BRIDGTON (AP) – The final curtain’s coming down this weekend at the Magic Lantern, a 76-year-old movie theater that’s shown thousands of films to generations of viewers.

Despite occasional upgrades during the theater’s lifetime, age has finally caught up with the landmark in this southern Maine town. Down East Inc., which owns the theater, plans to tear down the building and build a new Magic Lantern just off Main Street.

“Its been here for so long,” said Tom Watkins, manager of the theater. “It’s sad to have to see it demolished.”

The Magic Lantern will show its regular schedule of movies on two screens Friday through Sunday. On Saturday, relatives and descendants of Claude Meserve, who built the theater in 1929, will gather for a final show.

The building served various functions in the beginning, with a roller-skating rink on the third floor, the theater on the second floor and a garage on the first floor. The skating rink is gone and businesses later occupied the first floor.

The theater had a succession of names through the years: New Meserve, Mayfair and Brookside in addition to its current name. It also underwent a string of renovations, and at times had to close down.

When Meserve’s relatives make their final visit Saturday, they will walk past a small wooden ticket window in a parlor-like lobby. Mementos fill the room, including an old player piano, movie memorabilia and posters of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, glued on the bathroom doors.

One of the theater’s claims to fame was former owner Tom Goodman’s persuading Stephen King to host a premiere of the movie “The Shining” there in 1980.

“We’ve been going to movies here since we were kids,” said Frank Howell, owner of Down East Inc. “It’s hard to imagine Bridgton without the theater.”

The owners promise to sell some pieces of the theater, such as seats, to interested residents.

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