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On this week, back in 1997, Orange County bid farewell to it’s final formal drive-in, with the closure of Westminister’s Hi-Way 39. .   Epitomizing drive-in culture, with near year round fair weather and an auto based social dynamic, the county was once home to twelve highly popular outdoor cinemas. Sadly, mirroring the genre’s decline elsewhere, all of Orange County’s ozoners eventually [...]

There are some theatres which fail to leave a notable mark on history due to a lack of long term financial success and/or poor location. Others quickly fade from the collective memory as a result of the sub par offerings they once provided. Then, there stands the unavoidable veil of time, which grows ever more thick with [...]

Corporate mascots have long been utilized as a marketing tool, to aid in creating a brand identity and accessible “face” for, otherwise, sterile business entities. While theatre operators have never managed to establish a mascot persona as recognizable as Ronald McDonald or the Geico Gecko, many have certainly attempted to place a colorful character at the helm [...]

If you have ever attended a movie in February, you’ve likely encountered Variety, the Children’s Charity. Prior to the mid 90′s, you may have seen a celebrity endorsed trailer for the charity, followed by a donation basket being passed through the audience. In more recent years, you’ve probably noted your theatre of choice selling gold, heart shaped, [...]

Recent news of the Newport Beach Film Festival’s hurried search for a new venue brought to mind a lesser known county festival, which briefly attempted to carve out a cinematic niche,  just south of Newport.   Back in the late 90′s, the Laguna Beach Exchange Club (a local chapter of the now 100 year old [...]

What do  Fullerton’s Fox and Grauman’s Chinese have in common? Beyond the obvious link of being 20′s era theatres, each was designed by the gentleman pictured below. .   A prominent architectural designer, Raymond M. Kennedy played  a major role in shaping the commercial landscape of southern california during the 1920′s. While employed by noted builder Meyer and [...]

On this evening, seventy five years ago, Santa Ana’s West Coast Theatre held their gala reopening, following a month long remodeling. .   Thankfully, the West Coast still stands today, in remarkably good shape. While currently home to a church, there have long been rumors that the congregation is looking to move on to a larger facility, [...]

Twenty five years ago, Edwards opened a trio of theatres on the Southern California market, just in time for the holiday season of 1985. All three venues offered the latest in multiplex amenities and met with instant success, but each experienced differing fates, following Edwards’ millennium implosion. .   Exemplifying the mid/late 80′s multiplex movement, the Charter Centre 5, Foothill Center 6, and Village [...]

Today’s picture exemplifies the unidentified and forgotten bits of cinema history that are floating around out there. While sold to me as a “paperweight”, this chunk of metal is actually a piece of the structural steel that went in to building Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. A left over punching from the manufacturing process, the piece was affixed to [...]

Today’s picture is a bit of a cinema documentation rarity, capturing one of the Fountain Valley Drive-In’s restrooms (circa late 1960′s). Hardly surprising, restrooms were/are seldom documented for posterity. This particular photo comes from a 1969 “Motion Picture and Theatre Presentation Manual” discussion on proper sanitation facilities. .