During the theatre’s burlesque years, early 70’s exploitation/adult film star Rene Bond utilized the Ivar as the “home base” for her live act. Frequently chaperoned by her parents, Ms. Bond’s show consisted of singing (she was known for bringing her father on stage during her rendition of “My heart belongs to daddy”), dancing, and a striptease conclusion. Afterwards, she sold autographed pictures and fan club memberships in the lobby with her mother. In the late 70’s, adult actress/Gong Show hostess Carol Connors undertook a similar long term residency (minus the parents) and served as the inspiration for the exterior bikini girl mural.
Back in the summer 0f 2002, this theatre suffered a minor fire after hours. When informed of the fire, Interstate Theatre’s CEO commented “Why did they put it out?” Needless to say, the Stockyards 8 wasn’t exactly held in high regards during its' later years.
The Cinemark look and Starplex name were due to the theatre having been connected to the Mitchell family (founders of both Cinemark and Starplex). I believe it was something like Lee Roy Mitchell’s daughter (Lone Star), then his grandson (EVO). However, despite the look/name and family connections, this theatre was never actually a part of Cinemark or Starplex. For many years the Starplex Cinemas website even had a disclaimer note regarding this location not being a part of the chain.
The Galaxy suffered from a “looks good in theory/on paper” market, but doesn’t pan out in reality. At first glance, the Hollywood Blvd area appears lucrative; massive foot traffic and dense residential areas near bye. However, in reality, most of the foot traffic is comprised of tourists/pass-through visitors who aren’t interested in staying to watch a movie and locals tend to venture away from the blvd for movies/shopping/etc. due to the perceived hassles of the area. The Chinese 6 has suffered greatly from the same scenario, only getting by on festivals/rentals/special events as a means of survival. The El Capitan and main Chinese are destination theatres which operate in their own unique business model, but the days of the blvd. being a viable location for a standard day to day theatre going destination have long passed.
The theatre closed on October 29, 2022. Citing an increase in rent, fluctuating business, and rising crime in the area, the owners chose not to renew their yearly lease back in August. As of 11/2, all of the branding has been removed and “for lease” signs hang from the building (the hand/footprint tiles remain in place).
I was a manager at Fullerton in the 90’s. By then, they had “upgraded” that schedule from manually typed form to a dot matrix printed, Lotus spreadsheet (same basic layout and look though). The layout/look didn’t really change until the 97' expansion, courtesy of another “upgrade” to a laser printer and excel spreadsheet.
I drove by the Vista this morning (10/11). It appears that there is some work underway, as there are standard construction elements in place (porta potty, fencing, signage, etc.). However, I would imagine permitting and misc redtape will hold things up for quite some time. Beyond the large new build apartment complex approval slowing things down, renovating the one-hundred year old theatre will open up a lot of issues with ADA, seismic retrofitting, and various modern facility requirements (i.e. formerly “grandfather in” items will have to be addressed with any new work).
As of September 2022, the venue has yet to reopen from the 2020 pandemic shutdown. The gated entryway has amassed a great deal of debris and dust, suggesting that there hasn’t been any activity since the closure. However, the club is still listed as “Temporarily Closed” online and the Deja Vu group maintains a webpage for the site.
There is a large conference room located off of the projection booth for the four smaller auditoriums. During the theatre’s AMC years this room was utilized for management seminars and regional meetings. The room also had a small cubicle situated in the corner which the regional marketing director worked out of.
The projection booth for the two larger auditoriums features two adjacent rooms which were the AMC regional manager’s office and an office for regional administrative staff/auditors. In the early 1990’s AMC merged regional offices into a larger division office (located in Century City) and the former regional offices were basically subjugated to storage. This space was later utilized as a home base for the Block 30 management team during the Block’s construction/pre-opening.
There is a spacious storage room located off of the utility corridor that runs behind the two large auditoriums. AMC utilized this room to store defunct equipment, paperwork, and misc marketing materials from the regional days. Even in the late 90’s, long after the regional offices had closed, the room was still piled from floor to ceiling with regional garbage.
During the megaplex/stadium seating boom of the late 90’s plans were drawn up to add auditoriums and upgrade facilities. However, this plan was quickly dropped once the Block project was lined up. After the Block opened AMC sought to convert Mainplace to discount bookings, but the mall didn’t feel that fit with their image at the time (obviously this changed a few years later). So, AMC finished out their lease as a pseudo art house, with occasional children’s films and studio test screenings (auditorium #5 was equipped to run work prints of films and was frequently booked by Disney for audience tests).
The theatre was gutted by a large fire on the morning of 7/13/22. Sitting vacant for a number of years there had been issues with break-ins, squatters, and theft/vandalism. Between preexisting issues with finding a tenant and the fire being extensive enough to cause a partial roof collapse, one has to suspect the surviving structure will be razed for new development.
I walked by the rear of the Egyptian today (6/14/22). The remodel is extremely extensive and has much of the theatre stripped down to the framework (pictures posted).
On 6/6/22, citing mounting maintenance/safety issues and “little historical value”, the West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously to raze the existing structure and replace it with a new playhouse. A committee is being formed to select the new design and a $6.5 million budget cap for the project has been set.
Opened by Starplex Cinemas on November 14, 2003. Starplex founder J.C. Mitchell retired from the company shortly after a merger with Interstate Theatres and primary financial backing changing to J.C.’s brother, Cinemark founder Lee Roy Mitchell, in 2005. Planning to launch a new chain of small town cinemas, J.C. Mitchell and two former Starplex executives purchased the Sulphur Springs theatre around 2008. Rechristened the Trans Texas Theatre, the new venture never grew beyond the Sulphur Springs location and was eventually sold to Bright Star Cinemas in September 2019. Remaining true to its' interrelated ownership history, Bright Star contracts management of the theatre with Showbiz Cinemas (owned by Lee Roy Mitchell’s son/J.C. Mitchell’s nephew Kevin Mitchell).
This was a rather generic late 80’s/early 90’s era AMC, with one odd exception. At some point, someone had decided to decorate the lobby with a sizeable collection of artificial plants. In the mid 90’s, I recall there being rows of plastic potted ivy lining the upper ledges of the lobby.
Yes, the entire structure remains vacant and, as far as I know, is still owned by the Robertson Property Group. The various proposals involving the site never went anywhere and it has been a few years since anything noteworthy has even been suggested. About the only bright side is that the building is well secured and monitored (i.e. there are no issues with break-ins/vandalism/squatters/etc.).
Back when AMC bought Starplex, we were told they planned on eventually conducting a remodel (similar to what they ended up doing with the former Starplex sites in Bakersfield and La Mirada). After taking over the site a full facility survey was conducted and some preliminary plans were created. I remember questioning the awkward positioning of the freestyle soda unit and was told that they wanted to leave room for installing a bar later on (the area currently occupied by video games). I suspect the delay in starting anything was merely the result of timing; the company’s unstable finances, followed by the pandemic, forced them to place such plans on hold and keep the theatre operating as more or less of a placeholder.
Of course, I’ve been out of the AMC Woodbridge loop for a few years now and their plans may have changed. However, being that they signed a new lease recently, I’d assume the original plans are back on the books. The site’s track record, area’s demographics, and the Irvine Company’s willingness to reinvest/share in construction expenses hold too much potential for them to walk away from (someone else would likely step in if they did).
This past fall the center announced that AMC had renewed their lease and there would be “significant reinvestments to upgrade the experience for guests.” So, they might be starting renovation work.
As 2021 closes out, the five oldest operating cinemas in Orange County are:
Big Newport - Newport Beach 2/11/69
South Coast Village - Santa Ana 12/22/71
West Grove Cinemas - Garden Grove 7/11/75
Woodbridge 5 – Irvine 2/8/80
University 6 – Irvine 6/29/84
Richard’s earliest newspaper listing appears to have begun on January 7, 1971. A group ad, promoting “Now 4 Theatres With The Newest Frisco Films” and memberships being available; Richard’s is listed with the Los Angeles area Cine 1 and Flick, and North Hollywood’s Sahara.
It looks like the end may have come for the Brea Plaza 5. The theatre has been dropped from Tristone Cinemas' website and is no longer listed among the property’s tenants on the BOSC Realty website. This past August the Orange County Register ran a piece on plans being submitted for a new apartment/hotel/office complex on the site.
The Pig N Whistle, which occupied one of the Egyptian’s retail spaces, was recently remodeled into a Mr. Tempo Cantina. While the unit has seen remodels and tenant changes before, this latest incarnation of the Pig N Whistle had meticulously recreated the venue’s historic 1920’s look. Unfortunately, that history was unceremoniously cast off and replaced with a “hip” modern style for the cantina remodel.
The other retail units at the Egyptian (most recently occupied by a juice bar) remain vacant and boarded up.
The marijuana lounge closed sometime before the 2020 pandemic. After sitting vacant for a year or so, there has recently (10/21) been some remodel activity at the theatre. The facade has been resurfaced and looks to be awaiting new paint. While the digital marquee continues to advertise local businesses, the windows are papered over and all of the branding has been removed (including the large Hologram USA sign).
The Cave is featured in the 1984 movie “Angel”. In addition to showing the exterior, two scenes take place inside; when the killer attempts to hide among seated patrons/is confronted by the manager and in a follow-up scene when he is discovered by police/flees. The giveaway that they actually shot the scenes inside the Cave is a faux stalactite visible to the left of the screen, framing an exit door, when they briefly flash to the movie being played (the 1983 adult film “Sweet Alice”). At the time of filming, the auditorium looked to be small (under 100 seats) and had a red/black color scheme. The exterior entrance was wood paneled, with slats arranged in a diagonal pattern, and the carpeting was brown.
The former theatre space has been remodeled and now serves as a smoke and vape retail store.
During the theatre’s burlesque years, early 70’s exploitation/adult film star Rene Bond utilized the Ivar as the “home base” for her live act. Frequently chaperoned by her parents, Ms. Bond’s show consisted of singing (she was known for bringing her father on stage during her rendition of “My heart belongs to daddy”), dancing, and a striptease conclusion. Afterwards, she sold autographed pictures and fan club memberships in the lobby with her mother. In the late 70’s, adult actress/Gong Show hostess Carol Connors undertook a similar long term residency (minus the parents) and served as the inspiration for the exterior bikini girl mural.
Back in the summer 0f 2002, this theatre suffered a minor fire after hours. When informed of the fire, Interstate Theatre’s CEO commented “Why did they put it out?” Needless to say, the Stockyards 8 wasn’t exactly held in high regards during its' later years.
The Cinemark look and Starplex name were due to the theatre having been connected to the Mitchell family (founders of both Cinemark and Starplex). I believe it was something like Lee Roy Mitchell’s daughter (Lone Star), then his grandson (EVO). However, despite the look/name and family connections, this theatre was never actually a part of Cinemark or Starplex. For many years the Starplex Cinemas website even had a disclaimer note regarding this location not being a part of the chain.
The Galaxy suffered from a “looks good in theory/on paper” market, but doesn’t pan out in reality. At first glance, the Hollywood Blvd area appears lucrative; massive foot traffic and dense residential areas near bye. However, in reality, most of the foot traffic is comprised of tourists/pass-through visitors who aren’t interested in staying to watch a movie and locals tend to venture away from the blvd for movies/shopping/etc. due to the perceived hassles of the area. The Chinese 6 has suffered greatly from the same scenario, only getting by on festivals/rentals/special events as a means of survival. The El Capitan and main Chinese are destination theatres which operate in their own unique business model, but the days of the blvd. being a viable location for a standard day to day theatre going destination have long passed.
Pictures from the theatre’s final days of operation depict a rather unique, bare bones, setup in the main auditorium.
https://wehotimes.com/x-rated-studs-at-the-pussycat-theater-in-west-hollywood-is-closing-october-29th/
The theatre closed on October 29, 2022. Citing an increase in rent, fluctuating business, and rising crime in the area, the owners chose not to renew their yearly lease back in August. As of 11/2, all of the branding has been removed and “for lease” signs hang from the building (the hand/footprint tiles remain in place).
I was a manager at Fullerton in the 90’s. By then, they had “upgraded” that schedule from manually typed form to a dot matrix printed, Lotus spreadsheet (same basic layout and look though). The layout/look didn’t really change until the 97' expansion, courtesy of another “upgrade” to a laser printer and excel spreadsheet.
I drove by the Vista this morning (10/11). It appears that there is some work underway, as there are standard construction elements in place (porta potty, fencing, signage, etc.). However, I would imagine permitting and misc redtape will hold things up for quite some time. Beyond the large new build apartment complex approval slowing things down, renovating the one-hundred year old theatre will open up a lot of issues with ADA, seismic retrofitting, and various modern facility requirements (i.e. formerly “grandfather in” items will have to be addressed with any new work).
As of September 2022, the venue has yet to reopen from the 2020 pandemic shutdown. The gated entryway has amassed a great deal of debris and dust, suggesting that there hasn’t been any activity since the closure. However, the club is still listed as “Temporarily Closed” online and the Deja Vu group maintains a webpage for the site.
Some random features/info:
There is a large conference room located off of the projection booth for the four smaller auditoriums. During the theatre’s AMC years this room was utilized for management seminars and regional meetings. The room also had a small cubicle situated in the corner which the regional marketing director worked out of.
The projection booth for the two larger auditoriums features two adjacent rooms which were the AMC regional manager’s office and an office for regional administrative staff/auditors. In the early 1990’s AMC merged regional offices into a larger division office (located in Century City) and the former regional offices were basically subjugated to storage. This space was later utilized as a home base for the Block 30 management team during the Block’s construction/pre-opening.
There is a spacious storage room located off of the utility corridor that runs behind the two large auditoriums. AMC utilized this room to store defunct equipment, paperwork, and misc marketing materials from the regional days. Even in the late 90’s, long after the regional offices had closed, the room was still piled from floor to ceiling with regional garbage.
During the megaplex/stadium seating boom of the late 90’s plans were drawn up to add auditoriums and upgrade facilities. However, this plan was quickly dropped once the Block project was lined up. After the Block opened AMC sought to convert Mainplace to discount bookings, but the mall didn’t feel that fit with their image at the time (obviously this changed a few years later). So, AMC finished out their lease as a pseudo art house, with occasional children’s films and studio test screenings (auditorium #5 was equipped to run work prints of films and was frequently booked by Disney for audience tests).
The theatre was gutted by a large fire on the morning of 7/13/22. Sitting vacant for a number of years there had been issues with break-ins, squatters, and theft/vandalism. Between preexisting issues with finding a tenant and the fire being extensive enough to cause a partial roof collapse, one has to suspect the surviving structure will be razed for new development.
I walked by the rear of the Egyptian today (6/14/22). The remodel is extremely extensive and has much of the theatre stripped down to the framework (pictures posted).
On 6/6/22, citing mounting maintenance/safety issues and “little historical value”, the West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously to raze the existing structure and replace it with a new playhouse. A committee is being formed to select the new design and a $6.5 million budget cap for the project has been set.
Opened by Starplex Cinemas on November 14, 2003. Starplex founder J.C. Mitchell retired from the company shortly after a merger with Interstate Theatres and primary financial backing changing to J.C.’s brother, Cinemark founder Lee Roy Mitchell, in 2005. Planning to launch a new chain of small town cinemas, J.C. Mitchell and two former Starplex executives purchased the Sulphur Springs theatre around 2008. Rechristened the Trans Texas Theatre, the new venture never grew beyond the Sulphur Springs location and was eventually sold to Bright Star Cinemas in September 2019. Remaining true to its' interrelated ownership history, Bright Star contracts management of the theatre with Showbiz Cinemas (owned by Lee Roy Mitchell’s son/J.C. Mitchell’s nephew Kevin Mitchell).
This was a rather generic late 80’s/early 90’s era AMC, with one odd exception. At some point, someone had decided to decorate the lobby with a sizeable collection of artificial plants. In the mid 90’s, I recall there being rows of plastic potted ivy lining the upper ledges of the lobby.
Yes, the entire structure remains vacant and, as far as I know, is still owned by the Robertson Property Group. The various proposals involving the site never went anywhere and it has been a few years since anything noteworthy has even been suggested. About the only bright side is that the building is well secured and monitored (i.e. there are no issues with break-ins/vandalism/squatters/etc.).
Back when AMC bought Starplex, we were told they planned on eventually conducting a remodel (similar to what they ended up doing with the former Starplex sites in Bakersfield and La Mirada). After taking over the site a full facility survey was conducted and some preliminary plans were created. I remember questioning the awkward positioning of the freestyle soda unit and was told that they wanted to leave room for installing a bar later on (the area currently occupied by video games). I suspect the delay in starting anything was merely the result of timing; the company’s unstable finances, followed by the pandemic, forced them to place such plans on hold and keep the theatre operating as more or less of a placeholder.
Of course, I’ve been out of the AMC Woodbridge loop for a few years now and their plans may have changed. However, being that they signed a new lease recently, I’d assume the original plans are back on the books. The site’s track record, area’s demographics, and the Irvine Company’s willingness to reinvest/share in construction expenses hold too much potential for them to walk away from (someone else would likely step in if they did).
This past fall the center announced that AMC had renewed their lease and there would be “significant reinvestments to upgrade the experience for guests.” So, they might be starting renovation work.
As 2021 closes out, the five oldest operating cinemas in Orange County are:
Big Newport - Newport Beach 2/11/69 South Coast Village - Santa Ana 12/22/71 West Grove Cinemas - Garden Grove 7/11/75 Woodbridge 5 – Irvine 2/8/80 University 6 – Irvine 6/29/84
Richard’s earliest newspaper listing appears to have begun on January 7, 1971. A group ad, promoting “Now 4 Theatres With The Newest Frisco Films” and memberships being available; Richard’s is listed with the Los Angeles area Cine 1 and Flick, and North Hollywood’s Sahara.
It looks like the end may have come for the Brea Plaza 5. The theatre has been dropped from Tristone Cinemas' website and is no longer listed among the property’s tenants on the BOSC Realty website. This past August the Orange County Register ran a piece on plans being submitted for a new apartment/hotel/office complex on the site.
The Pig N Whistle, which occupied one of the Egyptian’s retail spaces, was recently remodeled into a Mr. Tempo Cantina. While the unit has seen remodels and tenant changes before, this latest incarnation of the Pig N Whistle had meticulously recreated the venue’s historic 1920’s look. Unfortunately, that history was unceremoniously cast off and replaced with a “hip” modern style for the cantina remodel.
The other retail units at the Egyptian (most recently occupied by a juice bar) remain vacant and boarded up.
The marijuana lounge closed sometime before the 2020 pandemic. After sitting vacant for a year or so, there has recently (10/21) been some remodel activity at the theatre. The facade has been resurfaced and looks to be awaiting new paint. While the digital marquee continues to advertise local businesses, the windows are papered over and all of the branding has been removed (including the large Hologram USA sign).
The Cave is featured in the 1984 movie “Angel”. In addition to showing the exterior, two scenes take place inside; when the killer attempts to hide among seated patrons/is confronted by the manager and in a follow-up scene when he is discovered by police/flees. The giveaway that they actually shot the scenes inside the Cave is a faux stalactite visible to the left of the screen, framing an exit door, when they briefly flash to the movie being played (the 1983 adult film “Sweet Alice”). At the time of filming, the auditorium looked to be small (under 100 seats) and had a red/black color scheme. The exterior entrance was wood paneled, with slats arranged in a diagonal pattern, and the carpeting was brown.