Hollywood Theatres to close twice weekly

Hollywood Theatres, Saipan’s only cinema, will soon begin closing twice each week to cope with a downturn in business and high electricity costs, staff with the theatre told the Saipan Tribune Friday.

The theatre, which closed earlier this year and then later reopened, will scale back its operation by shutting its doors on Wednesday’s and Thursdays, a staff member said.

In April, the movie theatre closed with its parent company, Wallace Theatre Corp., citing poor economic conditions in the CNMI and rising operational costs. It later reopened one month later after the company reviewed financial projections and weighed the major outpouring of public support the theatre saw when it closed.

During the month-long period the theatre remained closed, video stores reported a major upswing in business and a company owned by a Los Angeles talk show host expressed interest in taking it over.

The theatre, next to the Price Costco, opened in 1999.