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The latest movie theater news and updates
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August 25, 2006
Utah Theatre put up for sale
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — After failing to generate interest from numerous avenues, The Utah Theatre is going up for sale with the hope of being scooped up by the city and renovated for performing arts usage.
Rick Howa has given up his goal to build a new performing-arts theater in the mothballed Utah Theatre on Salt Lake City’s Main Street.
After unsuccessfully trying to peddle the playhouse to Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, Howa late last week hung a large “for sale” sign on the one-time vaudeville theater and subsequent movie house.
For more, read the full story in the Salt Lake Tribune.
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August 24, 2006
Gateway Cinema in Edwardsville, PA closes.
EDWARDSVILLE, PA — The 42 year old Gateway Cinema has closed.
The theater opened December 1964 as a single screen but has been multi-plexed during its lifetime. The original theater was divided into 4, while two newer screens were added during the late 1980’s.
The cinema is a casualty of the new R/C 14 screen theater that recently opened across the river in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The future of the Gateway building is uncertain for now.
The full story can be read atin the Times Leader.
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Fate uncertain for Beverly Drive-In
HATTIESBURG, MS — After extensive damage due to Hurricane Katrina, the future of the Beverly Drive-In is unclear.
The owners of the 58-year-old Beverly Drive-In are undecided on its fate after Hurricane Katrina abruptly put an end to one of the Pine Belt’s most recognized landmarks.
“One of my current jobs for this is to get it appraised or to see how much the land is worth if it was demolished,” said Suzette Hargroder of Hattiesburg, who owns the theater with her sister, Beverly Cutrer of Louisiana. “We’re not willing to put any money into it. It doesn’t make financial sense.”
For more, read the full story in the Hattiesburg American.
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Keith-Albee surges ahead
HUNTINGTON, WV — Even though, it is no longer an operating movie theater, plans are moving ahead for the Keith-Albee’s next generation.
The Keith-Albee Theatre in downtown Huntington is too important to let die. Too important for the downtown, too important to the Marshall Artists Series and too important to the region as a whole.
The theater closed as a movie house in January. Efforts began immediately to save and restore the Keith-Albee as a performing arts center. Last week came word that those plans are progressing.
For more, read the full story in the Herald-Dispatch.
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Pablo 9 to close
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL — This beach adjacent theater is ending its 20 plus year run due to nearby competition.
The Pablo 9 Theaters catered to generations at the beach. It was a “little theater that could.” Now, in a world of movie megaplexes, it finally goes dark.
For more, read the full story in First Coast News.
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August 23, 2006
Grandview Drive-in needs your help!!!
ANGOLA, NY — The Grandview Drive-in is in need of your help!
The property owners have refused to do any repairs including replacing the Marquee building that blew down over 3 years ago (made it pretty hard to know what was playing or that they were even open the past few years).
Anyways, the screen suffered damage over the winter and the man who leases it was unable to even open this summer due to them refusing to repair it.
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Music Box Theatre replicated by organist Mark Noller
CHICAGO, IL — The Music Box Theatre’s resident organist, Mark Noller has recreated the theater’s auditorium in his garage, with a similar Allen Organ at its center. Read more in the Chicago Reader.
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Arizona theater rivalries
TEMPE, AZ — With more and more megaplexes opening in close proximity to each other, this Arizona County is in the midst of a theater chain war.
Blockbuster competition isn’t limited to Talladega Nights vs. World Trade Center.
The country’s largest theater operators are going head-to-head with Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres by building multimillion-dollar cineplexes closer together than ever, just a mile or two apart in Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa and other parts of the Valley.
In the theater world, that’s close enough to be considered neighbors, but not friendly ones.
For more, read the full story in the Arizona Republic.
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State Theatre receives donation
CULPEPER, VA — The State Theatre received a large donation to help it reopen as an arts center.
The fire in Atlanta, Ga. – as portrayed in the movie – really burned the city to the ground in 1864. But like the post-Civil War south, the Pitts Theatre – renamed State in 1973 – will rise again.
And the Smoot family – longtime proprietors of Cherry Street Building Supply on Orange Road – is helping to hoist it with a $50,000 donation.
For more, read the full story in the Culpepper Star-Exponent.
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August 22, 2006
Sunset Theatre to reopen
WELLS, BC — Historic Theater set to open!
The Sunset Theatre in Wells, BC is set to open its doors after nearly 25 years of silence.
Built in 1934 by Gold Quartz Mine proprietor Fred Wells, the Sunset Theatre has recently been restored to reflect its original glory. With a new foundation to rest on and a new roof to keep patrons from being rained on, the Sunset has undergone major changes to accommodate professional theatre, film and live music.