There was a burger joint on the corner of Pico and Westwood, where the bank used to be, called the Lone Ranger burgers. They had tiny dollar-sized burgers and all-you-can-drink sodas, which probably accounted for my first cavities as a teen….
House of Pies rocked. As I stated above, I worked at the Picwood during Apocalypse Now and E.T. and also worked for a time at the Capt Videos. I remember the dollar-size burger joint on the corner and when it was a bank. I didn’t think many would remember the Drug King or JJ Newberrys. Good times!
LOL D Packard: “This will the last great show of all time, after that everyone will be broke and all businesses will fold from bankruptcy, we’ll be on the streets in a Mad Max atmosphere killing each other for food.”
Sounds like a plot of a major blockbuster movie :)
Oh, wow, Michael! How funny! I first started working there in 1979. APOCALYPE NOW played there forever, it seemed. I used to know how much time we had til intermission and restocking the snack bar based on the movie soundtrack.
D. Packard, thanks for the heads up re: the upcoming Sensurround event in the next few months. Might be cool to go see EARTHQUAKE in Sensurround again, for old times sake.
Yes, Damon, correct as William stated. I worked at the Picwood Theatre with William (/wave William) and I also lived in the corner house on Midvale behind the open theatre parking lot. The Sensurround effects could be heard even outside the theatre itself. Sensurround was not your average movie-going experience at all, and it was something ~ that Pacific was able to offer what was the latest thing, at the time.
The large single screen houses, the big ones, were grand. The Picwood, with over 950 seats, with a balcony with rocking seats, with two staircases leading upstairs, and an open lobby made going to the movies more of an event. The pace and tempo was different than the rush-them-in rush-them out type multiplexes, where crowds were dumping out and going in on top of each other. Customer service was better, because you dealt with the rush and then you had ample time to restock, prepare more food, and give employees breaks. For making money, the multiplex is the way to go, to maximize staff productivity and to provide the convenience of multiple showtimes to the public – but I grew up on the single screens in Westwood and West L.A. For me, when I go locally, I now go to The Bridge, where I pay extra to reserve my seats so I don’t have to worry about sold-outs shows or long lines, and arrive just in time to see the previews and watch the show (there’s enough on-screen advertising on TV – now movie theatres are knee-deep in it).
That’s the Picwood I knew, and the bowling alley – one-time Picwood manager Woody Brunson used to get a supersweet strawberry shake and a tuna melt there EVERY time he worked.
Hoppy: I went to St. Tim’s on Pico, attended Overland Ave school, Notre Dame High School, some UCLA. I used to live at the corner house behind the Picwood, which was why the Picwood became my first real job – I walked out the back door, and was home!
MERYL: I think I started at the Picwood as concessionist in ‘78 or '79, then into management for a couple years. They ran through managers there like crazy – it was a good place to train a manager on a single screen house then move them up to multiplexes. I came to really dislike working every holiday for years, so I moved into Payroll at the Pacific Theatres home office for a few more years after that, then out of exhibition in general. Now, I am a VP at a company that audits and checks movie exhibitors, using 'movie checkers.’ Full circle…
Wow…so many locals! There were so many places there that are all gone, besides the Picwood. People have mentioned some: House of Pies, Drug King, the old Laemmle Twin, and later there was Chess & Games and Captain Videos Arcade, even The Lone Ranger burger joint on the corner before it became a bank. There must be a host of others.
The Picwood Theatre was something…I miss the place.
If you have never been to the Apple Pan – please go. At least once. And get a slice of their pie ala mode. OMG. :)
The Picwood Theatre would often get a feature after it had run a few exclusive weeks at the Cinerama Dome (now Cinerama Dome and Arclight complex), a flagship theatre for Pacific Theatres at the time. One such release was “E.T.”, when lines went around the block, most showings sold out, and we operated nearly around the clock, with early shows through midnight shows playing. I think I have a few photos somewhere of this theatre – will see if I can find them and submit them.
The Samuel Goldwyn theatre is still operating in the Westside Pavilion mall under the name Westside Pavilion Cinemas for Landmark Theatres: http://www.landmarktheatres.com
/wave Willaim ‘Bill’ Gabel – been a loooooong time since we ran the Picwood Theatre – hope you are doing well…
There was a burger joint on the corner of Pico and Westwood, where the bank used to be, called the Lone Ranger burgers. They had tiny dollar-sized burgers and all-you-can-drink sodas, which probably accounted for my first cavities as a teen….
House of Pies rocked. As I stated above, I worked at the Picwood during Apocalypse Now and E.T. and also worked for a time at the Capt Videos. I remember the dollar-size burger joint on the corner and when it was a bank. I didn’t think many would remember the Drug King or JJ Newberrys. Good times!
LOL D Packard: “This will the last great show of all time, after that everyone will be broke and all businesses will fold from bankruptcy, we’ll be on the streets in a Mad Max atmosphere killing each other for food.”
Sounds like a plot of a major blockbuster movie :)
Now, The National is gone too…
:(
Oh, wow, Michael! How funny! I first started working there in 1979. APOCALYPE NOW played there forever, it seemed. I used to know how much time we had til intermission and restocking the snack bar based on the movie soundtrack.
D. Packard, thanks for the heads up re: the upcoming Sensurround event in the next few months. Might be cool to go see EARTHQUAKE in Sensurround again, for old times sake.
Yes, Damon, correct as William stated. I worked at the Picwood Theatre with William (/wave William) and I also lived in the corner house on Midvale behind the open theatre parking lot. The Sensurround effects could be heard even outside the theatre itself. Sensurround was not your average movie-going experience at all, and it was something ~ that Pacific was able to offer what was the latest thing, at the time.
How come the chain still says Unknown? The chain was Pacific Theatres….
The large single screen houses, the big ones, were grand. The Picwood, with over 950 seats, with a balcony with rocking seats, with two staircases leading upstairs, and an open lobby made going to the movies more of an event. The pace and tempo was different than the rush-them-in rush-them out type multiplexes, where crowds were dumping out and going in on top of each other. Customer service was better, because you dealt with the rush and then you had ample time to restock, prepare more food, and give employees breaks. For making money, the multiplex is the way to go, to maximize staff productivity and to provide the convenience of multiple showtimes to the public – but I grew up on the single screens in Westwood and West L.A. For me, when I go locally, I now go to The Bridge, where I pay extra to reserve my seats so I don’t have to worry about sold-outs shows or long lines, and arrive just in time to see the previews and watch the show (there’s enough on-screen advertising on TV – now movie theatres are knee-deep in it).
So, yes, I miss the Picwood. :)
That’s the Picwood I knew, and the bowling alley – one-time Picwood manager Woody Brunson used to get a supersweet strawberry shake and a tuna melt there EVERY time he worked.
You can’t…you can only preview and submit. Perhaps you can petition the webmaster to delete your comment.
Hoppy: I graduated from Notre Dame in ‘79. They are still all-girl college prep.
http://www.ndala.com/
Hoppy: I went to St. Tim’s on Pico, attended Overland Ave school, Notre Dame High School, some UCLA. I used to live at the corner house behind the Picwood, which was why the Picwood became my first real job – I walked out the back door, and was home!
Bill – you’re in NY now? I’m still local L.A. girl… Lisa
MERYL: I think I started at the Picwood as concessionist in ‘78 or '79, then into management for a couple years. They ran through managers there like crazy – it was a good place to train a manager on a single screen house then move them up to multiplexes. I came to really dislike working every holiday for years, so I moved into Payroll at the Pacific Theatres home office for a few more years after that, then out of exhibition in general. Now, I am a VP at a company that audits and checks movie exhibitors, using 'movie checkers.’ Full circle…
Wow…so many locals! There were so many places there that are all gone, besides the Picwood. People have mentioned some: House of Pies, Drug King, the old Laemmle Twin, and later there was Chess & Games and Captain Videos Arcade, even The Lone Ranger burger joint on the corner before it became a bank. There must be a host of others.
The Picwood Theatre was something…I miss the place.
If you have never been to the Apple Pan – please go. At least once. And get a slice of their pie ala mode. OMG. :)
The Picwood Theatre would often get a feature after it had run a few exclusive weeks at the Cinerama Dome (now Cinerama Dome and Arclight complex), a flagship theatre for Pacific Theatres at the time. One such release was “E.T.”, when lines went around the block, most showings sold out, and we operated nearly around the clock, with early shows through midnight shows playing. I think I have a few photos somewhere of this theatre – will see if I can find them and submit them.
Hi Ron:
According to their history page, they have undergone several ownership changes, so that is likely the reason for the marquee change.
The Samuel Goldwyn theatre is still operating in the Westside Pavilion mall under the name Westside Pavilion Cinemas for Landmark Theatres: http://www.landmarktheatres.com
/wave Willaim ‘Bill’ Gabel – been a loooooong time since we ran the Picwood Theatre – hope you are doing well…
Lisa N.