The East Liverpool Area Community & Learning Center at 110 Maine Blvd. situated in the former Trinity Church property was a dream of several area businessmen trying to introduce a new concept on how to make the community more appealing. It is located next to the East Liverpool High School property. That was six years ago and the community center has exceeded all expectations.
Many years ago there were over 20 movie theaters in the tri-state area showing current news reports preceding the latest full length new movie productions featuring popular actors and actresses of the day. Today there remains just one air-conditioned theatre in the community. It is situated in the community center. The movies are free along with free buttered popcorn and candy just as was the case in the golden years of movies.
Thursday Classic Movie Nite was the dream of Craig Kidd who initiated the showing of his movies in the widescreen, surround sound and air-conditioned theatre at the center that now bears his name. It features movies from his vast DVD movie collection that he left to the center. Theresa James now narrates the Movie Nites and selects the movies to be shown.
James chooses from among the thousands of movies at the center and she researches the background of each movie being shown so she can lead lively discussions with the audience of the classic movie that they has been shown each week. Attendance each evening has recently been averaging about 14 to 16 guests each evening beginning at 6 p.m. The theatre can seat about 25 guests. As the attendance continues to grow it may be necessary of consider a second showing each week.
Coming up in September will be five movies with one on each Thursday evening beginning at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 is the 1934 production of “Mutiny on the Bounty” starring Clark Gable. The American comedy film “The Egg & I” that stars W.C. Fields and Mae West is on Sept. 8 followed on Sept. 15 by a popular American comedy “The Egg & I.” Sept. 22 features Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamoure and the final film on Sept. 29 is “The Jazz Singer” with Al Jolson. An announcement of each performance will be shown in the Community Calendar section of The Review and Morning Journal newspapers weekly.
Lance Lang originally designed the theatre and he just finished tuning up the eight surround sound speakers. The audience can actually hear a stagecoach travel from one side of the room to the other. Lang was assisted by Holly Pickens, who works with the Beaver Local Auditorium sound system.
Following last week’s performance of “Gigi,” a young man who was a “first timer” and was accompanied by his grandmother sent an email to a young professional worker who had recommended the theatre and the center to him. He told her how much he appreciated the suggestion and that he would be going back again soon. He came to the center two days later with his father and shot a game of pool with center volunteer Donald Aldrich in the Teen Game Room located on the ground level of the community center. The center is open seven days each week from noon to 5 p.m. with organized activities nearly every day.