Technically, the Vista wouldn’t fit in to bigjoe’s parameters, as it spent time as both a porn venue and revival house (i.e. hasn’t been continuously first run from open to present day).
JodarMovieFan: The 35mm is only used for special screenings; often providing access to titles that aren’t readily available otherwise. They utilize vault prints (or freshly struck prints in some cases); thus, they go to great lengths to assure presentation quality/film handling is first rate (i.e. no scratched prints, blotchy picture, etc.).
They had the entryway open for a work crew today. You could see straight through to the back wall of the building (i.e. they’ve gutted the interior down to studs/bare concrete) and there was the unmistakable sound of a jack-hammer running. Considering the scope of work underway, I would speculate they are re-purposing the space.
As for the decorative standards: The current standards are replicas. The previous standards (which were replicas also) were auctioned off with the seats as a bulk lot. The company that purchased the seating lot was selling groups of seats, with decorative standards, on ebay, a few months back.
Silver: They conducted a significant remodel of the modern Hollywood Blvd. box office (there are a few pictures up). The older structure, which currently houses StarLine, would be a logistical nightmare to utilize as a box office, due to the courtyard tourism foot traffic.
Moviebuff82: all of the theatres are now stadium seating (modern 6 plex and classic main house).
Buena Park is now developing another “revitalization” project, which includes a movie theatre, about two miles from this center. Located on a twelve acre property, at the corner of Orangethorpe and Beach, the 450,000+ square foot retail and entertainment complex, branded “The Source”, is slated to have a 1,200 seat cinema. No operator has been named for the theatre yet and the seating capacity suggests it will be relatively small (perhaps a luxury concept or dine-in?), but, considering the lackluster shopping complex Krikorian has to work with, any direct competition will likely be bad news for the Metroplex 18.
When they duel book titles with the Chinese, Arclight Hollywood still pulls in much larger audiences; plus, they receive money from booking the Chinese/the benefits of being able to book an additional house with the tittle. On those occasions when a movie is only booked at the Chinese, the Arclight Hollywood usually has a full slate booked for itself, receives money from the Chinese booking, and reaps the booking perks of having that house available for the movie. It’s a win/win for the Arclight/Pacific group, as the Chinese doesn’t impact their business levels to any notable degree, pays them for booking, and provides another venue to shore up their buying clout (a high profile venue at that).
markinthedark – “So essentially does this mean Pacific/Arclight books and manages the place and splits the profits (if any) with the owners?”
Pacific/Archlight is just the “film buyer” and likely has a marketing deal in place too (i.e. why the Chinese is included in their advertising). The Chinese has its' own management, staff, etc. Many independent operators utilize outside “film buyers”, as there is more leverage through pooling resources (i.e. the more theatres, the greater the buying power). Smaller operators often contract out their purchasing, human resources, etc. for the same reason.
The new marquee above box office is in place. Currently (4/25/14), the “TCL Chinese Theatre” branding runs through an animated light cycle, but the main body of the sign hasn’t yet been activated. As with the recently overhauled box office, this remodel is a significant upgrade and creates a much more prominent visual presence for ticket sales.
I’m guessing the theatre was located on the front left side of what is now the Author Services Building (formerly The Hollywood Savings & Loan Building and one time home to The Hollywood Museum), near the former church (now a Scientology education center). In that area, there are currently three street side display windows which look as if they may have been storefronts at one time. The current facility contains a live performance theatre, but I’m not sure where it’s located in the building/if it has any relation to the one time cinema.
In addition to Richard’s, this building also housed the Sin-O-Rama Adult Arcade Theatre, at 5531 Hollywood Blvd. (likely little more than a “loop” booth operation).
Prior to being known as the Gershwin, the primary building operated as the St. Francis Hotel; a notorious “flophouse” where James Earl Ray (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin) lived for the four months leading up to his crime.
The same operator may have run another adult theatre a short distance from this one. The Bruce Torrence Hollywood Photograph Collection has a photo, dated 1974, which depicts Richard’s #2 Adult Theatre wedged in a storefront, between a Thai restaurant and “Danny’s Big 20”. The theatre’s sign depicts two female silhouettes, so I assume the venue ran straight adult programming. The building depicted appears to be the structure which still stands at 5533 Hollywood Blvd (currently the Gershwin Apartments).
The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble was founded in 1969 (they’re still around). While not providing a year, the newsletter recounts the group’s productions of “Three Penny Opera” and “The Serpent”, followed by three months of inactivity/hardship, and a pending “February 11” opening for the cinema. A search online came up with their Serpent production taking place in the Spring/Summer of 1970. So, I’m assuming the cinema opened on February 11, 1971.
Macerich, the company which owns the Cerritos property, mentioned the following in their Q4 earnings call:
“At Cerritos, we also announced two additional new anchors. One is the re merchandising of the old Nordstrom store that had been relocated a couple of years ago to a brand new store. That will be a theater, Harkins. And also, we announced that Dick’s will be occupying space there. That’s targeted for fall of 2015 opening.”
They’ve almost finished the box office remodel. While still in the same location (adjacent to Hollywood Blvd. sidewalk), it is now much more prominent and wraps around the corner, in to a street side entry (entrance which provides access to the escalator on the right and Grauman’s on the left). A definite upgrade from the somewhat inconspicuous configuration which existed previously.
The Brookhurst and Brookhurst Loge structures (along with the adjacent wig store, restaurant, offices, and bakery) are now a large pile of rubble. They basically demolished all of the units in the southwest corner of the property (everything to the left of the post office). Currently, the only remnant of the theatre is a sloped earth pit where the auditorium used to stand. The sign hanging on the fence surrounding the demolition site merely states that “pads” are available.
Looks like Fullerton is about to enter it’s fourth incarnation, as the theatre will be undergoing a conversion to AMC’s “dine-in” concept this year. I’m unsure if the plan is for both sides or only the “classic” side, but they’ve posted the application for liquor license notice on both structures. I would assume the long vacant restaurant space, attached to the “classic” side, will be converted in to a kitchen. There is also a vacant coffee shop (prior to that an arcade) attached to the “classic” side; perhaps, they’ll convert that to a lounge or bar. Both the restaurant and coffee shop units are part of AMC’s lease.
bigjoe59 – There has been a noticeable increase in business. Still far short of the levels the theatre should be doing/once did, but movement in a positive direction, none the less. Just having decent bookings once again has helped.
As for Arclight booking the Chinese complex; it’s not all that surprising. There are many small operators that utilize larger chains and co-ops for bookings, purchasing, etc.It’s a win-win for both sides, as greater numbers mean greater buying power.
The Vine has taken down it’s marquee advertising (rental information), removed the assorted notes that were posted in the box office, and stopped hanging posters in the entryway cases. While I haven’t noticed anything in the media, this would seem to suggest the theatre has fallen dormant once again.
The current incarnation of this venue is a very barebones/DIY sort of operation; the overall experience comes across like a long shuttered theatre being reopened for a night by some enthusiasts. Access to the theatre comes via a public parking lot and rear alleyway. As the theatre originally utilized the main Egyptian’s box office, the, now separate, Arena is forced to make do with a folding table in the entryway for ticket and concession sales. Aside from the auditorium, the interior stands relatively unchanged, looking every bit the worn/modestly maintained 70’s add on. The shallow auditorium is heavily modified from its cinema days and now appointed more for live theater than movies. Seating is listed at 99, but the slightly terraced rows appear to seat closer to 50. Presentation quality is more reminiscent of home movie night than commercial cinema, but befitting the indie programming. From what I’ve seen, the theatre experiences relatively healthy business, given its alternative booking and limited seating capacity.
As of 2013, this entire block continues to house five independent live theaters (and a rather humorous statement on indie theater life, with a liquor store capping “theater row”). It appears the complex is the result of neighboring retail spaces being converted to theater use.
Technically, the Vista wouldn’t fit in to bigjoe’s parameters, as it spent time as both a porn venue and revival house (i.e. hasn’t been continuously first run from open to present day).
JodarMovieFan: The 35mm is only used for special screenings; often providing access to titles that aren’t readily available otherwise. They utilize vault prints (or freshly struck prints in some cases); thus, they go to great lengths to assure presentation quality/film handling is first rate (i.e. no scratched prints, blotchy picture, etc.).
The theatre would have been where the third street level window, from the left side of the picture, is.
They had the entryway open for a work crew today. You could see straight through to the back wall of the building (i.e. they’ve gutted the interior down to studs/bare concrete) and there was the unmistakable sound of a jack-hammer running. Considering the scope of work underway, I would speculate they are re-purposing the space.
As for the decorative standards: The current standards are replicas. The previous standards (which were replicas also) were auctioned off with the seats as a bulk lot. The company that purchased the seating lot was selling groups of seats, with decorative standards, on ebay, a few months back.
Silver: They conducted a significant remodel of the modern Hollywood Blvd. box office (there are a few pictures up). The older structure, which currently houses StarLine, would be a logistical nightmare to utilize as a box office, due to the courtyard tourism foot traffic.
Moviebuff82: all of the theatres are now stadium seating (modern 6 plex and classic main house).
You mean “JB-X,Johnny Brenden Xtreme, An Xtreme Movie Experience”. LOL.
They have started work on the site and their first stage (I’m not sure what stage the theatre is tied in to) is slated for an early 2015 opening.
Buena Park is now developing another “revitalization” project, which includes a movie theatre, about two miles from this center. Located on a twelve acre property, at the corner of Orangethorpe and Beach, the 450,000+ square foot retail and entertainment complex, branded “The Source”, is slated to have a 1,200 seat cinema. No operator has been named for the theatre yet and the seating capacity suggests it will be relatively small (perhaps a luxury concept or dine-in?), but, considering the lackluster shopping complex Krikorian has to work with, any direct competition will likely be bad news for the Metroplex 18.
When they duel book titles with the Chinese, Arclight Hollywood still pulls in much larger audiences; plus, they receive money from booking the Chinese/the benefits of being able to book an additional house with the tittle. On those occasions when a movie is only booked at the Chinese, the Arclight Hollywood usually has a full slate booked for itself, receives money from the Chinese booking, and reaps the booking perks of having that house available for the movie. It’s a win/win for the Arclight/Pacific group, as the Chinese doesn’t impact their business levels to any notable degree, pays them for booking, and provides another venue to shore up their buying clout (a high profile venue at that).
markinthedark – “So essentially does this mean Pacific/Arclight books and manages the place and splits the profits (if any) with the owners?”
Pacific/Archlight is just the “film buyer” and likely has a marketing deal in place too (i.e. why the Chinese is included in their advertising). The Chinese has its' own management, staff, etc. Many independent operators utilize outside “film buyers”, as there is more leverage through pooling resources (i.e. the more theatres, the greater the buying power). Smaller operators often contract out their purchasing, human resources, etc. for the same reason.
The new marquee above box office is in place. Currently (4/25/14), the “TCL Chinese Theatre” branding runs through an animated light cycle, but the main body of the sign hasn’t yet been activated. As with the recently overhauled box office, this remodel is a significant upgrade and creates a much more prominent visual presence for ticket sales.
I’m guessing the theatre was located on the front left side of what is now the Author Services Building (formerly The Hollywood Savings & Loan Building and one time home to The Hollywood Museum), near the former church (now a Scientology education center). In that area, there are currently three street side display windows which look as if they may have been storefronts at one time. The current facility contains a live performance theatre, but I’m not sure where it’s located in the building/if it has any relation to the one time cinema.
In addition to Richard’s, this building also housed the Sin-O-Rama Adult Arcade Theatre, at 5531 Hollywood Blvd. (likely little more than a “loop” booth operation).
Prior to being known as the Gershwin, the primary building operated as the St. Francis Hotel; a notorious “flophouse” where James Earl Ray (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin) lived for the four months leading up to his crime.
The same operator may have run another adult theatre a short distance from this one. The Bruce Torrence Hollywood Photograph Collection has a photo, dated 1974, which depicts Richard’s #2 Adult Theatre wedged in a storefront, between a Thai restaurant and “Danny’s Big 20”. The theatre’s sign depicts two female silhouettes, so I assume the venue ran straight adult programming. The building depicted appears to be the structure which still stands at 5533 Hollywood Blvd (currently the Gershwin Apartments).
The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble was founded in 1969 (they’re still around). While not providing a year, the newsletter recounts the group’s productions of “Three Penny Opera” and “The Serpent”, followed by three months of inactivity/hardship, and a pending “February 11” opening for the cinema. A search online came up with their Serpent production taking place in the Spring/Summer of 1970. So, I’m assuming the cinema opened on February 11, 1971.
Macerich, the company which owns the Cerritos property, mentioned the following in their Q4 earnings call:
“At Cerritos, we also announced two additional new anchors. One is the re merchandising of the old Nordstrom store that had been relocated a couple of years ago to a brand new store. That will be a theater, Harkins. And also, we announced that Dick’s will be occupying space there. That’s targeted for fall of 2015 opening.”
They’ve almost finished the box office remodel. While still in the same location (adjacent to Hollywood Blvd. sidewalk), it is now much more prominent and wraps around the corner, in to a street side entry (entrance which provides access to the escalator on the right and Grauman’s on the left). A definite upgrade from the somewhat inconspicuous configuration which existed previously.
The Loge, along with the neighboring Brookhurst Theatre, was razed on 2/27/14.
The Brookhurst and Brookhurst Loge structures (along with the adjacent wig store, restaurant, offices, and bakery) are now a large pile of rubble. They basically demolished all of the units in the southwest corner of the property (everything to the left of the post office). Currently, the only remnant of the theatre is a sloped earth pit where the auditorium used to stand. The sign hanging on the fence surrounding the demolition site merely states that “pads” are available.
The Brookhurst and surrounding property were razed last week.
Looks like Fullerton is about to enter it’s fourth incarnation, as the theatre will be undergoing a conversion to AMC’s “dine-in” concept this year. I’m unsure if the plan is for both sides or only the “classic” side, but they’ve posted the application for liquor license notice on both structures. I would assume the long vacant restaurant space, attached to the “classic” side, will be converted in to a kitchen. There is also a vacant coffee shop (prior to that an arcade) attached to the “classic” side; perhaps, they’ll convert that to a lounge or bar. Both the restaurant and coffee shop units are part of AMC’s lease.
bigjoe59 – There has been a noticeable increase in business. Still far short of the levels the theatre should be doing/once did, but movement in a positive direction, none the less. Just having decent bookings once again has helped.
As for Arclight booking the Chinese complex; it’s not all that surprising. There are many small operators that utilize larger chains and co-ops for bookings, purchasing, etc.It’s a win-win for both sides, as greater numbers mean greater buying power.
The Vine has taken down it’s marquee advertising (rental information), removed the assorted notes that were posted in the box office, and stopped hanging posters in the entryway cases. While I haven’t noticed anything in the media, this would seem to suggest the theatre has fallen dormant once again.
The current incarnation of this venue is a very barebones/DIY sort of operation; the overall experience comes across like a long shuttered theatre being reopened for a night by some enthusiasts. Access to the theatre comes via a public parking lot and rear alleyway. As the theatre originally utilized the main Egyptian’s box office, the, now separate, Arena is forced to make do with a folding table in the entryway for ticket and concession sales. Aside from the auditorium, the interior stands relatively unchanged, looking every bit the worn/modestly maintained 70’s add on. The shallow auditorium is heavily modified from its cinema days and now appointed more for live theater than movies. Seating is listed at 99, but the slightly terraced rows appear to seat closer to 50. Presentation quality is more reminiscent of home movie night than commercial cinema, but befitting the indie programming. From what I’ve seen, the theatre experiences relatively healthy business, given its alternative booking and limited seating capacity.
As of 2013, this entire block continues to house five independent live theaters (and a rather humorous statement on indie theater life, with a liquor store capping “theater row”). It appears the complex is the result of neighboring retail spaces being converted to theater use.