Cine-Mex Theatre
82470 Miles Avenue,
Indio,
CA
92201
82470 Miles Avenue,
Indio,
CA
92201
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I wish I could find some photos. Can anyone please send some information. Please e-mail Jamie Palumbo,
The Palumbo Boys (Peter, David, Mark, Craig-Moochie/Jamie/Tony and sister Lisa)loved The Aladdin Theater in the 60’s and frequented The Aladdin many times especially on hot summer days in Indio. Sister Lisa was born right across the street at Indio Memorial Hospital.
I lost a piece of my childhood when this theater burned down the second time in 1990. I saw A Hard Days Night and Help, A couple of 007 James Bond Films, I think the last film I saw there was Easy Rider in 1969. I remember so many great movie experiences like The Great Escape with Steve McQueen. My brothers and I loved that place so much.
I wonder how long the dickish judge managed to keep his theater open with that draconian policy? It’s not as though a farm town like Indio would be full of people eager to avoid children and snacks, or to pay extra when they took their kids to a movie.
The “Images of America” series book Indio, by Patricia Baker Laflin, says that the Aladdin Theatre opened in June, 1948.
The Aladdin was a great small theater in a good neighborhood when I lived just down the street on Tahquitz in the early-mid ‘70s. It was the ONLY nearby indoor theater. The Desert on Fargo was already showing Spanish movies and the only other nearby theater was a VERY small theater in Palm Desert which had been converted from office space, I think. Palm Springs, of course, had numerous indoor Theaters. Most of those closed during the summer, though. I believe the Plaza stayed open all year.
I remember going there one evening to find the “second” billed movie already playing. When I asked what happened to the other (Rancho Deluxe), the manager said it was so bad and so many people complained, that they pulled it. To this day, I haven’t seen Rancho Deluxe even though it’s been on TV numerous times.
The Aladdin Theater was the victim of a major arson fire in approx.1958/59. The auditorium was completely gutted and was rebuilt a few months later. The theater managers were a couple with the last name of Van Gortel. The theater (along with the Desert Theater, and the Indio Drive-In) was owned by Robt. L. Lippert Theaters. My father owned a pharmacy in the Aladdin bldg. at the time. If I remember correctly, the projectionist was Ralph King. The theater was equiped with Motiograph projectors rather than Simplex.