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The latest movie theater news and updates
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July 7, 2006
Theatre Historical Society 2006 Awards
The THS Awards Banquet at the Boston Conclave was a grand and exciting occasion! And the winners are:
This year saw the inauguration of our first annual CREATING THEATRE HISTORY AWARD which will be given each year to a theater or a person as selected by the Local Conclave Chairs to honor excellence within our conclave area. The committee this year selected CESAREO PALAEZ and the Cabot Street Theatre in Beverly MA. Cesareo’s story of his escape from Cuba as a young boy and his subsequent success in America is heartwarming. His childhood love of theaters led him to buy and restore this fabulous French Deco delight and use it to house his world famous magic shows.
THE BOOK OF THE YEAR went to THEATRES OF BOSTON by our late member Don King. This book was a long time project of Mr. King and was published after his death thanks to the dedication and determination of his friends. THS Northeast Director Bob Stinson accepted the award in Don’s memory.
The HONORARY MEMBER OF THE YEAR was given to Bob Ohmann who singlehandedly restored his family business The Ohmann Theater in Lyons, NY. Mr. Ohmann today is a successful developer in North Carolina but never lost his love of his grandfather’s vintage theater in the small canal town of Western NY state. Bob used his own resources and work crews to recreate the simple beauty of the theater while updating the projection and stage equipment to accomodate modern presentation.
And the main award of the night…. MEMBER OF THE YEAR went to Dr. John Kiesendahl for his many years of quiet service to THS. Dr. John heads up our all-important Elections Committee which does not get much public attention but plays a vital part in the smooth operations of your Society. Dr. John also produced, with Dr. Tom DuBuque, the wildly popular and successful Kansas City Conclave in 2004.
Congratulations to all of our winners!
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Theatre Historical Society Names New Directors
Also at the Boston Conclave, the THS Board appointed two long time members to fill board vacancies until the 2007 elections.
In the SouthWest: FRED BEALL has agreed to represent the region. Fred has previously served THS as Secretary and has attended many conclaves over the years. He has always been a strong supporter of the organization and is looking forward to contacting the members in his region.
In the MidAtlantic: (formerly known as the Mideast region) Founding member Fr. Francis Early is stepping back into the THS inner circle to guide the region. His duties to his parish prevented him from being as active in THS as he would have liked for many years, but thankfully he is now at a point where he can devote a bit more time to his enjoyment of historic theaters and to the organization in which he was a charter member alongside Bro. Andrew and Ben Hall as founders.
For more information on Theatre Historical Society please visit our website at www.historictheatres.org
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July 6, 2006
New Chicago Theaters
CHICAGO, IL — Crain’s Chicago Business reports that Sundance Cinemas is now looking to locate on the site of Chicago’s former Fanny May factory, at the somewhat surprising location of Jackson & Racine on the West Side.
This is, however, a rapidly developing area. As a part of the Metro 290 development, Sundance plans to open a 6-to-8 screen arthouse. The site is convenient to the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, the Eisenhower Expressway, and the CTA Blue Line.
Elsewhere, as previously reported, Kerasotes plans to open two new complexes; a 14-screen near the old Bricktown Square cinemas, at Grand & Armitage, and a 16-screen in a South Loop development at Roosevelt and Wells.
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Theaters with lobby waterfalls ?????
Other than my beloved Central Plaza Cinema in Yonkers, NY, did any other theaters have rock waterfalls in their lobbies ?
The waterfall was an incredibly beautiful amenity that made movie going so very memorable and special in this wonderful theater that I grew up to, so I am most curious to know if any of their other George Riseman designed theaters had lobby waterfalls.
It fell into disrepair and was covered over in the late 1980’s when the theater was converted to a fourplex.
Thank you.
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July 5, 2006
Cinerama Dome cameo in “Waist Deep”
The Cinerama Dome has a very brief cameo in Rogue Pictures' new release “Waist Deep”, which is now playing.
The theater appears when the main characters go into the Sunset Strip.
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July 3, 2006
Royal revival: lights back on at College Street rep
TORONTO, CANADA — Looks like there’s some good news about one of the Festival Cinemas in Toronto, The Royal, that’s slated to close June 30th, courtesy of NOW magazine:
When news broke several weeks ago that four of Toronto’s Festival Cinemas movie houses would be closing down on June 30, the situation looked most hopeless for the Royal on College Street.
While the three other theatres — the Revue, the Kingsway and the Paradise — were simply slated to go dark, the Royal was immediately put up for sale by the owners, presumably because it occupied the most valuable plot of real estate.
Rumours abounded that the historic 1930s-era theatre would be turned into a nightclub or, worse, torn down for condos. But as it turns out, the sale of the Royal will almost certainly prove to be its saving.
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North Central Texas theater cafe for sale
GAINESVILLE, TX — The beautiful art deco State Theater & Backstage Cafe are for sale or lease in historic downtown Gainesville, Cooke County, TX.
Excellent business opportunity as there is not another operating movie theater in the county! Gainesville is approximately one hour from the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The 400+ seat theater and cafe were renovated in 2000.
The 3-story theater features state-of-the-art sound system, digital movie projection, stage and dressing rooms to accommodate live performances, a balcony with overhead doors equipped as A/V rooms and a third story with a large conference/board room.
The stunning neon marquee has been completely restored. It is featured in ‘Grand Old Texas Theaters That Won’t Quit’ by Joan Upton Hall and Stacey Hasbrook.
The 60+ seat Backstage Cafe opens through french doors into the theater lobby. It features faux-finished walls, 16' tin ceilings, original wood floors, an office, ADA bathroom, and stainless steel kitchen.
For more information, contact owner David Jones (940)736-5109 or see www.statetheatergainesville.com.
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June 30, 2006
Drive-ins to go digital?
The Boston Globe reports that many drive-in theaters are considering a switch to digital:
The owners of the 406 surviving drive-in theaters in the US have long memories: They can recall 10-cent Cokes, B-movies like “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein,” and tail-finned Cadillacs driving off with the speaker still clipped to the window.
And many use the same equipment from the golden age of the double feature: At the Wellfleet Drive-In, for example, the original projector from 1957 is still switched on every summer evening.
The country’s remaining drive-ins, including five in Massachusetts, have managed to endure the onslaught of television, the multiplex, and the VCR, as well as the rising real estate values that can make selling the land beneath a drive-in irresistible. But the newest concern among drive-in owners is the advent of digital projection and the predicted obsolescence of celluloid.
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June 29, 2006
New Book on South New Jersey Theaters
Congratulations to CT member Allen Hauss (ahauss) on the publishing of his book “Images of America: South Jersey Movie Houses” (Arcadia Publishing).
This is a fantastic book that demonstrates Mr. Hauss' dedication to the preservation and history of classic movie houses.
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June 28, 2006
Update on the Three Penny Cinema closing
CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Sun Times has more detail on why the Three Penny Cinema was shut down last week:
An exasperated City Hall has shut down the Three Penny Cinema on the North Side because of unpaid amusement taxes.
The Three Penny, which has been a movie house since the late 1930s, is one of the few independent cinemas left in the city. Owner Jim Burrows said he’ll have to sell the business unless the city relents and accepts a settlement offer on the overdue taxes.
“But they don’t care. They’ve told me that. They said that if they make an exception for me, then nobody will want to pay this tax,” Burrows said. He estimated owing the city $60,000 for the last five years, or $100,000 counting interest and penalties.