Where was your favorite place to see movie in Fresno? Broadway Faire theater turns out

When Regal Broadway Faire closed abruptly earlier this month, it got a lot of people feeling nostalgic about waiting in line to see movies at the theater, on Shaw and Valentine Avenues.

“Star Wars: Episode 1,” anyone?

Its closing was the reason The Bee even thought to do this movie theater poll, so it’s fitting that the theater received the most votes from readers.

It wasn’t the only theater people remembered, fondly.

There were multiple responses for the County Squire Theater on Ashlan Avenue and Festival Cinemas on Blackstone north of Barstow in what is now a used car lot.

There was one vote for the Sunnyside Drive-in.

At least two people cut out Fresno all together.

One said the best movie theaters are in Tulare.

“You don’t have to pay $25 for VIP reclining seats. All theaters have reclining seats no matter the cost.”

Original story

There’s nothing like a business closing to get people nostalgic for what once was.

See the Regal Broadway Faire movie theater, which was closed abruptly Thursday after operating on West Shaw Avenue at Valentine for close to 30 years.

Some movie-goers lamented the loss on social media, remembering a time when the theater was state-of-the art, which meant stadium seating, cup holders and digital sound.

While this is the most recent closure, it isn’t close to the only movie theater that’s been shuttered in Fresno. There were at least a half dozen multiplex theaters that closed down in the late ’90s alone, and many more theaters that were closed and/or repurposed over the years.

The Tower Theatre once served as a movie house, as did the Wilson Theater until 1971.

Some people will remember blockbuster lines outside the Country Squire Theater for movies like “Jaws.”

There were also any number of “adult” theaters in town, according to the website, cinematreasures.org, with names like the Pussycat Theatre and Peanut Patch Adult Cinema

With this in mind, The Bee wants to know: Past or present, closed down to still open, which Fresno theater had the most memorable movie going experiences?

Scroll down to tell us your favorite. Be sure to type “YES” in the first field to prove you’re not a machine. Try to be as accurate as you can with the names, locations and years of operation, and we’ll do our research to make sure we’ve go the right place.

Keep in mind this is designed as a bit of fun, a way to get those nostalgic juices flowing and maybe some conversations started. Feel free to vote as many times as you want. We’ll keep a running and tab, though 10 a.m. Sept. 23, and let you know the top 10 choices soon after.

This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 5:30 AM.