Valley Art Theatre is the diamond in the rough for the Harkins movie chain. Though you'll find state-of-the-art seating and sound, a plethora of movie screens and a glitzier atmosphere at some of the chain's other East Valley locations such as Ciné Capri and Chandler Fashion 20, Valley Art Theatre is loved for its simplistic style.

With only one movie theater — which holds 240 people — Valley Art is reminiscent of old-fashioned movie houses. In fact, according to Jackie Faubus, director of marketing for Harkins, that's the reason Kevin Costner chose to screen his film “Open Range” at the theater in August.

“The location is wonderful,’’ she says. “It's in the heart of Tempe and Mill Avenue. It's an icon for what an old theater is like. It feels really special. People like that.’’

After his father sold the Valley Art in 1961, the theater deteriorated until Dan Harkins reacquired it in 1991. It received a $1 million face lift in 2000 but no unsettling alterations were made.
“We put an awful lot of time and effort into giving it the latest frills but wanted to keep a lot of the old feeling,’’ Faubus says of the changes, which included cushy rocking seats and digital sound.

And while Harkins Centerpoint, which is down the street from Valley Art, screens Hollywood blockbusters such as "The Matrix Revolutions" and "Terminator 3,” the single-screen cinema focuses on independent and niche films.

“We're trying to build an audience for art movies and small independent films,’’ general manager Robert Chamness says. “It's definitely working.’’

Though the theater often looks quiet, Chamness, who has been with Valley Art since May, says it tends to attract a larger crowd when it shows older films such as "The Breakfast Club" or Japanimation films.

“We'll see more of an artsy crowd when we show movies like that,’’ he says. “Those types of films do really well here.’’

Valley Art will never see the kinds of numbers that other Harkins cinemas turn, but the theater seems to have found an ideal home on the quirky Tempe street.

“Mill is a really unique place and people expect for there to be unique venues along the way,’’ Faubus says. “The Valley Art really fits that bill.’’

Valley Art Theatre

Where: 509 S. Mill Ave., Tempe
How much: $4.50-$7.50
Info: , #027 or www.harkinstheatres.com