A false alarm prompted The Majestic movie theater to shut its doors Friday night, though not before giving patrons the boot.

A bomb threat was received by the the Ellsworth Drive multiplex sometime before 9:00 p.m., according to Laurie Yankowski, a spokesperson for the Downtown Silver Spring shopping center. The threat turned out to be a hoax, she said.

Nonetheless, theater managers decided to evacuate all 20 auditoriums and close for the night, Yankowski said. Movie goers who lost out that night were told to return on Sunday or Monday for refunds, she added.

Lead photo courtesy of Flickr user Mad Appler.

Update: According to Laurie Yankowski, Downtown Silver Spring spokespserson, the bomb threat might not have been received by telephone. The article has been corrected to reflect that. — JD (Aug 26, 2008)