Brookhurst 4 Cinemas
2229 Ball Road,
Anaheim,
CA
92804
2229 Ball Road,
Anaheim,
CA
92804
7 people
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There’s something so fascinating about reading about these long gone movie theaters. It’s like I’m reading the obituary of an old friend that everyone knew and loved. It’s makes me sad, but in a bittersweet way.
Grand opening ads posted.
Brookhurst reopening as 6-plex on August 17th, 1989 ad in photo section
The Brookhurst and Brookhurst Loge structures (along with the adjacent wig store, restaurant, offices, and bakery) are now a large pile of rubble. They basically demolished all of the units in the southwest corner of the property (everything to the left of the post office). Currently, the only remnant of the theatre is a sloped earth pit where the auditorium used to stand. The sign hanging on the fence surrounding the demolition site merely states that “pads” are available.
wow what are they going to put in its place?
The Brookhurst and surrounding property were razed last week.
I was there on opening day. The theater was beautiful with gold curtains the carper was blue the wood trim was walnut. The screen was oval. They played wounder full stereo music before the movie started. The lights would Dem the curtains slowly open it was an experience.To bad the new theaters don’t have beautiful curtains any more.
Proved to be a short run; the Brookhurst has been closed once again.
Here is the website for the discount theater. Status should be open and function should be “movies-second run”.
http://www.brookhurst4.com/
Yes, Brookhurst has reopened under TriStone Cinema Group, the same operators of Temeku 7 Cinemas in Temecula and Terra Vista 6 Cinemas in Rancho Cucamonga.
The Brookhurst is scheduled to reopen as “Brookhurst 4 Discount Cinemas” on July 3, 2009.
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cyfjc4
I went to the the Brookhurst Theater through the mid 60’s, I saw some great movies there. It brings back good memories. I remember the girl that worked at the refrestment counter, Frances Baur. She was real attractive and had such a great personality. She was a graduate of Magnolia High School. I think she is living in Cario, Egypt, everything checks out that is her. I never thought that the theater had 900 seats. I wonder if that is after they turned it into a multiplex? I just remember it as a single theater.
BallRoad
After being divided in to four screens, the Brookurst was operated by the folowing companies:
American Family Theatres 1992 – 1997
Globe Theatres 1998 – 2003
Interstate/Starplex Cinemas 2003 – 2006
According to the 4/24/61 Boxoffice Magazine, the Brookhurst Theatre was built for $300,000. The news piece also mentions that the opening manager was Jack Geller, “former acting school operator in Hollywood”.
The four plex configuration resulted in the following seating capacity:
Aud#1 – 163
Aud#2 – 168
Aud#3 – 275
Aud#4 – 275
Total – 881
The two small auditoriums are accessed directly off of the lobby. The larger auditoriums are acccesed at the end of a hallway that runs between the two small auditoriums (formerly the center of the single screen auditorium). The small auditoriums have a traditional slope and are slightly V shaped. The large auditoriums slope slightly upwards, as they are located in what was once the front of the auditorium, but retain a more common rectagular shape. The auditorium decore is red/white/blue drapery and white-washed wood panneling. The flooring is bare concrete, with dark patterned carpeting running down the aisles.
Projection is divided in to two booths, linked by a catwalk that runs above the center hallway. Two neon arrow fixtures hang from the open catwalk, remnants from a previous incarnation (the theatre featured heavy use of indoor neon in the 90’s). The concession stand retains the post quading remodel look/structure (complete with glass bricks and a neon arrow). The current lobby/hallway decore consists of bare, lavender colored walls.
The large A frame signage, that stood in front of the theatre for 30 years, was removed in the early 90’s; the rooftop marquee was removed circa 2003. The current signage consists of a small branding lightbox above the entry and a marquee space on the property’s freestanding signage (above a listing of the property’s other tenants). One of the theatre’s original signs, directing patrons to a rear parking area, remains, but is partially covered with ivy.
Does anyone know if this theatre is for sale or know of any theatres in the Orange County area that are.
In 1963, the operator of the Brookhurst was Harry Vennicoft & Son Theaters, Inc, 1824 S. Vermont Avenue Los Angeles. Vennicoft also operated the Garfield in Alhambra, the Grove in Garden Grove and the Regent, Strand and Temple Theaters in Los Angeles.
The Brookhurst Theatre opened on April 5th 1961.
The Brookhurst is scheduled to close it’s doors once again. The theatre will be shut down 1/8/06
The Brookhurst is now owner/operated by Starplex Cinemas (A Dallas based company that merged with Interstate Theatres in 2005). The company is backed by Leroy Mitchell, founder/former owner of Cinemark. Interstate was a subsiderary of Cinemark, became an independant entity when Cinemark was sold, then merged with Starplex (which was owned by L. Mitchell’s brother).The company operates a few first run theatres (in Texas), but specializes in discount houses. The Brookhurst was the company’s second California theatre, La Mirada being the first, and they went on to reopen theatres in Bakersfield and Irvine. Apparently, this company is making a go of reopening old multiplexs as discount houses.
This is the site for showtimes:
View link
Thus, it should be listed as Open.
I was a kid when the Brookhurst opened in 1961. It was buetful curtens were gold the walls were blue with walnut panling and white celings up to row 4 then the color on the walls and celing changed to soft yellow in front of the very large stage. The stage was wallnut. The screen was hugh it took the curtins a long to open to the very large screen. I went every Sat. They played all the big movies in stero sound and 70 mm it was stat of the art.There was never an empty set. I loved going in earley to here the music befor the movie stero was new and I loved hering summer place and other music soundtracks. I will miss it. Sam Brown