Creve Coeur Cine
1996 Photo from the Adam Martin collection.
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10570 Old Olive Street Rd Creve Coeur MO 63141
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| Record #1122 |
Opened: June 19, 1969
Closed: 1999
Demolished: Yes (date unknown)
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Capacity:
Architect(s):
Architectural Style(s):
National Register:
Current Organ: none |
Also Known As: |
Previously operated by: Wehrenberg Theatres |
Information for this tour was contributed by Darren Snow. On Thursday, June 19, 1969, the Creve Coeur Cinema opened with "Oliver!", which ran for six months. (Please, sir, can we have some more? No.) It was intended to be the local Wehrenberg chain's new flagship, a luxurious facility with crystal amethyst from Ontario sparkling on the facade and 1000 yards' worth of gold lame drapery arranged by interior decorator Mrs. Edward Dolan.
An early incident (6/11/71) involved a man and a woman robbing assistant manager Collins Brinston on the parking lot after hours; they took $405 from him and later called the theater to see if he was okay, and to assure him that they needed the money more than he or Wehrenberg did.
In May 1980, the local "Empire Strikes Back" premiere attracted sellout crowds and plenty of costumed fans.
Two screens were added in 1984, but the angle of the seats wasn't adjusted when the auditorium was split. Till the end, moviegoers found themselves twisting a little in their seats to face the screen.
By the 1990s, larger multiplexes were drawing crowds away, and the Creve Coeur Cinema tried some new tactics. A "classic film series" was offered in 1991, and a second-run policy brought prices down to $1.75 in 1992, and $1.25 the following year. Wehrenberg eventually spruced the place up and brought first-run movies back, but when AMC began building a multiplex a couple hundred yards away in 1999, the local chain gave up.
When the attached photos were taken, the demolition had begun (and the AMC building can be seen in the background). The amethyst had been scraped off the facade, and the interior was stripped and trashed. Photos Photos remain the property of the Member and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Member. |
October 1999 photos from the Darren Snow collection.
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May 1996 photos from the Adam Martin collection.
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Last featured 7/3/2004. Last edited 4/11/2014.
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