Now a pile of rubble because the money hungry Syufy Brothers wanted to develop the space and develop It thru the real estate company they own SkyWest. Thousands of people tried to save the theatre. The Syufy’s don’t care about the theatre business these days. The Domes in San Jose are about to bulldozed also.
They used the Cinerama roadshow ad and ran on a flat small screen. I wonder if The Cinerama people saw this when they played in the late 50’s at this Drive In. Did people think they were seeing Cinemiracle?
This great former theater in Denver had one of the best CinemaScope® screens in the Fox chain of theatres plus good stereo surround. The contour curtains that opened before the movie had some class.
With such small theatres and tiny screens why did they not just put in 5 cinemas with a larger seat capacity and big screens. People will just stay home for food and watch on their large home screens and save $20. No call button needed.
No mention of 70mm Stereo Sound. This was probably a case like many theatres did all over the USA they charged reserved seat prices and just booked the cheap mono 35mm version. They did this at the UA Alhambra Theatre in Sacramento CA for many years. They even advertised SHOWN JUST LIKE ROADSHOW. The UA and Blumenfield circuits in California cheated the public all the time till Disney made them put in 4 ch stereo when they booked Mary Poppins at Oakland CA’s House Of Hits ‘Roxie Theatre’
The new tiny flat not curved screen at the UA Egyptian Theatre Hollywood is so bad and no curtains or color lights. How sad. Now all the courtyard fountains are gone except one that does not work.
I took a private tour a few days ago and I have been told this will be the only IMAX screen with masking that moves. So when you see a wide screen movie black masking will come down and come up from the bottom. No more boring white screen at the top and bottom. The screen will be 94 feet wide and 33ft something tall. They will have curtains that open and close also. Lets hope they bring back some color lights in the ceiling lights when the film is on. Glad they are not doing what they did across the street at Disney’s El Cap with Dolby Atmos. They wrecked the whole ceiling by installing hanging metal bars to hold up the new junky ceiling speakers. The only place you can hear them is in the balcony when the sound comes on in a Dolby Atmos mix. No one at Dolby thought that they needed to add some small speakers also under the El Cap balcony for people on the main floor to hear overhead sound. Now lets see what IMAX digital video movie will open up at the Graumans Chinese Hollywood in September.
This was a great place to see a film in the 50’s. They closed and never put in a wide CinemaScope screen in the early 50’s. Owned by the same family that had the Burl Theatre in Boulder Creek CA that still stands today as a pizza place. Time to move out the food and bring back movies for this little town in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Goodbye Landmark It’s time to move on and get someone new in that will book the place with movies and live entertainment plus food snacks. Show classic movies that the other first run theatres don’t show in the Seattle area. Good place for the Sundance or Drafthouse owners to take over. We hope the Landmark gang takes care of the 70mm combo projector that I think is still in the booth that they very seldom use these days.
Have not heard any more info on the Hollywood Warner Cinerama. I did hear last week people from Shubert NYC were in Hollywood looking at the Warner and a few other older theatres in the area. I think they are looking for a theatre spot in Southern CA. All my friends in the real estate business in LA say things are about to open up soon for the old Warner Hollywood. Pacific wants to sell or lease out the place bad. Please not another night club!!!!!
This is one of the best theatres in the USA. Curtains that open and close. We hope they can re open soon as I hear that the front only had some wind damage. Plastic letters were found miles away from the cinema after the storm.
Looks like a great DVD. I’ll be ordering a few. We went to the ENCINA DI in Santa Cruz CA. Now a parking lot. I remember I got lost going to the candy stand on a foggy night and they had to flash my name on the screen for my parents to pick me up. We only have 2 left in the SF Bay Area, one in Concord CA and the other in San Jose both owned by the Syufy brothers. They use the West Wind name. As soon as they get a good offer for the land they will be gone. The old Syufy family is only interested in land money these days. They just tore down the Dome in Pleasant Hill CA for a mall. Does anyone have any information or photos of the many new Drive In’s that have opened up in the last few years?
Today we checked out the brand new EX screen they just put into Theatre#1 and watched Gatsby in 3-D. Such a shame they did not put in the same type of curved EX screen they had in their first EX screen in Theatre#6 The new one is not that curved at the top or bottom and seems smaller then the one across the lobby. At least Theatre#1 has the first install of the Dolby Atmos sound system and sounded hot. Like all Cinemark/Century EX screens when you watch a scope print you will have boring white screen at the top and bottom of the giant square white/silver screen. No masking has been put in at the top or bottom. I don’t know who goes into these multiplex theatres to re do them but in the Century 9 in the new EX #1 cinema they have bright WHITE lights on the side and set to close to the big screen so when the pre show and previews are on the whole screen is washed out with bright white lights leaking on the screen. Does anyone think these days about putting a color lamp in like blue and haveing a shield in the first set of side lights close to the screen.
The old United Artists aka Market Street Cinema is now CLOSED. Was by the old locked up gated old palace today (4/29/2013) that at one time ran 70mm roadshows like Sound Of Music, Lawrence, Patton, The Bible and so many more. They had a big flat screen not curved but advertised they had Todd AO. The booth was a very long distance to the screen. When the porn girl gang took over the lease they put in a false ceiling. Now today I talked to the two remaining stores in the theatre building on the right and left side and they have not been given any close or vacate notice. I don’t think this old movie theatre is going to be torn down. It’s almost across and down the street from the Cinerama Orpheum Theatre that is to play the musical Mary Popins soon. Heard a rumor that another Chinese restaurant will move in the UA space? To bad the ACT people didn’t wait as the UA is a larger theatre then the Strand Theatre they may take over down the street If they get the funds. It’s time for the SHUBERTS to look into this old large Market Street theatre and give the Neederlanders some compition in San Francisco. Who ever takes over the theatre we hope they re paint the front as the bold RED and DARK BLUE outside paint is bad news.
The new IMAX screen at the Van Ness is not that big at all. Nothing like the IMAX at the AMC Metroen. It’s like what many theatres are putting in and call it the Imax Experience. Just another way AMC gets extra money. The new screen at the Van Ness is not that much larger then the screen they had. It’s hardly curved. Not much height to go tall. And they have reserved seats in the new IMAX theatre. Bad sound, they got rid or all the side surround speakers and just have two big old speaker box’s marked IMAX in the back left and right corners. Reserved seats don’t work in this IMAX auditorium as most people come in late in the dark when the previews are on or even at the start of the film and AMC has no one to help you find your seat number in the dark. And you pay extra for this IMAX screen. Most people don’t carry a flash light so If you are in your seat it is very distracting.
Now a pile of rubble because the money hungry Syufy Brothers wanted to develop the space and develop It thru the real estate company they own SkyWest. Thousands of people tried to save the theatre. The Syufy’s don’t care about the theatre business these days. The Domes in San Jose are about to bulldozed also.
They used the Cinerama roadshow ad and ran on a flat small screen. I wonder if The Cinerama people saw this when they played in the late 50’s at this Drive In. Did people think they were seeing Cinemiracle?
To bad they don’t light It up with color LED lights. No curtains just a blank white screen greets you. No showmanship left at this place these days.
The new TCL gang needs to bring back the neon dragons out front and let people see what is playing inside.
Thanks Gary & Jack for posting this great photo of the El Rey Theatre.
This was the Palace Theatre early on also. Everything was taken out 20 years ago and demolished. They didn’t even save the nice art deco lights.
This great former theater in Denver had one of the best CinemaScope® screens in the Fox chain of theatres plus good stereo surround. The contour curtains that opened before the movie had some class.
Did they play It in 4 CH Stereo?
Was It shown in TODD-AO 70mm????
This was the San Francisco home for CINERAMA in the 50’s and 60’s. What a nice huge curved screen that came out off the stage.
With such small theatres and tiny screens why did they not just put in 5 cinemas with a larger seat capacity and big screens. People will just stay home for food and watch on their large home screens and save $20. No call button needed.
This ex Super Cinerama dome theatre is soon to be demolished for the property It sits on in San Jose CA.
No mention of 70mm Stereo Sound. This was probably a case like many theatres did all over the USA they charged reserved seat prices and just booked the cheap mono 35mm version. They did this at the UA Alhambra Theatre in Sacramento CA for many years. They even advertised SHOWN JUST LIKE ROADSHOW. The UA and Blumenfield circuits in California cheated the public all the time till Disney made them put in 4 ch stereo when they booked Mary Poppins at Oakland CA’s House Of Hits ‘Roxie Theatre’
Time to put in a wider larger screen better built for future storms.
The new tiny flat not curved screen at the UA Egyptian Theatre Hollywood is so bad and no curtains or color lights. How sad. Now all the courtyard fountains are gone except one that does not work.
I took a private tour a few days ago and I have been told this will be the only IMAX screen with masking that moves. So when you see a wide screen movie black masking will come down and come up from the bottom. No more boring white screen at the top and bottom. The screen will be 94 feet wide and 33ft something tall. They will have curtains that open and close also. Lets hope they bring back some color lights in the ceiling lights when the film is on. Glad they are not doing what they did across the street at Disney’s El Cap with Dolby Atmos. They wrecked the whole ceiling by installing hanging metal bars to hold up the new junky ceiling speakers. The only place you can hear them is in the balcony when the sound comes on in a Dolby Atmos mix. No one at Dolby thought that they needed to add some small speakers also under the El Cap balcony for people on the main floor to hear overhead sound. Now lets see what IMAX digital video movie will open up at the Graumans Chinese Hollywood in September.
This was a great place to see a film in the 50’s. They closed and never put in a wide CinemaScope screen in the early 50’s. Owned by the same family that had the Burl Theatre in Boulder Creek CA that still stands today as a pizza place. Time to move out the food and bring back movies for this little town in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Goodbye Landmark It’s time to move on and get someone new in that will book the place with movies and live entertainment plus food snacks. Show classic movies that the other first run theatres don’t show in the Seattle area. Good place for the Sundance or Drafthouse owners to take over. We hope the Landmark gang takes care of the 70mm combo projector that I think is still in the booth that they very seldom use these days.
Have not heard any more info on the Hollywood Warner Cinerama. I did hear last week people from Shubert NYC were in Hollywood looking at the Warner and a few other older theatres in the area. I think they are looking for a theatre spot in Southern CA. All my friends in the real estate business in LA say things are about to open up soon for the old Warner Hollywood. Pacific wants to sell or lease out the place bad. Please not another night club!!!!!
This is one of the best theatres in the USA. Curtains that open and close. We hope they can re open soon as I hear that the front only had some wind damage. Plastic letters were found miles away from the cinema after the storm.
Looks like a great DVD. I’ll be ordering a few. We went to the ENCINA DI in Santa Cruz CA. Now a parking lot. I remember I got lost going to the candy stand on a foggy night and they had to flash my name on the screen for my parents to pick me up. We only have 2 left in the SF Bay Area, one in Concord CA and the other in San Jose both owned by the Syufy brothers. They use the West Wind name. As soon as they get a good offer for the land they will be gone. The old Syufy family is only interested in land money these days. They just tore down the Dome in Pleasant Hill CA for a mall. Does anyone have any information or photos of the many new Drive In’s that have opened up in the last few years?
Sorry the name brand at Century is XD. Not EX.
Today we checked out the brand new EX screen they just put into Theatre#1 and watched Gatsby in 3-D. Such a shame they did not put in the same type of curved EX screen they had in their first EX screen in Theatre#6 The new one is not that curved at the top or bottom and seems smaller then the one across the lobby. At least Theatre#1 has the first install of the Dolby Atmos sound system and sounded hot. Like all Cinemark/Century EX screens when you watch a scope print you will have boring white screen at the top and bottom of the giant square white/silver screen. No masking has been put in at the top or bottom. I don’t know who goes into these multiplex theatres to re do them but in the Century 9 in the new EX #1 cinema they have bright WHITE lights on the side and set to close to the big screen so when the pre show and previews are on the whole screen is washed out with bright white lights leaking on the screen. Does anyone think these days about putting a color lamp in like blue and haveing a shield in the first set of side lights close to the screen.
The old United Artists aka Market Street Cinema is now CLOSED. Was by the old locked up gated old palace today (4/29/2013) that at one time ran 70mm roadshows like Sound Of Music, Lawrence, Patton, The Bible and so many more. They had a big flat screen not curved but advertised they had Todd AO. The booth was a very long distance to the screen. When the porn girl gang took over the lease they put in a false ceiling. Now today I talked to the two remaining stores in the theatre building on the right and left side and they have not been given any close or vacate notice. I don’t think this old movie theatre is going to be torn down. It’s almost across and down the street from the Cinerama Orpheum Theatre that is to play the musical Mary Popins soon. Heard a rumor that another Chinese restaurant will move in the UA space? To bad the ACT people didn’t wait as the UA is a larger theatre then the Strand Theatre they may take over down the street If they get the funds. It’s time for the SHUBERTS to look into this old large Market Street theatre and give the Neederlanders some compition in San Francisco. Who ever takes over the theatre we hope they re paint the front as the bold RED and DARK BLUE outside paint is bad news.
The new IMAX screen at the Van Ness is not that big at all. Nothing like the IMAX at the AMC Metroen. It’s like what many theatres are putting in and call it the Imax Experience. Just another way AMC gets extra money. The new screen at the Van Ness is not that much larger then the screen they had. It’s hardly curved. Not much height to go tall. And they have reserved seats in the new IMAX theatre. Bad sound, they got rid or all the side surround speakers and just have two big old speaker box’s marked IMAX in the back left and right corners. Reserved seats don’t work in this IMAX auditorium as most people come in late in the dark when the previews are on or even at the start of the film and AMC has no one to help you find your seat number in the dark. And you pay extra for this IMAX screen. Most people don’t carry a flash light so If you are in your seat it is very distracting.