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When a cinema closes, there is rarely an official effort made to preserve anything that doesn’t have a resale value. In recent decades, departing operators have even made a habit of damaging facilities and fixtures, to hinder any future use by competition. However, the former Edwards Huntington Cinema stands as a rare example of an operator [...]

On this week, ten years ago, six national theatre chains announced their plans to form a joint venture that would “begin a new era for the industry”. The chains involved included Lowes Cineplex Entertainment, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark Theatres, General Cinema Theatres, Edwards Theatres, and Century Theatres. The “new” concept would be selling movie tickets online, via Fandango.com. [...]

This past Saturday, Irvine’s Woodbridge Theatre held a celebration in recognition of the venue’s 30th anniversary. Roughly 2,400 people turned out for a day of giveaways, contests, and festivities. .                .           .   In addition to being Irvine’s first theatre, the Woodbridge currently stands as Orange County’s seventh oldest operating cinema; an [...]

Back on February 8, 1960, E.M. Stuart’s ploy to attract visitors to a struggling commercial district of Los Angeles was launched. Fifty years and 2,400 stars later, the two and a half mile Hollywood Walk of Fame stands as one of southern California’s biggest tourist attractions. .   Thirty years ago today, Mann Theatres prepared to open [...]

As we enjoy this year’s holiday blockbuster season, with titles like “Avatar” and “Sherlock Holmes”, here is a quick glimpse of some holiday cinema past. .   Were you to be a theatre goer seventy five years ago, you might be heading to Grauman’s Chinese to catch Shirley Temple in “Bright Eyes”. Those seeking more mature [...]

A ”white Christmas” in Anaheim? Well, about as close as the area has come to having one. .   The photo above was taken on December 8, 1926, when Northern Orange County was hit by an ultra rare “snowstorm”. Amid this “winter wonderland” is the Fox Anaheim (then known as the California Theatre), which was located on West Central Street (present day Lincoln [...]

Today’s picture is of the concession stand at Newport Beach’s Lido Theatre, circa 1960.   Opened in October of 1939, the Lido has managed to stay in near continuous operation for seventy years (a near miracle in Orange County) and stands as one of the county’s only remaining “golden era” cinemas. Fortunately, the Lido has [...]

This week, in 1970, Nation General opened the South Coast Plaza 2 (later to become known as the South Coast Plaza 3), to compliment the neighboring South Coast Plaza Cinema. Among the opening week’s events was a charity champagne reception and screening of the John Wayne western “Rio Lobo”. Being a resident of near bye Newport Beach, Mr. Wayne [...]

Seventeen years ago, Edwards opened the Festival 8 Cinemas, hoping to tap in to the affluent planned community of Anaheim Hills. While the Festival 8 never quite lived up to attendance expectations, the theatre was later expanded to fourteen screens, to stay viable in the megaplex era and trump it’s nearest competitor, Cinemapolis (now known as Cinema City). Yet, the truly notable [...]

Back on November 4, 1948, Costa Mesa welcomed it’s first cinema with the opening of the Mesa Theatre. Having faced strict post World War II construction restrictions, the Mesa’s opening had been long delayed and only came after some prolonged lobbying by city officials; which reached all the way to the White House. The luxurious single screen [...]