"Lost Cinemas" is back on Varsity Virtual in a Special Edition!

After a successful premiere this May on Varsity Virtual, "Lost Cinemas of Greater Des Moines" is back, with several special bonus features, including a recreation of Ted Malone's CBS Radio coverage of the "State Fair" premiere in 1945 (starring our very own Gene Hamilton as Ted), a deleted scene of Craig Binnebose's Drive-In Museum, and a fun animated follow-the-bouncing-ball singalong of "Take Your Girlie To The Movies"!

Tickets are only $5.00, and a portion of the funds go towards the wondrous restoration of the Varsity Theatre, with plans to reopen to the public in 2022.

If you missed "Lost Cinemas" the first time around, or can't wait to see it again, do it here:

https://varsity.athomearts.org/main/lost-cinemas-of-greater-des-moines-special-edition

Stay tuned for further details on new platform availabilities!

Today's edition of "Hello Iowa!" on WHO-TV 13 included a short interview with yours truly, the director of "Lost Cinemas". Megan Reuther was a most professional and congenial host--but don't take my word for it, take a look right here:

Hello Iowa: Lost Cinemas

The WORLD PREMIERE of "Lost Cinemas of Greater Des Moines", the documentary!

 

At long last, the video documentary of "Lost Cinemas of Greater Des Moines" is complete!

The film will be available for a FREE special run at the Varsity Theater's Virtual Varsity online site, starting Friday, May 14, 2021 for a two-week run!

Additionally, the Varsity will be providing authentic and delicious Varsity popcorn as a drive-up treat--check their site for details on how to get it!

If you're new to the "Lost Cinemas" film, you're in for a surprising treat-- nearly an hour of amazing footage, pictures, music, and stories about Des Moines' moviegoing past that will surely make you see our town in an entirely new light. If you've seen the festival cuts of "Lost Cinemas" before, you still haven't seen a version like this--the final cut includes new segments about the 1950s drive-in church phenomenon, the gala world premiere of "Night of the Hunter" downtown, and newly-added footage of the Paramount's final destruction in 1979!

So tune in and take a trip back to old Des Moines, and be part of the Varsity Theater's big comeback, through the amazing efforts of Des Moines Film (formerly Des Moines Film Society). Des Moines Film is a nonprofit, working to rehabilitate the Varsity--their goal is part historic preservation, part modernization to make it the best place in Des Moines for serious film lovers to see a movie.

The Varsity is the last of Des Moines' single-screen theaters, and will re-open its auditorium with some extraordinary updates that will make the Varsity experience all the better, so please learn more and support their efforts at: varsitydesmoines.com 

And if you still can't get enough of the "Lost Cinemas" experience...stay tuned for news about the deluxe roadshow edition, with many fabulous bonus features, to come later in 2021!

COMING THIS WEEK to Varsity Virtual: the world premiere of "Lost Cinemas of Greater Des Moines", the documentary!

Watch the new trailer for the completed "Lost Cinemas" video, and stay tuned for imminent details

on this fabulous FREE online premiere through the Varsity Des Moines!

 

At the Eastown, 47 Years Ago This Month

Here's a page from the Eastown booking log from February 1967--a little Elvis, a little Hitchcock, a little Des Moines ("The Hostage"). Still a far cry from its later bookings as the 1536!

January 2014 Interview: Golden Globes at the Fleur

Here's local celeb Mike Pace interviewing Mark Heggen about "Lost Cinemas", his career in LA and Des Moines, and new show "This Way Back" (premiering Monday at 9pm on MC22), along with the "Swingin' Sixties" segment from the "Lost Cinemas" feature! Click the link below to watch!

Mike Pace and Mark Heggen at the 2014 "Golden Globes at the Fleur"

"Women at War" World Premiere

Des Moines' Michael Wieskamp's Pinterest page has a wonderful section of "Old Des Moines" photos--many of which include nice shots of Lost Cinemas. Here's a great one to get you started--then check out the rest of what he's posted. Great stuff, Michael!

"Women At War" Premiere at the Des Moines

How Influenza Affected DSM Moviegoing

      In 1918, the flu epidemic was a serious danger worldwide. In Des Moines, the public was mandated by law to wear face masks in public to prevent infection. Naturally, this was a problem for moviegoers--as they were huddled together in a common warm space. Here's an excerpt from an article on Influenza Archive:

"On December 2, the Board made that recommendation mandatory: as of noon that day, the wearing of face masks was required in all public places such as theaters and even college classrooms, but were not required in streetcars, office buildings, or stores and shops. Interestingly, theater and movie house operators were willing to close to bring about a quicker end to the epidemic, but were asked by the Board of Health to remain open. “We think a certain amount of amusement is necessary,” commented Commissioner of Public Safety Ben Wolgar.

"The mask order did not last long. Theatergoers were unhappy that they had to wear masks while watching stage performances or movies, and theater owners were unhappy that they had to enforce the order in their establishments. Box office receipts fell drastically. At the Garden Theater, for example, six hundred patrons attended the December 2 matinee show, before the mask order went into effect; only two hundred attended the evening performance. Across the city, theaters and movie houses reported half of the usual attendance. Many Des Moines residents, it seemed, so disliked wearing flu masks that they preferred to remain at home rather than to don one. Bending to the will of the people and business interests, and with the support of physicians who (correctly) argued that gauze masks did little to prevent the spread of influenza, the Board of Health revoked the order on December 4 and once again made the wearing of flu masks voluntary."

One of the theatres that remained open was the little Amuz-U, at east 5th and Locust: proprietor Rudy Elman's attempt at a solution was to seat people in alternate rows, so as to bring at least a little distance between patrons. The loss of business must not have been too hard on Elman, as this tiny single-screen remained open until 1953.

To read the full article, go here. 

Big festival win at Wild Rose 2013!

"Lost Cinemas" took home 4 awards last Saturday as part of the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival 2013: Best Documentary Feature; Distinctive Achievement Awards: Director-Documentary Feature Film, Writer/Director-Iowa Film Feature, and Editing-Feature Film.

If you haven't seen it yet, come check it out Wednesday November 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fleur Cinema & Cafe (formerly the Fleur 4!) (And even if you have seen it...come see it again and bring a friend along! You'll notice new bits and pieces such as a fantastic shot of the Rocket Theatre marquee, not seen in earlier cuts.) Mark Heggen will be there for a Q&A after the show.

Many thanks to the Wild Rose panel for this terrific honor. And if you can, be sure to check out the other great films in the festival--this is probably the best year yet for it.

New Website for the Film

Greetings, all!

After nine years, the documentary film version of "Lost Cinemas" is finally completed. And I've put together a new website just for the film--check it out at: lostcinemas.info.

I'm very excited to get this released to you, the public, as soon as possible--the only thing holding this up is the expense of the archival rights (pictures, footage, and music) and a few other ancillary finishing costs such as insurance.

I've been fortunate enough to secure fiscal sponsorship from the International Documentary Association (IDA), whose established 501(c)(3) status will help those of you who want to contribute by qualifying your donation as a tax deduction; of course, you should consult your tax advisor for details on how you can make your contribution work for you this way.

You'll find more details on this--as well as a gallery, more background on the film, some new clips, and even downloadable Lost Cinemas of Greater Des Moines wallpaper--on the new website, as well as a button that will take you to IDA's donation link.

I hope you're as excited as I am that the film has reached this stage. It's been a long haul, but I fully believe it's been worth it on so many levels. Let's get through this final stretch and get "Lost Cinemas" out to festivals, competitions, theatres, and a home video DVD release!

Thanks to ALL of you for your support, contributions, and enthusiasm over the years!

With gratitude,
Mark Heggen

Ben Hur Program, Capri, 1960

"Ben Hur" was a big deal when it opened as the Capri's first feature presentation in early November of 1960. Bob Fridley had just completed renovations on what was the Uptown Theatre on University, and a brand-new Todd AO 70mm system had just been installed. "Ben Hur" was to dazzle the Des Moines public by presenting an epic biblical tale on a giant new wide screen, with multi-channel sound playing on a system installed by Todd AO system engineers flown in from Holland.

This was still the era of the "roadshow" picture, in which the feature was presented as an entire event, often with an overture, an intermission, custom banners for the lobby, and souvenirs available for purchase at the snack counter--such as this lush color brochure detailing the making of the "Ben Hur" feature.

Here's an ad for the grand opening of the Town Drive-In, from an Elkhart paper in May 1949. This venue was later known as the Starlite, and was perhaps the most "outlying" of the Des Moines ozoners. (Ad courtesy of the Cataldo Punelli collection.)

The Razing of the Amuz-U

On East Locust, what's left of the Amuz-U is razed in the mid-1990s. This is a recent animation I did, made from a friend's photograph, which I'm hoping to shoehorn into the "Desolation" segment of the film. My secret wish: that a demolition photo with that horrible aluminum siding removed so we can see if the original archway was still there...

Two Views of the Garden

Here are a couple of very nice architectural renderings of the Garden on Locust, from a full-page newspaper ad that ran during the theatre's opening. As you'll see, Norman T. Vorse (architect of many an old Des Moines building) was behind this one.

When A.H. Blank was feted downtown for his years in the exhibition business, he was presented with a cake made to look just like his beloved Garden! (I'll see if I can get the photo of it for posting...)

The Latest (And Very Late, At That!)

Sorry for the long delays in posts, everybody.

Two reasons:
1. Yes, I've been working on the film. It's much longer than I'd originally anticipated...close to an hour now...and I've had the very pleasant "misfortune" to keep getting cool new material just when I think I'm done! But I can't complain: between Sarah Oltrogge and her friends at the Historical Society and Des Moines Library, and the Jewish Historical Society in Waukee, I've gotten some incredible new photos that I've been integrating into the film. It just takes time--and there's only one of me. But I just got the final batch of photos (mostly of the Blank family) from JHS, and I've decided that's going to complete it.

2. The blog here was overrun with spam, and the earlier version of Blogger just wasn't cutting it as far as ease goes in getting rid of it all. Just spent a bunch of time cutting all of those needless ads and non-sequitur comments, and Blogger has updated their spam control, so let's hope the garden is now weeded out for good!

More about the film: perhaps the most exciting--then disappointing--event was the Grinberg footage that I thought I had finally tracked down to Grinberg Film Library's latest location, which was (conveniently) in Chatsworth, right here in the Valley. After a lengthy search, it turned out that the clips I wanted had deteriorated beyond usability--so they're just plain gone. These were on the flammable and easily-degradable nitrate stock (as opposed to what we've had since, which is called 'safety film'), and it often can turn to goo or explosive powder, even if stored carefully. It's a sad loss, as this would have given us glimpses of the "Career" premiere downtown (and probably the big after-show dance at Drake Stadium), the opening of the Blank Children's Hospital, and footage of A.H. Blank receiving the "LOOK Magazine Exhibitor of the Year" award in the early 1950s. (An interesting side note to this: the JHS has in their archive a gigantic, professionally-made scrapbook filled with mementos from Blank's career, carefully presented at that time to make a bid for Blank's nomination for this award. I will try to describe it more fully soon--it's amazing.)

On the upside, KCCI is allowing us use of their footage of A.H. Blank (with Bill Riley!) at the opening of the Des Moines Zoo--you can see this footage now if you want to on YouTube.

Once again, sorry it's been so long, but I've been trying to get this film put to bed so that we can finally all take a look at it sometime soon!

Thanks for your patience; check back again soon!

-Mark

East Side Story

This time, a quick plug for one of our locals--Sarah C. Oltrogge, of the State Historical Society, has just published a fascinating new book that concentrates on the East Village area of Des Moines, tracking over a hundred years of history through a treasure-trove of photographs. The visuals alone are fascinating in and of themselves, but what makes this so much more than your average coffee-table look-through is Sarah's accompanying text--she has a knack for picking out and interpreting details that completely bring these pictures to life. It's like having a good friend take you on a tour through her hometown--but with time-traveled factored in as well. Once she gets you started, you'll be making repeat visits to these pages and picking out details on your own.

For you fellow Lost Cinemaphiles, you'll find a couple of items not seen here or in my film--a rare snap of the Mini-East adult theatre, and the similarly elusive Iowa Theatre (not to be confused with its westside counterparts of the same name).

The book is part of the well-known "Images of America" series issued by Arcadia Publishing, and is available through Amazon.com (prices vary from day to day, but they're generally good), the better local book stores, and also at various East Village store outlets.

If you're especially lucky, you can catch Sarah signing copies in person and dishing tales of East Side history in her upcoming personal appearances. You should be able to find info about these here; her first signing (at the West Des Moines Barnes and Noble this month) did very well and found her book supply pretty well depleted by day's end.

Add this to your Des Moines history bookshelf as soon as you can--though I suspect it will have more time in your hands than on the shelf!

Jerry Lewis Goes South

Here's an obscure one, due to its very short life: the Jerry Lewis Cinema 1 and 2, deep in S.E. 14th territory. The above article comes from the Carlise Citizen, November 16, 1972.

The idea behind this chain was "If you can push a button, you can run a Jerry Lewis Cinema!" These somewhat prefab mall-box theatres were designed to be plopped down into any local shopping center, and to require only 2 employees to operate it: a ticket taker, and a concessions person-slash-projectionist (aka, button-pusher). The films arrive weekly, the overhead is low, and local entrepreneurs make big profits for themselves and Jerry. How could you lose, right?

But lose they did, across the country. The reasons were manifold: the likeness of Jerry himself was a turnoff. The prefab machinery tended to break down, with no one in the vicinity to effect repairs. And, perhaps worst of all, programming was in short supply. Jerry's idea was to reintroduce the concept of the family-friendly theatre in an era already drowning in R's and X's. The problem: hardly anybody was producing the stuff. The G rating was even beginning to be seen as a liability--if it's General, it's super watered down for kiddies only, rather than the general concept of "family"--"something for everyone".

Mr. Tony Magnani was the proprietor of Des Moines' entry into the franchise, and sadly, I don't think it lasted more than a couple of years. I recall seeing a rerelease of "Scrooge" there one winter, but I don't recall any details whatsoever of the theatre itself, and have no idea of what now stands at S.E. 14th and Indianola Road. (Readers, rescue me here!)

In a way, the failure of Lewis' automated-film-box franchise is ironic--considering that it is practically the model of most multiplex operations today.

For a fuller treatise on the Jerry Lewis Cinemas franchise story, check out this excellent Cinelog article here.

Rudy at the Amuz-U in the 40s

Courtesy of his son John Elman, here is Rudy Elman manning the main portal of the Amuzu sometime in the 1940s.

Astute Cines fans know that the senior John Elman opened the Amuzu in 1913 and turned it over to Rudy later on. Rudy also received former rival theater The Star (situated just west across the alley) as a wedding present--The Star was operated for a time by A.H. Blank as part of his early his theatre empire.

John Elman of today tells us to look carefully at the tiling beneath Rudy's feet, and you will see the theatre's name spelt out in its alternate, hyphenated variation: "AMUZ-U". (John also tells us that it didn't strike him until years later that the name was a pun on "Amuse You"! His wife happened to point this out to him...)

A Funny Thing Happened, By The Way, To The Forum IV

...what happened is, of course, that it is now the Hobby Lobby, in what I still think of as the Ardan's Plaza, right next to Merle Hay.

As far as Lost Cinemas go, it ain't much--I don't even have the exact dates when this was opened and closed, though I think it's safe to say Sometime In The 70s to Sometime In The 90s. This was typical of the boxy, nondescript mall multiplexes that began to plague the scene after the Golden Era ended.

This telop slide design suggests there was something ornate and Roman about the Forum's architecture--but tain't so. About the only thing it had in common with ancient Rome is--it fell!

The Des Moines, 1943

Crowds line up for the war feature "Bataan", which places this photo in 1943. You'll notice the marquee is of the same style seen 2 years later--and 2 weeks prior to the war ending--during the world premiere of "State Fair" at this theatre and the Paramount.

This photo comes courtesy of Lost Cines reader Craig McCue, who is currently authoring an Arcadia book for the West Des Moines Historical Society. (Let us know when that hits print, Craig!)

Hmmm, are those sailors standing in line? And if so...are they real, or for publicity?