Century Plaza Cinemas
2040 Avenue of the Stars,
Los Angeles,
CA
90067
2040 Avenue of the Stars,
Los Angeles,
CA
90067
23 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 83 comments
Wow somebody is grumpy. I too used to walk from the Century City mall over to the theater. I was pretty good at shortcuts – I could weave my way through the underground parking structure and come out and the perfect place above ground. It definitely was part of the experience :–)
You asked me a question. How did you want me to reply?
No, I worry about global warming, Darfur, the economy, if the Phillies are going to repeat as champions. Parking is in there somewhere but low on the list.
No parking is an understatement. Whoever designed Century City made it equally difficult to walk to any point or to drive and find a place to park. Diabolical.
I saw many movies at this theater: Midnight Run, Powaquaatisi, Lawrence of Arabia,etc. I always remember the fact that there was no parking (or at least no cheap parking—I would park at the shopping center across the way and walk over), they had a bar that sold beer and wine to bring into the theater, and there was a strip club downstairs in the former Playboy Club.
Two of my favorite LA Movie Theatres are long gone now and the PLITT was one of them (the National in Westwood is the other). Saw JAWS there (5 times)among many others. The last movie I saw in the large theatre (before it was chopped up) was the director’s cut of ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA. What a great experience, in those bouncy red chairs with the tall backs. One day, in 1991, I was working on a movie and the lead actress got sick and the crew was released early for the day. I was happy I could go to the (now) AMC to see an early bird showing of DANCES WITH WOLVES. The movie was $4. The parking was $36!
Me again, the ABC Entertainment Center also includen the Los Angeles location of the Playboy Club. I also remember when the Los Angeles International Film Exhibition (FILMEX) was headquartered there they showcased Once Upon A Time in America. Unfortunately this was I believe the Ladd Companys cut and stripped version and had quite mixed reviews. Years later it was released in the original 3 hour plus version to great acclaim. Too little too late. The Plitt Century Plaza was simply the greatest Los Angeles threatre ever. I had seen Star Wars in a local ‘masking tape and cardboard’ theatre earlier but one day my sister and mom went to see A Chorus Line at the Shubert and I went to see Star Wars again, this time in 70mm 6 Track Dolby and I have never been the same.
The Century Plaza Hotel may also be slated for demolition, according to an article in the LA Times a few days ago. A developer wants to build a megacomplex on the site.
To an earlier poster, sorry if it has been answered, the ABC Entertainment Center which contained the Plitt Theatres, Shubert Theatre and the twin triangular towers was meant to resemble a movie theatres seating area while the next-door Century Plaza Hotel with its curvilinear shape was meant to resemble a wide screen screen. Yes it was all built on 20th Century Fox’s former backlot, hence the name ‘Century City’. One of the latter Planet of the Apes films was even shot here due to the modern style of the architecture. Many a premiere was held here as well as opening nights at the adjacent Shubert Theatre and patrons would walk through the tunnel beneath Avenue of the Stars to attend the parties at the Century Plaza Hotel.
One of my favorite threatre ever when it was the two-screen Plitt Century Plaza. High-backed rocking seats and legroom to stretch your legs out. Saw Star Wars, Poltergiest, Ghandi in 70MM 6-track Dolby magnificence. Brilliant gigantic curved screens and palatial lobby. Really missed it when Cineplex/Odeon hacked it into four screens, and now it’s all gone forever.
well maybe i saw the reissue there. maybe it was my second time seeing it. i dont know. i have a good memory but i was 10 or 11 so i can’t say i recall every little detail. i do know i saw it there. so if it was 1981 vs 1980 no big deal.
Both houses were 70MM equipped.
i didn’t see the film in the large theater so i don’t think it was 70mm. and i know i didn’t wait a year to go see empire strikes back – i was too big a star wars fan for that.
The two main First Run 70MM engagements was the Avco in Westwood and Egyptian in Hollywood. Fox did a re-issue of the film on July 31st. 1981 at the Plitt Century Plaza in 70MM.
empire strikes back regular engagement – a matinee, probably midweek. i don’t recall too many people in there.
Was that “Empire Strikes Back” screening a special/press screening or a the regular release engagement?
i saw many movies at the plitt as a kid growing up in l.a. and then later as a film critic going to press screenings. but the highlight of my cinematic experiences going to the plitt was seeing the empire strikes back in 1980 with my aunt lisa. empire strikes back was my favorite of the original trilogy and the magic of seeing it at the plit is ingrained in my mind. the main theater was really luxurious and really exceptional for seeing any of the old widescreen/cinemascope epics. i saw lawrence of arabia and the sound of music there in revival. i also recall seeing playboy bunnies in full bunny regalia walking around the century plaza property (there was a playboy club there), seeing mohammed ali and larry holmes box an exhibition match in the center of the courtyard, and seeing my first play/musical – annie – at the shubert. it was quite shocking to drive by the site a year or two ago and see it was completely demolished and new building had begun. ahhhh, memories.
This movie theatre brings back so many memories of my teen years in the late 70’s. My dad used to drop us off there and we’d go see a movie. dont remember all the films I saw there, but it was between 1978 and 1980. It was the first theatre I remember being so luxurious. They had red chairs which rocked/reclined and a huge screen. After the movie we’d go to the Cultured Cow for a yougurt drink.
The Hollywood Blvd. run of “Live and Let Die” played the Chinese and the when it left the Century Plaza house the move-over was to the Picwood Theatre.
Here is an August 1973 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2kpake
Dave-bronx is right on the operating chains of the house.
At the time it was built it was operated by the ABC Theatres, which was taken over by Henry Plitt, who was subsequently taken over by Cineplex Odeon. The original signage on the building read “ABC Entertainment Center”.
I believe so.
The ad says “ABC City Theatre One”. So this theatre started out with a different name?
Here is a 1972 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2wnjt8