Edwards Westminster Mall 4
2008 Westminster Mall,
Westminster,
CA
92683
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
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
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.
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'.
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
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.
Wow! I remember seeing a “sneak preview” of *batteries not included here…good times
Grand opening ad posted.
Edwards took it over in 1990. It was listed in the Edwards listings as Cinema 4.
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.
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.
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.