Over the past few years, we’ve reported on the Brookhurst’s struggles extensively. A recent visit found the theatre with blacked out windows and a boarded over box office; looking very much like a property earmarked for long term vacancy. Yet, even as the Brookhurst sits dark once again, the warm glow of summer nights past lives on in memories.

             

         

 

The Capital’s history is typical of countless grand single screens of the “golden era”. Opened in the 1920′s, when every downtown of note featured at least one impressive cinema (usually several), the Capital was one of five major theatres that once lined Pittsfield’s “main drag”, North Street. A former MGM house, the theatre remained a highly popular and successful movie going destination for nearly fifty years. However, by the close of the 1970′s, a struggling local economy and declining main street saw the Capital fall from it’s once prestigious perch; a problematic scenario made all the worse with the arrival of a multiplex.

 

By the time I crossed paths with the Capital, in the early 80′s, the venue was nearing it’s final years and existed as more of a symbol of what once was in the city. No longer a top draw, the theatre had been reduced to showing near second run faire, to consistently sparse audiences. However, even in heavy decline, the theatre retained a certain charm which was sorely lacking at the bustling multiplex.

 

While I surely spent most of my movie going youth at the multiplex, utilizing the Capital’s marquee as a rain cover far more than entryway to entertainment, this was the theatre which spurred my earliest interest in cinemas. Be it the cavernous 1,338 seat auditorium, heavy velvet drapery, or bi gone luxury, there was something about the place that fascinated me. Even the wear and disrepair, which turned away your average movie goer, seemed to draw my attention. Unfortunately, my burgeoning interest was never explored to any great extent and I never truly appreciated this dimming bit of Americana; taking for granted that the Capital would always be there.

 

The Capital Theatre went dark in the mid 80′s and sat, silently decaying, for another ten years. By the time anyone even thought of saving one of the city’s crown jewels, neglect and too many New England winters had taken far too great a toll.  In 1997, the auditorium was razed and much of the street side structure was gutted; making way for a new community senior center. Today, the marquee and facade remain intact, but lead to little more than office space and a parking lot.

 

The Capital Theatre may have existed on the other side of the country, within a vastly differing community, but it’s story is somewhat universal. Be it Orange County, California or Pittsfield, Massachusetts, we rarely appreciate our living history until it has passed.

 

Unfortunately, by the mid 80′s, the theatre had begun to suffer from a declining neighborhood demographic and the industry’s conversion to a multi screen business model. Attempting to stay viable, the theatre was briefly closed in the early 90′s, remodeled, and divided in to four auditoriums. This new configuration, while losing much of the theatre’s former grandeur, allowed the venue to stay afloat for another ten years. However, the Brookhurst’s reputation continued to decline, as the site fell in to disrepair, under a revolving door of operators. Even a brief attempt at offering discount booking failed to attract a sizeable audience, forcing the theatre’s final operator, Starplex Cinemas, to shudder the venue, under mounting maintenance expenses, in early January of 2006.

 

Despite having served the Anaheim area for forty-five years, the Brookhurst’s passing garnered little notice from locals or the media. Having been the theatre’s keyholder/caretaker, for the past three years, I can attest that interest in the site was limited to a mere four halfhearted inquiries (none in regard to use as a cinema). Now, with Starplex’s lease having run out, I can only speculate as to the fate of the Brookhurst. More than likely, it’s decay will continue unchecked, until there is no other option but to demolish the site. 

 

Today, the Brookhurst Theatre sits, virtually forgotten, near the corner of Brookhurst and Ball. There are few reminders of what the theatre once was; the a-frame sign was removed long ago, the covered drive up entrance was remodeled in to a Filipino restaurant, the formerly notable 944 seat auditorium is cheaply divided in to four irregularly shaped shoebox theatres, and the “ultra modern” design is best described as “ultra dingy”. Few even realize the beauty school, that stands beside the theatre, was once the Brookhurst’s loge luxury movie going option. These days, the Brookhurst is little more than another fading cinema memory.

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The Movie Experience at the Anaheim Garden Walk/Cinema Fusion – Veteran Southern California chain, Sanborn/SoCal/The Movie Experience, returned to the Orange County market with an equally branding challenged cinema, across from the Disneyland resort. Offering an IMAX screen and “adults only” theatre option, along with retro “Googie” decor, the Movie Experience at the Anaheim Garden Walk/Cinema Fusion holds a great deal of promise as an alternative to standard megaplex faire. However, rather typical of this chain, the theatre also suffers from a host of logistical issues. Time will tell if this cinema finds it’s niche or suffers the same fate as the “here today, gone tomorrow” Cinemaland. 

 

 

 

Pierside Pavillion 6 – After some two decades of struggling under three different operators, Huntington Beach’s Pierside Pavilion was closed. Left in turn key condition, the cinema could easily be reopened on short notice, but no suitors have stepped up to take on the challenge of this unique location yet.  

 

South Coast Plaza Theatres - March saw a low point in Orange County cinema, with the demolition of the South Coast Plaza theatres. Once standing as an area landmark and the cornerstone of the “Westwood of Orange County”, these cinemas were an area favorite for over thirty years. After having been shuttered, following Edwards’ bankruptcy, many held out the hope that at least one of the buildings would be saved for use as a theatre. Unfortunately, after a decade of languishing in obscurity, the complex was razed to make way for yet another Costa Mesa office building.

 

Mann Theatres – With Regency Theatre taking over the Niguel 8, Mann has officially exited the Orange County market, after a thirty-five year run in the county. Once having, somewhat notoriously, taken over the classic palaces of Fox West Coast/National General and having built four venues of their own, Mann was, for a time, a county heavyweight. However, much like their overall chain, the company has drifted out of significance over the ensuing years.     

 

 

Port Theatre – After sitting vacant for a decade and facing an announced meeting with the wrecking ball, Corona Del Mar’s Port theatre was saved at the last minute. While no concrete opening date has been made public, renovation is currently underway to convert the Port in to an upscale lounge style cinema.

 

Four Star Cinema – In 2008, Garden Grove’s small, independently operated, Four Star Cinema received a much needed remodel and upgrade to digital projection. Under new ownership and re christened the “Family Four”, this theatre has made a valiant attempt to reinvent itself as a viable cinema destination.  

 

Fountain Valley Twin – While not finding new life as a cinema, the long abandoned Fountain Valley Twin was remodeled in to an Asian performing arts center this past Summer.

 

 

Fullerton 20 stabbing – Literally, like a scene right out of a horror movie, two Fullerton 20 patrons were stabbed by a deranged man, while watching the horror film “The Signal”. In August, a suspect, twenty four year old Steven Robinson Jr., was taken in to custody and charged with the crime.

 

Krikorian Buena Park robbery – Covered in an earlier post, Krikorian’s Buena Park location fell victim to a creative criminal, who managed to clean out the theatre’s safe through posing as a Buena Park police detective. Unlike standard theatre robberies, which usually involve a degree of force, this criminal not only talked his way in to the office, but actually convinced the theatre’s manager to open the safe and reveal facility security equipment. To date, no suspect has been named in the robbery.

 

 

Newspaper print adds – A sign of the times, Cinemark/Century theatres dropped their daily block advertisements in the Orange County Register and scaled back the Los Angeles Times to a small “see city listings” note. Other major operators have significantly downsized from their once full page adds and Regal Entertainment Group has announced plans to drop print advertising in the near future.

 

Digital projection – To date, only four Orange County theatres currently offer all digital projection, but, with the development of a digital cooperative between the industry’s “big three” (covered in an earlier post), there are promises that we’ll be seeing far more digital screens in the near future. Additionally, studios are beginning to pick up on the latest cinematic gimmick, digital 3-D, with Dreamworks announcing that all of their animated releases will be made available in the format this year. Whether any of this will live up to the “digital revolution” or industry “turning point” hype remains to be seen.

 

And, there you have Orange County’s 2008 cinema scene in a nutshell. There have certainly been more eventful years, and those that were far less. Personally, I view the year as the beginning of a transition period for both the industry and county scene. Much like the country at large, cinema is looking to find it’s place in a rapidly changing world.

 

“Resurrection dogs” – One of the unwanted side effects of a “dogeroo” cooked hot dog (a somewhat dated rotisserie style machine) is that the franks tend to dehydrate over time. Left rotating for a day, the once plump red wieners, begin to lose their color and take on a shriveled appearance. While still completely edible, the accepted practice is to discard such franks. Yet, one particularly frugal theatre owner developed a rather dubious method for “resurrecting” his dried frankfurters. At the conclusion of each business day, this individual would take the unsold dogs and place them in a jar filled with red Kool-Aid. Soaking overnight, the concept was to both re hydrate and dye the franks a reddish color; thus, ”resurrecting” the old dogs to a more visually appetizing state.

 

“Yesterdogs” –  A normally upscale venue, which has been mentioned in an earlier post here, pinches a few pennies via the “yesterdog”. After closing, any unsold hotdog is removed from the bun and stored in the freezer overnight. The following morning, the franks are reheated and sold as new. Not surprisingly, the “yesterdogs” are lacking the taste and appearance of their fresh grill mates, but the difference is rarely noted by customers. The “yesterdog” moniker is entirely internal in nature and not something the theatre advertises to the public.

 

“Green side down” – Perhaps, the most shockingly distasteful hot dog horror tale took place at one of the major chains, in the mid 90′s. At the time, this chain maintained their prepared hot dogs in plastic “clamshells”, kept in warming cabinets. A perfectly acceptable procedure, as long as the hot dogs were sold in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, theatres with slower business levels began to encounter a problem with the franks turning a pale greenish/gray color, after sitting out for a few hours. Being that this discoloration tended to only occur on the side exposed to the air (i.e. the top), someone in the corporate office came up with a quick fix to the problem; “green side down.” The idea, which was sent out in an official memo, actually titled “green side down”, involved rotating the offending franks, so that the discolored side was facing in to the bun (i.e. downwards). Fortunately, more logical minds eventually prevailed and the company adopted another method for preparing their hot dogs, circumventing the issue all together. But, for a brief time, there was an unpleasant surprise hiding within far too many buns.

 

On a novel side note, one  of the major suppliers of hot dog franks once approached several chains with the idea of burning corporate logos in to their franks, via a laser. To the best of my knowledge, nobody took them up on this offer, so we missed out on biting in to a dog emblazoned with “AMC”, “General Cinemas”, “Pacific Theatres”, etc.