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The long delayed reopening of the former Edwards Franciscan Plaza 5 took place this past Friday (5/7/10). Re-christened the Regency San Juan Capistrano, the theatre has undergone a major renovation, now utilizing a Moroccan theme and featuring an eatery, “Rick’s Cafe” (both a nod to the film “Casablanca”). The theatre has also added stadium seating and cut the […]

On May 11, the Fox Fullerton will celebrate it’s 85th anniversary with an evening of festivities and free screening of “Citizen Kane”.  As with the theatre’s previous movie nights, the event will be held in the complex’s rear parking lot, utilizing the auditorium’s exterior wall for a screen. For more information, please visit the following […]

This past week marked the fortieth anniversary of the Buena Park Drive-In. Opened by Pacific Theatres, on April 24, 1970, the Buena Park was located adjacent to the smaller and older Lincoln Drive-In (formerly known as the Cina-Car Drive-In), but the two drive-ins were operated separately until the mid 80’s. Around 1985, the Lincoln was […]

OC History Roundup (an excellent Orange County history blog), posted some pictures of the Crystal Cathedral’s Orange Drive-In artifact collection. Among the items on display are a pair of Koropp window speakers and a piece of the snack bar rooftop.    .   For those wondering why the Crystal Cathedral would hold on to drive-in memorabilia; the church’s […]

Today’s picture is a bit of a mystery theatre. This architectural rendering comes from the 1920 Los Angeles  Times, announcing a “picture playhouse” to be erected in Anaheim. The only other information provided was the builder, Head & Ingram, and the architect, E.J. Borgmeyer.    .   . Edward J. Borgmeyer was a prominent architect in the Los […]

Drama, inaction, and politics continue to plague San Clemente’s Miramar Theatre. This past week, the city notified the long dormant venue’s current owner that he was in violation of city codes, due to a host of ongoing maintenance shortcommings. Naturally, this resulted in a round of finger pointing between the city and current owner, Marc Spizzurri; […]

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 […]

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 […]

Seems my lack of faith in the long dormant Brea Plaza 5 was unwarranted. Passing by the Brea Town Center this afternoon, I noticed “Brea Plaza Cinemas 5” listed as one of the future tenants for the soon to be remodeled center. I’ll post more information as it becomes available. For now, a pleasant turn […]