Lincoln Theatre refuses to show children’s films, goes to court
A dispute over a children’s film series has led the former owner of the Near East Side’s Lincoln Theatre to take the City of Columbus and CAPA to court.
Adrian’s company bought the Lincoln in 1991 with plans to restore the theatre. But when money for the project ran out, the theatre was sold to a non-profit agency of the city in 2002, and the following year to the City of Columbus for $1 million. After spending nearly $13 million to restore the Lincoln, the city extended a 99-year operating lease to CAPA.
Adrian says that when he sold the theatre, there was a clause in the contract stating that once the facility was operational, it would screen movies for children on Saturday’s for $1 per ticket…and that did not happen. Adrian filed his lawsuit in 2013 and in 2014 a judge order the $1 screening of those movies. The Lincoln Theatre Association complied and ran a series of films including The Karate Kid, The Muppet Movie, Ice Age and The Sound of Music. This year, the series did not return and that has brought all parties back to court.
The defendants in the case say that the Adrian contract called for the children’s film series ‘as long as feasible.’ The series reportedly lost $7,000 last year and that if every screening had been a sell out, it still would have lost money…making the series much less than feasible. They say that trying to solicit financial contributions for the Lincoln Theatre Association from potential donors is a tough sell if you are knowingly running a program (the film series) that loses money.
The two sides have recently argued their cases in Franklin Common Pleas Court and are now awaiting a ruling. (jj)
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