While browsing through the web site cinematreasures.org, I found out that The Varsity Twins Theatre in Honolulu, Hawaii closed its doors as of today.
When I saw the headline, I was a bit jolted because there is a Varsity Theatre down the road in Chapel Hill, NC. That cinema is (snicker here) best known for a 'cameo' in an episode of "Dawson's Creek."
But, while the theatre in Chapel Hill remains open it is indeed sad to hear about the fate of another Varsity Theatre.
The Honolulu cinema opened in 1939. It was known for its art modure/art deco design. In recent years, the theatre was showing primarily art films. As of its closing, it was showing Sarah Polley's new film "Away from Her" and the French film "The Valet."
According to an article in "The Honolulu Advertiser," by Mike Gordon, art-house films will now be shown at two other Consolidated Theatre locations, the Ward and the Kahala.
The 15 employees of the Varsity were told that they could transfer, but many chose to quit or retire.
Ann Bradman, a film curator for the Honolulu Academy of the Arts, expressed disappointment to "The Advertiser:"
"I even liked their popcorn. It had a mom-and-pop store feeling, and we are losing that."
Henry Demello, 52, added that he felt a sense of remorse since he met his wife Jane there for the couple's first date 20 years ago.
The newspaper featured a photo of the cinema's outside when lines were circling the theatre for a screening of "E.T." in 1982. In recent years, attendance had dwindled to the point where pool hall customers went in to the theatre mere to take in the venue's air-conditioning.
The Varsity was located at 1106 University Avenue in close proximity to the University of Hawaii's Manoa campus. The web site featured credible speculation from a blogger that the cinema would be turned into a dormitory for the university.
Cinematreasurers.org features a comprehensive list of both open and closed movie theatres of interest around the country. I noticed that several of my favorite movie theatres and drive-ins, including the Grandin Theatre in Roanoke, Va., The North Theatre in Danville, Va., as well as the Graham Cinema in Graham, NC, and my friend Gary Doss' Rockingham Theatre in Reidsville, NC, are on that list along with the aforementioned Varsity Theatre in Chapel Hill.
Fortunately, all those cinemas are among the lucky ones because thereare each in active, though the North, which has only recently reopened, does not show films on a regular basis. Though one has to credit the owner for bringing David Lynch's "Inland Empire" there a few weekends ago.
When I was a reporter for "The Salem Times-Register" in Salem, Va., back in 1998, I wrote a historical retrospective on the closed Salem Theatre. Before it closed its doors, the cinema went through the indignity of becoming an adult film theatre in the 1970s. During its heyday, Leo the Lion from MGM Studios made a promotion stop in Salem during the 1930s.
Whenever an old cinema loses, the community loses a valuable, historic landmark which can never be replaced.
Other favorite historic cinemas of mine, include the Tower Theatre in Salt Lake City, the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Va., the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Va., the Opera House in Shepherdstown, WV (which really is a movie theatre!) and the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro.
Though the Grandin remains open, it went through several years where it was closed. And, the Roanoke area lost its only other 'historic' movie theatre, the Terrace, just a few years ago. It opened in 1967, a mere three years before I was born. My fondest memory of that theatre was seeing Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" there in 1985. I did want to see the Bill Murray film "Stripes" at the Terrace in 1981, but it was an R-rated film and I was just 11 years old then.
I am also told that the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, which also serves as a concert venue, is quite the place to see a film. They were schduled to show "Saturday Night Fever" there some time this summer.
http://www.cinematreasurers.org
http://honoluluadverstiser.com
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