A recent article in the Rosegarden Resident weekly neighborhood newspaper advised that facade improvements had been made to the Towne. Sorry, it’s always going to be the Towne to me and the neon will bear me out on this. Calling it the “IMC6” or “India Movie Center” sounds like this place is a non-descript box in a Sunnyvale strip mall. I have not been by this theater yet to see what kind of work was done but it appears from the news article that no major architectural changes were made. Upscale businesses are opening adjacent to this theater so I’m hopeful the Camera Cinema guys will find it to be a worthwhile venue for independent films again sometime soon.
One of the comments above by Mr. Parks states that the original interior design of the Hester theater was “Spanish colonial” but a friend of mine who was a San Jose native and whose father did a lot of the ornate plaster work in theaters and other buildings in town. He advised that the Hester had more of a rough-hewn timbered Hansel & Gretel type look to it that as he described had a “witch’s hut” feel to it. I can’t remember if he said it’s all still there, just covered over by the moderne post-war re-do, but I kind of remember being told that or reading that this was the case. So maybe this thing about it being haunted has to do with the original decor that made it feel haunted right from the day it first opened. This friend passed away several years ago so I don’t have any way to confirm his statements about the original decor.
I can’t resist the urge to comment on Mr. Parks' mention of Quetzalcoatl. He is correct about a small and noisy group similar to the one protesting the sale of the Studio also protesting the Fallon Statue. Of course, this group’s complaints were baseless but the San Jose City Council was comprised of too many patronizing wimps who not only didn’t put the Fallon Statue where it truly belonged, but took things a step further and dropped a nice big pile of you-know-what there instead to appease this group. Maybe the council thought it would be an exellent way of having the complaining come back to bite this group by replacing the supposedly repulsive Captain Fallon with something even more repulsive, as if to say, “OK, are you happy now?” Mr. Parks, if you have any leverage at all, can you drop the hint to the powers that be that this pile that has been dropped in downtown San Jose needs to be re-located to the Mexican Heritage Plaza where it would supposedly be more appreciated? It turns my stomach every time I drive up Market Street and see this pile so prominently displayed in the park. For a city that has a serious complex about its image, this is hardly the kind of public “art” to display in such a prominent location.
When I toured the California a week ago for its grand re-opening, I had one “burning” question remaining that none of the docents were able to answer. Perhaps Mr. Parks will know.
What became of the original “fireproof asbstos curtain” with its majestic depiction of what I believe was one of the volcanic peaks outside of Mexico City? This curtain was in the down position when I toured the old Fox when the restoration contract was up for bids, and it brought back memories of the entire process involved when the lights went down and the movie was about to start, the above mentioned curtain rising, leaving the more sheer curtains still covering the screen as the first images appeared on it, and then those curtains parting in the middle to allow the viewing to begin. I realize that asbestos is a problematic material and that the original curtain could have presented health concerns, but I would think that with all of the money that was spent to get everything done right on this project, that a process to either make the original curtain safe or transfer the image to a new curtain would have figured in to the restoration plans. But nobody I asked last week even knew about this curtain at all. Can anyone out there advise on what became of it? This beautiful work of art was a major player in the overall visual treat that this auditorium provided and it’s very sad to think that it’s gone forever.
I attended quite a few screenings at the Saratoga when the Moore’s were running the show, as it were. They presented films that were rarely found on television in those days as opposed to now where the cable channels like A&E and TCM eventually run just about every notable film from the 30’s through the 60’s. Some of the more memorable films I saw for the first time at the Saratoga were “The Women” (but on that copy the fashion show sequence was black & white instead of color) and “Since You Went Away” in which the sight of Shirley Temple as a teenager was quite a novelty. I also saw all three of James Dean’s major films there, although not for the first time. I remember Mr. Moore would walk to the front of the modest auditorium before the show started and would give a little talk about what we were going to see, as well as advise all of us to exercise some courtesy towards our fellow patrons and not do things like crack our gum or crinkle food wrappers. Given the fact that Saratoga is often at or near the top of the list of towns with the most expensive real estate in the United States, it’s not surprising that this theatre was pushed over to make room for condos, but the town of Saratoga is lesser for it. We’re lucky that one town over in Los Gatos, the Camera Cinemas have rescued their downtown theatre for the time being.
Growing up, my next door neighbors had a beach house in Capitola across the street from the theatre. The “Theatre Capitola” provided entertainment for us kids in more ways than one back in the late 60’s. These were the darkest days for the town of Capitola when the beach had eroded away and the sidewalks were rolled up by 6PM. We kids had the whole deserted town to ourselves. When no stores were open at night, we could always walk across the street to the theatre’s snack bar to buy something. Our older siblings used to have fun climbing on the easily accessible marquee and scrambling all the weighty metal letters to spell out a nonsensical playbill. Poor Audrey, the theatre operator, would pull up in her red Dodge every night probably not knowing what to expect from us! The most memorable screenings for me in my youth were an Elizabeth Taylor double bill: “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” along with “Butterfield 8” both of which were beyond second run at the time, but for me it was the first time seeing either of them, and I was too naieve to understand what “No Sale” meant when Liz scrawled it across the mirror in red lipstick. I read an article within the last year or so that the opera endeavor had failed. I’m not sure what the status of the theatre is now, but I hope it’s not a candidate for demolition now or anytime in the future.
I was happy to read the the Fremont’s auditorium has not been chopped up. When I was a student at Cal Poly in the mid 70’s the Fremont, for probably the first time in its history, began to offer independent and more arty films on a one-night-only basis to attract the college crowd. I went to the first program, which was a double feature of Neal Young’s “Journey to the Past” and “Steppenwolf” along with a short subject about early television which included the famous Jayne Mansfield/Mickey Rooney scene at the Oscars podium. I also saw the re-released “Fantasia” at the Fremont, which couldn’t have been a more appropriate venue considering it was built the year “Fantasia” came out. I remember the stepped ceiling in the auditorium and the way it was backlit with recessed neon, and just being impressed with the fact that this theatre had not been touched architecturally since the day it was completed. I’m happy to see this theatre has survived intact and continues to be a successful operation.
It’s hard to understand why the Towne failed under the Camera Cinemas ownership. This theatre is located halfway between San Jose State and Santa Clara Universities and has a cafe scene and eating establishments within its same retail block. It seems like the ideal setting for a revival/art house/independent film theatre. It’s a shame that the surrounding neighborhood is once again stuck with a theatre that doesn’t offer films of any interest to the overwhelming majority of residents there. We put up with porn for years—much longer than has been stated above—I would walk past the Towne on my way to St. Leo’s school every day during the 60’s and it was always showing risque fare and eventually began showing hard core porn. This didn’t change much until the Camera Cinemas took over. Sadly, the Camera folks didn’t always run the best of what they had at the Towne, or rotated films over to the Towne after they had already run at other Camera locations. I don’t feel they ever gave the Towne a fighting chance to succeed, but that’s just my opinion. Yes, it has been hopelessly remodeled but I suspect original elements remain and could be uncovered if there was ever an effort to undo some of the post-war remodel. I doubt the Towne would ever be torn down for a parking lot, as it is an anchor for the entire block of businesses between Hester & Shasta Avenues and would leave a gaping hole in the continuous facade along this block. But it’s unfortunate that once again it’s offering entertainment that is of absolutely no interest to the surrounding neighborhood.
Cinema 150 provided a much more luxurious environment in which to view wide screen presentations as opposed to the Century theatres across town with their cheap and ugly interiors. Interestingly, this theatre co-existed with the Moonlite Drive-In which was situated behind the Moonlite Shopping Center where Cinema 150 was located, and they both thrived for quite some time. The Moonlite Center sported separate marquees along El Camino Real for both theatres for many years. The drive-in was long ago replaced by condominiums (the same entrance road that was used by the drive-in is now used to provide access to the condo complex) while Cinema 150 held on as a stand-alone single screen theatre until 1989.
I respect Mr. Parks' inside knowledge around the various downtown theatres but must disagree with his statement that the exterior of the Studio remains in its original condition. This is not true. The chiffon yellow tile cladding at street level has been replaced with a less refined modern tile in a deep green color. Part of this refacing process also resulted in the elimination of the small shop space on the corner of the building, or at least street access to it. When Tom McEnery was mayor and the Studio was showing Spanish language films, he proposed that the city buy the building and use it as a performance venue for some of the local theatre companies. It would have been a bargain. A very small but vocal group from the Hispanic community complained loudly that they were being trampled on, even though this theatre was not receiving the support from their community that was required to stay viable and in business. Fearing the racial backlash that this group sincerely promised, McEnery backed off and the result is that the theatre subsequently went vacant due to lack of patronage. Now it’s been subjected to the same treatment as the old Gay/Pussycat theatre across the street, going through various dance club incarnations that will continue to eat away at its original features. The city needs to again pursue the purchase of this theatre to prevent further destruction and to provide yet another much needed venue for live and film presentations. I don’t think you’ll get anybody complaining about losing “their” theatre this time around.
I was in the Garden a few times as a kid. I remember the balcony especially, and the seats up there rocked! Literally! This was more luxurious than anything the downtown theatres could offer. I agree with Howie T that Spanish language films were a mismatch for this theatre, considering its location in a more upscale part of town, and the theatre itself being an anchor for the bustling Lincoln Avenue business district. I still do not understand why the people of Willow Glen, activists that so many of them are, could not prevent the destruction of this theatre down to a shell of its former self. This would have been a perfect venue for independent and art-house films and the yuppie types that live near it would have packed the place. I will never stop shaking my head over the loss of this theatre. I think it would have been a cinch to prevent, but nobody seemed to care. If the Fox/California could be saved in a downtown dead zone, then there’s no reason the Garden couldn’t have been saved in a thriving business district. Shame on all Willow Glen residents who sat by and let this happen.
I was only in the Crest once as a kid in the early 60’s. A friend and I split off from others who were going to a Disney film at the Fox, as we preferred the John Wayne film that was playing at the Crest. I was immediately struck by two things: it still only cost a quarter to get in, and the size of the huge auditorium. No other theatre I had been in downtown had two balconies. This was my first time inside a theatre that truly had a “nosebleed” section. A few years later the Crest burned. I had always felt that had it survived, the Crest would have been an exellent candidate for a restoral like the Fox/California has enjoyed.
My mom worked in group sales for the Century Theatres back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Seating capacity was 900+ in the yet-to-be-duplexed theatres. While this may seem huge to some, it is still far fewer seats than the 1700+ available in the Fox (now California) and other theatres downtown. I never found anything appealing about the Centuries. They immediately appeared to be cheap, especially with the sound of walking on a plywood surface when getting to your seat. I think maybe the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood would offer a better interior but I have never been in that one so I’m only speculating. Still, Century 21 filled a large void in San Jose when it was built. Until then, it was a major family event to drive to San Francisco’s Orpheum theatre to see anything in Cinerama, so regardless of how anyone feels about their architecture, these theatres eliminated a major inconvenience for Cinerama viewers not only in San Jose but also residents of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties!
As of today, Sept 17, you can update your site to status this theatre as “open” again. Opera San Jose’s opening night is sold out. They will be throwing the doors open at 4PM today for docent-led tours for the general public and I intend to go. I spent many hours there as a kid watching Disney fare and Beatles movies, having been sent by Mom with bus fare and admission but never quite enough to buy one of those big Charms suckers they always had prominently displayed on top of the (now removed) snack bar by the entrance. A couple of articles that appeared last week in the Metro and Mercury have stated that films will be shown here too, both old and new, but no schedule has been given yet. This morning on a TV report about opening night it was also stated that performers of the Tony Bennett genre have expressed interest in this venue. The clear bulbs of the marquee and blade sign are flickering wildly with the various sequential routines, adding a lively atmosphere to this stretch of South First not seen since the old boxy 1957 F-O-X signage was working. Finally the City of San Jose has gotten one project right. But not without David Packard keeping them on track. Without him and his financial influence, this project surely would have been seriously compromised and full of
disappointments. I look forward to coming to this theatre for all types of entertaiment in the future. As a San Jose native, I have yet to set foot in the HP Arena, but you can bet I’ll be inside the California for a performance the first chance I get.
A recent article in the Rosegarden Resident weekly neighborhood newspaper advised that facade improvements had been made to the Towne. Sorry, it’s always going to be the Towne to me and the neon will bear me out on this. Calling it the “IMC6” or “India Movie Center” sounds like this place is a non-descript box in a Sunnyvale strip mall. I have not been by this theater yet to see what kind of work was done but it appears from the news article that no major architectural changes were made. Upscale businesses are opening adjacent to this theater so I’m hopeful the Camera Cinema guys will find it to be a worthwhile venue for independent films again sometime soon.
One of the comments above by Mr. Parks states that the original interior design of the Hester theater was “Spanish colonial” but a friend of mine who was a San Jose native and whose father did a lot of the ornate plaster work in theaters and other buildings in town. He advised that the Hester had more of a rough-hewn timbered Hansel & Gretel type look to it that as he described had a “witch’s hut” feel to it. I can’t remember if he said it’s all still there, just covered over by the moderne post-war re-do, but I kind of remember being told that or reading that this was the case. So maybe this thing about it being haunted has to do with the original decor that made it feel haunted right from the day it first opened. This friend passed away several years ago so I don’t have any way to confirm his statements about the original decor.
I can’t resist the urge to comment on Mr. Parks' mention of Quetzalcoatl. He is correct about a small and noisy group similar to the one protesting the sale of the Studio also protesting the Fallon Statue. Of course, this group’s complaints were baseless but the San Jose City Council was comprised of too many patronizing wimps who not only didn’t put the Fallon Statue where it truly belonged, but took things a step further and dropped a nice big pile of you-know-what there instead to appease this group. Maybe the council thought it would be an exellent way of having the complaining come back to bite this group by replacing the supposedly repulsive Captain Fallon with something even more repulsive, as if to say, “OK, are you happy now?” Mr. Parks, if you have any leverage at all, can you drop the hint to the powers that be that this pile that has been dropped in downtown San Jose needs to be re-located to the Mexican Heritage Plaza where it would supposedly be more appreciated? It turns my stomach every time I drive up Market Street and see this pile so prominently displayed in the park. For a city that has a serious complex about its image, this is hardly the kind of public “art” to display in such a prominent location.
When I toured the California a week ago for its grand re-opening, I had one “burning” question remaining that none of the docents were able to answer. Perhaps Mr. Parks will know.
What became of the original “fireproof asbstos curtain” with its majestic depiction of what I believe was one of the volcanic peaks outside of Mexico City? This curtain was in the down position when I toured the old Fox when the restoration contract was up for bids, and it brought back memories of the entire process involved when the lights went down and the movie was about to start, the above mentioned curtain rising, leaving the more sheer curtains still covering the screen as the first images appeared on it, and then those curtains parting in the middle to allow the viewing to begin. I realize that asbestos is a problematic material and that the original curtain could have presented health concerns, but I would think that with all of the money that was spent to get everything done right on this project, that a process to either make the original curtain safe or transfer the image to a new curtain would have figured in to the restoration plans. But nobody I asked last week even knew about this curtain at all. Can anyone out there advise on what became of it? This beautiful work of art was a major player in the overall visual treat that this auditorium provided and it’s very sad to think that it’s gone forever.
I attended quite a few screenings at the Saratoga when the Moore’s were running the show, as it were. They presented films that were rarely found on television in those days as opposed to now where the cable channels like A&E and TCM eventually run just about every notable film from the 30’s through the 60’s. Some of the more memorable films I saw for the first time at the Saratoga were “The Women” (but on that copy the fashion show sequence was black & white instead of color) and “Since You Went Away” in which the sight of Shirley Temple as a teenager was quite a novelty. I also saw all three of James Dean’s major films there, although not for the first time. I remember Mr. Moore would walk to the front of the modest auditorium before the show started and would give a little talk about what we were going to see, as well as advise all of us to exercise some courtesy towards our fellow patrons and not do things like crack our gum or crinkle food wrappers. Given the fact that Saratoga is often at or near the top of the list of towns with the most expensive real estate in the United States, it’s not surprising that this theatre was pushed over to make room for condos, but the town of Saratoga is lesser for it. We’re lucky that one town over in Los Gatos, the Camera Cinemas have rescued their downtown theatre for the time being.
Growing up, my next door neighbors had a beach house in Capitola across the street from the theatre. The “Theatre Capitola” provided entertainment for us kids in more ways than one back in the late 60’s. These were the darkest days for the town of Capitola when the beach had eroded away and the sidewalks were rolled up by 6PM. We kids had the whole deserted town to ourselves. When no stores were open at night, we could always walk across the street to the theatre’s snack bar to buy something. Our older siblings used to have fun climbing on the easily accessible marquee and scrambling all the weighty metal letters to spell out a nonsensical playbill. Poor Audrey, the theatre operator, would pull up in her red Dodge every night probably not knowing what to expect from us! The most memorable screenings for me in my youth were an Elizabeth Taylor double bill: “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” along with “Butterfield 8” both of which were beyond second run at the time, but for me it was the first time seeing either of them, and I was too naieve to understand what “No Sale” meant when Liz scrawled it across the mirror in red lipstick. I read an article within the last year or so that the opera endeavor had failed. I’m not sure what the status of the theatre is now, but I hope it’s not a candidate for demolition now or anytime in the future.
I was happy to read the the Fremont’s auditorium has not been chopped up. When I was a student at Cal Poly in the mid 70’s the Fremont, for probably the first time in its history, began to offer independent and more arty films on a one-night-only basis to attract the college crowd. I went to the first program, which was a double feature of Neal Young’s “Journey to the Past” and “Steppenwolf” along with a short subject about early television which included the famous Jayne Mansfield/Mickey Rooney scene at the Oscars podium. I also saw the re-released “Fantasia” at the Fremont, which couldn’t have been a more appropriate venue considering it was built the year “Fantasia” came out. I remember the stepped ceiling in the auditorium and the way it was backlit with recessed neon, and just being impressed with the fact that this theatre had not been touched architecturally since the day it was completed. I’m happy to see this theatre has survived intact and continues to be a successful operation.
It’s hard to understand why the Towne failed under the Camera Cinemas ownership. This theatre is located halfway between San Jose State and Santa Clara Universities and has a cafe scene and eating establishments within its same retail block. It seems like the ideal setting for a revival/art house/independent film theatre. It’s a shame that the surrounding neighborhood is once again stuck with a theatre that doesn’t offer films of any interest to the overwhelming majority of residents there. We put up with porn for years—much longer than has been stated above—I would walk past the Towne on my way to St. Leo’s school every day during the 60’s and it was always showing risque fare and eventually began showing hard core porn. This didn’t change much until the Camera Cinemas took over. Sadly, the Camera folks didn’t always run the best of what they had at the Towne, or rotated films over to the Towne after they had already run at other Camera locations. I don’t feel they ever gave the Towne a fighting chance to succeed, but that’s just my opinion. Yes, it has been hopelessly remodeled but I suspect original elements remain and could be uncovered if there was ever an effort to undo some of the post-war remodel. I doubt the Towne would ever be torn down for a parking lot, as it is an anchor for the entire block of businesses between Hester & Shasta Avenues and would leave a gaping hole in the continuous facade along this block. But it’s unfortunate that once again it’s offering entertainment that is of absolutely no interest to the surrounding neighborhood.
Cinema 150 provided a much more luxurious environment in which to view wide screen presentations as opposed to the Century theatres across town with their cheap and ugly interiors. Interestingly, this theatre co-existed with the Moonlite Drive-In which was situated behind the Moonlite Shopping Center where Cinema 150 was located, and they both thrived for quite some time. The Moonlite Center sported separate marquees along El Camino Real for both theatres for many years. The drive-in was long ago replaced by condominiums (the same entrance road that was used by the drive-in is now used to provide access to the condo complex) while Cinema 150 held on as a stand-alone single screen theatre until 1989.
I respect Mr. Parks' inside knowledge around the various downtown theatres but must disagree with his statement that the exterior of the Studio remains in its original condition. This is not true. The chiffon yellow tile cladding at street level has been replaced with a less refined modern tile in a deep green color. Part of this refacing process also resulted in the elimination of the small shop space on the corner of the building, or at least street access to it. When Tom McEnery was mayor and the Studio was showing Spanish language films, he proposed that the city buy the building and use it as a performance venue for some of the local theatre companies. It would have been a bargain. A very small but vocal group from the Hispanic community complained loudly that they were being trampled on, even though this theatre was not receiving the support from their community that was required to stay viable and in business. Fearing the racial backlash that this group sincerely promised, McEnery backed off and the result is that the theatre subsequently went vacant due to lack of patronage. Now it’s been subjected to the same treatment as the old Gay/Pussycat theatre across the street, going through various dance club incarnations that will continue to eat away at its original features. The city needs to again pursue the purchase of this theatre to prevent further destruction and to provide yet another much needed venue for live and film presentations. I don’t think you’ll get anybody complaining about losing “their” theatre this time around.
I was in the Garden a few times as a kid. I remember the balcony especially, and the seats up there rocked! Literally! This was more luxurious than anything the downtown theatres could offer. I agree with Howie T that Spanish language films were a mismatch for this theatre, considering its location in a more upscale part of town, and the theatre itself being an anchor for the bustling Lincoln Avenue business district. I still do not understand why the people of Willow Glen, activists that so many of them are, could not prevent the destruction of this theatre down to a shell of its former self. This would have been a perfect venue for independent and art-house films and the yuppie types that live near it would have packed the place. I will never stop shaking my head over the loss of this theatre. I think it would have been a cinch to prevent, but nobody seemed to care. If the Fox/California could be saved in a downtown dead zone, then there’s no reason the Garden couldn’t have been saved in a thriving business district. Shame on all Willow Glen residents who sat by and let this happen.
I was only in the Crest once as a kid in the early 60’s. A friend and I split off from others who were going to a Disney film at the Fox, as we preferred the John Wayne film that was playing at the Crest. I was immediately struck by two things: it still only cost a quarter to get in, and the size of the huge auditorium. No other theatre I had been in downtown had two balconies. This was my first time inside a theatre that truly had a “nosebleed” section. A few years later the Crest burned. I had always felt that had it survived, the Crest would have been an exellent candidate for a restoral like the Fox/California has enjoyed.
My mom worked in group sales for the Century Theatres back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Seating capacity was 900+ in the yet-to-be-duplexed theatres. While this may seem huge to some, it is still far fewer seats than the 1700+ available in the Fox (now California) and other theatres downtown. I never found anything appealing about the Centuries. They immediately appeared to be cheap, especially with the sound of walking on a plywood surface when getting to your seat. I think maybe the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood would offer a better interior but I have never been in that one so I’m only speculating. Still, Century 21 filled a large void in San Jose when it was built. Until then, it was a major family event to drive to San Francisco’s Orpheum theatre to see anything in Cinerama, so regardless of how anyone feels about their architecture, these theatres eliminated a major inconvenience for Cinerama viewers not only in San Jose but also residents of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties!
As of today, Sept 17, you can update your site to status this theatre as “open” again. Opera San Jose’s opening night is sold out. They will be throwing the doors open at 4PM today for docent-led tours for the general public and I intend to go. I spent many hours there as a kid watching Disney fare and Beatles movies, having been sent by Mom with bus fare and admission but never quite enough to buy one of those big Charms suckers they always had prominently displayed on top of the (now removed) snack bar by the entrance. A couple of articles that appeared last week in the Metro and Mercury have stated that films will be shown here too, both old and new, but no schedule has been given yet. This morning on a TV report about opening night it was also stated that performers of the Tony Bennett genre have expressed interest in this venue. The clear bulbs of the marquee and blade sign are flickering wildly with the various sequential routines, adding a lively atmosphere to this stretch of South First not seen since the old boxy 1957 F-O-X signage was working. Finally the City of San Jose has gotten one project right. But not without David Packard keeping them on track. Without him and his financial influence, this project surely would have been seriously compromised and full of
disappointments. I look forward to coming to this theatre for all types of entertaiment in the future. As a San Jose native, I have yet to set foot in the HP Arena, but you can bet I’ll be inside the California for a performance the first chance I get.