AMC Esquire 7

Seating capacity of the Esquire has been drastically reduced by the renovation. Photo captions in the article JAlex linked to says that the big, main screen auditorium now has 270 seats, there are four auditoriums with 100 seats each, and a screening room with 63 seats. The capacity of the seventh auditorium is not given, but as it has to be less than 270 the total capacity of the house now must be less than 1,000, and less than 900 if the seventh auditorium is small enough.

Exhibitors have gotten themselves into a situation where they have to re-seat their theaters with bigger seats because they’ve made their customers' butts enormous by peddling those giant tubs of greased popcorn.

That would make a total of 796 seats for the whole complex. That’s quite a drop from 2,202.

November 8, 1939 grand opening ad in photo section. It was the Theatre of Tomorrow.

Oceantracks, The Exorcist played at the Brentwood, not the Esquire on its opening. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4398979/the_exorcist/

Made it back here for the first time in 20 years during Thanksgiving 2022. It was an immense joy to be back in the theatre that helped to spark my lifetime love for cinema.

The decreases in seating capacity actually help to enhance the film experience here. They’ve brought the box office indoors which leads to a super cramped lobby and concession area. But the presentation was excellent. And I love what they’ve done to the original auditorium. Also interspersed throughout the theater are photos commemorating its various incarnations - as original single screen house, to the old #4 addition in the mid 1970’s and beyond.

Huge photo dump added! Enjoy!