Community Profile

Landmark Theatres, the nation's largest art-house chain, began its ascent in 1974 with the acquisition of West Los Angeles' historic Nuart Theatre, the circuit's venerable flagship. Shortly after christening the Nuart, Landmark opened the Ken Cinema in San Diego, the U.C. Theatre near U.C. Berkeley and other outlets showcasing classic American and foreign films and cult features that changed nightly. This repertory-style format, coming before VCRs, thrived among college students and others who happily endured long lines to see favorites like Harold and Maude, King of Hearts and Pink Flamingos, the types of films that Landmark supported long before most other theatre chains.

To make moviegoers take notice, the growing chain marketed its schedule by distributing free monthly calendars throughout each theatre's city. And, with the kind of initiative that remains one of its greatest strengths, the company aggressively staged grassroots promotions.

By the end of the '70s, Landmark had grown into the nation's largest repertory film circuit. In addition to the programming, increasingly loyal audiences were drawn to one-of-a-kind, historic venues, such as the Mediterranean-style Rialto Theatre, with its original art deco design, in Southern California's South Pasadena.

As the '80s dawned, repertory-style circuits faced increasing competition from the burgeoning home-video market, so Landmark began to exhibit high quality, independent films and first-run foreign fare. The strategy worked, and more effort was channeled into expansion. In 1982, the chain merged with Santa Fe-based Movies, Inc. to acquire 12 additional screens in eight new cities in the South and Southwest, and in 1989, it merged with the Seattle-based Seven Gables circuit to add another 33 screens. Over the next five years (during which time the Samuel Goldwyn Company bought Landmark), it added nearly 30 more screens in the San Francisco Bay Area. Almost half of them were in Berkeley, a hot market for offbeat art houses that drew students from the city's bustling university.

In the early '90s, Landmark began multimillion-dollar renovations of its historic buildings, and, embarking on a new era, began developing new multiplex theatres of its own for the first time. The big push came in 1995, when the company opened three multiplexes, each architecturally distinct, in one year: the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis, the Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco and the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge, MA. The nine-screen Kendall Square is the nation's largest art house and Landmark's most successful venue to date. Expansion continued in 1998 as Landmark was acquired by Dallas-based Silver Cinemas Inc. and opened the Plaza Frontenac Cinema in St. Louis and the Embassy Cinema in Waltham, MA. In March 2000, Landmark returned to Chicago, opening Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema to phenomenal business.

Throughout its history, Landmark has built a reputation for fresh and innovative marketing strategies that have become its trademark today. Examples of this winning philosophy include live strippers for The Full Monty, local actors performing the Bard's Best for Hamlet and cooking demos for Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. Special events, such as Q&As with directors like John Sayles (Lone Star, Sunshine State), short film festivals, documentary, matinee and midnight series, also became part of Landmark's signature style, which has also occasionally meant offering exhibition and marketing opportunities to up-and-coming filmmakers.

In 2003, Landmark Theatres was acquired by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban's 2929 Entertainment. 2929 Entertainment is an entertainment holding company that owns 100% of Rysher Entertainment, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures Distribution, and also holds an interest in Lions Gate Entertainment. 2929 Entertainment produces and finances movies through two production companies: 2929 Productions, which produces films in the $10 - $30 million budget range, and HDNet Films, which produces smaller-budget movies shot exclusively in high definition. Wagner and Cuban are also partnered in HDNet and HDNet Movies, two general entertainment high-definition television networks that are available on most major cable and satellite providers.

Landmark Theatres added 11 more screens to its company in 2003, including the hip Magnolia theatre located in Dallas. An on January 9, 2004, our most recent construction, Landmark’s E Street Cinema, opened in Washington D.C. At the turn of the new century Landmark has begun the process of improving its theatres across the nation as well as enhancing the customers experience. This includes, but isn’t limited to, launching new non-traditional concession fare, implementing a retail arm of the company specializing in DVDs, soundtracks and other merchandise, placing LCD & Digital projectors into many of our theatres and adding print-at-home ticketing options.

Still, no matter how large it grows, the circuit continues to operate hand-in-hand with local communities to support the art of film. With its mix of historic and new theatres Landmark Theatres remains committed to exhibiting meaningful films that need to be seen.

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