Edwards Westminster Mall 4

2008 Westminster Mall,
Westminster, CA 92683

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Edwards Cinemas, United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.

Functions: Retail

Previous Names: UA Mall 4

Nearby Theaters

This fourplex opened on August 7, 1974, and was located on the inside of the Westminster Mall. UA also had a twin on the outside (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures). From 1990 it was taken over by Edwards Cinema

It was closed on March 11, 2001.

Contributed by Robert R

Recent comments (view all 16 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 14, 2007 at 2:15 pm

A bit of excess from the LA Times, dated 8/6/74:

New Fourplex Theater to Open

Tomorrow, August 7, marks the beginning of the most exciting development in entertainment since sound was introduced to motion pictures. United Artists Theaters is opening their newest fourplex theater inside the modern Westminster Mall. Featuring four separate motion picture programs in one location, the U.A. Mall Cinemas hopes to bring a new era of convenience to the people of Orange County.

[Photo of theater manager with bad 70s suit and cheesy 70s mustache]

Bill Gartley, of Los Alamitos, will manage the new U.A. Mall Cinemas in Westminster. Starting his career with United Artists in 1966, Gartley’s experience involves managing a drive-in theater in Sacramento, reserved-seat theaters in Oakland and Chicago, and for the last three years he has been in charge of United Artist’s most successful operation, the U.A. Cinemas in Del Amo Fashion Square in Torrance.

CTCrouch
CTCrouch on June 16, 2009 at 6:51 am

In early March of 2001, a mall water line broke, forcing the theatre to close for repairs. After about a week of being advertised as “reopening soon”, Edwards announced that they were shuttering the venue for good (the water damage had allowed the troubled chain to utilize an escape clause in their lease).

Even if this event had not taken place, I don’t imagine the theatre would have lasted much longer. By the time it closed, the theatre was in sad shape and devoid of customers. Typical of many older sites Edwards was operating at the time, the chain had completely neglected the theatre for years; they basically gave up on the Westminster Mall after opening the nearbye Westminster 10, in 92'.

Gartley
Gartley on April 24, 2011 at 5:02 pm

I see I’m late to the party here, but with all due respect to ken mc — in 1974, all suits were bad and all moustaches were cheesy. When I opened the Mall Cinemas in 1974, it was festive and classy. The shoebox auditoriums were acceptable at the time, so it’s easy to crticize them now. (Cinerama Dome on Sunset was one of the few “stadium” theatres around then). I had my share of notable employees in Westminster – a great assistant, Robert J., another excellent usher who is now a successful DM for a large circuit (Hey, Shaun), and on the other side of the coin, a doorman who was sentenced on a murder conviction (about 1978). If any former employees want to say hi, my email is

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on January 15, 2013 at 5:43 pm

I never ventured inside, but I imagine this theatre was similar to the UA Tanforan 4 in San Bruno, CA. Had the same sort of box office entrance with the giant color coded 1-2-3-4 next to the poster frames.

kermitthefrog76
kermitthefrog76 on July 26, 2013 at 7:06 pm

Wow! I remember seeing a “sneak preview” of *batteries not included here…good times

rivest266
rivest266 on November 16, 2019 at 3:36 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

rivest266
rivest266 on January 8, 2020 at 5:03 pm

Edwards took it over in 1990. It was listed in the Edwards listings as Cinema 4.

Richie_T
Richie_T on January 15, 2020 at 10:12 pm

As a kid I remember seeing THE PRIVATE EYES (starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway) here one rainy Sunday afternoon. There was an arcade across the way in the early 80s where we’d hang out before heading inside. Saw a bunch of random stuff here. The mall used to have a food court on the very bottom floor that we’d also hit up. This was text book mall cinema.

Flix70
Flix70 on March 31, 2021 at 2:33 pm

My wife lived in nearby Fountain Valley as a kid & can recall seeing a Disney animated film here with her parents when she was eight & staying for Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Europe playing right afterwards in the same theater. However, five minutes in they discovered the first chef inside an oven & her parents quickly whisked her out of the theater & headed home. Kind of an odd double bill.

samwisefan
samwisefan on September 7, 2021 at 12:29 pm

I went to this theatre several times as a child, mainly because it was in the mall, not because it was a nice theatre (because it certainly wasn’t). For some reason the one movie that really stands out in memory of having seen here is the movie “Heartbeeps” starring Bernadette Peters & Andy Kaufman. I also remember seeing Cronenberg’s “The Fly” here for a second time and one of the friends I went with was furious with me for telling him the movie wasn’t that gross. LOL! I think that was the last time I ever went to this location.

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