Towne Theatre
4425 Atlantic Boulevard,
Long Beach,
CA
90807
4425 Atlantic Boulevard,
Long Beach,
CA
90807
6 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cabart Theaters Corp, Frontier Theatres, Pacific Theatres
Architects: Hugh Gibbs
Nearby Theaters
The Towne Theater opened September 28, 1946 with Dana Andrews in “Canyon Passage”. This theatre operated in North Long Beach and usually competed with the Crest Theatre just down the street for first run films.
The theatre was closed by Pacific Theatres on January 23, 1977 due to a roof collapse and it was demolished.
Contributed by
David Boyd
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Recent comments (view all 35 comments)
Back on January 18, 2005, I said that the name of the architect of the Towne was Hugh Biggs. The article from which I took the information got his name wrong. I’ve lately found several references to the Towne Theatre giving his correct name, Hugh Gibbs. Gibbs was later one of the architects of the Long Beach convention Center.
A two-page illustrated article about the recently opened Towne was published in the December 7, 1946, issue of Boxoffice Magazine. The house was originally operated by Cabart Theatres.
Here are some photos of the Towne from Boxoffice in November 1947:
http://tinyurl.com/ybvhl3n
Can anybody tell me if it was the Crest or the Towne that had the step down lounge? I believe that it was the Crest, but, I honestly can’t remember. I do remember that the last movie that I saw at the Towne was “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, back in 1963. I have such great memories of Long Beach at that time. Remember swimming in the little pond in Houghton Park? Lest, not forget the one & only POP (Pacific Ocean Park); of course that was Santa Monica, not Long Beach. Love those memories & Oh, if only life were that simple again… If anyone happens to have any pictures “PLEASE POST”.
The Crest Theatre had a step down lounge. The Loyola Theatre in Los Angeles, The Fox Theatre in Inglewood and the Crest Theatre in Sacramento all had the step down lounge areas.
ken mc – i cant bring up your pictures of the towne theater long beach ca please resubmit them thanks
BETWEEN THE TOWNE AND CREST – THEY WERE THE BEST – MEMORY’S OF THE WAY LONG BEACH CA WAS IN 1951, WITH THE BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT WELCH’S IN BETWEEN – ITS ALL GONE WITH THE WIND – NEVIN
September 28th, 1946 grand opening ad in photo section
The Towne and The Crest were my two favorite theaters in the early 1960s. Saw many a movie in both of these great old theaters so sad they are gone.
Pacific Theatres closed the Towne due to a roof collapse on January 24, 1977. The final showings were “Never a Dull Moment,” Walt Disney’s “The Three Caballeros” and “The Man Who Skied Down Everest.” Though Pacific was going to make repairs promising a temporary closure, it made the closure permanent that fall offering the property for sale “as is.”
hpThe Towne was opened by Cabart Theatres Circuit owned by C.A. Caballero and Milt Arthur (Cabart) (and Fanchon & Marco).