Edmond Town Hall Theater Holds

Generations Of Memories For Movie-Goers

By Steve Bigham

The Edmond Town Hall Movie Theater holds a lot of sentimental value for those who grew up in Newtown. Just about every kid in town has seen a least one movie there, and for most it played a big part in their social life.

Maybe you stole your first kiss in the balcony or got reprimanded for throwing popcorn by Francis, the theater’s legendary usher. The theater’s hallowed walls tell many stories and have been home to nearly 70 years worth of movies. And, at $2 per person, the Edmond Town Hall Movie Theater remains one of the best deals around.

“I think it’s a more intimate experience for people,” noted theater manager Tom Mahoney, who has been running the projectors since 1982. “There’s something to say for being able to watch a movie in a theater that’s been around since the 1930s.”

Edmond Town Hall opened its doors for the first time in 1932 and the theater quickly became home to a variety of movies and vaudeville shows.

The movies shown at town hall are usually the second runs, meaning they reach Newtown not long before they become available on videocassette. Nevertheless, the theater remains popular, and Mr Mahoney is hoping for a big summer. Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts, drew large crowds last week, as did the children’s movie, My Dog Skip.

The theater prefers the kids’ movies for the simple reason that kids eat more popcorn and candy than do adults.

“We make our money with the concessions,” Mr Mahoney said.

This week, the theater has been showing as a matinee The Tigger Movie, another children’s movie that has drawn decent crowds. Still, the theater continues to struggle against places like Loew’s Theater in Danbury, which is now showing recent releases like The Patriot, The Perfect Storm, and Me, Myself & Irene.

“People will go see those films first, but there are a lot who wait until it comes out here, or they’ll pay $2 to see it again,” Mr Mahoney said.

But those who choose to watch the movies in Newtown have to wait longer and longer for these movies to be released. Hit films like Dinosaur will not reach Newtown until Thanksgiving, Mr Mahoney predicted. Fortunately, the theater has films like Gladiator, Road Trip, Frequency, U-571 and The Flintstones – Viva Rock Vegas to fall back on this summer.

“The first-run theaters are keeping the movies longer and production companies like Disney have a new national sub-run policy that makes it even tougher for us to get the newer movies,” Mr Mahoney explained.

But there are still the occasional sell-outs. Mr Mahoney remembers the showing of Raiders of the Lost Ark during the mid-1980s. It was shown during the Christmas holiday and crowds flocked to town hall to see it.

“We sold 13,000 tickets in two weeks,” Mr Mahoney said.

The late Francis Hidu roamed the aisles back then, carrying a cane to keep kids in line. Today, an eagle monument stands on the front lawn of the town hall in his honor.

“When you think of town hall and the movies when you were growing up you think of Francis. He was everybody’s watchdog when they went to the movies,” recalled Town Clerk Cindy Simon this week.

Not everyone who comes to the theater is from Newtown, Mr Mahoney points out. Many out-of-towners make the trip to Newtown for the good prices and quaint setting on historic Main Street.

It has been nearly five years since the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers reduced the ticket price from $3 to $2 in an effort to boost attendance figures. The admission price was held to just $1 for many years.