A June 5, 1983 article in the San Francisco Examiner reported that the Westlane was still in operation showing X-rated films. AT the time was operating by Texas National Theatres.
The theatre absolutely was called the Showcase Cinemas. It operated as the Showcase into the 90s. When it closed we purchased much of the equipment and moved it to the Washington Square Cinemas in Petaluma.
The theatre appeared in co-op ads in the San Francisco Chronicle until 1995.
According to posts on their Facebook page, the theatre opened for business on February 26, 2020. They had their Grand Opening ceremonies planned for March 14 & 15, 2020 but was sidelined by Covid.
I don’t think this was a project started by Festival Enterprises, even though it was named Festival. I think the mall justh happened to have that name. Though I’ve searched newspapers high and low to identify as many Festival Enterprise locations, I’d be happy to be wrong about this.
While I can’t say for sure, I don’t think Syufy ever operated this theatre. I’ve worked for the company now for 25 years and after collecting numerous internal documents, I’ve never once seen a reference to us operating the Alvarado Drive-In or any property in the San Diego area. We did operate the Union City 6 Drive-In which was located on Alvarado-Niles Blvd, in Union City, CA… maybe that’s where the confusion is?
The newspaper ad may have celebrated the opening on June 17, but it opened on June 13. I work at the home office for the drive-in and all our internal documents show we opened with free movies on June 13, 1979. Newspaper ad from June 13 shows the same. (Uploaded)
This theater was expanded from 10 to 15 screens in 1994. As far as I can tell from Google maps the building still stands and is/was most recently an American Freight store at the back/north end of the mall.
The Southwest Kansas Register had listings in 1972 for a Jerry Lewis Cinema in the Village Square Mall in Dodge City. Is it possible that this Village 8 was an expansion of the original Jerry Lewis Cinema?
As mentioned in earlier comments, this operated for a short time as part of a joint venture between AMC Theatres and Economic Resources Corp. as “Inner City Cinemas” which also operated the Hawthorne Theatre 3. The plan was to build an 8-screen theater at Crenshaw Plaza which never materialized under this ownership but eventually came to life as a 15-screen Magic Johnson Theatre.
The theatre continued to appear in the independent listings of the LA Times, last appearing on February 12, 1998. Co-Op ads listed it as “Flagship’s Hawthorne Plaza 6 Theatres”
As the guy who runs Cinematour, and as a local of Sonoma County, at the time of the theatre’s opening the area was widely considered as part of Windsor and was referred to in most articles as being in Windsor. It is now widely accepted to be part of Santa Rosa.
A June 5, 1983 article in the San Francisco Examiner reported that the Westlane was still in operation showing X-rated films. AT the time was operating by Texas National Theatres.
The theatre absolutely was called the Showcase Cinemas. It operated as the Showcase into the 90s. When it closed we purchased much of the equipment and moved it to the Washington Square Cinemas in Petaluma.
The theatre appeared in co-op ads in the San Francisco Chronicle until 1995.
According to posts on their Facebook page, the theatre opened for business on February 26, 2020. They had their Grand Opening ceremonies planned for March 14 & 15, 2020 but was sidelined by Covid.
Also I’m fairly confident that this opened as an Edwards.
I don’t think this was a project started by Festival Enterprises, even though it was named Festival. I think the mall justh happened to have that name. Though I’ve searched newspapers high and low to identify as many Festival Enterprise locations, I’d be happy to be wrong about this.
This lobby configuration gives me “Great Escape Theatres” vibes. Same architect?
Originally built and operated by Festival Enterprises.
We are also forgetting Festival Enterprises, the company that built and originally operated it.
While I can’t say for sure, I don’t think Syufy ever operated this theatre. I’ve worked for the company now for 25 years and after collecting numerous internal documents, I’ve never once seen a reference to us operating the Alvarado Drive-In or any property in the San Diego area. We did operate the Union City 6 Drive-In which was located on Alvarado-Niles Blvd, in Union City, CA… maybe that’s where the confusion is?
The Apple Cinemas Cambridge is not a completely new building, it is the same theatre, just split up and updated/renovated.
Ten years later – this photo is still here. :)
The newspaper ad may have celebrated the opening on June 17, but it opened on June 13. I work at the home office for the drive-in and all our internal documents show we opened with free movies on June 13, 1979. Newspaper ad from June 13 shows the same. (Uploaded)
It was a pretty small theater to begin with but converting to recliners made it even smaller.
The theatre closed as a three-screen theatre.
Yes. They did.
That’s quite a statement. Which two?
This photo belongs to the Georgia Square Value Cinema which was outside the mall.
Google street view suggests this was demolished sometime between April and November of 2022. Judging by the rubble, probably November.
This is an ad for the AMC Fashion Village 8 located outside the same mall. It is not for this General Cinema location.
2014 photo by Adam Martin - from Cinematour.com
This theater was expanded from 10 to 15 screens in 1994. As far as I can tell from Google maps the building still stands and is/was most recently an American Freight store at the back/north end of the mall.
The Southwest Kansas Register had listings in 1972 for a Jerry Lewis Cinema in the Village Square Mall in Dodge City. Is it possible that this Village 8 was an expansion of the original Jerry Lewis Cinema?
Do we really need these AI enhanced photos all over the place? Especially one that places the chairs in the wrong direction/screen at the back?
As mentioned in earlier comments, this operated for a short time as part of a joint venture between AMC Theatres and Economic Resources Corp. as “Inner City Cinemas” which also operated the Hawthorne Theatre 3. The plan was to build an 8-screen theater at Crenshaw Plaza which never materialized under this ownership but eventually came to life as a 15-screen Magic Johnson Theatre.
The theatre continued to appear in the independent listings of the LA Times, last appearing on February 12, 1998. Co-Op ads listed it as “Flagship’s Hawthorne Plaza 6 Theatres”
As the guy who runs Cinematour, and as a local of Sonoma County, at the time of the theatre’s opening the area was widely considered as part of Windsor and was referred to in most articles as being in Windsor. It is now widely accepted to be part of Santa Rosa.