79th Street Twin II Cinema

The venue ceased operations at the expiry of a 30-year leasing period on February 8, 1984.

Boxoffice, Feb. 1, 1960: “The Brandt circuit, which leased the old Bard, former vaudeville house in Little River, completely remodeled the house and reopened it January 21 as the 79th Street Theatre. The 700-seater is running double features at budget prices for the family, 25 and 50 cents for adults and 15 for children. Tom Kiernan, longtime theatre operator at Los Angeles, is the manager.”

This reopened as the 79th St. Art Theatre on January 28th, 1961 with “Love and Jealousy” and “Mademoiselle Striptease”. Grand opening ad uploaded.

What was unusual about the Little River Theater was the balcony. The projection booth was in the center and on either side were two soundproof glassed in viewing rooms. One was for smokers and the other for people with small children so that their crying and/or talking wouldn’t disturb people – a great idea.

When it became an “adult” theater it showed those horribly filmed movies of the 30’s and 40’s that were so bad they made “Reefer Madness” look like high art. Supposedly no one under 21 was allowed, but we were in our mid-teens and were never challenged. The live show would have some strippers who couldn’t get work anywhere else. We were sure they were all someone’s grandmothers. Even so, we felt like hot shots for getting in.

I used to go to my friend’s record store The Reord Gallery in the early 1970’s, which was located directly across the “hall” from the Star Cinema in the Woolco mall. Afetr a number of friendly chats with the manager, I used to go in there and kill some time watching the films… Ah! The indiscretions of youth!

Don Boyd is a buddy of mine and has a great site… so check it out!

As for the 79th Street Twin II, It WAS originally the Bard, then the Little River, then the 79th Street Art Theater. Right around the corner from it (on NE 2nd Avenue) was the King, formerly the Rex… originally the Rosetta.

There was another theater on NE 2nd Avenue South of 79th Street which became a split location for two businesses… Newgay Table Tennis and a company that did yearbook photos – I think it was called Nationwide Studios.

I think the Star theatre was located close to where Woolco opened a store back in the late 60s or early 70s. This was west of the Northside Shopping Center, very close to the Peoples Commerce Bank, which amazingly enough is still there. I remember that there was a small mall type shopping center built there, but I don’t think it did very well. The Frank & Bun was more towards the corner of 79th Street & 27th Avenue. I don’t remember the Frank & Bun, however I have seen it’s location on Don’s website. At the time Woolco was there, the Frank & Bun was not. An amusement park, Funland Park was on that corner too, kind of like behind the Royal Castle, which is still there.

This was also the location for the Bard theatre which ran movies as well as live burlesque in the late fifties.

Thanks for your comments Louis. I found this site looking for information on another old movie theatre (Palm Springs) and it has some good information, links and comments that I can use on my site. I’m glad you enjoy the old photos like I do.

Don

Yeah, that’s what I thought – it was way west of the 79th Street Art Theatre/Twin II Cinema. I went by there yesterday because the expressways were clogged in heavy rain – it’s all a giant flea market now.

Frank ‘n Bun was a very popular drive-in on the southwest corner of 27th Avenue and 79th Street in the 50’s. There is an aerial photo of Northside and Frank 'n Bun at: http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/85074956

Don,

I honestly do not know. My dad remembers the same mall on 27th Ave you speak of. He specifically remembers eating at a drive-in restaurant across from that mall on 79th. He thinks it was a Frank and Bun.

Harvey

You’re correct, it was the porn of the time (1960’s) but when you say porno most people today think of the raw explicit raunchy stuff leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination and that just wasn’t the stuff being shown at the 79th Street Art Theatre in the 1960’s. I’m just clarifying the word “porno” so people don’t think it was the porno of today and past few decades.

Harvey, I’m certain that it had nothing to do with the Star II if the Star II was at the 79th Street Mall. Was that west of Northside Shopping Center on 27th Avenue?

They were “soft core” sex films, the porn of the time. It opened with such films and was never mainstream. The gay screen started when they twinned it in the seventies.

Louis, it was always porno, gay on one screen, straight on the other.