The curtain has come down on Bridgeport”™s last movie theater after more than a quarter-century run.
Showcase Cinemas at 286 Canfield Ave. in the city”™s Black Rock neighborhood was put up for sale in 2014 by its parent company, National Amusements. Real estate developers Spinnaker Real Estate and Eastpoint LLC will demolish the theater and replace it with a market-rate apartment complex. The theater”™s 500-space parking garage is expected to remain.
The 12-screen theater, with a total of 3,000 seats opened on Oct. 15, 1993, and was notable for being among the few Fairfield County cineplexes to schedule Bollywood films alongside the Hollywood fare. Online reviews of the theater praised its concession offerings, but criticized its failure to replace the old-school auditorium-style seating with the stadium and reclining seating that has become standard in many cineplexes.
At its peak, Bridgeport was home to more than 20 movie theaters. The city”™s only venues for cinematic events are the Bijou Theatre and Klein Memorial Auditorium, which offer occasional screenings for festivals and special events.
National Amusements will continue to operate Fairfield Cinemas at Bullard Square, around the corner from Showcase Cinemas and over the town line in Fairfield.
