Picwood Theatre
10872 W. Pico Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90064
10872 W. Pico Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90064
22 people
favorited this theater
Showing 226 - 250 of 251 comments
Lisa & William: what year/years did you run the Picwood? I worked (only 2 weeks for the Film Festival) at the Picwood in 1984. The staff was very welcoming!
FRIENDS: This old Local 150 guy has started a righteous album of theatres for all you members to enjoy! I will add theatres as I get requests if I have it in my collection of 200 theatres. You will see some classics like the GILMORE DRIVE-IN and BAY…ENJOY!!!!! Somewhere I have Volunteers on the Picwood marquee when it closed but I am having trouble finding it but I found PUSSYCAT right after Picwood. Really!!
http://community.webshots.com/user/arpichat
Hoppy, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I only co-managed the Picwood for 2 weeks in 1984.
I don’t know anything about the neighborhood. I see by your comments that you’re a projectionist—me too! I was New York City’s 3rd woman projectionist in 1974. Then I switched to managing movie theatres:
Bleecker Street Cinema (Greenwich Village, NY) 1976 – 1977;
Tiffany Theatre (Sunset Strip, LA) 1978 – 1980
Then I worked at FILMEX (LA Film Exposition)
Then Samuel Goldwyn/ MGM
After the last remodel the Picwood was one of the most comfortable theatres to watch a movie in Los Angeles. I still have one of the original auditorium seats from when it opened, like the ones in the above post by drh. It was in the projection booth and later in the tower storage, before it was placed in the managers office by me.
I second that motion.
Wow…so many locals! There were so many places there that are all gone, besides the Picwood. People have mentioned some: House of Pies, Drug King, the old Laemmle Twin, and later there was Chess & Games and Captain Videos Arcade, even The Lone Ranger burger joint on the corner before it became a bank. There must be a host of others.
The Picwood Theatre was something…I miss the place.
If you have never been to the Apple Pan – please go. At least once. And get a slice of their pie ala mode. OMG. :)
MERYL: FROM 1965-1967 I worked at Elmer’s Chevron at Pico and Overland. In 1968 I joined the Film Projectionist’s Local. The question I have is this> When growing up I used to go to Smith’s Sporting Goods and Rancho Records right across from the Picwood. Do you know when these 2 businesses shut down? In 1965 a very friendly and fat fellow worked at Rancho Records. He introduced me to what is Rural Blues Music as opposed to the Chicago Electric Blues Sound. He sold me my first rural blues album. His name…BOB HITE…he created CANNED HEAT shortly thereafter.
Hi! I worked at the Picwood (summer 1984} during the LA Film Exposition (FILMEX.) I was the theatre manager for FILMEX and worked with the wonderful & fun staff of the Picwood. We had a blast!
Talking Heads concert film STOP MAKING SENSE had its LA premiere at the Picwood during the festival, and David Byrne & Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads were there. -Meryl
WILLIAM: When I heard my old childhood haunt was going down I drove over from the Valley and took a photo with VOLUNTEERS on the marquee. Funny thing! I knew every store and shop from St. Tim’s church at Beverly Glen to Allied Models Hobby Shop at Veteran and never once went to Apple Pan. I grew up with a man named Dennis R. who worked there about 20 years. Did you know Dennis. He was thin and 6' 2" and blond haired. I worked at the hobby shop in high school.
MERIDITH: I have many photos I can send you of theatres in your list that this site does not have on line. I am 60, semi- disabled and spent 2 months collecting 150 of the 200 theatres I worked as a member of Local 150 for 24 years. I am a new member and don’t know how to reach you to send you downloads.
Mind if I hop on in to watch the show? ;)
I grew up in Rancho Park. I would ride my Schwinn Hornet from Patricia and Pico to the Picwood during the KOREAN WAR. Every Sat. they had a kids matinee. Next door was Scot’s. They sold 25 cent burgers, 15 cent fries and 25 cent malts. The matinee was 50 cents. So you needed about 1.25 to be safe. I remember seeing Hopalong Cassidy there. Today I own all 66 movies. That Sat. my Grandmother took me. I never knew that 30 years later I would walk into those hallow gates and run their 35/70 Phillips Projectors as a member of Local 150. It was a great place to grow up in and a great time.
Hi Lisa
Boy we had a fun time running that theatre.
The Picwood Theatre would often get a feature after it had run a few exclusive weeks at the Cinerama Dome (now Cinerama Dome and Arclight complex), a flagship theatre for Pacific Theatres at the time. One such release was “E.T.”, when lines went around the block, most showings sold out, and we operated nearly around the clock, with early shows through midnight shows playing. I think I have a few photos somewhere of this theatre – will see if I can find them and submit them.
According to Landmark Theatres the theatre is no longer owned by Samuel Goldwyn and is now part of the Landmark chain.
Hi Ron:
According to their history page, they have undergone several ownership changes, so that is likely the reason for the marquee change.
Thanks. Did the Goldwyn estate object to the name, or did Landmark have some reason to stop using it?
The Samuel Goldwyn theatre is still operating in the Westside Pavilion mall under the name Westside Pavilion Cinemas for Landmark Theatres: http://www.landmarktheatres.com
/wave Willaim ‘Bill’ Gabel – been a loooooong time since we ran the Picwood Theatre – hope you are doing well…
Lisa N.
What happened to the Samuel Goldwyn Pavilion theatre that replaced the Picwood? Has it closed as well? I don’t see it in current movie listings online.
I grew up just down the street from the Picwood. The locals would walk up my street on their way to the theatre & bowl.
Everytime I’m having a burger at “The Apple Pan” I think of how it used to taste better after watching a movie in those rocking seats.
;(
One of my favorite theatres as a child. It was easy to get to by bus from my house. They played alot of Universal disaster/action flicks, “Midway”, “Earthquake”, “Airport ‘77” had successful runs there. It lucked out during the summer of 1982 when a small film called “E.T.” was booked there. Rumor was that GCC thought “Annie” would be a bigger hit and passed on it for the AVCO in Westwood. Pacific tried compete with the ever popular Mann Theatres in Westwood but couldn’t. It is sad that it is gone because the annex to the Westside Pavilion (which is where the Picwood was) is now a bust. The irony is that Landmark has proposed a Multiplex in the same spot.
The Picwood Theatre was remodeled in the mid 60’s from a tropical design to one of those curtain all over the place houses. If you pulled the drapes away you still could see the palm trees and birds that once lined the walls, they also had neon in coves along the ceiling. During that remodel the seating was reduced to 950 people. Pacific Theatre installed some of the best high backed wide rocking seats in town. The Picwood was a very popular preview house for the studios. During the remodel Pacific Theatres installed 70MM projection equipment. When the Picwood opened it was for a Texas chain called Phil Isley Theatres out of Dallas. Also located on that site was the first Drive-In in Los Angeles.
Cleveland Wrecking Company had the last laugh when they were razing the theatre.
They placed a banner on the marquee that read “Return Engagement Bring Down the House the Cleveland Wrecking Company”.
On the below comment the marquee really said was “RETURN ENGAGEMENT” CLEVELAND WRECKING “BRING DOWN THE HOUSE”
That’s the only thing the marquee said before the theatre was demolished. Cleveland Wrecking uses a banner , not marquee letters when they raze theatres. I worked the Picwood Theatre and I have the picture of the marquee in my office.
The Picwood was operated by Pacific Theatres from the early 60’s to the mid 80’s. The last film to play the theatre was “Volunteers” with Tom Hanks & John Candy.