In this feature, we strive to present a quick history of the Shopping Mall Cinema. While it is not possible to include every single relevant detail, the most important aspects will -hopefully- receive mention.

Our story, which primarily unfolds during the Post-World War II years, had its beginnings in the silent film era of the 1920s. At this time, America's emerging car culture was spawning the first auto-oriented, suburban-style shopping centers. It was inevitable that the paths of the movie house and prototype shopping center would meet at some point.

The Great Depression, and a global conflict, delayed the shift of American commerce and cinematic entertainment from central city to suburb. Soon after the war ended, several new-fangled shopping centers were built  "out of town," with a few of these including a movie theater.

At this time, the Hollywood film industry was entering a period of decline that would continue for a decade or more. The reasons for the slump were many. First off, many soldiers returning from the war were using GI Bill funding to further their education. Cracking the books left little time for leisure activities such as going to a movie. Secondly, a government anti-trust action, in 1948, mandated the separation of motion picture studios from the various chains of company-operated theaters.

Lastly, the advent of commercial television made it possible to receive video entertainment, for free, in the comfort of one's own home. These events left the grand downtown movie palaces of the early 1900s nearly abandoned.

At the end of World War II, as America embarked upon an unprecedented period of economic growth and expansion, the movie industry was in the midst of a slump. Ticket sales fell dramatically between 1946 and 1956. To try and buck this trend, several widescreen formats were developed. Cinerama debuted in 1952, followed by CinemaScope, VistaVision and Todd-AO.

*Cinerama. The first widescreen process was introduced with the September 30, 1952 showing of  the Cinerama Releasing Corporation's "This Is Cinerama." Originally, three cameras, three synchronized projectors and a huge, curved screen were used. At first, existing theaters were converted to the Cinerama format. 

By the 1960s, a single projector  had been perfected. Cinerama-capable venues were built at shopping centers such as WINROCK CENTER {Albuquerque, New Mexico} and SHARPSTOWN CENTER {Houston, Texas} in the 1960s. The final Cinerama theater, at SOUTHCENTER MALL {Tukwila, Washington}, was dedicated in April 1970.

*CinemaScope. This widescreen process premiered, on September 16, 1953, with Twentieth Century Fox's "The Robe." CinemaScope used a single camera, projector and an anamorphic lens to produce a widescreen image. A wider screen was also necessary for CinemaScope features.

*VistaVision. Paramount Pictures' brand of widescreen film presentation made its debut with the first showing of "White Christmas," on October 14, 1954. VistaVision also used a single camera (with modifications), a single projector and a screen wider than the conventional model.

*Todd-AO. The fourth major widescreen format of the 1950s was developed by Michael Todd and the American Optical Company. It premiered October 11, 1955 with Twentieth Century Fox's "Oklahoma." This format utilized a wider film negative (70mm) than that used for Cinerama, CinemaScope and VistaVision (whose films were shot on conventional 35mm filmstock). Theatrical presentation of Todd-AO required a single projector and widened movie screen.

The following innovations were also devised to compete with the small-screen television medium;

*3-D. The first practical showing of a three-dimensional film took place on November 30, 1952, with the premier of Arch Oboler Productions' "Bwana Devil." The 3-D process created the illusion of depth perception, via two projectors equipped with special polarizing filters and the disposable "anaglyph" glasses worn by viewers.

*Stereophonic Sound. Walt Disney Studio's "Fantasia" premiered with a stereo soundtrack on November 13, 1940. However, it was the September 1952 showing of "This Is Cinerama" that introduced the first practical application of a stereo motion picture soundtrack.

A diagram showing the configuration of a circa-1952 Cinerama-equipped auditorium. The first practical widescreen format, it utilized three cameras, three projectors and a large, curved screen. Obviously, there were problems inherent in trying to keep three projectors synchronized. A film break in one could spell disaster!

Drawing from Wikipedia / "AndyJ"

Hollywood's attempt at besting the small screen TV format included the much-ballyhooed premier of so-called 3-D movies. The first 3-D flick, "Bwana Devil,"  hit the silver screen in late 1952.
Graphic from Wikipedia / "PhilbertGray"

The 3-D process, which gave the illusion of depth perception, was accomplished by disposable, cardboard "anaglyph glasses," which were worn by the audience.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Snaily"

The pairing of movie house and shopping center in America began in the 1920s and progressed slowly through the Depression-plagued 1930s. When global hostilities drew to a close in 1945, construction was already underway on Washington State's BELLEVUE SHOPPING SQUARE, which would become the nation's first post-war shopping center.

An original SHOPPING SQUARE tenant, the Bel-Vue Theatre, showed its first feature in March 1946. The Holiday Theatre, at Chicagoland's PARK FOREST COMMERCIAL CENTER (PARK FOREST PLAZA), opened for business in October 1950. Over in Connecticut, Stamford's Ridgeway Theatre, at RIDGEWAY CENTER, entertained its first patrons in August 1951. A cinema was also added to San Diego's LINDA VISTA PLAZA in the early '50s.

America's very first Shopping Center Cinema dates back to the silent film era. It opened, in October 1928, at Kansas City, Missouri's COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA.

Janet Gaynor topped the bill in "Street Angel,", which was the very first motion picture shown at the Plaza.

This Spanish Colonial motif movie house was eventually replaced by Palace On the Plaza, a 14-screen megaplex, which showed its first features in May 1999. With its theatrical tenure over, the original venue was reconfigured as a Restoration Hardware store.

The nation's second Shopping Center Cinema was located in Greater Dallas' HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE.

The first feature presentation at The Village Theatre, "The Dark Angel," starred Frederic March and Merle Oberon.

The grand opening advert for Greater Dallas' Village Theatre. It was added to the existing HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE in 1935. The oft-renovated cinema was shuttered in October 2021. It was repurposed as retail store space in 2023.
Advert from http://www.flickr.com / Mike Rivest

Three New Deal-era garden suburbs were built between 1935 and 1940. These planned cities were developed on the outskirts of Washington, DC, Cincinnati and Milwaukee. Each had a suburban, car culture shopping center as its defacto downtown. The city centers in Greenbelt {Maryland} and Greendale {Wisconsin} included movie theaters.

The Greenbelt Theater made its debut with a showing of  "Little Miss Broadway." This Twentieth Century Fox vehicle starred Shirley Temple and Jimmy Durante.

The first feature shown at Greendale Theatre was MetroGoldwynMayer's "Out West With The Hardys," with Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone and Fay Holden.

Both "greentown" theatres were originally run by co-operatives that had been formed by residents of each community.

The Greendale hadn't been in operation for very long when this photo was taken. The film on the marquee, "The Kid from Texas," was in its theatrical run during mid-1939.

Photo from Library of Congress / John Vachon

Another planned community was built on the outskirts of Oklahoma City during World War II. The defacto downtown of Midwest City was ATKINSON PLAZA, a moderne-style strip center. One of its original tenants was the Skytrain Theatre. 

The Skytrain was in business for nearly 30 years. It was eventually demolished, along with the rest of the historic mid-century shopping facility, in 2003.

In this 1947 snapshot, "Good News," a MetroGoldwynMayer production, is the feature Skytrain presentation. The film starred June Alyson and Peter Lawford.
Photo from http://www.flickr.com / White Chipmunk's Photostream / Atkinson Heritage Center

Bellevue, Washington's Bel-Vue Theatre holds the distinction of being America's first Post-World War II Shopping Center Cinema.

The venue, which was built as part of the BELLEVUE SHOPPING SQUARE development, held its gala grand opening in early 1946.

The Holiday Theatre, at Chicagoland's PARK FOREST COMMERCIAL CENTER (PARK FOREST PLAZA), opened in late 1950.

The Holiday's first presentation, "Tight Little Island," was a 1949 British production. The film, known in the UK as "Whisky Galore," was renamed for its stateside release. It starred Basil Radford and Bruce Seton.

Another post-war Shopping Center Cinema was the Ridgeway Theatre, at Stamford, Connecticut's RIDGEWAY CENTER.

On the opening night bill at The Ridgeway was "Flying Leathernecks," a World War II action picture. It starred John Wayne and Robert Ryan.

Now we enter the realm of the shopping mall and its many cinematic variations. America's first suburban-style shopping mall, Seattle, Washington's NORTHGATE CENTER, was officially dedicated in April 1950.

A year-and-a-half after its grand opening, NORTHGATE CENTER added a mall-connected motion picture theater, which could now be viewed as the nation's very first Shopping Mall Cinema. In the next month, Greater Boston's SHOPPERS' WORLD followed suit with its own "mall movie house."

Our nation's first (quote-unquote) Shopping Mall Cinema opened for business in September 1951, at Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER.

Like the mall it was connected with, the Northgate Theatre was designed using a Native American motif. In those pre-pc days, its restrooms were labeled "Braves" and "Squaws." One of its other features was a large baby crying room.

"Take Care of My Little Girl" was a Technicolor drama about a college sorority. It starred Jeanne Crain and Mitzi Gaynor. 

Above, we see the promotional poster for the film.

Graphic from Wikipedia / "MovieFan"

America's second Shopping Mall Cinema was located at Framingham, Massachusetts' SHOPPERS' WORLD complex.

The Framingham Cinema at Shoppers' World made it's debut a week after the grand opening of the Northgate Theatre in Washington State. The first film presented at the SHOPPERS' WORLD venue starred Fred MacMurray and Eleanor Parker.

In this vintage view of the SHOPPERS' WORLD mall, the single-screen Framingham Cinema is seen on the left

Photo From Framingham News / October 1951

At this juncture, it might help to differentiate between the two types of Shopping Mall Cinema models utilized by developers during the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

The first type of Shopping Mall Cinema will be referred to as an At-Mall theater. It could be built as a freestanding structure in the periphery of the mall or be constructed as part of the structure, with no direct connection into the shopping concourse. Northgate Theatre {Seattle, Washington} and Framingham Cinema {Framingham, Massachusetts} would fit this model.

The second type of Shopping Mall Cinema will be referred to as an In-Mall type. As its name implies, the In-Mall cinema was incorporated directly into a mall and had a direct connection to the shopping concourse...be it open-air or fully-enclosed. The Northland Cinema, at Columbus, Ohio's NORTHLAND CENTER, would be an example of this type of movie theater.

We submit for your approval our first example of a so-called At-Mall cinema. Northgate Theatre, at Seattle's NORTHGATE CENTER, was a part of the open-air mall's physical structure, but was not accessible from its "Miracle Mall" shopping concourse.

Towne Theatre, at Greater Philadelphia's LEVITTOWN SHOP-A-RAMA, was built as part of the shopping center's second construction phase. A third would follow. This At-Mall venue was built as a freestanding structure in the mall's periphery.

Towne Theatre showed its first feature, Twentieth Century Fox's "River of No Return," in June 1954. The film starred Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum.
Photo from http://www.boxoffice.com / "Tinseltoes"

Above, we have a representation of one of (if not) the first In-Mall cinemas in America. It was a charter tenant in New Jersey's CHERRY HILL CENTER, which held its grand opening in October 1961. The theatre, dedicated in April 1962, was entered from the fully-enclosed shopping concourse.

The Northland Cinema, at Columbus, Ohio's NORTHLAND CENTER, also opened directly onto the shopping concourse. The open-air mall and its movie house commenced operation in August 1964.