The Marianne Theater first opened in 1942. Many local, indie theaters closed in the 1970s and 1980s with the introduction of IMAX theaters — but the Marianne Theater stayed open, solidifying its place as an iconic Bellevue gem.
While city officials and nonprofit leaders said the theater permanently closed after a fire in 1992, it turns out that closure was temporary. We know the theater aired “As Good as it Gets” in 1997, but that too wasn’t quite the whole truth.
1942: the Marianne Theater opens
1992: Popcorn machine fire
While the popcorn machine fire did happen, it did not permanently shut down the theater.
1997: The last advertisement in the Kentucky Post
This is the last advertisement published by the Cincinnati Enquirer uploaded online. Still, the 1997 movie “As Good As It Gets” came out after this advertisement.
May 2000: Scream 3
Later, the Marianne Theater was once again mentioned in the paper, but not as an advertisement for the theater itself. Rather, it was included as one of the theaters showing Scream 3.
October 2000: The theater closes?
A newspaper article published June 24, 2002 states the theater closed in October 2000. The article follows then-owner John Eck, who was aiming to reopen the Marianne to compete with IMAX theaters.
This article also gives further insight into the Marianne Theater's recent history. The theater was closed a brief number of times during ownership changes in the 1990s.
October 2001: Sylvia Smith dies, daughter of Marianne Theater founder
An obituary of Sylvia Smith says the Marianne Theater was still open in its original location in October 2001. Sylvia Smith’s father opened two different theaters named after his two daughters, Sylvia and Marianne. Her family sold the Marianne Theater in the 1970s.
The record is pretty murky on when exactly the theater permanently closed. While the Marianne Theater may have closed temporarily throughout the 1990s, it closed for good much later than many thought.
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