Valley Forge Cinema
In the early 1970s, businesses in the little town of Washington were expanding westward. Washington businesses generally extended only west to Wilmor Road prior to that and the town was bursting at the seams. During this time, Peoria Street from Wilmor to Hillcrest was experiencing an explosion of development, and the town business focus, if not shifting away from the square, was certainly spreading out.
In January of 1973 it was announced that a new shopping center would be developed just west of the Washington State Bank, to be called Valley Forge Shopping Center. The first, and anchor business of that shopping center was to be a cinema. Other businesses in the center included Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, The Closet, Sauder’s Colonial Shop, Mr. Steve’s Beauty Salon, and the Gingerbread House.
In the early stages of its development, the new Washington cinema was to be a part of the Jerry Lewis Cinema franchise.
In late 1969, actor/comedian Jerry Lewis announced he was entering the movie franchise business, and his plan was to offer franchises to investors at two different levels, depending on their investment. Lewis made the idea of running a theater sound like something anyone could do: push-button operation, possibly only two employees needed to run the entire theater, and a restriction that only family-friendly movies be shown. It sounded too good to be true, and investors pooled their money in groups and bought franchises all over the country.
At its peak there were perhaps 200 Jerry Lewis Cinemas in operation in the US, far fewer than the projected 2,500. On Halloween night 1972, a Jerry Lewis Cinema opened in Morton by a group of investors: Fred Roberts Jr., Steve Joos, Ron Ridker, Tom Brubaker and Frank Bussone. Captain Jinks & Salty Sam made an appearance at the premier; the first movie shown that Halloween night was “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” starring Vincent Price. The first regular-run feature shown was “What’s Up Doc” starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal. The manager of the new theater was Chuck Thomas, who was also running the Del-Van movie house, known for years for its X-rated movie showings.
The Morton theater continued as the Jerry Lewis Cinema for only seven months, until May 1973, and it is assumed that the Washington cinema was planned to carry the same Jerry Lewis moniker until around that time. However, the Network Cinema Corporation running the Jerry Lewis Cinemas filed for bankruptcy. Investors fled around the country, and some sued for their money. Morton dropped the “Jerry Lewis” from their name and became the Morton Cinema. Interestingly, some theaters kept the Jerry Lewis name, the last known one being in existence in 1986 in Maryland.
Just one month after the Morton Cinema dropped its affiliation with Jerry Lewis, the Valley Forge Cinema went on with plans to open in Washington without any connection to the actor and his corporation. Early on the owner/manager for Valley Forge is listed as Ron Thomas, alias Ron Razowksy, who was a WMBD radio personality at the time. His partner was David Weisleder. A later owner of the cinema was Ed Dullard.
Initially, the Valley Forge was scheduled for a May 1, 1973 opening. That was pushed to a May 25, 1973 start with the showing of the movie “Sounder.” That was also delayed because of a rainy spring which left the parking lot unfinished. Then the opening was to be June 1 with a showing of “Deliverance.” Again, the theater could not get the parking lot prepared in time and could not open.
Finally, on June 21, 1973, the Valley Forge Cinema held a private opening to civic leaders leading up to its public opening the next night. The first movie shown at the theater was "The Poseidon Adventure."
Over Labor Day weekend in 1977, two juvenile boys snuck out their homes, drank some beer, and headed out on the town for a night of vandalism. According to police reports, they took an iron post from a fence near the Washington State Bank and went on a window-breaking spree, hitting the cinema, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Sunoco, the Bank, the Matador Restaurant, Bockler Construction, Jester’s Inn and the Home Improvement Center, then proceeded to do the most damage at Central Grade School. The then 14 and 16-year-old boys later admitted to the crime.
Around 1981 during a time when the economy was struggling, owner Ed Dullard was looking to sell the theater. He wasn’t alone. At that time there were no fewer than seven other theaters for sale in the central Illinois area. Dullard blamed the film companies and only being able to get second-run films for Valley Forge. Films on the day of their release typically only went to Peoria. In November 1981, Dullard closed the Valley Forge Cinema.
The next month, Vern and Christine Reynolds purchased the theater from Dullard. Their plan seemed to be to gear the theater towards a younger crowd. They understood the second-run market of Valley Forge, but felt they had strategies to make the cinema a success. Lower ticket prices, a range of films, no horror films, and keeping the theater quiet. For a time early in their ownership, they experimented with showing some foreign films.
Possibly the beginning of the end for the Valley Forge Theater started on February 15, 1991, when a multi-screen theater complex opened in Sunnyland Plaza.
Journal Star 3/25/1994
WASHINGTON -- Valley Forge Cinema audiences will soon be grumpy old customers. The 300-seat theater will close Saturday after its final showing of the film "Grumpy Old Men." Opened as part of the Valley Forge Shopping Center in 1973, the single-screen theater was purchased by Chris and Vern Reynolds in January 1982. The couple has operated the cinema as a Reynolds Theatre ever since, renting the location from the Valley Forge Partnership. "We've been there for 12 years and things have changed a lot. When we first started out, admission was $2.75 compared to $3.50 in Peoria," Chris Reynolds said. "In 1983 we tried a 99- cent admission to establish that we were there in the area, and that's what finally made it for us." Prices at the theater later were bumped up to $1.50, the current ticket cost. The cinema had gradually moved to second-run films, those that arrived at Valley Forge a few weeks after their original release date. "We're finding that people are looking for first-run movies, and they don't seem to mind paying $4 or $5. People just want to see the newer movies," she said. The Valley Forge's sound system, concession equipment and some seats and projectors will move to Morton Cinemas, another Reynolds-operated movie house. The Morton location is expanding from three to five screens. The new screens should open in the third week of April, Reynolds said. The Reynolds chain had the only two single-screen theaters in the Peoria area. With the loss of Valley Forge, the Palace Theater in Elmwood stands as the sole one-movie house in the area.
