still warm and squishy!
In the late 1960s/early 1970s, The Southern Theatre ran second run triple features at very low ticket prices. The triple features included features that had limited or no previous bookings in the area such as “The Invisible Dr. Mabuse,” “Dark Eyes of London” and the gore films of Herschell Gordon Lewis. I drove to Columbus many times to spend a Sunday afternoon watching a triple feature at the Southern.
Several years ago, I was saddened to learn that the Circle Theatre had been demolished to make way for a parking garage. When I was stationed in D.C. (1971-1975), I discovered the Circle Theatre when it was operating as a repertory cinema. It would show double features that would be shown for only 1 or 2 days. During those years, I got to see movies that I could read about but thought I would never get to see (this was before the explosion of home video). My first visit was to see an early U.S. showing of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” in its uncut 200+ minute version. It also provided the opportunity to see classics such as “Citizen Kane” as well as a double feature of Sergei Eisenstein’s “Ivan the Terrible” (parts One and Two) on the big screen. There were also showings of more current films such as George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” During that period Japanese or “samurai” film festivals became popular and would also be held at The Dupont and the Cerberus. At the Circle you could buy a book of ten tickets for only $10.00 and the tickets could be used any time and even for guests you brought with you. I went through a number of those books of tickets. The Circle Theatre had a fixed standard academy (1.33:1) screen and would show widescreen films in their full width by using a longer focal length projection lens so that it would appear like a “letterboxed” image on home video. The Circle Theatre was a haven during my stay in D.C.
By the time that The Midland opened on December 20, 1928, a “talkie” had already been shown in Newark. The Midland opened with a silent film. As part of the celebration, Paramount supplied a release print of “The Shopworn Angel” weeks before its scheduled released date. In 2021, there were no known complete prints of that film in existence.
The Valley Drive-In has been demolished. The land where it was located is now occupied by a gas station, Home Depot, a Bob Evans restaurant and an Aldi. At the time it was built in 1948, it was an isolated area. It is now a major shopping district. To the north is a shopping center. Across the street, what was once a farmer’s field, is now a Walmart Supercenter.
This drive-in, and its sister drive-in, the Valley Drive-in on North 21st Street in north Newark, were built, owned and operated by M.E. Price Theaters. Myron Price had his office in the upper floor of a building on Third Street, right on the Courthouse Square in Newark. He also had the Grand Theater on the South side of the square. Both of the drive-ins were where the locals came to see the Fourth-of-July fireworks displays. The final fireworks displays took place during the Bicentennial in 1976. Both drive-ins had a playground area in front of the screen so that the kids could burn off energy, and give the parents some peace and quiet, during the intermission. It was more innocent time!
Just an update. July 2021: The screen is still standing. The property is so overgrown that in the summer, I’m sure that many people that drive by it don’t even realize that it is there.
This was a very popular second run house for many years. Cinemark remodeled this location with “luxury” seating and a first run policy. They never regained the level of audiences they had experienced in the past. This also resulted in a massive decline in the profits from their concessions. Carriage Place had new owners and Cinemark decided to simply not renew their lease and closed this location in June of 2023
The Mystic finally closed as a theatre in 1959, reportedly due to declining business. For a while, the former theatre was used for church services.
It has been announced that the opening has been delayed. They hope to open in time for the Christmas holidays in 2022. Among the reasons cited was the shortage of microchips which has delayed the acquisition and installation of a new digital projection system.
It has been the stated goal to have the theatre open every day. They also want the theatre to be an asset to everyone in the community. One of the goals to to make movies available to those people who have not been able to afford to go to a movie for many years.
In August 2022, Chris Skinner, who had served as the executive director for less that a year, has suddenly left his position to fill a similar position at the Schine’s Theatre, also known as The Ashland, in Ashland, Ohio.
They are hoping to open in Summer 2022. In July of 2022, Chris Skinner, who had been the executive director of The Midland Theatre in Newark, Ohio for less than a year has been hired away to oversee the operation of this restored venue.
At the time of its opening, it was promoted as having the largest screen in the area. In 2022, a print of the film promoting the opening, that was shown at other venues, still exists.
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.
In September 2021, more upgrades were announced for the “Old Town Hall”. A new HVAC system has already been installed to supply air condition to the Sterling Theater. The bottom floor is now occupied by the Pataskala Chamber of Commerce and the city’s utility department.
The statues that were part of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building have long been displayed in front of the VFW on Forry Street in Newark.
Tma8446: Into the 1950s, downtown Newark also included the Grand Theatre (South side of the Square) and the Arcade Theatre (located in the Arcade Annex). In earlier decades, Newark also had its share of storefront movie “theatres” and nickelodeons.
The Grand was personally managed by a member of the Price family, Floyd Price. Some ads even referred to the venue as “Floyd Price’s Grand Theatre.”
Part of the extensive celebration of the original opening in December 1928 were the receipt of congratulatory telegrams from such industry luminaries as Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lon Chaney (Sr.), Greta Garbo, Douglas Fairbanks (Sr.), Mary Pickford, John Barrymore, Ronald Colman and Gloria Swanson. It is assumed that none of these original telegrams still exist.
The original décor of the Midland was dominated by red, especially the extensive use of red velvet, including the stage curtains. The aisle carpeting was an exclusive design commissioned by Shea for installation in their theatres. This décor was not replicated for the restoration. The original chandelier always looked to me like a giant glass badminton shuttlecock. The original chandelier had to be replaced during the restoration because a former tenant used the original for target practice.
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.
In the late 1960s, I drove to Columbus to see a movie (which I had seen years before) that was advertised at the Markham. I was late arriving at the theater. It was past the listed starting time so the movie had already started. When I walked into the auditorium and got my first glance at the screen, I stopped dead in my tracks and even said “wow!” It was the first time I had ever seen an anamorphic widescreen (“scope”) print shown in its full width at an indoor theater. It showed me how much I had been missing seeing films at other theaters. I learned years later that it had become an “adult” theatre. It was sad to learn the fate of such a large and beautiful theater.
I discovered the Graceland Twin Cinemas in the mid-1970s, and it quickly became one of my favorite venues to see a movie. I would drive all the way to Columbus specially to go to the Graceland Twin Cinemas. The attraction was not only the $1.00 admission, but the fact that, unlike most multiplexes, the Graceland had screens that were wide enough to fully show anamorphic widescreen prints. I remember Disney’s “The Black Hole,” despite its faults, being an absolutely gorgeous film to watch on the full wide screen at the Graceland. Their screens were an obvious advantage to the showings of many other films including “The Untouchables,” ”The Thing” and “Scarface.” The short-lived 3D revival in the early 1980s gave the Graceland the opportunity to show their technical expertise. A showing of “Fantastic Invasion of Planet Earth” (an edited version of a film originally titled “The Bubble”) contained a floating tray sequence that actually made it look as if the tray was only three feet away from your face. To this day it remains the finest 3D effect I have experienced in a movie. The technical quality of the presentations was superior to that found in the more expensive first-run houses. There were obviously fully qualified projectionists in the booth. And after the movie, I would go across High Street to the Krispy Kreme and get a donut that was so fresh that it was still warm and squishy!
In the late 1960s/early 1970s, The Southern Theatre ran second run triple features at very low ticket prices. The triple features included features that had limited or no previous bookings in the area such as “The Invisible Dr. Mabuse,” “Dark Eyes of London” and the gore films of Herschell Gordon Lewis. I drove to Columbus many times to spend a Sunday afternoon watching a triple feature at the Southern.
Several years ago, I was saddened to learn that the Circle Theatre had been demolished to make way for a parking garage. When I was stationed in D.C. (1971-1975), I discovered the Circle Theatre when it was operating as a repertory cinema. It would show double features that would be shown for only 1 or 2 days. During those years, I got to see movies that I could read about but thought I would never get to see (this was before the explosion of home video). My first visit was to see an early U.S. showing of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” in its uncut 200+ minute version. It also provided the opportunity to see classics such as “Citizen Kane” as well as a double feature of Sergei Eisenstein’s “Ivan the Terrible” (parts One and Two) on the big screen. There were also showings of more current films such as George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” During that period Japanese or “samurai” film festivals became popular and would also be held at The Dupont and the Cerberus. At the Circle you could buy a book of ten tickets for only $10.00 and the tickets could be used any time and even for guests you brought with you. I went through a number of those books of tickets. The Circle Theatre had a fixed standard academy (1.33:1) screen and would show widescreen films in their full width by using a longer focal length projection lens so that it would appear like a “letterboxed” image on home video. The Circle Theatre was a haven during my stay in D.C.
By the time that The Midland opened on December 20, 1928, a “talkie” had already been shown in Newark. The Midland opened with a silent film. As part of the celebration, Paramount supplied a release print of “The Shopworn Angel” weeks before its scheduled released date. In 2021, there were no known complete prints of that film in existence.
The Grand Theatre is credited with being the first venue in Newark to show a “talkie,” “The Jazz Singer.”
The Valley Drive-In has been demolished. The land where it was located is now occupied by a gas station, Home Depot, a Bob Evans restaurant and an Aldi. At the time it was built in 1948, it was an isolated area. It is now a major shopping district. To the north is a shopping center. Across the street, what was once a farmer’s field, is now a Walmart Supercenter.
This drive-in, and its sister drive-in, the Valley Drive-in on North 21st Street in north Newark, were built, owned and operated by M.E. Price Theaters. Myron Price had his office in the upper floor of a building on Third Street, right on the Courthouse Square in Newark. He also had the Grand Theater on the South side of the square. Both of the drive-ins were where the locals came to see the Fourth-of-July fireworks displays. The final fireworks displays took place during the Bicentennial in 1976. Both drive-ins had a playground area in front of the screen so that the kids could burn off energy, and give the parents some peace and quiet, during the intermission. It was more innocent time!
Just an update. July 2021: The screen is still standing. The property is so overgrown that in the summer, I’m sure that many people that drive by it don’t even realize that it is there.