The latest movie theater news and updates

  • August 22, 2006

    Parkway Theatre in Minneapolis sold

    The Parkway Theatre in South Minneapolis was sold in July of 2006. The new owners are Joe and Sue Senkyr Minjares who own the adjacent popular restaurant, Pepitos.

    Plans are to restore the interior and exterior to its original condition and continue operating as a movie and meeting facility. Reconstruction began in early August on the exterior of the theater.

    For more information contact Joe at .

  • Theater Organ Records

    I have five theater organ records for sale. I have not played them for years, so I am not sure of their condition.

    That Ain’t The Way I Heard It, Ann Leaf Plays The Mighty Pipe Organ.

    Pipes Of Pandamonium, Don Kinnier plays the Rahway Theatre Wurlitzer.

  • Trylon Theater Research Project needs help

    QUEENS, NY — Hi Everyone! This is Michael, founder & chair of the Committee To Save The Trylon Theater. I am in the midst of doing research on the Trylon Theater.

    As you may recall, we are an advocacy group that is encouraging landmark status & effective adaptive re-use of an Art Deco 1939 World’s Fair gem. It is located at 98-81 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY. Please assist me with the following:

    1. I would appreciate it very much if someone can please post a list of as many films as possible that were featured at the Trylon, preferably between Dec 26, 1939 (its opening) and late Dec 1999 (its closing). Any advice would be appreciated.
  • August 21, 2006

    Memories of the Paramount Theatre

    AURORA, IL — An ex-employee recounts her memories of working at the Paramount Theatre.

    It was 1971 when I started my first job at the Paramount Theater. I had heard through mutual friends that the Paramount needed a candy girl, so I applied. I was 16 at the time and earned $1 an hour.

    Our manager was Mr. Rudolph Zurklebach. He was a big promoter of the Paramount and Tivoli Theaters and of downtown Aurora. He would call in to WMRO radio station and request that Petula Clark’s song, Downtown, be played. There were fliers at the local restaurants promoting the latest film.

    For more, read the full story in Suburban Chicago News.

  • Los Angeles theaters near Washington and Vermont

    In Los Angeles, there were a half dozen movie theaters near the intersection of Washington and Vermont. I believe the area had something to do with film distribution.

    None of the theaters are there now although one or two of the buildings may have been converted to other uses. Does anyone remember any of these theaters or the film business activities in the area?

  • No movie theaters in Monroeville, PA

    Attention theater chain owners. Monroeville, PA needs a movie theater! There used to 4 movie houses(1 being the Carmike Monroeville) here and all have closed in the past decade or so. This is a huge shopping district in the greater Pittsburgh area. Please bring movies back to Monroeville!

  • Service technician needed

    Hi everyone. I am the owner of the downtown West Bend Cinema in West Bend, Wisconsin. I am looking for a very knowledgeable service technician that is in our area.

    We are having problems where we burn out xenon bulbs in 700 hours or less when they are warrantied for at least 2000. We need help figuring out this expensive problem. Any suggestions on service techs? Thanks, Larry V, .

  • August 18, 2006

    10 theaters doing it right

    Entertainment Weekly recenty published a list of ten operating theaters in the U.S. that still provide an exceptional experience.

    To see who made the cut, visit EW’s 10 Theaters Doing it Right.

  • A world without movie theaters

    This blog entry gives an interesting perspective on how movie theaters can soon follow music stores as a growing piece of nostalgia.

    Imagine a world without movie theaters. No multiplexes. No arthouses. No way to communally experience a film.

    That day may be coming sooner than you think. Each year theatrical box office receipts decline as the DVD becomes the preferred method for audiences to watch movies.

    For more, read the full story on Film Threat Blogs.

  • Jefferson Valley Mall Theater to close

    YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY — The Regal Jefferson Valley Mall Theatre is scheduled to close this weekend.

    Here’s another titan of an earlier generation shutting its doors. This was the place to go to see movies in Northern Westchester in the 1980’s(at least for those far enough north that Hawthorne was out of the way) before it became obsolete with the opening of the nearby theater in Mohegan Lake.

    “It was identified as an underperforming theater, and its lease had expired,” said Richard Grover, marketing manager with Regal Entertainment Group, which owns the theater.

    All employees will be offered jobs at another Regal-owned theater at the Cortlandt Town Center, Grover said. He declined to comment on whether the success of that more modern, 11-screen theater, which opened in 1998, with its stadium seating contributed to the demise of its Jefferson Valley rival.

    For more, read the full story in the Journal News.