Main Street Theatre Ms. Pacman

You should buy the Ms Pacman and put it in your arcade.

Stuck in a back room where no one can play it. What a crock!

Cool story though.
 
@Phetishboy !!! I had no idea you worked on those games for Main Street Theatre. That's very cool. I know them well and played them upstairs often in my teenage years. Particularly the Street Fighter. I'm guessing you worked with the Douviers then?

I know the previous owner quite well, Bob D. He sold the business to his son Jesse D. I'm sure keeping it in the family has helped them keep bills low and the place affordable. Jesse did a lot of the remodels you noticed, upgrading seating and such.

For a while, I worked for a local television station in Sauk Centre and we did a movie review show at Main Street Theatre. We promoted the theatre show times, and in return the public access channel got a show out of it. In 2010 or 2011, we did a short documentary on the place, too, when Bob converted his projectors from film to digital. We filmed him changing reels, running a projector, etc. Then, he showed how much easier running a digital projector was. He also spoke about how hard running a small-town theater can be. Sadly, I can't find a copy of it.

Here is the owner (on the right) and my co-worker reviewing Looper back in 2012.
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And here's me reviewing Paranormal Activity 4!
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When Wreck-it Ralph 2 came out, I briefly loaned the theater my Fix It Felix cabinet. He kept it in the lobby but I don't think it got much play. I still know a few people that work there if you wanted to get in touch with anyone.
Oh, that is amazing Serg!! Yeah my mom was friends with Bob way back in the 70s. She used to take us to his "Sky-Vue" drive-in back in the day. I think they still live on that property out by the airport. In fact, the base of the screen is like his shed now. I saw probably 50 or more movies there until they closed it in the mid 80s. Of course we went to the Main Street weekly when he owned it as well. I always loved Bob and his wife.
 
Oh, that is amazing Serg!! Yeah my mom was friends with Bob way back in the 70s. She used to take us to his "Sky-Vue" drive-in back in the day. I think they still live on that property out by the airport. In fact, the base of the screen is like his shed now. I saw probably 50 or more movies there until they closed it in the mid 80s. Of course we went to the Main Street weekly when he owned it as well. I always loved Bob and his wife.
Oh and here's a Google Earth Street view picture of the aforementioned movie screen base shed:

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I grew up in a small town too and the theater was my favorite place to go. It ended up closing down and falling into disrepair. In 2015 my father and I restored the marquee that was falling apart and I helped switch it over to digital projectors. A few years later my friend who ran the theater passed away unexpectedly, my wife and I stepped in to run the business and keep it going. It's pretty sad though how few people come anymore. Some weekends we only have a handful of people. But I want to preserve this as long as I can so we keep plugging away.
 

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I grew up in a small town too and the theater was my favorite place to go. It ended up closing down and falling into disrepair. In 2015 my father and I restored the marquee that was falling apart and I helped switch it over to digital projectors. A few years later my friend who ran the theater passed away unexpectedly, my wife and I stepped in to run the business and keep it going. It's pretty sad though how few people come anymore. Some weekends we only have a handful of people. But I want to preserve this as long as I can so we keep plugging away.
Now that is awesome. I applaud you for keeping that going. I wish my wife felt more like I do about this sorta stuff, but she wants nothing to do with any GenX/nostalgia type business. She's all about money and success more so than nostalgic preservation. I mean, I get it, but I would love to continue the Main Street Theatre if the current owner decided to bail. I also was putting together a business plan to start a drive-in near Albany Minnesota right next to the freeway. There's a perfect field that I would've done back to back screens. One of the projector buildings would have been a snack bar/diner and the other would just be a small utility shed that would house the projector equipment. Screens would be back to back, and of course you'd have two different frequencies to tune your radio to. Basically just have to monitor to make sure nobody's changing screens and I think it would've been perfect. I was going to call it the Galaxy View Drive-in.
 
Now that is awesome. I applaud you for keeping that going. I wish my wife felt more like I do about this sorta stuff, but she wants nothing to do with any GenX/nostalgia type business. She's all about money and success more so than nostalgic preservation. I mean, I get it, but I would love to continue the Main Street Theatre if the current owner decided to bail. I also was putting together a business plan to start a drive-in near Albany Minnesota right next to the freeway. There's a perfect field that I would've done back to back screens. One of the projector buildings would have been a snack bar/diner and the other would just be a small utility shed that would house the projector equipment. Screens would be back to back, and of course you'd have two different frequencies to tune your radio to. Basically just have to monitor to make sure nobody's changing screens and I think it would've been perfect. I was going to call it the Galaxy View Drive-in.
Oh god I would love a drive in. that would be the ultimate. I never got to go to one as a kid but my wife and I took our oldest boy when he was very young and it was so fun. It was both our first trip to a drive-in, I'll have to ask him if he remembers. My kids don't know how envious my childhood self would be of them. They get to hang out in the balcony of the theater with all their friends and watch all the new movies the night before they come out while I'm setting up but I hope someday they look back with nostalgia for it all. If you find yourself in SW MN look me up and I'll show you the theater. I also helped my other friend restore the bowling alley in town and I put a small arcade in the front so I'm working 24/7 to keep the old ways alive in this town ;)
 
Nice place! I find it funny that you mention the midwest being good about saving things but then mention that this theater is near Detroit, the poster child for abandoned buildings and tearing down buildings. I know a few jewels survive, but boy the US is all about everything being temporary. I love that Ford bought and restored Michigan Central Station, though it was epic as a ruin.

Gentrified historic areas like Charleston, SC, Savannah, St. Augustine are finally past that point and the hundreds year old structures have a pretty good chance of surviving (excepting storms).
yea Detroit has its share of problems for sure. But man, there are some gems still around. That train station remodel is absolutely incredible. Used to hang out there back in the late 90s/00s when it was in your best interest not too lol.

Now I get to go there with my dad , walking around pristine rooms and hear his stories about using it when it was actually a working train station. Quite the transformation. I think a lot Detroit is working to that point. The size of the actual city limits are a problem imo. Some of the neighborhood blight is on par with the worst of the world. Quite a contrast.
 
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