Orinda Theatre

Moraga Way and Brookwood Road,
Orinda, CA 94563

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Showing 1 - 25 of 32 comments

Matias Antonio Bombal
Matias Antonio Bombal on February 27, 2024 at 2:58 am

I will be teaming up with the Orinda to show Hollywood Studio Classic matinees, the last Tuesday of each month, starting TODAY, February 27th at 1p.m. $10.00 all seats: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

March 26 1 p.m. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)

April 30 1 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO (1936)

May 28 1 p.m. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

June 25 1 p.m. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

July 30 1 p.m. THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952) The Matias Bombal’s Hollywood Orinda Classic Movie Matinees www.orindamovies.com

jwmovies
jwmovies on May 1, 2022 at 1:00 pm

Uh oh! Looks like the end could be near! 🥺🥺😫😫

Per Orinda Theatre website, they are now putting on concerts (NOT a good look see UC in Berkeley for more information)

They’ve set up a Go Fund Me page too! 😔😔 That’s not reassuring either! With Cal and Oaks in Berkeley gone, local theaters are drying up! You talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel! Lamorinda is home to world famous St. Mary’s basketball team! YIU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS PEOPLE! 🤬🤬

terrywade
terrywade on May 7, 2021 at 8:01 pm

On a recent visit 5/1/2021 all the surround speakers are mostly turned off. Many of the speakers set hi up on the ceiling have blown out cones so they just turned them all off. Too bad hope they can get funding to put in better speakers or a Meyers sound system for the stereo surround system. People live in plus multi million dollars homes in Orinda and have fancy home movie theatres. So sad to go pay to see a movie in a great old deco 750 seat theatre like the Orinda and the sound does not work on the sides and back!

terrywade
terrywade on June 9, 2020 at 12:35 pm

For many years the stereo surround sound in the large original Orinda Theatre has been turned way down as the former IA union projectionist did not care for people looking up when they heard effect surround speaker volume so he turned the ceiling/wall surround speakers way down. That projectionist is no longer in the booth so the volume has been turned back up like It was in the past. Hope they can re open soon so we can go and see this classic deco neon cinema with better sound at least in the large cinema space. Turn on the marquee neon and bring back the movie crowd!

jordanlage
jordanlage on July 30, 2017 at 10:01 am

I remember seeing a double feature of AGAINST ALL ODDS and MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON here in… 1984. Preferred the Bridges film. A recent visit to the theater (July 2017) finds it still beautifully kept up.

paulvideo
paulvideo on April 6, 2015 at 4:40 am

Very nice. I lhave seen a long shot on fb of the lobby-excellent.

Mikeyisirish
Mikeyisirish on June 27, 2012 at 12:49 pm

A 2010 photo can be seen here.

DonSolosan
DonSolosan on August 7, 2010 at 11:29 pm

The address should be 2 Orinda Theater Square.

darquil
darquil on May 27, 2010 at 12:44 am

I’ve posted information and photos from a recent visit here.

darquil
darquil on May 24, 2010 at 1:55 am

Seating capacity, per posted sign at box office:
1 – 750
2 – 178
3 – 47
Total seats: 975

scottfavareille
scottfavareille on April 15, 2010 at 12:48 pm

It is now the only theater left after the Rheem in nearby Moraga closes for good after tonight’s performances. My concern is will this theater be next??

mcmikecroaro
mcmikecroaro on July 5, 2009 at 10:25 pm

Hi Folks:

My understanding is that the hot greasy steam from a popcorn machine could potentialy damage the ceiling murial in the lobby. This is what I was told and it seems to make sense.

This was an EXCELLENT theatre under Renaissance Rialto / Alan Michaan. It’s hard for me to believe anyone would think otherwise.

Mike

movietheatres
movietheatres on June 19, 2009 at 12:15 am

The operation of the Orinda Theatre was taken over from Renaissance Rialto on May 8, 2009 by the group currently operating the neighboring Rheem Theatre in Moraga, CA. The new operators let about 80% of the staff go and also locked out the Union Projectionists.

For years RR said they couldn’t pop fresh popcorn at the theatre, and the new operators had a popcorn popper in place within 2 weeks of taking over. RR raised the General Admission ticket price to $10 while their largest and most lovely auditorium still lacks cupholders on the seats to this day. On the flip side, the new operators are just booking the same commerical first run films they have at the Rheem right up the road. I don’t understand why they are doubling up the same films right down the street from eachother, there aren’t that many people there. Its feeling like an election, you know the old guy sucked, but the new guy also sucks, just in different ways. Best of luck to the theatre, the real victim in all of this.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 17, 2008 at 12:38 am

The Orinda marquee was briefly seen in a recent episode/montage of “Snapped”.
Utilizing the marquee’s in the various hometown’s of profiled murderesses, seems to be a pattern of “Snapped” producers/editors.
Especially when said theatre’s share the same names as the towns.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 28, 2007 at 9:41 am

Here is a september 1967 ad from the Oakland Tribune:
http://tinyurl.com/2tt6gf

gsmurph
gsmurph on January 23, 2006 at 11:23 am

Once more—-Orinda should be listed as a “Triplex” and its seating capacity adjusted to include that of the two additional cinemas.

scottfavareille
scottfavareille on September 19, 2005 at 2:07 pm

According to today’s San Francisco Chronicle, in an article about the closing of the Park Theater in Lafayette (also operated by Renaissance Rialto), it mentions that Rialto may give up on the Orinda when its lease is up a year from now. Not good news. (The Park Theater listing on Cinema Treasures has a link to the article.)

jfrentzen
jfrentzen on May 10, 2005 at 10:55 pm

I grew up in Orinda in the late 1960s and 1970s, so this was my primary movie cavern. At the time, the theater was growing a bit “long in the tooth” but the auditorium was very magical. It sounds as though the restoration was successful. The place really was starting to fall apart, but it was an enchanting plan to escape for this youngster and it became an integral part of growing up.

gsmurph
gsmurph on April 27, 2005 at 12:51 pm

Though the Orinda was not physically split in the process of adding the two additional screens, it should probably be considered a “Triplex” and its seating capacity adjusted accordingly.

teecee
teecee on April 2, 2005 at 9:44 am

Evening photo of marquee:
View link

teecee
teecee on March 3, 2005 at 4:24 pm

Jan 17, 2003 article from the San Franciso chronicle:
View link

aipo
aipo on February 15, 2005 at 5:49 pm

I grew up in Orindaâ€"and hated it, try being one of the lone Jews among the WASPS in the 70s, but at the theater, staring at the walls painted with long-haired women, soaring upwards against blue and stars… I could forget for awhile.