Movies return to The Ritz
By MARCUS MCCLAIN
NEA Town Courier
For six years, residents of Blytheville have been forced to the highway for the cinematic atmosphere of a movie theater. Now that trip is cut to just a short ride downtown to the Ritz Civic Center.
Director Stan Dutton announced that newly released movies will return to the landmark theater beginning on May 5, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The city has been without cinema since 2017 when the previous theater, the Blytheville Cinema 3 Malco, was closed and later converted into Anytime Fitness. However, the cinema drought has lasted much longer at the Ritz itself.
“The best that we can estimate is early to mid 80s,” Dutton said of the last new release shown at the civic center. He added that its focus on live plays, music and an arts format pushed movies to the back burner. But still, movies and acting were no strangers to the city of Blytheville as it helped produce former Golden Globe award winner George Hamilton.
His claim to fame arose from his roles in films such as Crime and Punishment U.S.A, Home from the Hill and The God-Father Part III. While there’s no record of Hamilton’s films being shown at the Ritz before, Dutton detailed a deeper link be-tween Hamilton, the past owner O. W. McCutchen and himself.
“They had cry rooms here before, and actually, my office is one of those old rooms. Mr. McCutchen built them, especially for his daughter and George Hamil-ton, because they were born around the same time,” Dutton said.
“The parents could take their child in there and still hear the movie, but the sound from inside was so muffled, the crowd couldn’t hear the child crying. My office and the other across from me were both cry rooms actually. I’m sure that was done in the 30s or 40s when McCutchen bought the theater.”
Returning movies to the Ritz was a priority for both Dutton and the Ritz Foundation to provide more entertainment variety for the community.
The 24 foot, roll down screen was approved by the city council last October, and donations from the City Advertising, Tourism, Promotions Committee helped purchase the surround sound and projector. And after clearing the studio con-tracts, the plan was in full motion.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will show on three separate occasions; May 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. and once more on May 7 at 2 p.m.
Dutton also added that while movies won’t be shown every weekend due to different events, when they are, the week-end showing schedule will remain consistent. All tickets will be purchased at the Ritz beforehand or at the door.