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The people behind Row House Cinema transformed a former discount store into a single-screen boutique movie house. After bringing cinema to Lawrenceville, the team has turned its efforts to the South Hills, more specifically the historic Hollywood Theater on Potomac Avenue.
The Row House crew will officially reopen the Hollywood Theater in Dormont, where, from October through the end of the year, they plan to run programming in the 300-plus-seat theater.
“We’ve been in the independent cinema business for nine years now, and we’re thrilled to bring that experience, enthusiasm, and, of course, a little movie magic to a bigger venue in a new neighborhood,” says Row House owner, Brian Mendelssohn, in a press release. “Dormont is such a cool community, and we can’t wait to be a part of the Potomac business district.”
The move signals an expansion for Row House and a new chapter for The Hollywood, a nearly century-old movie house that has seen its share of closings and reopenings over the decades.
The programming schedule — consisting of an open house, a science fiction film festival, and holiday singalongs, as well as a Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast performances by the Junior Chamber of Commerce Players of Pittsburgh, a group that has performed at the venue for decades — will precede the space being shut down in early 2024 for a complete renovation, which involves installing a new sound system and screen and a “reimagined” lobby and concession area.
The basement of the building will also house six “media event rental spaces” created for video gaming, karaoke, and private screenings.
“The Hollywood Theater has been a part of our Dormont family for more than 90 years,” says Dormont Mayor Jason Walsh. “The survival of the Hollywood is paramount to a thriving Potomac business district.”
The grand movie house experienced a more recent heyday under the management of the Friends of the Hollywood Theater. Run by the group as a community theater between 2011 and 2018, it hosted a number of curated events ranging from festivals to cult movie screenings to Q&As with directors.
The Friends of the Hollywood Theater was pushed out in February 2018 when the Theatre Historical Society of America purchased the property. Row House will acquire the Hollywood from the Theatre Historical Society of America in mid-September.
Joseph Morrison served as the operations manager for the Hollywood and now manages the Harris Theater for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. He sees the Row House acquisition as a positive move for the region’s art scene.
“I am pleased to see the Hollywood Theater reopening, and I certainly have fond memories of my time there,” says Morrison. “Art helps build community and, when there are more opportunities for the people in our region to enjoy film, it can only be a good thing. I wish the [Row House] team well and encourage film lovers to support all of our region’s local theaters, including the Harris Theater in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, where we will be hosting an incredible lineup of films this month.”
Based on the programming schedule, Row House will, to some degree, capture much of what once made the Hollywood so appealing to local cinephiles. For example, the upcoming lineup includes a screening of Donnie Darko with director Richard Kelly and a screening of Mulholland Drive with singer Rebekah Del Rio, who appears in the film.
The Hollywood acquisition also adds to Mendelssohn’s stated goal of making an “entertainment destination in the South Hills.” Row House recently partnered with the Denis Theatre Foundation to operate the now-empty Denis Theatre in Mt. Lebanon. Under a signed agreement, the Foundation and Row House will seek funding to rebuild the space and reopen it as a “state-of-the-art, three-screen theater, restaurant, and bar in the heart of Mt. Lebanon’s business district” on Washington Road.
“Reopening the Denis will strengthen the Pittsburgh film scene as a whole,” Mendelssohn says in a press release. “Lawrenceville and Mt. Lebanon have different personalities, and we look forward to developing programming in the South Hills that will fit its unique venue.”
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2023.
