I remember attending the Crest as a teenager with buzzmyers (his comments are above)and another friend Brendan Lawler. The theater was spectacular, once inside every movie goer felt like a king, it truly was designed and detailed as a movie palace. I distinctly remember the floral patterns in the carpet and the grand moderne light fixtures.
At that time and later, attendance was in decline. The baby boomers were all growing up and there were fewer children in the area. Because of this decline, Brendan and I were able to get into R-rated movies, even though we were under age. I remember my Father once coming and pulling me and Brendan out during one of these films. The Crest is were I first saw Saturday Night Fever and Jaws.
Other stores on Atlantic at the time included Horrace and Green Hardware, TG&Y, the Town Theater, and the Tenderloin and Alfred’s Restaurants. I was able to salvage the “cocktails” sign from Pucchinis Restaurant before it was demolished.
It’s unfortunate the building wasn’t adapted to another use, such as a bookstore, independent theater or community center-all uses adopted by other theaters in Southern California. It was replaced by a cheap strip center with no cultural or architectural significance.
I remember attending the Crest as a teenager with buzzmyers (his comments are above)and another friend Brendan Lawler. The theater was spectacular, once inside every movie goer felt like a king, it truly was designed and detailed as a movie palace. I distinctly remember the floral patterns in the carpet and the grand moderne light fixtures.
At that time and later, attendance was in decline. The baby boomers were all growing up and there were fewer children in the area. Because of this decline, Brendan and I were able to get into R-rated movies, even though we were under age. I remember my Father once coming and pulling me and Brendan out during one of these films. The Crest is were I first saw Saturday Night Fever and Jaws.
Other stores on Atlantic at the time included Horrace and Green Hardware, TG&Y, the Town Theater, and the Tenderloin and Alfred’s Restaurants. I was able to salvage the “cocktails” sign from Pucchinis Restaurant before it was demolished.
It’s unfortunate the building wasn’t adapted to another use, such as a bookstore, independent theater or community center-all uses adopted by other theaters in Southern California. It was replaced by a cheap strip center with no cultural or architectural significance.