Northpark Mall

[Bunty]

I remember taking a HS date to a movie there and locking my keys in the car. Smooth move .....

I've done that a long time ago while being a tourist in Cripple Creek before its casino days. I went to an old store to tell of the bad fix I was in, and the clerk there told me to just go look in the grass for an old coat hanger with a hook shaped on the end of it and use that. I've heard of doing that before and sure enough soon found the coat hanger and my problem was over with. You can't do that trick these days.

[barrettd]

Back in the 80s it was considered a decent theater. Long before the mega theaters we now have. I remember standing in line all day to see The Empire Strikes Back there!

Same here!

[TheTravellers]

Same here!

Me too, and it (and Return, which I also saw there) was probably on their *big* screen, I think it held almost 1000 people.

[Bill Robertson]

Same here!

Me too!

[Pete]

When I was in high school in the late 70s, Northpark was the top date-night movie spot.

I remember seeing Saturday Night Fever there with a really shy girl who was embarrassed by the surprisingly racy nature of that film. Also saw the very first Star Wars and many others there.

Along with Shepherd Mall and French Market, at least you could queue up inside for those summer blockbusters.

[Dob Hooligan]

Northpark Cinema 4. Screen 3 was the big one. It had 2 aisles and a large center section.

[TheTravellers]

Northpark Cinema 4. Screen 3 was the big one. It had 2 aisles and a large center section.

Yep, that was it. Also took a school trip there to see Reds on the big screen. That screen, the Quail Twin screens, Westwood, and Continental were huge...

[Patrick]

Even in my early years of marriage just 10 years ago, it was a common date night place, as a dollar movie. Cheap date. I'm not sure why they couldn't make it profitable. I will admit the theater was in sad shape towards the end. Not sure why it couldn't have been updated and re-opened.

[Bill Robertson]

Dollar theaters just didn't seem to work. I wired the one on 240 and Shields and the one at 63rd and NW Expressway. They were both built as dollar theaters. Neither lasted long.

[bombermwc]

240 Shields wasn't built as one, but they basically were forced into it when the 8 screen Crossroads place opened. And ironically, that 8 screen did the same thing when the 16 screen Regal opened up next door. The 8 screen held its own for a bit, but it wasn't super long before it went down the toilet.

I actually remember going to the 240/Shields one a few times with my grandma. But we usually ended up at the Almonte (she lived at 89th/Penn) a lot because they had better movies. It was only a few screens like 240/Shields, but it was better kept. I dont think it lasted long at all after the Regal opened and I believe it's still vacant today.

Only thing I remember at Northpark is that the film was always so scratched up that the experience itself was pretty bad. I dont remember (and it was 30+ years ago at this point) the same being true of the ones on the south side. I dont think they ran the movies quite as long as NorthPark (and NP certainly didn't have any trouble filling the place, even with crappy film). If the newer stadium places didn't do these in, the digital conversion certainly did. They would never get an ROI on that expense. I'm surprised as many of the smaller ones made the switch as did.

[Bill Robertson]

240 Shields wasn't built as one, but they basically were forced into it when the 8 screen Crossroads place opened. And ironically, that 8 screen did the same thing when the 16 screen Regal opened up next door. The 8 screen held its own for a bit, but it wasn't super long before it went down the toilet.

I actually remember going to the 240/Shields one a few times with my grandma. But we usually ended up at the Almonte (she lived at 89th/Penn) a lot because they had better movies. It was only a few screens like 240/Shields, but it was better kept. I dont think it lasted long at all after the Regal opened and I believe it's still vacant today.

Only thing I remember at Northpark is that the film was always so scratched up that the experience itself was pretty bad. I dont remember (and it was 30+ years ago at this point) the same being true of the ones on the south side. I dont think they ran the movies quite as long as NorthPark (and NP certainly didn't have any trouble filling the place, even with crappy film). If the newer stadium places didn't do these in, the digital conversion certainly did. They would never get an ROI on that expense. I'm surprised as many of the smaller ones made the switch as did.

The Super Saver Cinema that I was lead electrician on opened in 1987 and closed in 2000. It was a dollar theater from day one. The building was demolished sometime since then.

[jn1780]

The Super Saver Cinema that I was lead electrician on opened in 1987 and closed in 2000. It was a dollar theater from day one. The building was demolished sometime since then.

The two super savers NW Expressway and Shields were pretty cool to me as a kid. Dollar theaters don't work because, if you wait two weeks it will be on video cassette/DVD anyways or nowadays a streaming platform.

[Pete]

^

The one at 63rd & NW Ex was actually pretty nice and I used to go a lot.

[Bill Robertson]

^
They were both pretty ritzy for dollar theaters. At least at first. When we were hanging wall sconces in the theaters themselves they had a guy following us making sure we didn't hurt the silk wall curtains. It was extremely annoying.

[traxx]

^

The one at 63rd & NW Ex was actually pretty nice and I used to go a lot.

It eventually became known as the super slaughter as there were several shootings there.