You’ve got to be kidding! “Is it a classic?” hah hah.
I didn’t see initial run. I saw a 35 mm print of original film in 1997 in then classic film series at Grand Opera House in Wilmington /theaters/798/ and was very impressed.
I saw “Redux” in 2001 at NYC’s Astor Plaza, to a sold out crowd, with film program and that was one of the best movie experiences of my life!
“Redux” was not shown at DC Uptown, but I’d be eager to see a restored 70 mm print of the original there. I don’t count on such a print actually being issued.
Somebody telephoned me to tell me that tonight, apparently in the main middle auditorium, the Bala is showing the telecast Phillies baseball game. I didn’t know our local theaters were doing that.
I forgot a 3rd movie palace, the Anthony Wayne, /theaters/10430/
though it is still true that the Ambler and Bala are the last ones where you can experience a movie with the original proscenium arch & auditorium decor. The A. Wayne is all divided up.
Gary, I’ve been in many LA cinemas, but don’t recall this one from my part of one day in Santa Monica. But, I can root for it. Can you please clarify, does the exterior have legal protection or not? I thought it did, but then a comment suggested otherwise.
From your account above, it sounds like the exterior is being retained, and restored.
Last week, the museum announced they would cease the weekend film series. Then, community members expressed shock. Now, better news that donors may save the ongoing films at the museum!
I very much enjoyed his films. They were heartwarming stories about youngsters, rather than the juvenile fare we too often see in cinemas today. His films were entertaining and art, too.
VINELAND — Louis Ferretti has a vision of the city’s downtown where
local residents come to Landis Avenue for dinner and a show.
He officially announced at a news conference Thursday his plans to work
with Hans Lampart, the developer spearheading the renovation of the
Landis Theatre as a performing arts center, to open and operate a
restaurant and banquet hall at East and Landis avenues.
“You give them an attraction, they will come. It’s like the field of
dreams,” said Ferretti, who owns Centerton Country Club in Pittsgrove.
As the executive chef, Ferretti promised a full-scale menu reflective of
the Wolfgang Puck or Bobby Flay restaurants, both of which have
locations in Atlantic City. He said his restaurant would have valet
parking, total security, full catering and an open kitchen with a
wood-fire grill.
The restaurant will be designed to match the Art Deco-style of Landis
Theatre. Ferretti’s eatery will go in the former Mori building, which is
connected to the theater.
He expects it to open March 2010.
Ferretti initially said the restaurant could be called Landis
Steakhouse, but said Thursday a name would be announced at a later date.
Lampart and him are still in the planning stages, “but when we get the
plans, we’ll hit the ground running,” Ferretti said.
Both Mayor Robert Romano and Sandy Forosisky, the city’s redevelopment
director, shared their excitement for the new partnership at the
conference and are confident in Ferretti’s plans.
“Just look at the job Lou’s done with Centerton,” Romano said
JAlex, what’s your source for that assertion? All sources that I read online state French Renaissance. Naylor’s hardback book specifies the lobby is “French palatial.”
EastCoastRocker, I’m spent many hours on this website documenting and discussing the history of theaters, and doing what I can for their preservation. I’ve put in my dues.
Chuck1231, I have observed that several theater pages were “closed” by the webmasters due to various personal attacks. It is good you are back, but nobody will be “back” if the theater page is closed or the entire forum collapses with personal acrimony- and we’ve all seen that happen with other “blogs” that are now gone from the Internet.
So, if I sound like I’m “stepping on toes” my motive is simply to make sure that people who wish to discuss historic cinemas will have a forum to do so.
Wow! It has a very dramatic entry, judging from those photos.
What kind of changes? I hope the Paris doesn’t change at all!
Story of the theater’s reopening:
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_12757035
more interior photos including auditorium here:
View link
You’ve got to be kidding! “Is it a classic?” hah hah.
I didn’t see initial run. I saw a 35 mm print of original film in 1997 in then classic film series at Grand Opera House in Wilmington
/theaters/798/ and was very impressed.
I saw “Redux” in 2001 at NYC’s Astor Plaza, to a sold out crowd, with film program and that was one of the best movie experiences of my life!
“Redux” was not shown at DC Uptown, but I’d be eager to see a restored 70 mm print of the original there. I don’t count on such a print actually being issued.
Save film group to meet with man in charge. There’s even a Save film facebook group. View link
Somebody telephoned me to tell me that tonight, apparently in the main middle auditorium, the Bala is showing the telecast Phillies baseball game. I didn’t know our local theaters were doing that.
Landmark is an arthouse chain and they have their flagship multiplex so I wouldn’t expect it.
The Chinese should remain for daily movies! they should advise ticket buyers they will toss out those who loudly talk or use their cell phones.
Dublinboyo, what do you mean by impersonator?
I forgot a 3rd movie palace, the Anthony Wayne, /theaters/10430/
though it is still true that the Ambler and Bala are the last ones where you can experience a movie with the original proscenium arch & auditorium decor. The A. Wayne is all divided up.
More people running to the restroom at the exact moment will be disruptive.
Intermissions should return for movies over 2 and a half hours.
Gary, I’ve been in many LA cinemas, but don’t recall this one from my part of one day in Santa Monica. But, I can root for it. Can you please clarify, does the exterior have legal protection or not? I thought it did, but then a comment suggested otherwise.
From your account above, it sounds like the exterior is being retained, and restored.
Whew! 1st I read that terrazzo was departing, then I read 2 comments asserting it will return. That’s better.
Maybe kids can visit dentists at movie theaters, too, to further inspire them to be fond of cinemas.
Last week, the museum announced they would cease the weekend film series. Then, community members expressed shock. Now, better news that donors may save the ongoing films at the museum!
View link
I very much enjoyed his films. They were heartwarming stories about youngsters, rather than the juvenile fare we too often see in cinemas today. His films were entertaining and art, too.
At July 2009 tour of Theatre Historical Society of America of this very interesting exotic theater, we were told there are now 1752 seats.
The Daily Journal (Vineland, New Jersey)
July 24, 2009 Friday
Restaurant owner officially announces theater deal
By KRISTI FUNDERBURK Staff Writer
<mailto:>
VINELAND — Louis Ferretti has a vision of the city’s downtown where
local residents come to Landis Avenue for dinner and a show.
He officially announced at a news conference Thursday his plans to work
with Hans Lampart, the developer spearheading the renovation of the
Landis Theatre as a performing arts center, to open and operate a
restaurant and banquet hall at East and Landis avenues.
“You give them an attraction, they will come. It’s like the field of
dreams,” said Ferretti, who owns Centerton Country Club in Pittsgrove.
As the executive chef, Ferretti promised a full-scale menu reflective of
the Wolfgang Puck or Bobby Flay restaurants, both of which have
locations in Atlantic City. He said his restaurant would have valet
parking, total security, full catering and an open kitchen with a
wood-fire grill.
The restaurant will be designed to match the Art Deco-style of Landis
Theatre. Ferretti’s eatery will go in the former Mori building, which is
connected to the theater.
He expects it to open March 2010.
Ferretti initially said the restaurant could be called Landis
Steakhouse, but said Thursday a name would be announced at a later date.
Lampart and him are still in the planning stages, “but when we get the
plans, we’ll hit the ground running,” Ferretti said.
Both Mayor Robert Romano and Sandy Forosisky, the city’s redevelopment
director, shared their excitement for the new partnership at the
conference and are confident in Ferretti’s plans.
“Just look at the job Lou’s done with Centerton,” Romano said
The Houston Chronicle Thursday August 6, 2009
3 STAR EDITION/THISWEEK; Pg. 3 RIVER OAKS Bookstop to close, reopen at West Gray Historic preservationists concerned about Alabama Theater By ROBIN FOSTER, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT Barnes & Noble Booksellers will close its Bookstop location in the revered Alabama Theater, 2922 SouthShepherd, on Sept. 15 and reopen Sept. 16 in a new store tailor-made for a larger audience just up the street in the River Oaks Shopping Center at West Gray Avenue. The new store brings more books, music and DVD sections, an expanded children’s area and a full-service Barnes & Noble
Café to the well-heeled neighborhoods that surround it. Manager
Jacques Oppinger, a native of the Inner Loop community, envisions a
shared customer base and media tie-ins with the neighboring and equally
revered River Oaks Theater. Plans for the Alabama But the announcement
inevitably leaves Houston’s preservationists, who rallied to save the
River Oaks Theater from demolition as part of that shopping center's
redevelopment, wondering what sort of transformation might befall the
Alabama Theater. A new tenant has not been found, said Brooke Harvey,
leasing director for Weingarten Realty Investors, which owns the River
Oaks and Alabama Shepherd shopping centers where both of the old marquee
theaters are located. Until then, he can’t speculate about how the
cavernous, Art Deco interior, which retains its balcony and terraced
first floor, might be used going forward. “We love the building. We're
just leasing it as is,” Harvey said. “We have no plans to make any
changes. You just won’t be buying books in there.” No more
redevelopment There are no plans for further redevelopment at River
Oaks, either, beyond marketing the new space anchored by the new Barnes
& Noble and a couple other vacancies, he said. “We’re very healthy
there and very excited about what’s going on there,” Harvey said. “If
you disregard the new development section, almost every space in the
shopping center is taken.” With more than 13,700 square feet, the old
Alabama Theater is considered retail anchor space in its strip center,
which is also home to a PetsMart, Whole Earth Provision Co. and Zake
Japanese Cuisine. Based on his 20 years in the business, Harvey said
it’s doubtful the space will reopen before 2010 because of the time
involved for a tenant to redo a new store’s interior, bring in needed
fixtures and inventory. No one would want to open right at Christmas,
he said. It was those types of what-if’s that concerned
preservationists three years ago, when redevelopment of the River Oaks
Shopping Center was proposed, said filmmaker Jeffrey Mills. Mills, who
owns IO Communications in Bellaire, is making a documentary film about
the Interstate Theater chain, which from 1906 to 1976 operated movie
houses throughout the Southwest, including at least a dozen in Houston.
“The last one operating is the River Oaks, and the last large theater
still standing is the Alabama,” Mills said. Interstate, which was once
part of Paramount and later ABC, opened the two movie houses a month
apart in 1939. The Alabama Theater operated until 1983. Mills recalls
the “Save Our Shrines” rally held in 2006 to curtail redevelopment and
save the River Oaks Theater, now part of the Landmark chain. “The
preservationists felt that the more threatened one was the Alabama,"
Mills said. "Its conversion to a bookstore didn’t really alter the
interior of the building, but any other tenant would probably gut it."
Oppinger, who grew up in the area and saw movies at both historic movie
houses, understands the sentiment. But Barnes & Noble has outgrown the
Bookstop store, which it acquired in the early 1990s, he said.
"Operationally, it doesn’t bear much resemblance to what we usually
have,” he said. “The decision is less about sales than about offering
more at the new store. "We’re able to add a full range of services
that we couldn’t retrofit into an old building like this.” For now,
the marquee out front advertises a clearance sale, which will be ongoing
until the store closes, Oppinger said. Surprisingly, most of the
store’s unsold volumes won’t be moved, but will be returned to the
publisher.
Stephen, I’m enjoying your comments as they wonderfully provide much of the history of this important DC moviehouse.
JAlex, what’s your source for that assertion? All sources that I read online state French Renaissance. Naylor’s hardback book specifies the lobby is “French palatial.”
here’s a followup NY Times article on the passing of Reverand Ike and the effect on the church:
View link
hah? he died last week. It took a few days before the webmasters put this on the homepage. It seemed important enough for homepage.
EastCoastRocker, I’m spent many hours on this website documenting and discussing the history of theaters, and doing what I can for their preservation. I’ve put in my dues.
Chuck1231, I have observed that several theater pages were “closed” by the webmasters due to various personal attacks. It is good you are back, but nobody will be “back” if the theater page is closed or the entire forum collapses with personal acrimony- and we’ve all seen that happen with other “blogs” that are now gone from the Internet.
So, if I sound like I’m “stepping on toes” my motive is simply to make sure that people who wish to discuss historic cinemas will have a forum to do so.