After 68 years, the Varsity Twin Cinema closed its doors for good yesterday, drawing a modest Sunday audience of theater regulars and foreign-film buffs.

Nu'uanu resident Clifton Hew, who attended a noontime screening of the French comedy "The Valet," said the Varsity was a "one of a kind" neighborhood theater whose broad aisles and art-house ambience can't be replaced.

"I'm kind of disappointed to see it go. But I guess we live in the age of multiplexes and it's more profitable to show several movies on a smaller screen," said Hew.

"It's sad to see because it was a place I've come to since my childhood."

Consolidated Theatres, which owns the Varsity Twin, announced Friday that yesterday's showings of "The Valet" and Canadian indie film "Away From Her" would be the theater's last. The company said it was closing the Varsity because of a "dramatic decline in attendance."

The state's largest theater operator said it will show many of the same art-house and foreign films that had been screened at the Varsity at its recently remodeled theaters at Kahala Mall.

Consolidated did not say what it plans to do with the 1.7-acre property but said it is not selling it as this time.

Mo'ili'ili resident Linda Jones, a Varsity regular since the 1970s, said it won't be easy to duplicate the atmosphere of the Varsity. The lack of crowds, the college-town setting and the friendly patrons contributed to the theater's character, she said.

"I'm really going to miss the neighborhood theaters because they're practically nonexistent," Jones said.

"These days, they're all in shopping centers or malls and that's where they lose their charm."

Designed by noted architect C.W. Dickey, the Varsity opened in September 1939 as a single-screen cinema featuring the John Wayne movie "Stagecoach."

During the 1960s and 1970s, the theater served in the daytime as a lecture hall for introductory courses for freshman at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

In the early 1980s, the Varsity was remodeled to the two-screen format it has today, and in February 1988, Consolidated converted the Varsity into an art-house theater.

"This theater has so much history," said Nu'uanu resident Deborah Ball, who said she went on her first date in Hawai'i at the Varsity as a graduate student in 1995.

"For me, I can count on seeing a good educational film and something that's informative about what happening."

The decades of wear and tear on the Depression-era landmark were apparent yesterday on the faded exterior and chipped paint and rusted coverings on the theater marquee.

Melchor Ruiz of Nu'uanu said he's sad to see the Varsity go but he believes that the Kahala Mall is a better venue. Ruiz, a Varsity patron for more than six years, said the Kahala Mall facilities are more modern and the seating is more cozy.

"We enjoy seeing the films but not so much at this place. It's not as comfortable as the other theaters," said Ruiz.

Waikiki resident Helen Puhl said she also likes stadium seating and other aspects of modern theaters, though not at the cost of closing a cultural landmark like the Varsity.

Added Mary Rose Timmons of Waikiki: "There's not enough of these types of old-school theaters from the glamour era. The ambiance is going to be missed."

Reach Rick Daysog at rdaysog@honoluluadvertiser.com.