Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Giants Begin To Fall

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Topic: The Giants Begin To Fall

Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-18-2000 07:30 AM

On the evening news last night in Nashville, they announced Carmike is closing 3 local theatres on Thursday (today). All are discount houses. They got the word on Wednesday that they wouldn't re-open on Thursday.
The theatres are:
Harding Mall 6
Cool Springs 12
Stones River 6

Anybody feel like going to a garage sale on Saturday?

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Harry Robinson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 155
From: Franklin Tennessee
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-18-2000 10:24 AM

Barry, if you actually hear that they're going to sell some of that gear please e-mail me, although I would bet the farm that they'll just transfer it all somewhere else in the chain.

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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 08-18-2000 01:33 PM

When I lived in Nashville, I lived on Wallace Rd, one block from Harding Mall. I walked over there almost every weekend to see movies. Alien comes to mind. Back then, they had good presentation there, but I dont know what happened over the years...

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-19-2000 07:37 PM

Barry,

The Harding Mall Carmike seemed to be in business and hopping today, and the Carmike at Stones River Mall and the Carmike 6 nearby both seemed to be open (I saw people going in and out). The Carmike 10 at Cool Springs looked closed. I saw the HUGE complex they built nearby. They put themselves out of business there. The one that closed was built around 1991 or 1992, right, because the doggone mall didn't open until 1992!

I went up there to take pictures of the theatres, since I figured when closed, the signs may be removed soon. Do you think the news got the closing dates wrong on two of them? When I put the pictures up, you can tell me if I went to the right theatres!

Later, when I get my pictures into the computer, I'll make a "Nashville Theatre Pictures Page" to add to my site. I really want to go to the newspaper archives and give Nashville the historical research treatment that I gave Huntsville and Decatur.

Where was the "Lion's Gate" theatre?

Evans
http://home.hiwaay.net/~criswell/theatre/

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-20-2000 07:07 PM

The Fox River 10 in Appleton, WI will be closing this week. Also, the Rogers 5 in Wasau, WI and the Carmike in Stevens Point (forget the name). Carmike won't be selling off any of the stuff. They will be using every single scrap, used bulbs and all.

The end is nigh.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 08-20-2000 07:25 PM

quote:
I would bet the farm that they'll just transfer it all somewhere else in the chain.

That's right. When I serviced Carmike, everytime they closed a location, the equipment was usually loaded onto a truck as fast as I could disconnect it, and was bound for their warehouse.

------------------
Better Projection Pays!

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Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 08-21-2000 02:04 AM

It is good to know that all that equipment is keeping some warehouse warm at night. If they can't afford to build new theatres how can they just let it sit, when they could sell some, and make money. No wonder they are going bankrupt.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-21-2000 02:16 AM

I don't know about projectors, but considering no one will give Carmike credit, everything else from broomsticks and splicing tape to xenon bulbs will be recycled. Trust me, I have been told that if we need anything, call them first to see if they have what we need.

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Barry Floyd
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1079
From: Lebanon, Tennessee, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-21-2000 08:32 AM

Lions Gate?? I know about "Lions Head". Probably the same place. It's over on White Bridge Road (West side of Nashville)in the Lion's Head Village shopping center.

Down the street from there is the old "Bellemeade Theatre". A great "art deco" movie palace thats been converted into a "Bookstar" (book store). It looks absolutely gorgeous at night. All of the animated neon and incandesents are still intact and working. Never got to see a movie there, but always wanted to. It's definetly work a look next time your in Nashville.

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 08-21-2000 12:34 PM

Barry,

You're right, I knew it was Lion's something.

As for the Bookstar, I've been in there several times! I thought it was neat that it was in an old theatre. Before Barnes and Noble started building their large stores, the Bookstar locations were the places to go.

Evans

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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 08-21-2000 12:35 PM

Barry:

I went to the Belle Meade just once in the late '70's. I cant even remember what I saw. I just remember it being BIG inside.

I lived near Charlotte Pike and White Bridge Rd then. They ripped out the apartment building that I lived in and built a White Castle on part of the property. When I lived there, I go and eat at the Krystal down the street almost everyday. I got free passes from the TV station for food there. Good thing. I had enough trouble paying rent much less eating back then.

BOMB recipe:

6 cheese Krystals
1 bowl of chili
1 medium coke

Eat it all and go back to work. The explosion comes later.

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Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 08-21-2000 01:48 PM

Broom sticks? Is that so the evil witches can fly back and forth from theatre to theatre?

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Harry Robinson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 155
From: Franklin Tennessee
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 08-21-2000 04:47 PM

The Belle Meade is the second favorite theater of mine to be converted into a haven for yuppies. The other one, I hope Scott Norwood will remember, was the Community Playhouse in Wellesley Mass.
I remember walking 2 miles in the snow to see the 10AM matineee one wintery Saturday when I was 13. I was the only person to show up. Mr. Green, the projectionist, invited me upstairs to the booth and we ran the movie (April Love, with Pat Boone), for just ourselves. He showed me how to operate the carbon arcs, thread the projectors and perform the glue splices of the day.
It was just like Cinema Paradiso.
I went back many times, and we spent many hours together as he tutored me on the equipment. He was a great guy.

I remember when the Belle Meade ran the restored Lawrence of Arabia in 1989. I took my copy of the original lobby program and passed it around the staff. There just isn't any place around here to see a movie presented the old-fashioned way anymore. I guess that's why I feel so compelled to want to create the experience at home.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 08-21-2000 05:11 PM

Someone else remembers the Wellesley Community Playhouse? Cool!
This was a 1920s-era community moviehouse, financed by Roger W. Babson (who is better known for his relationship with Babson College). I spent many hours at the Playhouse until the property was sold in 1987 and converted to a mini-mall. The mall itself, sadly, is called "Playhouse Square." The marquee itself remains, though it's not obvious that it used to be a movie theatre from the outside.

Interesting tidbit: the Playhouse had an early Dolby Stereo sound system, featuring Klipschorns set up by John F. Allen.

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Paul Rich
Film Handler

Posts: 56
From: Murfreesboro, TN, 37128
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-21-2000 10:46 PM

---------------------------------------------
I went up there to take pictures of the theatres, since I figured when closed, the signs may be removed soon. Do you think the news got the closing dates wrong on two of them? When I put the pictures up, you can tell me if I went to the right theatres!
---------------------------------------------

The Galleria 10 closed Friday. Stones River 6 and Carmike 6 at Harding close this Friday, 8/25.

I work at the Wynnsong 16 in Murfreesboro (where the Stones River 6 is/was). We're getting and storing some of the stuff from it. The Stones River 6 is/was a first-run theater, not a discount house. We have a discount house already (Jackson Height's Carmike 6). It won't close to after Christmas.

-Paul

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