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103 Years Ago: The Temple Theatre

ccrouch — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:11:27 +0000

Today marks the 103^rd anniversary of the Temple Theatre. Opened on February 1, 1909, at a cost of a then whopping $15,000, the theatre was among the first cinemas to operate in Orange County. The first county cinema title belongs to either the “opera house” of the 2^nd Spurgeon Building or the Santa Ana Electric Theatre, depending on how one chooses to define cinema. Yet, no matter which location truly deserves the founding moniker, the Temple unquestionably pioneered and popularized the concept of movie going in Orange County.

A bit of trivia on the Temple Theatre: the venue’s first manager, A.M. “Doc” Roberts, formerly ran the county’s “first” cinema, the Santa Ana Electric Theatre.

An Unlikely Survivor At 40

ccrouch — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:49:22 +0000

In what could easy be viewed as one of the more surprising of survival stories, the Santa Ana/South Coast Metro area’s Village Theatre turned forty last week. Opened on December 22, 1971, this modest triplex has managed to outlast all of its area peers and currently stands as Orange County’s fifth oldest theatre, in continuous operation. An achievement of particular note, when one stops to consider the Village reached such a milestone without the benefit of historical significance, unique architecture, or even additions/modernization. A forty year old three screen, running art/reparatory programming for well over twenty of those years, located adjacent to tony South Coast Plaza; the figurative oxymoron success story of Orange County cinema.

While the interior decor has been changed out several times over the past four decades, there remain a few hints of the theatre’s roots, hidden from public view. The Village’s projection/office stairwell is still lined with United Artists logo carpeting; a remnant from the venue’s original operator.

A Star Studded Grand Opening Past

ccrouch — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:01:35 +0000

Forty years ago this week, the Fullerton area was host to a “star studded” grand opening for the Yorba Linda Cinema (aka Yorba Linda Jerry Lewis Mini Cinema). In addition to mingling with area VIPs and cutting the customary opening ribbon, the celebrities in attendance, Debbie Reynolds and Glen Ford, also left their hand prints in a commemorative tile outside the theatre.

While surely eventful for the local crowd, Reynolds and Ford were almost making a second career out of grand opening appearances at the time. During the early 70’s, the twosome had become the go to celebrities for grand openings, of all kinds, and were virtual contract players for most Jerry Lewis Mini Cinema openings of the day.

The Yorba Linda Cinema had a relatively short run after its big night. As with most of the Jerry Lewis Mini Cinemas (a subject covered in an earlier post), the theatre soon fell on hard times and never quite managed to establish a steady business level. By mid decade the site was closed and converted to retail. Today, there is no sign of the former cinema left, with even the “for all eternity” concrete hand prints having vanished from existence.

Island 7 Relaunch Set

ccrouch — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:23:32 +0000

The former Edwards Island 7 is set to reopen on 12/16/11, as the Island Cinema. According to the Irvine Company, the remodeled theatre will now offer a premium experience; including reserved seating, leather chairs, 21+ auditoriums, enhanced menu items, and alcohol service. In a unique move, they are also promoting a theatre concierge, which will assist in dinner reservations at Fashion Island restaurants, in addition to in house services. The theatre will continue to be operated by REG, but no mention has been made if Edwards branding will be utilized for the revamped cinema.

Bakersfield’s Haunted Projection Booth

ccrouch — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:34:36 +0000

In the spirit of the Halloween season, here is a picture from the reputed “haunted” projection booth at the Movies 6, up in Bakersfield. A former United Artist location, which was opened in 1979, the theatre is currently operated as a discount venue by Starplex Cinemas.

Current and former employees have passed on tales of unusual noises and strange goings on in the booth for a number of years. One projectionist is even alleged to have captured a voice from beyond on a tape recorder that was left running in the haunted chamber.

Departing somewhat disappointed, after my visit to the theatre a couple of months ago, I only encountered the spirits of cast off 35mm equipment; most notably, this old Goldberg reel rewinder.

A Summer Night Past

ccrouch — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 08:27:00 +0000

In recognition of summer coming to a close, today’s picture captures a July evening at Anaheim’s Brookhurst Theatre (circa 2009).

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.

Another Conversion on the Horizon

ccrouch — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:38:09 +0000

Word has leaked out that Edwards Rancho Santa Margarita 6 will be heading for a luxury remodel/upgrade, under the operation of Cinepolis, in the near future. Unlike the makeover about to be undertaken at Laguna Niguel’s Ocean Ranch 7, the Rancho Santa Margarita site doesn’t have any concrete plans in place yet. However, the changeover has been termed as “inevitable”, once Cinepolis finalizes the paperwork and Edwards’ lease expires (at an undisclosed date).

While most will welcome this conversion to luxury boutique cinemas, the change will also mark the loss of two pristine examples of early 90′s era Edwards multiplexes. In a somewhat bizarre bit of cyclical history, fully intact, pre stadium, multiplexes are becoming increasingly rare; succumbing to the same sort of progress their single screen predecessors suffered through decades earlier.

A New Era For The Yost Theatre

ccrouch — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:54:25 +0000

This Friday, August 5, the Yost Theatre celebrates it’s grand reopening. The ninety-nine year old Yost has sat semi dormant for the past two decades; serving as a church and sporadic host of live events during that period. Now, fresh off a pricey remodel and upgrade, Orange County’s oldest standing theatre will once again open it’s doors for full time entertainment purposes. Thus far, plans don’t seem to include any cinematic offerings, as the venue has been earmarked for live concerts and club use in this latest incarnation.

The Yost’s rebirth has also come with a bit of controversy, as local activists and politicians have pointed to the venue as a flagship of downtown Santa Ana’s alleged gentrification. A hotspot for Latino culture and commerce, for some fifty years, the downtown area has been undergoing a transformation over the past decade; transitioning in to what critics have labeled an affluent “hispster” scene. As longtime Hispanic businesses begin to disappear, in favor of trendy outlets and art lofts, some have come to question the motives behind these changes. Still, there are others who feel this is a welcome change from the “armpit of Orange County” reputation the area had suffered through and welcome downtown’s possible return to glory.

In any case, the Yost reopening it’s doors to the public is certainly welcome news. For more information on the theatre’s namesake, please take a look at our earlier post on Ed Yost. For more information on the downtown Santa Ana theatre scene refer to our post here.

Laguna Niguel to See Luxury Cinema Soon

ccrouch — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:10:51 +0000

Edwards Ocean Ranch 7, in Laguna Niguel, will be converted in to a high end boutique cinema this fall. The Latin American chain, Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, has announced that they will be taking over the lease and conducting a five to six month remodel; with plans to reopen the site in April of 2012.

Once completed, the theatre will feature leather recliner seats, in theatre dining/alcohol service, and digital projection. Representatives of Cinepolis have stated that the theatre’s exterior will remain relatively unchanged, but the interior will receive a “cleaner and sleeker” look. Ticket prices will be bumped up in to the $13.50 to $18.00 range, with food prices “comparable to the average restaurant menu”.

Founded in 1947, Cinepolis is currently the largest theatre operator in Latin America. Laguna Niguel will mark the company’s third venture in to the United States, with two locations already underway in the San Diego area.

Disneyland’s Main Street Cinema

ccrouch — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:09:37 +0000

A novel anniversary, as Disneyland’s Main Street Cinema opened on this week, back in 1955. Some might argue that this is more of a theme park attraction than true cinema, but, when one gets down to it, the Main Street Cinema is actually a throwback to the storefront nickelodeons of movie going’s founding years.

Today, the theatre runs classic Mickey Mouse shorts on a continuous loop, but, as can be seen in this picture from the cinema’s early days, the Main Street once featured William S. Hart westerns and Keystone Kops comedy short subjects (both highly popular staples of 1915 – 1920 cinema).