WWTBAM Bored

The Tara Theater was one of Atlanta's only arthouse theaters and the source of many fond memories for me. It was originally a single-screen first-run theater opening in the mid-60s, and I used to hitchhike from Georgia Tech (it was on an I-85 exit) to watch movies there on weekends. They weren't real strict about enforcing fire codes in those days, so sometimes they would oversell capacity and people would be sitting in the aisles. The Atlanta premiere of Smoky and the Bandit was held there with Burt Reynolds himself in attendance, and the original Star Wars film played there for six months.

When I moved back to Atlanta in 1979, I lived a few blocks away from the theater. By then, it had split its main auditorium into three screens (they added a fourth later), but the trend was to multiplexes with many more screens and business suffered. Eventually, it was bought by George Lefont, an art film pioneer in Atlanta. He decorated the lobby with classic artwork from Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and similar films and switched its format. I remember Mrs. SSS and I went to see a movie there on a cold rainy winter night, and Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, and Ted's daughters were there as well. Mrs. SSS waited inside with Jane and the daughters, while Ted stood in line behind me to buy tickets.

Lefont sold the theater eventually, and it became a Regal theater but kept showing art and independent films nearly exclusively. I'm sure business took a hit during the pandemic, but we saw Tar there just two weeks ago, and it didn't seem to me like the employees knew they were closing. The closing was announced Wednesday with last night the final night.

I feel like I've lost a friend tonight.

For what film did you and Ted buy tickets?

Bob Juch wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:41 am

For what film did you and Ted buy tickets?

I honestly don't remember what movie it was, but I definitely remember our encounter with Ted and Jane.

Bob Juch wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:41 am

For what film did you and Ted buy tickets?

I honestly don't remember what movie it was, but I definitely remember our encounter with Ted and Jane. It was a mid-week showing of what I'm sure was some art film, but I just don't remember which one it was or what year exactly.

My obituary notice for the Tara has proved to be premature, much to the delight of Atlanta film fans. The owner of the Plaza Theater, one of the city's other art theaters, has taken a six-year lease on the theater and will reopen it later this spring using the Tara name (which Regal gave up). They will have both 35 and 70mm projectors (for showing older films), as well as current digital equipment.

silverscreenselect wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 22, 2023 3:55 pm

My obituary notice for the Tara has proved to be premature, much to the delight of Atlanta film fans. The owner of the Plaza Theater, one of the city's other art theaters, has taken a six-year lease on the theater and will reopen it later this spring using the Tara name (which Regal gave up). They will have both 35 and 70mm projectors (for showing older films), as well as current digital equipment.

The Tara Theater had its grand reopening Thursday with showings of Star Wars, Back to the Future, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Starting today, they are showing first-run art films on three screens and vintage films on the fourth screen. They had a collection of vintage posters in the lobby that Regal took with them when the theater closed in November. Those posters have been replaced with others donated by fans. And, unlike Regal, which has a contract with Pepsi, the new Tara will sell Coke products.