Denton's last movie theaters close

[NT80]

Denton’s last 2 cinemas close

UA theaters inside, outside mall shut doors Monday

07:24 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 14, 2003

By Dawn Cobb / Business Editor

As the final credits of Secondhand Lions rolled at midnight Monday, the screens at Denton’s remaining two movie theaters darkened for the last time.

Crews packed up films and closed the two United Artists theaters at the Golden Triangle Mall, leaving the city without a movie theater and 25 workers looking for employment elsewhere.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

United Artists theater manager Craig Summer will be wearing his bow ties in Lewisville from now on. Both United Artists cinemas — inside Golden Triangle Mall and outside the mall — are closed today. The last movie in the mall ended at midnight Monday.

Like the Lions theme of two aged uncles learning to cope with the young Haley Joel Osment’s character, the older movie theaters are faced with the young competition of larger, more advanced theaters, officials say. But unlike many movies, this story doesn’t have a happy ending, moviegoers said.

For manager Craig Summer, the closing ends a 15-year stint as the "Bow Tie Man" for his colorful collection of neckwear and as "the voice" on recorded movie listings that always began with "in beautiful Denton, Texas."

The bow ties became part of his daily attire after he realized the longer ties could easily become caught in the film projectors. His wife began sewing his bow ties, creating such eye-catching concoctions as the "M&M" and "pink elephant" bow ties.

On his last day behind a Denton ticket counter, Mr. Summer wore a black bow tie, pinned with tiny American flags. Soon, he said, his next ticket counter will be in Lewisville at the United Artists Lakepointe 10.

As customers trickled in for the afternoon shows Monday, the man behind the bow tie and voice continued as if nothing were amiss, teasing adults and welcoming youngsters as he has done since he first began driving to the city almost daily from his home in Sherman.

"Most of the adults were my customers when they were little kids," he said. "It’s been a good run."

The United Artists theater on the mall parking lot opened in 1980 with four screens. At the time, it was the city’s largest and newest movie theater with four screens and 1,119 seats. In 1995, Mr. Summer opened the second United Artists theater, inside the mall. Across town on University Drive, the 1968 Carmike theater was expanded in 1983 to a five-screen movie theater. The Carmike theater, which closed in November 2001, remains empty.

"It’s absurd that a city of over 90,000 would have to go to another city to see a movie, especially when we were much smaller and had three to choose from," said Mayor Euline Brock.

In the late ’60s and early ’70s, cinematic offerings surrounded the Ssquare at the Fine Arts, Student Art and Campus theaters.

In 1971, Ms. Brock remembered going to see "Gone With the Wind" and seeing a huge banner that announced Denton’s own Phyllis George as Miss America.

"That was such a great moment," she said, also recalling "La Strada" starring Anthony Quinn, "The Lion in Winter" starring Katharine Hepburn and other popular movies at the time.

"I think there is a market here" for movie theaters, Ms. Brock said.

The city is more than a good candidate for a larger, new theater, said Ken Menard, vice president of Starplex Cinemas Inc., which operates six movie theaters in the North Texas area.

"Denton definitely needs a theater," he said, "and could probably use a discount theater as well."

The movie theater market is considered very competitive, Mr. Menard said.

"There are so many theaters being built, they have cannibalized the old standing theaters," he said. "It’s difficult for old theaters to stay competitive."

Competition moved into the Denton area when Rave Motion Pictures opened its 16-screen complex in Hickory Creek almost three years ago.

Non-stadium-seating theaters are having a difficult time competing in the current market, said Jeremy Devine, national marketing director for Rave Motion Pictures.

The news was not unexpected, he said, adding that Rave planned to add staff, if business increased, and could build more parking.

Mall officials were notified on Monday, said Elizabeth Chandler, a spokesperson for Golden Triangle Mall. Attempts to contact Regal Entertainment Inc., parent company of the two theaters, were unsuccessful.

What will happen to the vacancies left by both theaters remains up in the air as mall officials await word of possible new tenants, Ms. Chandler said.

"We feel confident it won’t be empty for long," she said. "Several opportunities are out there for that space — for a different theater or some other use."

The news left several moviegoers almost speechless.

"I’m really sad because there’s nothing in Denton to go to the movies," said Connie Martino, who drives from Aubrey with her family to see the movies.

The closest theater is the Rave. "For us, that’s a long drive," she said.

Sherry Mullen of Denton and her husband, Larry, enjoy going to the movies every Friday night. Though they’ve traveled to Hickory Creek, the traffic jams have sent them back to Denton for their weekly date.

"The traffic was so bad, we came back here," she said.

Several shop owners inside the mall are concerned about the possible loss in traffic from residents wandering through the stores waiting for movies to start.

"It’ll be a real loss," said Sean Kirk, manager of Museum Earth. "It exudes certain excitement, a certain incense of popcorn and creates an ambience in the hallway," he said, adding that customers often stop by to browse before venturing into the theater.

"Anytime a destination closes, that’s unfortunate," he said. "And the theater is a destination."

[CMJ]

Man, that's really, really sad. Maybe they can turn it into a discount theatre, like the article referenced.

[CAV]

The Denton City Council from 4-5 years ago is to blame for this mistake, because The Rave was originally going to be built on I-35E across from the new restaurants that are on the east side of the freeway. The council at that time was very non-development and did not pass the zoning required to build the theatre. So The Rave was built it in Hickory Creek (a town that does not have any "real" zoning) and the rest is history.