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In recognition of the holiday weekend, we feature the first Mann Theatres Thanksgiving print advertisement. Fresh off the purchase of National General, the newly rebranded chain was still reflective of its’ National/Fox/Fox West Coast past at the time; dominated by aging single/twin screens and lacking the modern multiplexes that would soon become the company’s hallmark. […]

Today’s picture is from a late 1990’s policy trailer for AMC’s MovieWatcher. For those who don’t remember MovieWatcher, the program was similar to present day rewards programs (AMC Stubs, Regal Crown Club, etc), but much more streamlined/basic than modern day equivalents. Back in the 90’s and early 00’s, patrons submitted a form with their contact […]

Back in 1958, Box Office Magazine ran an article on, Kansas City based, Commonwealth Theatres’ (bought by United Artists in 1991) “Management College”. The twenty week program was designed to train management candidates from the ground up; providing industry newcomers with a crash course in everything needed to operate a movie theatre and filling in […]

Irvine’s Woodbridge Theatre quietly turned forty on February 8, 2020. A significant milestone, when one considers all that has taken place over the past four decades. A saturation of modern theatres in the area, the megaplex/stadium seating era, the financial collapse of two operators, and countless shifts in public tastes unfolded around this modest five […]

This evening we witnessed an unprecedented event in the history of movie going, as every movie theatre in the United States (likely most of the world) closed indefinitely. On hearing the news that the last few holdouts had fallen in line with national guidelines, I attempted to find a point of comparison, some similar period […]

As the 92nd Academy Awards wrap up a 3 1/2 hour worldwide broadcast and transition into endless recaps, reviews, and followup commentary, we take a quick look at a very different ceremony that took place for the 1st Academy Awards. Back on May 16, 1929, two hundred seventy people paid $5 a piece to attend […]

New theatre openings have become somewhat scarce in recent years, with exhibitors tending to favor remodeling existing venues and acquiring competition, as a means for expanding their presence. In Turn, these facility upgrades and transfers in ownership rarely garner more than a “blink and you’ll miss it” public notice of the change. However, back when […]

Staying in the holiday spirit, today’s picture is of a 1941 Fox West Coast Theatres’ “Christmas Theatre Ticket”. Due to the gift certificate like appearance, I would normally assume these were purchased from F.W.C. theatres as gifts. However, given the very limited seasonal window for use (December 14 – 27), they may have been distributed […]

In recognition of this evening’s 86th Academy Awards ceremony, here is a picture of Sid Grauman being awarded his honorary Oscar for “raising the standard for film exhibition of motion pictures” at the 21st Academy Awards, held on March 24, 1949 (roughly a year before his death on March 5, 1950). In addition to being […]

Those who attended Corona Del Mar’s Port, during the theatre’s inaugural years, were treated to “The Magic Screen of The Future”. Branded with a somewhat schlocky name and grandiose marketing, at the time of its’ 1949 launch, the Starke Cycloramic Custom Screen was promoted as offering a brighter, more uniform, picture, via the exclusion of […]