EXCLUSIVE: Goodbye, Galleria 10
By Wade KwonEXCLUSIVE: The Galleria 10, in operation since the mid-’80s in Hoover, will close its doors Sunday.
The movie theater, part of the Regal chain based in Knoxville, has faced competition over the years from the Carmike 10 (now a “bargain” theater) and in the past year, the Rave Motion Pictures Patton Creek 15. Just how long could 35 screens forbidden to show the same movies compete in the same 1-mile radius?
[Updated]
Dick Westerling, senior vice president of marketing for Regal, said:
“Nov. 13 will be our last day of operation. The theater is an older facility, and based on a variety of business-related issues, we have decided to close the theater. Galleria 10 has approximately 15 employees, and they will have the opportunity to apply at other Regal theaters in Birmingham.”
Those other theaters being Festival 18, Brook Highland 10 and the newest, Trussville 16. The Wildwood 14 in Homewood closed earlier this year, with direct competition from Carmike’s Wynnsong 16.
When it opened, the Galleria 10 was the successor to the Hoover Twin and the Hoover Square 6 (both Cobb Theaters), part of the dynamic new Riverchase Galleria retail/office/hotel complex, reportedly the largest mall in the Southeast.
In recent years, the theater showed an almost exclusive slate of “arthouse” movies, many of which came and went within a week because of virtually no advertising and promotion. The current offerings include “Proof,” “Broken Flowers,” “Everything Is Illuminated” and “Separate Lies.”
Oddly enough, the Galleria will have at least one more premiere, “Killing Christian,” a dramatic feature shot in Birmingham. A story in the Birmingham News’ Sunday edition failed to mention that the filmmakers are renting out the space for Thursday night’s event.
Update
A day later, the Birmingham News version. Note Westerling’s identical quote.
Wednesday, November 9, 2005, 12:10 am
Truly sad.
No more getting to the theater 1 minute early to fight those 4 other people for the best seat.
Guess we’ll have to start seeing movies somewhere else.
Meet you at the Festival 18!
Wednesday, November 9, 2005, 12:13 am
Galleria 10.
Small movies, small seats, small crowds.
I’ll miss you, old friend.
Sunday, November 13, 2005, 4:09 pm
I worked there for a total of 6 years from the day it opened in May of 1988. Met my best friend and husband there. Today is a sad day for me.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005, 12:40 am
My buddies worked there, along with other Cobb theaters. “Enjoy you, and thank the movie.”
Wednesday, November 16, 2005, 1:40 am
[…] The Galleria 10 shut down Sunday after more than 15 years showing movies in Hoover. Two fond memories spring to mind, one mine, one someone else’s. […]
Friday, December 2, 2005, 10:18 am
Thanks for the mention in your article! We loved having our premiere at the Galleria and really didn’t consider anywhere else. It was a dream come true! We will miss the Galleria 10!
Friday, December 2, 2005, 3:55 pm
Sure thing — curious as to how the premiere went …
Saturday, December 3, 2005, 12:29 am
The premiere was an incredible experience! We had shot the film completely in the city of Birmingham, so it was nice to premiere here in Birmingham, and we sold out the theater, had nearly 500 people! It turned out even better than I had dreamed.
Thursday, December 8, 2005, 11:36 pm
Good to hear.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006, 1:09 am
I helped open the Patton Creek 15 for Rave, so I guess that I was partly to
blame somewhere down the line. I was working for Carmike 10 when
Rave sucked the life from it. Now I have moved to Lakeland, Florida with Cobb ( That had originally opened Galleria 10). I was down here when the it closed.
Farewell Galleria 10, Sorry to see you go.