California’s historic Laemmle movie theater chain, which operates the Laemmle Claremont 5 theater in Claremont Village, is no longer for sale, an official told TSL.
At least part of the chain went up for sale this summer, according to Deadline, but negotiations with a potential buyer ended Thursday and the company is no longer for sale, according to Laemmle vice president of operations Kevin Gallagher.
“We will continue operations under the Laemmle name for the foreseeable future,” Gallagher said in an email to TSL.
Laemmle was in negotiations for a potential sale as recently as Wednesday, according to an email Gallagher sent to Smith Campus Center administrative coordinator Susan Sellons.
The Laemmle chain has been plagued by low business, Guy Valdez, the general manager of the Claremont theater, told TSL in September, and the Claremont theater does not see much of an audience from young people.
Valdez added that the theater is implementing renovations to try to boost business, including obtaining an alcohol license, revamping food offerings and adding reclining seats.
In anticipation of the sale, the chain had stopped selling discounted tickets to the 5Cs. Four of the 5Cs, as well as the Honnold-Mudd Library’s Connection store offered such tickets.
Currently, ASPC and the Connection store still have tickets available for sale, but Scripps College, Pitzer College and Claremont McKenna College ran out, according to administrators at the schools.
Laemmle started selling discount tickets again as of Friday, according to CMC associate dean of students Devon MacIver, who said the school had ordered 100 more.
It’s unclear what the cancellation of the sale means for Claremont’s theater.
This article was last updated Nov. 22, 2019 at 5:27 p.m.
This article was updated Nov. 21, 2019 at 8:44 p.m.
Marc Rod PO ’20 is from Rye Brook, New York. He previously served as TSL’s managing editor, news editor, news associate and news writer.