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Happy Birthday Leeler.

I doubt that a free showing of that movie will bring anybody to the theater.

What I would do: Play for free, or $.70, whatever the price might of been then the latest big movie. Play the old movie pre-show for a bit for a few minutes of neatness. Maybe for the week, especially if you can arrange it to when it's one of your slower weeks.

Dress up in 1940's clothing. Have 1940's gadgets around. Play a slideshow of how much things cost in 1941, etc.

Certainly a very cool thing to do.

thanks Mike. good ideas

One of the reasons that Roxy does so well is that his venue is the only discount operation in the very large populated area of Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton PA (the towns run together for a combined population of over 750,000) - a blue collar (and home to former steel mills) rust belt depressed area where the first run theatre chains seem to take pride in price gouging their patrons:

Check Out These Prices

On top of this the Lehigh Valley or ABE area (as it is called by locals) is still underscreeded for the size of its population.

Shoot me an email I would love to talk to you about the theater. Like others I have ideas but no money, lol. But I checked the Small Business Administration website and as a disabled person I qualify for considerable help in getting started. I'm figuring on $90k for the building and another $20-$30K for renovations and to bring it up to code. Then there's insurance, digital projector, sound, etc. I'm working on the business plan off and on as I finish my Masters at Fairmont State.
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Russ Stover

Sorry for the delay. Thanks for the reply to the post. I got a good look at the theater a few weeks ago and my survey showed a 96% positive to re-opening the theater.