Century Cinema

The Cinema (as it was then known) was among the handful of theaters equipped with Cinema Digital Sound (CDS), the 1990-1991 precursor to the contemporary digital sound formats.

The Century Cinema in Corte Madera was opened in December, 1969, by Blumenfeld Theatres, in partnership with Cinerama Corporation of America, and was originally known as Cinema 1. The house featured a 56-foot curved screen and continental seating, and was designed by architect William B. David.

Anything but a typical shopping center theater of the period, the free-standing house on its raised podium, with its white columns and mansard roof, was designed to recall the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center (the Cinema 1’s front originally featured large windows which have since been filled in with red brick, greatly lessening the effect.) David was using a regional style that came to be called Hollywood Regency, which had been pioneered in the 1940s by architect John Elgin Woolf.

Hollywood Regency became a fad in the 1960s, especially in southern California, when block after block of Spanish style bunglows, Tudor and Norman cottages, and nondescript small office complexes around the region were remodeled and suddenly sprouted faux mansards, thick, arched window reveals, and non-functional shutters frequently painted in shades of pale blue, green, or gray, all in emulation of the pricey mansions Woolf had designed for a long list of people in show business. Even many of the dingbat apartment blocks that were put up at the time sported Hollywood Regency facades.

The style was rarely used for theaters, though, so the Century Cinema is a pretty rare type. It’s a bit ironic that it is going to be knocked down just when a revival of Hollywood Regency decor has gotten underway.

Though, for now, Century is still operating this house that the company no longer owns, the likelihood that it will in time be demolished for a new development without a theater in it remains high.

This article is from March, 2017, but the redevelopment proposal it describes is from the current owner of the building, so it seems likely that it will eventually get built in some form.

According to Cinemark’s website, this theatre is permanently closed. Last day of operation appears to be 3/16/2020.

So sad this once great large curved screen 70mm cinema will not open again. When the Blumenfield’s ran It new before Pacifi/Cinerama® took it over they had curtains that worked and the screen was much larger, almost like D-150. When Pacific took over and later Century when they put in video DCP the screen got a little smaller and they never bothered to fix the curtains. Still a nice roadshow type 70mm theatre with good parking and stereo surround sound, was never twinned. Maybe some other smart presentation company will take over the lease and bring some showmanship back to the rich $ Marin area.