Cinema De Lux goes dark without ceremony

Until Sunday, the Cinema De Lux was the area's largest movie complex. It had a small food court and a bar and grill.

The Blade/Jeremy Wadsworth
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Moviegoers head into the Cinema De Lux on Conant Street in Maumee, which had no signs outside, on the entry doors, or on the marquee that Sunday was its final day.

The 18 screens at Cinema De Lux on Conant Street faded to black Sunday night following the final showings at the 4,600-seat movie house.

The closing by Rave Motion Pictures brought dismay to some customers and surprise to others who attended evening showings on the final day.

"I think it's lousy," said Larry Thayer of Toledo, who planned to see The A-Team with his wife and two children.

"New owners come to town and they closed it."

The theater chain from Dallas paid $4.7 million for Cinema De Lux late last year.

Rave also bought three other area theater complexes from National Amusements Inc., but decided it had too many screens, 44 within four miles of each other, in the Toledo area.

Tracy Mechel of Perrysburg and her daughter Ashley said they were surprised to learn that they would be at the final day at Cinema De Lux, where they planned to see The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

"We're going to miss it. The seats are more comfortable here," Mrs. Mechel said.

Until Sunday, the Cinema De Lux was the area's largest movie complex. It had a small food court and a bar and grill.

The Conant Avenue marquee revealed nothing about the theater's last day, nor were signs posted at the theater's entrance.

Mrs. Mechel liked the stand-alone Maumee theater, saying that cinemas inside malls can be crowded.

Rave advanced the theater's closing date from the original announcement of August or September, saying the plans had "crystallized" to the point that the 90,000-square-foot theater would be shuttered this month.

The Maumee theater was the area's largest. Its closing leaves Rave-owned theaters at Levis Commons in Perrysburg, at the Shops at Fallen Timbers, and at Westfield Franklin Park.

The Maumee theater also offered a small food court and had its own bar and grill near the Conant Street entrance.

The bar, however, apparently was shut down earlier, its barstools stacked on tables.

Karl Zacharius, Jr., said he enjoyed the Maumee theater for its food.

Young Karl, along with his father, Karl Zacharius, Sr., and family, had driven from their home in Point Place to watch Grown Ups.

"We're going to miss it," the elder Zacharius said, noting that he has taken his family to the Maumee theater for the last 10 to 15 years to see Toy Story and its sequels, as well as Jungle Book and other children's movies.

The last picture shows at Cinema De Lux Sunday night also included Knight and Day, Toy Story 3, The Karate Kid, Get Him to the Greek, Iron Man 2, Sesame Workshop: Summer Beach Party, and the Last Airbender.

Contact: Jim Sielicki at:

jsielicki@theblade.com

or 419-724-6050