PORT ANGELES — The historic Lincoln Theater near the corner of Lincoln and First streets will close Sunday.
Bryan Cook, general manager of Wenatchee-based Sun Basin Theaters, which owns and operates the downtown Port Angeles landmark, announced Tuesday the theater will close in the face of daunting costs associated with converting from 35mm film to digital projection.
“It’s [an] expensive conversion. We just don’t think it’s justified,” Cook said Tuesday.
“It’s been a process for a few years, making this decision,” he said. “It’s been a tough one.”
The last two movies to be shown there will be “Robo Cop” at 7 p.m. and “Frozen” at 7:10 p.m. Sunday.
Cook estimated that Sun Basin would have had to invest about $200,000 to convert the theater’s projection and sound systems to show movies in digital format.
Movies simply are not distributed on 35 mm film anymore, Cook said.
Cook said theater attendance has been relatively steady over the past few years, even through the economic recession.
“We’ve operated it since 1971, and we appreciate the community support of it,” Cook said.
The theater opened in 1916.
Sun Basin also owns Deer Park Cinemas in Port Angeles and theaters in Wenactchee.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
