June 2014, Last evening I visited the Stonestown Twin and watched the delightful “Chef” I was taken back to to the 70’s for the style of the building and thought wow this what the Famous Cinema150’s looked like in there day and what a treat, the staff was friendly and one of the first thing I noticed the Lobby was Lighted and very clean for a Theater over 40 years old, in walking into the theater, It’s smell was distinctive not offensive you knew you were in a old theater, seats were also showing there age but still comfortable, You also knew immediately this theater was cut in half due to the positions of the seats and screen, But thinking wow would this be a special theater today if it was still one, The sound had a slight Echo very reminisce of these older cinema’s, I enjoyed the Movie it was great but I also enjoyed this theater for it’s good and bad, it is a “gem” I am sure you will not see the army of folks to try to safe once it is decided to close it but for now it is a Cinema Treasure to “Treasure” while it is still here, I encourage you to Give it a Visit…….
(Was the curtain utilized pre and post show, please Bud? Thanks) No it was Open during the preshow and never closed after as I stayed as long as I could btw a good example of a current theater like this is the BIG Newport in Newport Beach CA
I saw Hunger Games in the Theater on Wednesday Evening, 11/27/2013 what a treat, Perfect presentation, very clean, friendly staff and enjoyed the experience but friends here is the reality, you will never see that theater full, it’s too big and expensive to maintain but its saving grace and possible downfall is the parking business under it at $8.45 per half hour, It would not surprise me to see half of it taken away or all of it but until then it’s a beautiful way to see a movie in this Cinema Treasure!
for those that are curious about what the interior of the Alhambra Theater looked like I cannot post a pic because of copyright however here is a link to The Sacramento Public Library
umm Nobody is saying it but the two reasons the possible closing of these theaters (btw there very nice little theaters perfect for the Indie movies, Presentations or Meetings) is simply I am sure management does not have the money to adapt to digital and Downtown Sacramento sucks when it comes to parking, its expensive, predatory practices with the Parking Nazi’s and not safe to travel other than drive times on transit, If it wasn’t the size of the screen of the I-MAX and the subsidies it gets from the city it would be a failure too – Example to park in the Garage near the I-MAX theater and to see Cloud Atlas on a Saturday afternoon 20 dollars for the ticket and drink and 20 dollars for parking. You can get it cheaper but its over 5 blocks away
I also attended the Festival and it was a wonderful experience watching the original films restored and presented in digital showed us that digital is good
and new and glorious adventures are still to come, Watching “the Brothers Grimm” brought me to tears at times it was just wonderful, Listening to the laughter during Mad Mad continues the joy of a full theater – you become part of the movie and “This is Cinerama"
and "in the Picture” being with the guys that we’re there when it started and watching the new film one simple word describes the presentations and the Festival “JOY” to John, Dave, the best crew in the booths and the Management and staff of Pacific and the Arclight Cinema’s THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
I truly hope The Cinemark levels the current building and build a new complex in the memory of the people that were taken on that day, The new Auditorium 9 should be the most beautiful theater something very special tribute to the Cooper – Cine Capri – so watching a movie in that theater will be special again
The Screens should be the Normal not special however I do like the upgraded seats there comfy but sadly its only because they get more money per ticket period….
To Leonard and all the awesome folks who tried to save this theater
Thank you, however 40 years later you wonder if the measure succeeded if the Theater would still be with us today, As much as I loved this place I don’t think so, The Problem with the Alhambra was simply it was built in the wrong place, it’s facilities was grand but not anything like the Paramount in Oakland or the Fox in San Francisco
it was a neighborhood theater and a BIG one at that, Way Too Big, for those that knew this theater I think the Gardens outside were more beautiful than the inside, The Ceiling was not anything special and wasn’t the walls Stone? I do remember the Big Isle down the middle of it but again what do we remember about the interior. There is Not ONE picture of it anywhere on here or the Net.
To be very honest Sacramento really does not have any real Cinema Treasures, ok The Crest is nice but again it was a “Work Horse” theater in its day, The Tower, Century’s, State and Capitol Theaters were beautiful the day they open but we know there fate, split degraded and destroyed in the name of Progress, We now have the Megaplex’s, Imax behind what’s left of the Esquire and Like the National in LA, Good theaters torn down only to see the vacant and parking lots, (Cinema 1 and 2 and the Showcase) This Week we heard that the Woodland City Council is Saving the State BRAVO at least someone cares :)
When I was in So Cal, took the time and saw a movie in this awesome theater, Ok Arthur was an OK movie it was watchable, But the theater is One of a Kind, Big Screen Big Sound, Big Fun !
My only concern is maintenance, Its time for drapery, seat and carpet replacements, the theater is in a super nice area of Southern California lets make sure this theater stays around for a long time
Gentlemen, this one of my favorite places to visit daily, Thank you for all your hard and super work, hopefully with the help of this site we will never see a theater like the National be destroyed again – Bud
It was a Great Movie, saw it in MiniMax in El Dorado Hills and plan to see it again, A trip to San Francisco and see it on the Metreon’s Big Imax Screen would be the perfect choice !
Growing up in Sacramento, I remember my Parents taking me to see Cinerama at the Esquire, However if you look at dates above, three strip Cinerama only had a run of 2 years before everything went 70mm.
I am sure you are correct that the Tower had a D-150 screen as the only other one in the Sacramento area was the Cinema 150(Crestview Cinema)in Carmichael.
The movie I remember the most was “The Greatest Story ever told"
with a special book you received when you entered, everyone all dressed up and for a 9 year old it is still a living memory!
I Got my tickets to HTWWW flying into Hollywood for the day
and going home to Sacramento later in the evening, this is a event not to be missed can anyone can give me how the seating is loges vs the main floor ?
I enjoyed every single page of this Book, it is a Treasure to own it
and now sits Stately on my coffee table right infront of my Home
Big Screen, Hopefully the guys will right another book Cinema Tragedies The Stories of what has left us – The San Francisco Fox,
The Michigan in Detroit and the Cooper and Indian Hills as Examples
We still have our Treasures but always keep reminding people of the
Blunders and Tragedies that some of these idiots made.
I too Enjoyed the special very much, here in Sacramento the closet thing to any of these theaters is in Oakland at the “Paramount”
What is Needed is the Movie Stars and great leaders to rally and support the restoration of these awesome buildings and interiors
What about Mr. Gates stepping down from Microsoft his old Friend
in Seattle restored the Cinerama what a Better one up to restore the Kings and the Fox Oakland !
Its Called Marketing, The Dome is doing very well with all the marketing that Arclight does, Any time I travel to LA, I take in a movie no mater what it is, I agree fix the seats and Oh I just had a Great Idea, Here’s another gem Arclight, Lease or Buy it and continue your legacy in the market !!
I agree the Rude behavior needs to be changed or simply start asking the person to leave when a Phone goes off or disturbs a patron thats right – kick them out of the theater ! Plus We need to make the
slide that asks them nicely to turn them Off, Put it up in White Letters on a black Background – TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE NOW !
it might get the message
I placed my Order for this Wonderful Book just minutes ago
only $13.59 through Amazon, Plus of course a copy of Cinema Treasures will accompany the order, I remember as a Child
going down Market Street with my parents observing the destruction
of the FOX theater, To this day I can still see it in my mind and
its distrubing what a Terrible Loss, But books like this and a Movie I have of the Final days of the Fox keeps the memory alive.
June 2014, Last evening I visited the Stonestown Twin and watched the delightful “Chef” I was taken back to to the 70’s for the style of the building and thought wow this what the Famous Cinema150’s looked like in there day and what a treat, the staff was friendly and one of the first thing I noticed the Lobby was Lighted and very clean for a Theater over 40 years old, in walking into the theater, It’s smell was distinctive not offensive you knew you were in a old theater, seats were also showing there age but still comfortable, You also knew immediately this theater was cut in half due to the positions of the seats and screen, But thinking wow would this be a special theater today if it was still one, The sound had a slight Echo very reminisce of these older cinema’s, I enjoyed the Movie it was great but I also enjoyed this theater for it’s good and bad, it is a “gem” I am sure you will not see the army of folks to try to safe once it is decided to close it but for now it is a Cinema Treasure to “Treasure” while it is still here, I encourage you to Give it a Visit…….
(Was the curtain utilized pre and post show, please Bud? Thanks) No it was Open during the preshow and never closed after as I stayed as long as I could btw a good example of a current theater like this is the BIG Newport in Newport Beach CA
I saw Hunger Games in the Theater on Wednesday Evening, 11/27/2013 what a treat, Perfect presentation, very clean, friendly staff and enjoyed the experience but friends here is the reality, you will never see that theater full, it’s too big and expensive to maintain but its saving grace and possible downfall is the parking business under it at $8.45 per half hour, It would not surprise me to see half of it taken away or all of it but until then it’s a beautiful way to see a movie in this Cinema Treasure!
for those that are curious about what the interior of the Alhambra Theater looked like I cannot post a pic because of copyright however here is a link to The Sacramento Public Library
https://server16362.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p15248coll1&CISOPTR=1380&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
umm Nobody is saying it but the two reasons the possible closing of these theaters (btw there very nice little theaters perfect for the Indie movies, Presentations or Meetings) is simply I am sure management does not have the money to adapt to digital and Downtown Sacramento sucks when it comes to parking, its expensive, predatory practices with the Parking Nazi’s and not safe to travel other than drive times on transit, If it wasn’t the size of the screen of the I-MAX and the subsidies it gets from the city it would be a failure too – Example to park in the Garage near the I-MAX theater and to see Cloud Atlas on a Saturday afternoon 20 dollars for the ticket and drink and 20 dollars for parking. You can get it cheaper but its over 5 blocks away
I also attended the Festival and it was a wonderful experience watching the original films restored and presented in digital showed us that digital is good and new and glorious adventures are still to come, Watching “the Brothers Grimm” brought me to tears at times it was just wonderful, Listening to the laughter during Mad Mad continues the joy of a full theater – you become part of the movie and “This is Cinerama"
and "in the Picture” being with the guys that we’re there when it started and watching the new film one simple word describes the presentations and the Festival “JOY” to John, Dave, the best crew in the booths and the Management and staff of Pacific and the Arclight Cinema’s THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
I truly hope The Cinemark levels the current building and build a new complex in the memory of the people that were taken on that day, The new Auditorium 9 should be the most beautiful theater something very special tribute to the Cooper – Cine Capri – so watching a movie in that theater will be special again
Tear the whole thing down, and rebuild it down the street, I would never be comfortable going in there
And we now pay extra to get 2/3 of this screen in our local theaters and to add “salt to the womb” todays projectors can’t fill this screen
The Screens should be the Normal not special however I do like the upgraded seats there comfy but sadly its only because they get more money per ticket period….
Bravo !!!
To Leonard and all the awesome folks who tried to save this theater Thank you, however 40 years later you wonder if the measure succeeded if the Theater would still be with us today, As much as I loved this place I don’t think so, The Problem with the Alhambra was simply it was built in the wrong place, it’s facilities was grand but not anything like the Paramount in Oakland or the Fox in San Francisco it was a neighborhood theater and a BIG one at that, Way Too Big, for those that knew this theater I think the Gardens outside were more beautiful than the inside, The Ceiling was not anything special and wasn’t the walls Stone? I do remember the Big Isle down the middle of it but again what do we remember about the interior. There is Not ONE picture of it anywhere on here or the Net.
To be very honest Sacramento really does not have any real Cinema Treasures, ok The Crest is nice but again it was a “Work Horse” theater in its day, The Tower, Century’s, State and Capitol Theaters were beautiful the day they open but we know there fate, split degraded and destroyed in the name of Progress, We now have the Megaplex’s, Imax behind what’s left of the Esquire and Like the National in LA, Good theaters torn down only to see the vacant and parking lots, (Cinema 1 and 2 and the Showcase) This Week we heard that the Woodland City Council is Saving the State BRAVO at least someone cares :)
also this is just a dream, can you imagine a Cinerama Imax, with digital projection and computers it could be possible :)
also even Cinerama today with Digital Projection would be awesome, We all can dream, hey isn’t that what Movies are all about :)
Awesome, Can you tell us when this gem will be released !
Thanks
When I was in So Cal, took the time and saw a movie in this awesome theater, Ok Arthur was an OK
movie it was watchable, But the theater is One of a Kind, Big Screen Big Sound, Big Fun !
My only concern is maintenance, Its time for drapery, seat and carpet replacements, the theater is in a
super nice area of Southern California lets make sure this theater stays around for a long time
or using the line from the Godfather “we will make them a offer they can’t refuse”
Gentlemen, this one of my favorite places to visit daily, Thank you for all your hard and super work, hopefully with the help of this site we will never see a theater like the National be destroyed again – Bud
It was a Great Movie, saw it in MiniMax in El Dorado Hills and plan to see it again, A trip to San Francisco and see it on the Metreon’s Big Imax Screen would be the perfect choice !
Growing up in Sacramento, I remember my Parents taking me to see Cinerama at the Esquire, However if you look at dates above, three strip Cinerama only had a run of 2 years before everything went 70mm.
I am sure you are correct that the Tower had a D-150 screen as the only other one in the Sacramento area was the Cinema 150(Crestview Cinema)in Carmichael.
The movie I remember the most was “The Greatest Story ever told"
with a special book you received when you entered, everyone all dressed up and for a 9 year old it is still a living memory!
I Got my tickets to HTWWW flying into Hollywood for the day
and going home to Sacramento later in the evening, this is a event not to be missed can anyone can give me how the seating is loges vs the main floor ?
I enjoyed every single page of this Book, it is a Treasure to own it
and now sits Stately on my coffee table right infront of my Home
Big Screen, Hopefully the guys will right another book Cinema Tragedies The Stories of what has left us – The San Francisco Fox,
The Michigan in Detroit and the Cooper and Indian Hills as Examples
We still have our Treasures but always keep reminding people of the
Blunders and Tragedies that some of these idiots made.
Thanks Ross and Andreas
BUD
I too Enjoyed the special very much, here in Sacramento the closet thing to any of these theaters is in Oakland at the “Paramount”
What is Needed is the Movie Stars and great leaders to rally and support the restoration of these awesome buildings and interiors
What about Mr. Gates stepping down from Microsoft his old Friend
in Seattle restored the Cinerama what a Better one up to restore the Kings and the Fox Oakland !
Its Called Marketing, The Dome is doing very well with all the marketing that Arclight does, Any time I travel to LA, I take in a movie no mater what it is, I agree fix the seats and Oh I just had a Great Idea, Here’s another gem Arclight, Lease or Buy it and continue your legacy in the market !!
I agree the Rude behavior needs to be changed or simply start asking the person to leave when a Phone goes off or disturbs a patron thats right – kick them out of the theater ! Plus We need to make the
slide that asks them nicely to turn them Off, Put it up in White Letters on a black Background – TURN OFF YOUR CELLPHONE NOW !
it might get the message
Merry Christmas
BUD
I placed my Order for this Wonderful Book just minutes ago
only $13.59 through Amazon, Plus of course a copy of Cinema Treasures will accompany the order, I remember as a Child
going down Market Street with my parents observing the destruction
of the FOX theater, To this day I can still see it in my mind and
its distrubing what a Terrible Loss, But books like this and a Movie I have of the Final days of the Fox keeps the memory alive.
With all my Heart to the Author – THANK YOU
BUD