Showing first run films when I drove by last week.
LA Times reports in 1998 that the Little Fox theater in Gardena was converted to a church after 24 years of showing adult films. Address given as 140th and Vermont. Anybody heard of this theater?
It is a great building. Rent DOA (the original) or Blade Runner for a look at the inside, or just go there if you’re in LA. Sometimes they charge to get in and walk around, sometimes they don’t. It depends on the current administration.
I would argue for closed status as it no longer shows films. I’m not sure if that’s what you referring to immediately above. My understanding is closed would pertain to an auditorium that once showed films but is now exclusively used for live theater or music.
A 1981 story in the LA Times profiles owners Howard and Florence Linn. Anyone know their current status since last mentioned in 2004? Do they still own the theater?
Here is a story about the demise of the Cinedome from the LA Times, dated 2/14/99:
Once upon a time, when Orange County was more about orange groves and less about urban sprawl, there was an oasis of culture and futuristic architecture out near “the Big A” (that reference alone to the former Anaheim Stadium should date me). Housed in twin, light-festooned domes were the coolest movie theaters anywhere outside Hollywood.
The Century Cinedome, adjacent to another forgotten landmark—the Orange Drive-In—was a creature from the ‘60s. When first built and opened, people traveled from all corners of the county to sit in big, comfortable seats, stare at huge projection screens and listen to the most advanced stereophonic sound system of the time.
Now it’s going the way of the wrecking ball.
Back in the ‘80s, before I became a county expatriate, I used to drive up the Santa Ana Freeway and wonder how long it would be before they’d tear the old place down. Now that they’ve boarded it up, I find myself mourning a bit for a place that was more than just a movie theater. It was a place where images—on the screens and on the theater grounds—were forever seared into my brain, leaving memories that will stay long after the buildings are demolished.
I think, in many ways, the life of the theater complex mirrored the growth and changes that have taken place in Orange County during the last three decades—more so than Anaheim Stadium/Edison International Field, Disneyland or any other man-made landmark in the area.
When the complex first opened in the ‘60s, Orange County was booming. While the region has never stopped, that decade was a heady time to be living in a semirural county. The aerospace industry was king. John F. Kennedy’s promise of man landing on the moon before the end of the decade was still fresh in our minds, and we all knew it was only a matter of time before space travel was going to be commonplace.
The domes, unlike the prefabricated boxes popping up across the plains and hills of Orange County, had a wild, “way-out,” spacey look to them. When you drove by, northbound on the freeway, the outrageous designs of “The Jetsons” didn’t seem so outrageous. For me, there could have been no other theater in which to first experience “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
During the ‘70s, the theater took on a new look. The county, with its ever-expanding population, was more than just a series of bedroom communities serving masters in Los Angeles. Orange County was becoming a place to be reckoned with in every sense, in particular economically. With all that came the malls, the entertainment centers and the many ways denizens could spend their leisure-time dollars. In an effort to capture some portion of the windfall, the folks who owned the Cinedome expanded their theaters. It was like the burgeoning city of Irvine: There was a limited amount of land, but by God they’d pack as many people into it as humanly possible.
As the ‘70s ended and the '80s rolled in, the Cinedome remained a cultural and societal landmark in Orange County. Everyone knew where the then-California Angels played baseball. Everyone knew where South Coast Plaza and the Orange Mall were located. And everyone, even if they hadn’t seen a movie there, at least knew where the domes were. Places like the Santa Ana Clubhouse and Skate Ranch, longtime havens for teenagers looking to meet others of the opposite sex or enjoy a cheap date, were already dead or dying.
The Cinedome, which seemed to offer an endless number of theaters under one roof, was also a great place to head to with friends. On any given (dateless) Friday or Saturday night, groups of friends would look for every which way to sneak in. For as many theaters as there were in the complex, there were twice as many backdoors. And if all else failed and you actually paid for a ticket, you were sure to catch at least two more movies (for free) showing elsewhere at what many came to call “Sneak-a-Dome.”
Now, 30 years after it opened its doors, the Cinedome is the victim of change. Its owners, the Century Theatre chain, built another complex nearby that has all the bells and whistles movie audiences expect these days. The Cinedome, which really began showing its age 20 years ago, is now in its death spiral. It’s going the way the orange groves have, the way the Orange County International Raceway did and the way the Tustin and El Toro Marine bases will.
I suspect when the company charged with demolishing the Cinedome finally trucks away the rubble, there won’t be a lot of wailing from most people—even those who have a special place in their heart for the once ultramodern-looking marvel. Like the Cinedome, the flame of Orange County’s existence has been fueled by change.
Here is an LA Times story about post-quake renovations dated 1/19/96:
Two years to the day after it closed, workers Wednesday began the long-awaited renovation of Fillmore’s landmark Towne Theater, which was badly damaged in the Northridge earthquake. Councilwoman Linda Brewster said she hopes to see the theater’s lone screen illuminated by the end of August with a Kirk Douglas movie.
“He has been so supportive of the theater,” Brewster said. The veteran actor has donated $5,000 in cash and thousands of dollars worth of movie memorabilia to raise money for the renovation project.
The theater’s rear wall and roof collapsed in the quake. But thanks to a $475,000 state grant and more than $15,000 in private donations, work to repair the theater got underway Wednesday. “It’s a focal point in the community,” Brewster said of the theater, which opened in 1916. “It’s been here as long as we can remember.”
Aside from the new roof and wall, the theater will get a fresh coat of paint along with new seats and carpet. Meanwhile, members of the Save the Towne Theater committee said they hope to raise another $250,000 to build a live stage in the theater. “It was originally a vaudeville theater,” committee member Lori Hofferber said. “A live stage will make it a really nice theater.”
Here is a story about the demise of the drive-in from the LA Times, dated 9/6/96:
In its heyday four decades ago, the Anaheim Drive-In Theatre on Lemon Street drew couples on dates, friends out for an evening of fun and families with pajama-clad children who parents hoped would watch the cartoon, then snooze through the feature film. The outdoor theater next to the Riverside Freeway stopped showing movies in 1990 because attendance had become so sparse. The main attraction since then has been weekend swap meets. Now, the drive-in is being razed to make way for a 25-screen cinema complex. The old marquee fronting Lemon will remain for now to announce the opening of the cineplex, to be completed by May.
“There’s a building boom among all the movie theater chains right now, and we are pleased that Anaheim is getting its share of new projects,” Mayor Tom Daly said. “Central Anaheim needs movie theaters, and we’re hoping that this will fill the bill."For several weeks, workers have been breaking up the pavement where moviegoers once parked their cars on the 22-acre site, owned by Los Angeles-based Pacific Theatres. To mark the beginning of construction for the cineplex, company officials will host a "screen dropping” ceremony at noon today. The public may watch the demolition of the drive-in’s original 122-foot-wide, 96-foot-tall screen, the only structure left on the site.
Pacific’s other Orange County drive-ins, in La Habra and Buena Park, have also closed in recent years. In La Habra, a Super Kmart store was built on the site, and in Buena Park there are plans for 220 houses at the former drive-in. The county’s few remaining drive-ins will disappear soon too. A retail project is being proposed at the Highway 39 Drive-In location in Westminster, Pacific officials said. Pacific’s Orange Drive-In is still open as a swap meet only.
The Stadium Drive-In on Katella Avenue in Orange is scheduled for conversion to a multiscreen cineplex by Century Theatres Inc. and Syufy Enterprises, both of San Francisco. Chan Wood, Pacific Theatres' executive vice president, said moviegoers' tastes have changed over the years, bringing an end to the drive-in era. “They want better sound, presentation and amenities,” Wood said, which drive-ins can’t offer.
The new Anaheim complex will have a total of 5,500 stadium-style seats, a lobby with three snack bars and 2,000 parking spaces, Wood said. Three restaurants, a food court and a fun center with games are also planned. Wood said drive-ins are also disappearing because they are on large, valuable commercial parcels. “Most of our properties are at prime locations,” he said.
Here is a story about the Highland from the LA Times dated 9/12/91:
The 67-year-old Highland Theatre, the last of a group of 1920s theaters that once formed the heart of Highland Park, has been designated a historic-cultural monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. Members of the Highland Park Heritage Trust, the historical preservation organization that nominated the Highland as a monument, described it as one of the outstanding examples of Moorish theater architecture in the Los Angeles area.
Designed by theater architect L.A. Smith, the Spanish-style Highland at 5600 N. Figueroa St. features arched openings, decorative tile walls and wrought-iron work on its exterior. The once-elegant interior had an orchestra pit, a working stage for vaudeville acts, large ceiling frescoes, and elaborate moldings in the shape of Spanish arches. If approved by the Los Angeles City Council, the monument designation would mean that any plan to alter or demolish the building could be delayed for up to one year, while preservationists seek a means of saving it.
But while the outer walls of the theater are virtually the same as they were when the structure was built in 1924, the interior had already been substantially altered when it was divided into a triplex theater in 1983. The once-outdoor lobby was enclosed and the original walls in the lobby and in the theater were covered with other material. Today, the balcony, where the frescoes and moldings are still exposed, is filthy and closed to the public. The grand chandelier that once hung over the house is lying on the floor there, covered in dust. The seat cushions have been pulled up and stacked in piles.
But Charlie Fisher, a member of the board of directors of Highland Park Heritage Trust, said the building “is restorable.” “The original interior is still there,” he said. “Down the road, if economic conditions merit it, you could convert it back.”
Greg Akarakian, whose father has owned the theater since 1975, said his family has no plans to restore the theater to its original condition. He said that the historical preservationists who want to save the building have come into the picture too late. “Maybe 10 years ago, they would have had a chance,” he said. “If they had shown interest before we remodeled, maybe we could have done something.”
But Fisher said the monument designation will preserve the chance that the building could be refurbished in the future. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in 10 years,” he said. “They may be able to convert it back.”
In documentation submitted with its nomination, the Heritage Trust said the Highland was the largest and most elegant of a cluster of six theaters that formed the cultural heart of Highland Park. Its opening was a grand occasion, with an appearance by the silent film star Norma Shearer. “This technically was probably the finest building for a theater that Highland Park ever had,” said Tom Owen, a local history specialist for the city’s Central Library downtown. “This would have been the major point in town for entertainment.”
Later though, the theater and others in Highland Park fell on hard times as movie attendance dropped. Gradually, the others closed and, by 1963, the Highland was the only one left. In their struggle to keep the Highland open, the operators briefly showed pornographic films and Spanish-language movies, Akarakian said. The triplex now shows first-run feature films.
In the latest blow to a downtown struggling to revive itself, Oxnard’s cornerstone movie house has closed. Poor attendance and a recent drop in the production of Mexican films caused the demise of the Teatro Boulevard, the only Spanish-language theater in Ventura County, owners said. “It’s a tired old theater and there’s not much product anymore,” said general manager Jose Romo. “People just stopped coming.” In its heyday, the 65-year-old brick and stucco theater on Oxnard Boulevard drew large crowds of recent immigrants and migrant workers, Romo said. “We had romance, comedy, mariachi-oriented pictures,” said Romo, who managed the theater for 25 years. “For many people, it was the main source of entertainment.” Daniel Masias, 42, remembers going to the theater as a child. “Me and my friends would ride our bikes from El Rio every Saturday,” he said. “We loved seeing the cowboy movies in Spanish.” Although Masias said he is sad to see the theater close, he said he prefers watching movies on his videocassette recorder at home. “It’s cheaper and more convenient,” he said. “I don’t come downtown that much anymore.” A few blocks away, Bernardo Castellanos, owner of Fifth Street Video, said his business is up 20% since the theater closed a week ago. “Almost all of my business is Spanish,” he said. “Since the theater closed, everyone is coming here.” Metropolitan Theaters Corp., which operated the 750-seat Teatro, runs about 15 Spanish-language theaters throughout the Southland, Romo said. The Oxnard theater shutdown is the most recent in a string of half a dozen closings over the last several years, Romo said. The company is seeking a tenant to sublease the property until its lease expires in January, 1995. Oxnard Councilman Andres Herrera, who remembers dancing the polka in a performance onstage at the theater as a child, said the closing hurts the ailing downtown area. “Things are difficult everywhere, but the closing is especially unfortunate for that area,” said Herrera, who runs a business near the theater. “It’s another space we need to fill as we work to bring business back downtown.”
Although the theater falls within the bounds of a 50-block area of Oxnard targeted for urban renewal, the city has “no immediate plans for that building,” said Dennis Matthews, administrator of the city’s Redevelopment Agency. Meanwhile American Family Theatres plans to reopen a three-screen movie house at the Esplanade Shopping Center in May. The theater will show second-run movies at a reduced price, said company president Tom Brand.
A 1905 ad in the LA Times listed the Novelty theater at 523 S. Main. We already have that as an aka for the Liberty at 136 S. Main, but it should be added as an aka for this theater as well.
This appears to be the theater in 1925, but I am not 100% due to some differences in the architecture. LAPL says it’s Pacific Boulevard in HP. It might be the old Park: http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics31/00050189.jpg
A report of May 1960 in the St. Joseph Independent mentioned that a printing company on Dixie Street had taken the place of the Harlo, or Harlow as the case may be. I can’t tell you much more than that.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 3/1/32:
Theater Owner Sues, Asserting Trade Restraint
An order to show cause as to why an injunction should not be issued to restrain them from continuing an asserted conspiracy to prevent Jack Berman, owner of the Meralta Theater at 2035 East First Street, from contracting for and purchasing films in the open market, was issued yesterday by United States District Judge Cosgrave against three individuals, a theater corporation and five motion picture distributing agencies.
Those named are Harry Popkins, Ray M. Robbins and Peter Lasher, the P.R. & L. Theaters Ltd, and Fox Film Corporation, RKO Distributing Corporation, RKO-Pathe Distributing Corporation, Vitagraph, Inc. and First National Distributing Corporation. These were the defendants in a bill in equity filed in the Federal Court on Saturday by Berman in which he charged them with conspiracy in restraint of trade.
I should point out that MESA stated on 9/1/02 that he saw films at the Mesa from 1956 to 1970. As the theater was supposed to be demolished in 1965, MESA is either talking about a different theater or has simply misremembered the dates he attended. If he is correct, I would wonder when the actual demolition date was.
Showing first run films when I drove by last week.
LA Times reports in 1998 that the Little Fox theater in Gardena was converted to a church after 24 years of showing adult films. Address given as 140th and Vermont. Anybody heard of this theater?
Please note status change above. Thanks.
Fair enough. I wasn’t sure of the exact criteria.
It is a great building. Rent DOA (the original) or Blade Runner for a look at the inside, or just go there if you’re in LA. Sometimes they charge to get in and walk around, sometimes they don’t. It depends on the current administration.
I would argue for closed status as it no longer shows films. I’m not sure if that’s what you referring to immediately above. My understanding is closed would pertain to an auditorium that once showed films but is now exclusively used for live theater or music.
A 1981 story in the LA Times profiles owners Howard and Florence Linn. Anyone know their current status since last mentioned in 2004? Do they still own the theater?
Here is a story about the demise of the Cinedome from the LA Times, dated 2/14/99:
Once upon a time, when Orange County was more about orange groves and less about urban sprawl, there was an oasis of culture and futuristic architecture out near “the Big A” (that reference alone to the former Anaheim Stadium should date me). Housed in twin, light-festooned domes were the coolest movie theaters anywhere outside Hollywood.
The Century Cinedome, adjacent to another forgotten landmark—the Orange Drive-In—was a creature from the ‘60s. When first built and opened, people traveled from all corners of the county to sit in big, comfortable seats, stare at huge projection screens and listen to the most advanced stereophonic sound system of the time.
Now it’s going the way of the wrecking ball.
Back in the ‘80s, before I became a county expatriate, I used to drive up the Santa Ana Freeway and wonder how long it would be before they’d tear the old place down. Now that they’ve boarded it up, I find myself mourning a bit for a place that was more than just a movie theater. It was a place where images—on the screens and on the theater grounds—were forever seared into my brain, leaving memories that will stay long after the buildings are demolished.
I think, in many ways, the life of the theater complex mirrored the growth and changes that have taken place in Orange County during the last three decades—more so than Anaheim Stadium/Edison International Field, Disneyland or any other man-made landmark in the area.
When the complex first opened in the ‘60s, Orange County was booming. While the region has never stopped, that decade was a heady time to be living in a semirural county. The aerospace industry was king. John F. Kennedy’s promise of man landing on the moon before the end of the decade was still fresh in our minds, and we all knew it was only a matter of time before space travel was going to be commonplace.
The domes, unlike the prefabricated boxes popping up across the plains and hills of Orange County, had a wild, “way-out,” spacey look to them. When you drove by, northbound on the freeway, the outrageous designs of “The Jetsons” didn’t seem so outrageous. For me, there could have been no other theater in which to first experience “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
During the ‘70s, the theater took on a new look. The county, with its ever-expanding population, was more than just a series of bedroom communities serving masters in Los Angeles. Orange County was becoming a place to be reckoned with in every sense, in particular economically. With all that came the malls, the entertainment centers and the many ways denizens could spend their leisure-time dollars. In an effort to capture some portion of the windfall, the folks who owned the Cinedome expanded their theaters. It was like the burgeoning city of Irvine: There was a limited amount of land, but by God they’d pack as many people into it as humanly possible.
As the ‘70s ended and the '80s rolled in, the Cinedome remained a cultural and societal landmark in Orange County. Everyone knew where the then-California Angels played baseball. Everyone knew where South Coast Plaza and the Orange Mall were located. And everyone, even if they hadn’t seen a movie there, at least knew where the domes were. Places like the Santa Ana Clubhouse and Skate Ranch, longtime havens for teenagers looking to meet others of the opposite sex or enjoy a cheap date, were already dead or dying.
The Cinedome, which seemed to offer an endless number of theaters under one roof, was also a great place to head to with friends. On any given (dateless) Friday or Saturday night, groups of friends would look for every which way to sneak in. For as many theaters as there were in the complex, there were twice as many backdoors. And if all else failed and you actually paid for a ticket, you were sure to catch at least two more movies (for free) showing elsewhere at what many came to call “Sneak-a-Dome.”
Now, 30 years after it opened its doors, the Cinedome is the victim of change. Its owners, the Century Theatre chain, built another complex nearby that has all the bells and whistles movie audiences expect these days. The Cinedome, which really began showing its age 20 years ago, is now in its death spiral. It’s going the way the orange groves have, the way the Orange County International Raceway did and the way the Tustin and El Toro Marine bases will.
I suspect when the company charged with demolishing the Cinedome finally trucks away the rubble, there won’t be a lot of wailing from most people—even those who have a special place in their heart for the once ultramodern-looking marvel. Like the Cinedome, the flame of Orange County’s existence has been fueled by change.
Here is an LA Times story about post-quake renovations dated 1/19/96:
Two years to the day after it closed, workers Wednesday began the long-awaited renovation of Fillmore’s landmark Towne Theater, which was badly damaged in the Northridge earthquake. Councilwoman Linda Brewster said she hopes to see the theater’s lone screen illuminated by the end of August with a Kirk Douglas movie.
“He has been so supportive of the theater,” Brewster said. The veteran actor has donated $5,000 in cash and thousands of dollars worth of movie memorabilia to raise money for the renovation project.
The theater’s rear wall and roof collapsed in the quake. But thanks to a $475,000 state grant and more than $15,000 in private donations, work to repair the theater got underway Wednesday. “It’s a focal point in the community,” Brewster said of the theater, which opened in 1916. “It’s been here as long as we can remember.”
Aside from the new roof and wall, the theater will get a fresh coat of paint along with new seats and carpet. Meanwhile, members of the Save the Towne Theater committee said they hope to raise another $250,000 to build a live stage in the theater. “It was originally a vaudeville theater,” committee member Lori Hofferber said. “A live stage will make it a really nice theater.”
Here is a story about the demise of the drive-in from the LA Times, dated 9/6/96:
In its heyday four decades ago, the Anaheim Drive-In Theatre on Lemon Street drew couples on dates, friends out for an evening of fun and families with pajama-clad children who parents hoped would watch the cartoon, then snooze through the feature film. The outdoor theater next to the Riverside Freeway stopped showing movies in 1990 because attendance had become so sparse. The main attraction since then has been weekend swap meets. Now, the drive-in is being razed to make way for a 25-screen cinema complex. The old marquee fronting Lemon will remain for now to announce the opening of the cineplex, to be completed by May.
“There’s a building boom among all the movie theater chains right now, and we are pleased that Anaheim is getting its share of new projects,” Mayor Tom Daly said. “Central Anaheim needs movie theaters, and we’re hoping that this will fill the bill."For several weeks, workers have been breaking up the pavement where moviegoers once parked their cars on the 22-acre site, owned by Los Angeles-based Pacific Theatres. To mark the beginning of construction for the cineplex, company officials will host a "screen dropping” ceremony at noon today. The public may watch the demolition of the drive-in’s original 122-foot-wide, 96-foot-tall screen, the only structure left on the site.
Pacific’s other Orange County drive-ins, in La Habra and Buena Park, have also closed in recent years. In La Habra, a Super Kmart store was built on the site, and in Buena Park there are plans for 220 houses at the former drive-in. The county’s few remaining drive-ins will disappear soon too. A retail project is being proposed at the Highway 39 Drive-In location in Westminster, Pacific officials said. Pacific’s Orange Drive-In is still open as a swap meet only.
The Stadium Drive-In on Katella Avenue in Orange is scheduled for conversion to a multiscreen cineplex by Century Theatres Inc. and Syufy Enterprises, both of San Francisco. Chan Wood, Pacific Theatres' executive vice president, said moviegoers' tastes have changed over the years, bringing an end to the drive-in era. “They want better sound, presentation and amenities,” Wood said, which drive-ins can’t offer.
The new Anaheim complex will have a total of 5,500 stadium-style seats, a lobby with three snack bars and 2,000 parking spaces, Wood said. Three restaurants, a food court and a fun center with games are also planned. Wood said drive-ins are also disappearing because they are on large, valuable commercial parcels. “Most of our properties are at prime locations,” he said.
Here is a story about the Highland from the LA Times dated 9/12/91:
The 67-year-old Highland Theatre, the last of a group of 1920s theaters that once formed the heart of Highland Park, has been designated a historic-cultural monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission. Members of the Highland Park Heritage Trust, the historical preservation organization that nominated the Highland as a monument, described it as one of the outstanding examples of Moorish theater architecture in the Los Angeles area.
Designed by theater architect L.A. Smith, the Spanish-style Highland at 5600 N. Figueroa St. features arched openings, decorative tile walls and wrought-iron work on its exterior. The once-elegant interior had an orchestra pit, a working stage for vaudeville acts, large ceiling frescoes, and elaborate moldings in the shape of Spanish arches. If approved by the Los Angeles City Council, the monument designation would mean that any plan to alter or demolish the building could be delayed for up to one year, while preservationists seek a means of saving it.
But while the outer walls of the theater are virtually the same as they were when the structure was built in 1924, the interior had already been substantially altered when it was divided into a triplex theater in 1983. The once-outdoor lobby was enclosed and the original walls in the lobby and in the theater were covered with other material. Today, the balcony, where the frescoes and moldings are still exposed, is filthy and closed to the public. The grand chandelier that once hung over the house is lying on the floor there, covered in dust. The seat cushions have been pulled up and stacked in piles.
But Charlie Fisher, a member of the board of directors of Highland Park Heritage Trust, said the building “is restorable.” “The original interior is still there,” he said. “Down the road, if economic conditions merit it, you could convert it back.”
Greg Akarakian, whose father has owned the theater since 1975, said his family has no plans to restore the theater to its original condition. He said that the historical preservationists who want to save the building have come into the picture too late. “Maybe 10 years ago, they would have had a chance,” he said. “If they had shown interest before we remodeled, maybe we could have done something.”
But Fisher said the monument designation will preserve the chance that the building could be refurbished in the future. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in 10 years,” he said. “They may be able to convert it back.”
In documentation submitted with its nomination, the Heritage Trust said the Highland was the largest and most elegant of a cluster of six theaters that formed the cultural heart of Highland Park. Its opening was a grand occasion, with an appearance by the silent film star Norma Shearer. “This technically was probably the finest building for a theater that Highland Park ever had,” said Tom Owen, a local history specialist for the city’s Central Library downtown. “This would have been the major point in town for entertainment.”
Later though, the theater and others in Highland Park fell on hard times as movie attendance dropped. Gradually, the others closed and, by 1963, the Highland was the only one left. In their struggle to keep the Highland open, the operators briefly showed pornographic films and Spanish-language movies, Akarakian said. The triplex now shows first-run feature films.
Here is a story from the LA Times dated 4/10/93:
In the latest blow to a downtown struggling to revive itself, Oxnard’s cornerstone movie house has closed. Poor attendance and a recent drop in the production of Mexican films caused the demise of the Teatro Boulevard, the only Spanish-language theater in Ventura County, owners said. “It’s a tired old theater and there’s not much product anymore,” said general manager Jose Romo. “People just stopped coming.” In its heyday, the 65-year-old brick and stucco theater on Oxnard Boulevard drew large crowds of recent immigrants and migrant workers, Romo said. “We had romance, comedy, mariachi-oriented pictures,” said Romo, who managed the theater for 25 years. “For many people, it was the main source of entertainment.” Daniel Masias, 42, remembers going to the theater as a child. “Me and my friends would ride our bikes from El Rio every Saturday,” he said. “We loved seeing the cowboy movies in Spanish.” Although Masias said he is sad to see the theater close, he said he prefers watching movies on his videocassette recorder at home. “It’s cheaper and more convenient,” he said. “I don’t come downtown that much anymore.” A few blocks away, Bernardo Castellanos, owner of Fifth Street Video, said his business is up 20% since the theater closed a week ago. “Almost all of my business is Spanish,” he said. “Since the theater closed, everyone is coming here.” Metropolitan Theaters Corp., which operated the 750-seat Teatro, runs about 15 Spanish-language theaters throughout the Southland, Romo said. The Oxnard theater shutdown is the most recent in a string of half a dozen closings over the last several years, Romo said. The company is seeking a tenant to sublease the property until its lease expires in January, 1995. Oxnard Councilman Andres Herrera, who remembers dancing the polka in a performance onstage at the theater as a child, said the closing hurts the ailing downtown area. “Things are difficult everywhere, but the closing is especially unfortunate for that area,” said Herrera, who runs a business near the theater. “It’s another space we need to fill as we work to bring business back downtown.”
Although the theater falls within the bounds of a 50-block area of Oxnard targeted for urban renewal, the city has “no immediate plans for that building,” said Dennis Matthews, administrator of the city’s Redevelopment Agency. Meanwhile American Family Theatres plans to reopen a three-screen movie house at the Esplanade Shopping Center in May. The theater will show second-run movies at a reduced price, said company president Tom Brand.
You’re talking about the theater, right? The Bradbury is across the street. Not being picky, just clarifying.
I found a 1905 ad for the Novelty Theater at 523 S. Main. I posted a comment on the Gaiety page.
A 1905 ad in the LA Times listed the Novelty theater at 523 S. Main. We already have that as an aka for the Liberty at 136 S. Main, but it should be added as an aka for this theater as well.
Danke.
Fine with me, Joe. You’ll save me a trip down Crenshaw Boulevard.
This appears to be the theater in 1925, but I am not 100% due to some differences in the architecture. LAPL says it’s Pacific Boulevard in HP. It might be the old Park:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics31/00050189.jpg
Here is a 1979 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics06/00002723.jpg
Those with sharp eyes will see the Boulevard about middle left in this 1979 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics45/00057089.jpg
This 1990 LAPL photo shows more detail than you will see in my photos from Saturday:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/pics06/00002651.jpg
I’ve heard the grits in Hominy are first rate.
I did not know that there was a Milwaukie in Oregon. Do you suppose there is a Portlend in Wisconsin?
A report of May 1960 in the St. Joseph Independent mentioned that a printing company on Dixie Street had taken the place of the Harlo, or Harlow as the case may be. I can’t tell you much more than that.
Here is an article from the LA Times dated 3/1/32:
Theater Owner Sues, Asserting Trade Restraint
An order to show cause as to why an injunction should not be issued to restrain them from continuing an asserted conspiracy to prevent Jack Berman, owner of the Meralta Theater at 2035 East First Street, from contracting for and purchasing films in the open market, was issued yesterday by United States District Judge Cosgrave against three individuals, a theater corporation and five motion picture distributing agencies.
Those named are Harry Popkins, Ray M. Robbins and Peter Lasher, the P.R. & L. Theaters Ltd, and Fox Film Corporation, RKO Distributing Corporation, RKO-Pathe Distributing Corporation, Vitagraph, Inc. and First National Distributing Corporation. These were the defendants in a bill in equity filed in the Federal Court on Saturday by Berman in which he charged them with conspiracy in restraint of trade.
I should point out that MESA stated on 9/1/02 that he saw films at the Mesa from 1956 to 1970. As the theater was supposed to be demolished in 1965, MESA is either talking about a different theater or has simply misremembered the dates he attended. If he is correct, I would wonder when the actual demolition date was.