Sidney Theatre
120 W. Poplar Street,
Sidney,
OH
45365
120 W. Poplar Street,
Sidney,
OH
45365
3 people
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3 screens on December 22nd, 1978
Taken over by Chakeres theatres on December 2nd, 1954
Ohio theatre opening ad:
Ohio Theatre opening 31 Aug 1927, Wed Sidney Daily News (Sidney, Ohio) Newspapers.com
Not sure of the significance, but the little stone up near the roof in the center of the facade names the building as the Deweese Block. He may have been the original owner, or perhaps just had the building constructed and leased the theater space.
The 1946 update of the 1924 Sanborn still shows the name as Majestic, but this was likely just a failure to update the name.
A SCHINE theater at one time! They sure had fantastic marquees.
Website: http://sidneytheatre.org/
Here is a nocturnal photo of the new front of the Sidney Theatre, on the cover of Boxoffice, September 3, 1955. Chakeres Theatres had spent an estimated $500,000 remodeling the Sidney, which it had acquired from Stanley Warner Theatres the previous December.
Their webpage is up at http://www.myspace.com/the_sidney They got new management in 2009 and dropped all their punk shows. However, they haven’t updated the webpage since 2009.
Does anyone know if the Sidney, Murphy (Wilmington, OH) and Regent (Springfield, OH) Theatres were related or just all got their signs produced at the same time by the same company? It seems more than coincidence that all three theatres had six letters in their names and signs of the same design.
A 1996 view of the Sidney Theatre in Sidney here and here.
The Sidney is re-open for business as of 5-4-2007. It mainly focuses on live stage performances at this time as renovations are ongoing and will be for a couple of years. They have live music, live theatrical plays, comedy and are looking into hosting other events. They have even had a wedding reception! Check them out at WWW.MySpace.com/Sidney_Theater
The Sidney Theater was purchased in July 2006. It is currently undergoing its first phase of renovations. There is no set opening date yet but it is supposed to be open to movie-goers within the next few months.
I worked at the Sidney theater. It was a fun time I enjoyed it. I worked there all the way up until it closed on Sunday August 22nd 2004. I got a phone call on the following Monday and the manager said It is being closed down, No not even a notice that is was closing they just did without telling anyone. Anyways the theater needs some work but this theater made a decent amount of money, I cannot personally see why they closed it. It was taking in about $5,000 a week. In 2004 we sold out for the first time in 10 years all 300 seats in the main auiditorium for Shrek 2. The last time they sold out was for The Lion King. Sidney can defiantley support a theater, more people would have came to the Sidney theater if it was nice, and clean. I know that the majority of Sidney goes 10 miles down the interstate and goes to the theater that is at a mall there because it is nicer and cleaner. I would love to own this theater myself. If anyone has any questions send me an email at
OK – here’s the deal. The theater is for sale by Gay Smith realty http://www.gaysmith.com go to their “property search” and then click on “industrial/commercial” properties. The theater is $175,000 and a photo is included on the web page. I know this place sunk … but many of us are very nostalgic about it. It was absolutely gorgeous before they covered up all of the balconies and ceiling moldings, etc. If someone had a decent business plan and some creativity, I think they could get grant assistance from the city and chamber of commerce for part of the rehab. There are very few theaters in this area – none at all within 8 miles of Sidney now. There has to be some potential here!
Classic movies would not work at the Chakeres Sidney. The town would not support that, as it also did not support a first run cinema by not allowing kids to be out past 10pm forcing Chakeres to have no late shows even on Fr & Sa. All movies had to be let out by 10:pm everyday! Sidney is a two-week town for movies. The biggest hits drop after the second weekend. The Sidney was the OHIO THEATRE before Chakeres Theatres purchased to cinema. The Sidney played X-Rated movies at midnight on Fri & Sat and mainstream Hollywood fare the remaining time. That was also the policy at the Elder through the 70’s in Jackson Center (Chakeres Never Owned The Elder).
If someone is interested in the sidney, chakers donated the Fairborn to the fairborn performing arts association. If you are looking to start a performing arts organization, you might try to get the theatre donated. Chakers did stipulate that the fairborn could not show movies, at least movies that competed with their other theatres, so classic movies from the 40’s 50’s might be possible, assuming chakers would approve. How old is the sydney? does anyone have pictures?
The down fall of Sideney Cinemas is that kids cannot be out past 10pm on the weekends in the city, so your movies would have to be over by 10pm leaving you with only 7,715,730 shows. The city of Sidney
is a not the only reason why the cinemas closed but the city also did not help in it staying open!
Sidney is for sale it is $199,000.It comes with the 3 screen cinema, 5 apartments and two offices. The screens and seats are still inside, it seats 90 in each balcony cinema and 300 in the main house, one time 500 seats which could be once again be placed.
Screen # 1 was replaced a few years ago so it’s in great shape that is also a new roof on the building.
Call Chakeres for more info.
The cinema is for sale. I believe I heard an asking price $200,000+. It appears that the Chakeres buys theaters and takes the revenue with nothing put back into the upkeep of the property. This is the sentiment I get from people familiar with the Sidney Theater and the Fairborn. They run the theaters until people quit attending due the facility being so run down.
LarryB7313 call Chakeres Theatres at 1-800-343-6447 they own the theatre.
does anyone know if this building is on the market?
The condition of the building is not good and that is why Chakeres closed the theatre like they did the Fairborn I & II in 1999.
Does anyone know what kind of condition the building is in?