Showcase Theater
1970 Grant Street,
Concord,
CA
94520
1970 Grant Street,
Concord,
CA
94520
4 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Blumenfeld Theater Circuit, Pussycat Theatres
Functions: Church
Previous Names: Enean Theater
Nearby Theaters
The Enean Theater was built by the Enea Brothers of Pittsburg, CA in September 1938. (They also owned and operated the San Ramon Drive-in in San Ramon and two Fremont drive-ins, The Nimitz and the Fremont Automovie). In April 1968 its name changed to Concord Showcase Theater and it was located in downtown Concord overlooking the town square.
By the early-1970’s, the Showcase Theater resorted to second-run fare, then a dollar theater, before switching to porn in 1975. The Pussycat chain took over about a year later and ran it until the late-1980’s when various neighborhood and church groups protested the porn films being run. Although operated by Pussycat, it did not use the Pussycat name on the marquee.
A church bought the theater and shut it down as a movie house. It now holds church services.
Contributed by
scottfavareille
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Right on, Motioman. John M. Nunes was my dad and had become too ill to work (cancer) and I guess it was then that you took over as projectionist. When we moved to Concord (from Walnut Creek) in 1951 the town’s population was abut 7,500 and it seemed that everyone hanged out at the theater. My dad worked as the projecionist at the El Rey in W.C. for about 7 years before transfering to the Enean.
The picture of the interior was found on www.cowellhistoricalsociety.org, and there are other pictures of the Enean as well. I have a old 8mm movie of us coming out of the Enean from a birthday party, at dusk with the original marquee lit up (looks fantastic) I will post stills of the movie once I get it properly duplicated.
To Robt. Campbell, My brother John also has 8mm film, taken in the theater around 1957 of a group of us high school employees. We had just closed up for the night and then put on a hypnotism show on the stage. It was quite interesting. We were class of ‘57 Mt Diablo. I remember a Don Campbell from our class. Any relationship?
I know the posts here are a few years old, but I would like very much to see the pictures (or film) you have of the inside of the Enean, and of the marquee lights! Are you still going to post them here, or can you make them available on tumblr or FB on one of the Concord groups? I grew up in Concord in the 50s and 60s, left in 70 with my family. I have so many great memories of going to the Enean, especially in the summer. It was great having a neighborhood movie theater! And it was beautiful inside, with the Greco-style frescoes. I have hoped that someone would have pictures of the inside of the theater, and maybe history on who did the frescoes in the first place. Norm, I believe I’ve seen you in the FB groups, and I’m going to try to find you on there. Thanks for the posts about our beloved neighborhood theater! (;
More information about the Showcase, and a picture of its exterior, can be found on the Claycord Online Museum at http://claycord.com/2016/01/05/claycord-online-museum-a-bar-in-the-sunvalley-mall-a-porn-theatre-a-motel/
I was not referring to the porn theater, I was referring to the Enean Theater as it was during the 1960s. It was a neighborhood theater, where families and children went to see movies.
The Enean theatre closed its doors in early 1968 and reopened on April 17, 1968 under the new name Concord Showcase. The first feature of the Showcase theatre was THE FOX starring Sandy Dennis and Keir Dullea.
April 17, 1968 grand opening ad in the photo section
Went there once, while it was showing adult movies. They left the overhead lights on. It was very uncomfortable. I think I left after about twenty minutes. Pretty crowded, though.