Norwalk Theatre
12039 Firestone Boulevard,
Norwalk,
CA
90650
12039 Firestone Boulevard,
Norwalk,
CA
90650
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 32 of 32 comments
More to add – I forgot to mention that the Norwalk was then operated by Cummings Theatres – They owned the Meralta and Avenue theatres in Downey. Another interesting thing was the fully equipped apartment above the Marquee – that the company would not for some reason rent me. It had not been occupied for many years, so maybe it was not in any shape to rent – but it looked great – had a kitchen and bathroom, everything.
I managed the Norwalk Theatre in the 1970’s and everything about the managers office is true. The theatre was a single screen until we added another screen – the sad thing about the remodel was the removal of the stage area and single screen of the old theatre. It was very ornate and was covered up by drapery. The remodel left us with two “thin” narrow theatres by putting the wall down the middle and it really ruined the theatre. We did run family films and low budget films at cheap prices I have a number of photos – and our admission was .50 cents.
But what great memories I have of this theatre – because it was a real neighborhood theatre. I knew all the customers by their first names, and all the kid’s parents – so none of them ever gave me a problem (well almost) Yes it too is gone -replaced by the strip mall.
Great memories but some of you are a bit hazy in your recollections.
It was not torn down in the 1970’s, it was actually turned into a TWIN CINEMA during the late 70’s / early 80’s and was called NORWALK TWIN CINEMA for many years. It survived until the late 80’s when it was finally torn down and made into a shopping center.
It was never an adult movie theatre. It was a cheap Twin Cinema and even had a small arcade inside. I remember playing Xevious in there and seeing Rambo on the big screen.
During the 80’s it was owned by a Korean or Chinese family. I remember calling their automated film line and it would tell me the showtimes with a chinese dialect/accent. This was during the Rambo: First Blood era.
The funny thing is, the person who mentioned 1941 playing with Love at First Bite is funny because I actually remember seeing that double feature there too. Other movies I remember seeing there include: Grease 2, My Bloody Valentine, Friday the 13th, Madman and a bunch of other cheezy slasher flicks.
The theater had been twinned when I went to see a double feature there back in 1980. They showed “1941” and “Love at First Bite” which was notable in that they managed to show the third reel upside down AND backwards. You could clearly SEE the soundtrack on the screen. It made for a very out of body experience. The theater was pretty run down then. I think it closed soon afterwords.
I’ve never seen this theater, I’ve only heard about it; when I was in the 7th grade in 1982-83, I remember classmates referring to the Norwalk theater on Firestone that was an adult movie theater. I assume this is the same theater. If one were to drive by there now, you’ll see a strip mall; my guess is that the theater was torn down in the mid or late 1980s.
I also wish I knew more about the Norwalk Theater. Saw many a good movie here; Sons of Katie Elder, Guns of Navarone, Jurney To The Center of The Earth, and yes, Marry Poppins. I guess it was torn down sometime after I left for the Navy in 72.
I only wish I did know more about the Norwalk Theater. I attended it many times in the mid fifties to early 60’s. It seemed pretty old then and may have been built in the late 30’s or 40’s. Whoever managed the place had a sense of showmanship. I remember coffins in the lobby for FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, telephone showtime recordings with screams and creaking doors in the background, fake cobwebs in the ticket booth, etc. Most of the William Castle, Blob, sci fi movies from my childhood I saw at the Norwalk Theater. I remember glancing into the manager’s office to see he had hung pictures of Academy Award winning actors around the room, and a sign: “There’s no business like show business.” Whoever he was, he loved his job. The theater was torn down in the late 70’s, I think, after a stab at turning it into a twin. Randy Henderson