Five Movies You Probably Did Not Know Were Filmed in Delaware
This post originally written by WJBR Digital Production Intern, Nicole Mills. Mills is a senior English student at the University of Delaware from Wilmington, DE. Unaware to many of us,…
This post originally written by WJBR Digital Production Intern, Nicole Mills. Mills is a senior English student at the University of Delaware from Wilmington, DE.
Unaware to many of us, some classic films have been shot right here in Delaware, and surrounding areas. There have been more than just these five below, but these are five movies you probably have no idea were filmed in the first state.
Who knew that all these blockbusters were shot in the beautiful first state?! From classics like Dead Poets Society to thrillers like The Village Delaware has served as background for some of cinemas greatest creators. All the filming locations and more about each movie can be found on imdb.com.
Does anyone else feel like binging all these movies now?!
Inside the Abandoned Cine’Mart Theater in Wilmington Delaware
In the late 60s and early 70s, movie theaters, drive-ins, and strip mall cinemas were popping up all over the nation. They were the new craze. Branmar Cinema had just opened their doors, along with Tri State Mall's old theater. And then came the Cine'Mart Theater on Governor Printz Boulevard in Wilmington, Delaware. The first date of the box office opening at the Cine'Mart was January 20th, 1969.
According to the credited research that Edwin Graf Diemer contributed to Cinema Treasures for this story, "The shopping center [across the street from Cine'Mart] was built just following World War II and quickly became the most popular shopping destination in Wilmington." The theater seated 984 people and there was only 1 screen, similar to Branmar Theater just a couple miles away. A newspaper released at the time of the closure stated, "The CineMart, Northern Delaware's largest motion picture theater was closed over the weekend. Employees of the 984-seat theater on the Governor Printz Boulevard said they were notified of the closing just hours before it was shut down."
The theater was steadily losing "$50,000 to $60,000 a year" and fell behind on rent. The owners did ask the owners of the Merechandise Mart to twin the theater, but they declined. At the same time of the CineMart closure, the Edgemoor Theater, which was only a few hundred yards up the road, would close when their lease expired.
Edwin cited that "The auditorium was completely in gold with wide rocking chair seating. The front was deeply curved to allow for the screen, with curtains that went to the rear of the auditorium." According to local WJBR listener, Gary Rauso who has been to the Cinemart as well as Branmar Cinema, stated "It was the first theater in the area to have surround sound." This theater, along with many others across America, actually were booking shows ranging from G-rated to explicit pornographic films. The theater was originally built to operate solely on X-rated pornographic films, but the Budco company acquired the theater from Hallmark Theaters of Massachusetts and started showing all varieties of films. The first film ever shown at the Cinemart was in 1968, titled "The Odd Couple". The last ever film shown there was "The Exterminator".
The downfall of the Cine'Mart was actually due to the Concord Mall on Route 202 in Wilmington. The Mall had been built with a theater of its own and sucked the life out of the Cine'Mart. This also resulted in the abandonment of the entire Merchandise Mart. Today, the Cine'Mart is fully abandoned, but remains standing with boards up on every possible entrance.
CineMart Building Exterior
Cine'Mart Governor Printz Boulevard Wilmington Delaware
Cinemart Box Office Poster
Inside Cinemart Movie Theater
Cinemart Photo Dated 2011
Cinemart Box Office Poster 2
Cinemart Exterior
Cinemart Exterior 2
Budco Quality Theatre, Owners of Cinemart
Cinemart Bathroom
Inside the Cinemart Theater
Cinemart Theater Chandelier
Cinemart Balcony Seating
Inside the Cinemart Theater
Exit Sign Still Glows Red
Panic Buttons
Curtain Open and Close Buttons
Budco Quality Theaters Patch
The Infamous Film Screen
Golden Curtain Walls
The Infamous Film Screen
Cinemart Seating Area
Cinemart Movie Poster
Cinemart Movie Poster
Cinemart Jaws Movie Poster
Saturday Night Fever Movie Poster at Cinemart
X-Rated Movie Poster
X-Rated Movie Poster at Cinemart
Monty Python Cinemart Movie Poster
Poseidon Movie Poster Cinemart
Cinemart Movie Poster Alex in Wonderland
Branmar Plaza Shopping Center in Wilmington Used to Have a Movie Theater
Branmar Plaza, owned by Capano Management, in Wilmington, Delaware is home to many great establishments. From El Diablo, to Branmar Wine and Spirits, Acme, and now a brand new Kid Shelleen's. Located on Marsh Road and Silverside, the shopping plaza frequents many shoppers all hours through the day. The exterior of the storefronts are currently being renovated to match the aesthetic of the new Kid Shelleen's, Branmar Wine and Spirits, and the Walgreens on the opposite corner.
In the early 2000's two video rental stores were in business, but ended their lease when Netflix and streaming services came about. But what came before those video rental stores was something only some Wilmington residents remember. The Branmar Cinema.
The Branmar Cinema was located at 1812 Marsh Road, right in Branmar Plaza. It was in the back corner, right around where the current Karate storefront is. It was a strip mall movie theater, which were very popular in the late 60s and early 70s across America. The Branmar Cinema opened on August 12, 1970 and hosted only one screen. According to Jordan Lage of Cinema Treasures, "From the entrance, it had a modest-sized lobby with concession stand attached to the main auditorium, resulting in an L-shaped layout. During its life it was operated by Budco and AMC Theatres." 10 years after opening, the theater was twinned on March 14, 1980, yet closed some time in the 90s. Apparently, for some time, the theater posters that once were plastered to the windows could still be faintly seen in the correct light. The windows have probably been replaced.
