HISTORY AND CULT CLASSICS
The unmistakable sound of a pipe organ fills the acoustically-balanced auditorium. A near capacity crowd of almost 800 stands and sings along with the organ as it plays “My Old Kentucky Home.” Although the organist is flawless in his rendition, the crowd is not as well versed in the lyrics and as the organ plays, they are soon almost silent as the words to the Kentucky state song elude them. The crowd doesn’t care though, they are excited about what is to come -- a 1940’s cartoon and film serial will precede the feature presentation -- the 1956 sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet. It’s all part of the fun and excitement of one of the many programs run by the historic Kentucky Theatre in downtown Lexington.

This is a landmark, built in 1922. Beautifully ornamented walls and Italian -- renaissance design take visitors back to when going to a film was an event. Warner Brothers' “Vitaphone” sound was first brought to the region by the Kentucky in 1927, opening the door to the next era in movie history: “the talkies.” Soon the Theatre became the main venue in central Kentucky for film. Movies such as Dracula, Gone with the Wind, The Sound of Music, and innumerable other classics had their Lexington premieres at the Kentucky.

Times changed and with the rise of the multiplex cinema and home video, many classic theaters were forced to close their doors forever. The Kentucky, unlike some, learned to adapt to changing times. In 1979 the Kentucky began playing a repertory format, where they showed many different films each week including art films, classics, and foreign films. The Theatre found another niche with midnight movies in 1980. Showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blazing Saddles, and other cult classics became regular weekend fare.

CHALLENGES
But the story of the Kentucky includes some bad times. In 1987 a fire at an adjacent restaurant did extensive damage and the theatre's doors were closed. This could have been the end for the last of Lexington’s “Golden Age” (1920-1932) theaters if not for public and private support. After numerous petitions and much debate, the Kentucky Theatre was purchased by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government two years after the fire, and the process of restoration began. On Christmas Eve, 1990, the Theatre’s marquee was turned on again. A group of supporters including Fred Mills, the current manager of the Kentucky, formed the Kentucky Theatre Group, Inc. to run it on the city’s behalf.

The restoration was finally completed and the Kentucky Theatre re-opened to the public on April 11, 1992. Now 15 years later, the Kentucky is considered the city’s premiere “art house” showing a mix of independent, foreign, and classic films. This is not to say that changing times and technologies have not had an impact on the classic theatre. The Kentucky Theatre of today may have been meticulously restored to its former glory, but it is its ability to reinvent itself that may be the most shining facet of this golden-age gem.

Mills has been a guiding hand for the Kentucky Theatre since its re-opening. He’s seen that the market in which the Kentucky operates has changed. The Theatre has serious competition from the six multiplex cinemas in the area. One of those, billing itself as an “art house” has been running a mix of art house films that compete directly with many of the Kentucky’s showings. Further eating into the Theatre’s market has been the rise of HD TV and the fast release of new films on DVD. Home systems now offer larger screens with higher-quality presentations than has ever been possible. Technology is making it difficult for all theaters to keep patrons coming back.

“Midnight movies on Friday and Saturday nights used to be a staple for us” says Mills. “Now that is changing as new films come out on DVD so fast that you can’t make any money running them as second run or as midnight shows”. Mills goes on to note that many theaters in larger cities that used to run midnight movies have stopped for those reasons, but not the Kentucky Theatre.

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