Getting back to the roots of mergemovies!

Today is the beginning of a five-part series (more in this series will be spaced throughout the summer) exploring movie theaters (active and not) in and around Cincinnati, Ohio.  As the adage goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  So, instead of writing a ridiculous amount like I did for my recent Avatar post, this time I will let the pictures do the talking.

We begin with the 20th Century Theatre located on Madison Road just outside of downtown Cincinnati.  It opened in 1941 with the film Blood and Sand and closed its doors to cinema in 1983.  The first few times I visited Cincinnati, I was only to get a quick drive-by glance.  It wasn’t until this past January when I actually took the time to examine the  theater up close that I found it now regularly hosts concerts and special events.  Even through it no longer holds movie screenings, it great to see that it is still being used for entertainment purposes.  The theater was almost lost to demolition in the late 80s/early 90s and was saved thanks to a string of businesses and organizations that used the theater for a variety of reasons.

During the day, the marquee looks a bit worn, but in a good way.  It is a reminder that this theater, like many in the Midwest, has seen generations come and go, but still remains an important fixture in the community.  Birds perch on the “20th” lettering and fly in and out of the vertical “Century.”  At night the marquee partially lights up, illuminating the surrounding streets in an orange glow.  It gives the area an aura of electricity and excitement–even on a cold January night.

Check out the official website of the theater here: the20thcenturytheatre.com