88-Year-Old Forest Hills Movie Theater Lives To See Another Act
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A little movie theater that's been a Queens institution since 1927 has been given new life thanks to its owner's persistence -- and a winter blockbuster.
As the film industry evolved, the five-screen Cinemart in Forest Hills fell behind, WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported.
It hadn't shown a first-run film since "Sex and the City" seven years ago. But the owner invested in digital projection and convinced Warner Bros. to give him a shot with "American Sniper."
The theater's future hinged on this past weekend's opening.
"It went really well," employee Christopher Lugo said. "It went terrific. There were so many people. It's been crowded."
Lugo's boss told him, "For the forseeable future, we're not closing down."
"It's really good. I get to keep my job," Lugo said with a laugh.
Moviegoers lined up an hour early for Monday's first showing of the Bradley Cooper film.
"It would just be a shame to lose it," one woman said.
"And if they release more movies, I'd definitely come to this theater all the time," a man told Silverman.