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Coligny Theatre, originally named The Island
Theater, first opened its doors in 1972, and was Hilton Head Island's only
theater for many years.
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With the advent and explosive growth in
popularity of the VCR and cable TV, movie theaters all across the country
fell on hard times, and thousands were forced to close their
doors. Single-screen theaters like this one were usually among the first to
go. The operators of The Island Theater held on as long as possible, but
declining revenue took its toll. The theater and its equipment had
deteriorated badly, and the theatre ended a 25-year run, finally closing its
doors in late 1997. |
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In 2001, the
owners of Coligny Plaza decided that the plaza needed a movie theater, and
that if no one else wanted to operate one, they would. The theater was
renovated, renamed Coligny Theatre, and opened for business on March 1, 2002
as an "art house," mostly showing films by independent producers, and aimed
at an upscale adult audience. The art work both inside and outside the
theater, some of which is also on these pages, was done by local artist
Ralph Sutton.
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