An acquaintance of mine managed an adult theatre in the late 70’s. One of the many interesting observations he shared concerned the condition of his former theatre. He noted that there was rarely an issue with adult era patrons damaging the facility or even causing a notable degree of wear. Most of his venue’s wear and tear was pre existing, from the theatre’s previous life as a traditional cinema, and remained/grew worse as a result of the owner’s lack of interest in spending money on maintenance. He even felt that the “porno crowd” were some of the best behaved he encountered over his career, as the majority were focused on remaining anonymous and passing through with the least degree of fuss. I once asked him if he ever received a customer complaint; he responded, “What was there to complain about? The film wasn’t arousing enough?”
Apparently, the Brea 5 will survive the mall’s remodel. Tristone Cinema Group (the same party that took on Anaheim’s Brookhurst and operates two other discount theatres) will reopen the Brea 5 sometime this year.
Ugh, it pains me to read some of these responses. Movie Theatres are a for profit business, the profit comes almost entirely from concession sales. Yes, food costs more at the concession stand, but that markup goes to cover rent, facility upkeep, salaries, advertising, etc.; while hopfully keeping enough to pull in a profit. Additionally, they must take advantage of very short sales windows (i.e. they don’t have day long opportunities, only the brief time before each set of shows starts). Theatre owners, even the big chains, aren’t out to rip anyone off, nor are they particularly greedy across the board. They are simply businesses trying to work within a very tight profit margin. If you take a look at most theatres' finances, you’ll find that they aren’t rolling in huge profits (especially in comparison to other industries).
The Fall of 09' will see the theatre utilized as a temporary horror attraction once again. However, this appears to be the venue’s “last hurrah”, as the property is advertising a major redevelopment for the overall complex; the architectural rendering appears to depict a new in-line “big box” center that would replace all of the existing structures.
To supplement my earlier profile; Mann opened the Brea Plaza, as a four screen, on 4/1/77.
I would be surprised if a “name” chain buys the theatre. Hefty purcase price, fourteen year operating limit (unless the landlord agrees to what would likely be a very expensive extension), difficult to book competitively, challenging to operate, etc.; the Chinese just doesn’t fit with the modern business model most chains follow. I would imagine a private entrepreneur(s) or party working in a joint venture with CIM would be more likely candidates.
The original grand opening was held on the weekend of 8/17/84. Among the opening giveaway items and prizes was a raffle for a 14' Hobie Cat sailboat. The theatre’s opening films were: Tightrope, Cloak & Dagger, Sam’s Son, Sheena, Karate Kid, Woman in Red, and a midnight showing of Woodstock.
Here is how I understand the history of Laguna Beach theatres:
The first Lynn Theatre operated for several years at 255 Forest Ave (now a Boardriders Club clothing outlet) and closed in the early 1920’s. In 1922, a second Lynn Theatre (still billed as the Lynn) opened on the current theatre’s 162 South Coast Highway site. This theatre was heavily damaged by flooding, rebuilt, and reopened in 1935, as the New Lynn. At some point, likely during the New Lynn’s construction, another Lynn theatre was opened at 250 Ocean Ave (billed as the Ocean Ave. Lynn). When the two theatre’s were sold to the Vincent family, circa 1936, the New Lynn became the South Coast Cinemas and the Ocean Ave. Lynn became the Laguna Theatre. All of these Lynn theatres were named after a member of the original operator’s family Lynn Aufdenkamp.
United Artists Communications maintained the master lease on the theatre throughout the Mitchell Brothers occupancy; subletting to the Mitchells for fifteen years and ultimately declining to renew with them, in 1990.
The theatre closed on June 30, 1990, with “The First Time,” “Hot Lips” and “The Devil in Miss Jones IV.”
The City of Santa Ana’s efforts to close this theatre, via legal means, were such that, for 11 years, a former LAPD vice officer was paid $30 an hour to attended every movie shown at the theater; watching the films, audiotaping dialogue, and taking notes, so a judge could review the films for the 47 obscenity cases filed during that period.
In 1987, after Santa Ana finally gave up on trying to close the theatre, the city paid the Mitchell Brothers $120,000 to remove the theatre’s marquee.
The El Toro opened on 11/23/84. The theatre was standard 80’s era Edwards in design; “open back” box office/cash control area, two story lobby, second floor restrooms, smallish concession stand, undersized support areas, etc.
General Cinema opened this theatre on 7/12/74, as the Saddleback 1-2-3. Edwards added the site to their chain in the late 70’s and opened the second triplex on 2/8/80. Located in El Toro for most of it’s run as a cinema (El Toro became Lake Forest in 1991), the theatre was joined by both the Edwards El Toro 5 and Edwards/Sanborn Laguna Hills Mall 3 in the 1980’s; resulting in three Edwards sites being located roughly a mile away from one another and a, then surprising, fourteen screens serving the area.
In early March of 2001, a mall water line broke, forcing the theatre to close for repairs. After about a week of being advertised as “reopening soon”, Edwards announced that they were shuttering the venue for good (the water damage had allowed the troubled chain to utilize an escape clause in their lease).
Even if this event had not taken place, I don’t imagine the theatre would have lasted much longer. By the time it closed, the theatre was in sad shape and devoid of customers. Typical of many older sites Edwards was operating at the time, the chain had completely neglected the theatre for years; they basically gave up on the Westminster Mall after opening the nearbye Westminster 10, in 92'.
Regency Theatres has officially signed on to reopen the Franciscan Plaza. The opening is slated for November 2009. Along with an extensive remodel, partially funded by a $450,000 loan from the city, a bar/lounge will be added to the second floor.
As for the flooding mentioned earlier, I believe you are thinking of another theatre (perhaps, the Laguna Beach South Coast). The Niguel was located well above sea level and not directly adjascent to the ocean (a large gated community has stood on the ocean side of PCH for quite some time). The Niguel’s flooding and water damage issues were the result of the theatre being built at the base of a hillside; i.e. drainage problems during heavy rains. While the theatre is long gone, Monarch Bay Plaza still stands, near the corner of Crown Valley and PCH.
The first “mystery theatre” picture, is the Santa Ana Theatre (also billed as the Santa Ana Electric Theatre), which was located on east 4th street. The theatre was operated by “Doc” Roberts (he’s the man standing on the far left hand side of the photo). The Santa Ana library dates the theatre opening/picture to 1908, while the City of Santa Ana lists 1906; in either case, this would make the Santa Ana/Electric Theatre the first commercial movie theatre in Orange County, predating the Temple Theatre (which has traditionally been billed as the first) by a year or two.
This theatre was originally a Cinemark and was later sold to Interstate Theatres (which merged with Starplex Cinemas). As the name implies, the theatre is located near a livestock processing center.
The Fountain Valley Twin was opened by Loew’s on 12/24/71. The opening features were “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “T.R. Baskin”. General Cinemas took the theatre over in 1973.
A very modest strip mall cinema, that served as Stanton’s only movie theatre, until Edwards' Village Center 6 opened in the mid 80’s. Formerly part of the Loew’s chain, the Stanton Theatre’s sole moment of notoriety came in 1969, when the theatre was one of two Orange County venues (the other being Newport Beach’s Balboa Theatre) raided for showing “I am Curious, Yellow”. The seized films resulted in a case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. When the theatre was closed for remodeling in 1977, there was a permit stipulation, that no future x-rated or un rated films be shown, before the site was allowed to reopen.
After Edwards opened the Village Center 6, the, now independently owned, Stanton Theatre quickly fell out of favor with movie goers and turned to Indian films, with limited success. The theatre was closed for good by the mid 90’s and sat vacant for years. A frequent site for break ins, vandalism, and transient squatters, the theatre was damaged by a fire in the late 90’s. In early 2005, the entire strip mall was razed to make way for a new commercial development.
Joe Vogel posted: “Maybe Cecil is one of Harry’s sons, or perhaps a grandson”
I believe Cecil is (was?) Harry’s son, as an early 60’s news bit, about the opening of Anaheim’s Brookhurst Theatre (another Vinnicof Theatre), lists Vinnicof & Son Theatres as being operated by Harry and Cecil Vinnicof.
An acquaintance of mine managed an adult theatre in the late 70’s. One of the many interesting observations he shared concerned the condition of his former theatre. He noted that there was rarely an issue with adult era patrons damaging the facility or even causing a notable degree of wear. Most of his venue’s wear and tear was pre existing, from the theatre’s previous life as a traditional cinema, and remained/grew worse as a result of the owner’s lack of interest in spending money on maintenance. He even felt that the “porno crowd” were some of the best behaved he encountered over his career, as the majority were focused on remaining anonymous and passing through with the least degree of fuss. I once asked him if he ever received a customer complaint; he responded, “What was there to complain about? The film wasn’t arousing enough?”
Apparently, the Brea 5 will survive the mall’s remodel. Tristone Cinema Group (the same party that took on Anaheim’s Brookhurst and operates two other discount theatres) will reopen the Brea 5 sometime this year.
Ugh, it pains me to read some of these responses. Movie Theatres are a for profit business, the profit comes almost entirely from concession sales. Yes, food costs more at the concession stand, but that markup goes to cover rent, facility upkeep, salaries, advertising, etc.; while hopfully keeping enough to pull in a profit. Additionally, they must take advantage of very short sales windows (i.e. they don’t have day long opportunities, only the brief time before each set of shows starts). Theatre owners, even the big chains, aren’t out to rip anyone off, nor are they particularly greedy across the board. They are simply businesses trying to work within a very tight profit margin. If you take a look at most theatres' finances, you’ll find that they aren’t rolling in huge profits (especially in comparison to other industries).
The Fall of 09' will see the theatre utilized as a temporary horror attraction once again. However, this appears to be the venue’s “last hurrah”, as the property is advertising a major redevelopment for the overall complex; the architectural rendering appears to depict a new in-line “big box” center that would replace all of the existing structures.
To supplement my earlier profile; Mann opened the Brea Plaza, as a four screen, on 4/1/77.
I would be surprised if a “name” chain buys the theatre. Hefty purcase price, fourteen year operating limit (unless the landlord agrees to what would likely be a very expensive extension), difficult to book competitively, challenging to operate, etc.; the Chinese just doesn’t fit with the modern business model most chains follow. I would imagine a private entrepreneur(s) or party working in a joint venture with CIM would be more likely candidates.
The original grand opening was held on the weekend of 8/17/84. Among the opening giveaway items and prizes was a raffle for a 14' Hobie Cat sailboat. The theatre’s opening films were: Tightrope, Cloak & Dagger, Sam’s Son, Sheena, Karate Kid, Woman in Red, and a midnight showing of Woodstock.
Per newspaper listings: The Paulo opened on 7/8/49, with a double bill of “Streets of Laredo” and “City Across the River”.
Here is how I understand the history of Laguna Beach theatres:
The first Lynn Theatre operated for several years at 255 Forest Ave (now a Boardriders Club clothing outlet) and closed in the early 1920’s. In 1922, a second Lynn Theatre (still billed as the Lynn) opened on the current theatre’s 162 South Coast Highway site. This theatre was heavily damaged by flooding, rebuilt, and reopened in 1935, as the New Lynn. At some point, likely during the New Lynn’s construction, another Lynn theatre was opened at 250 Ocean Ave (billed as the Ocean Ave. Lynn). When the two theatre’s were sold to the Vincent family, circa 1936, the New Lynn became the South Coast Cinemas and the Ocean Ave. Lynn became the Laguna Theatre. All of these Lynn theatres were named after a member of the original operator’s family Lynn Aufdenkamp.
United Artists Communications maintained the master lease on the theatre throughout the Mitchell Brothers occupancy; subletting to the Mitchells for fifteen years and ultimately declining to renew with them, in 1990.
The theatre closed on June 30, 1990, with “The First Time,” “Hot Lips” and “The Devil in Miss Jones IV.”
The City of Santa Ana’s efforts to close this theatre, via legal means, were such that, for 11 years, a former LAPD vice officer was paid $30 an hour to attended every movie shown at the theater; watching the films, audiotaping dialogue, and taking notes, so a judge could review the films for the 47 obscenity cases filed during that period.
In 1987, after Santa Ana finally gave up on trying to close the theatre, the city paid the Mitchell Brothers $120,000 to remove the theatre’s marquee.
The Brookhurst is scheduled to reopen as “Brookhurst 4 Discount Cinemas” on July 3, 2009.
The El Toro opened on 11/23/84. The theatre was standard 80’s era Edwards in design; “open back” box office/cash control area, two story lobby, second floor restrooms, smallish concession stand, undersized support areas, etc.
General Cinema opened this theatre on 7/12/74, as the Saddleback 1-2-3. Edwards added the site to their chain in the late 70’s and opened the second triplex on 2/8/80. Located in El Toro for most of it’s run as a cinema (El Toro became Lake Forest in 1991), the theatre was joined by both the Edwards El Toro 5 and Edwards/Sanborn Laguna Hills Mall 3 in the 1980’s; resulting in three Edwards sites being located roughly a mile away from one another and a, then surprising, fourteen screens serving the area.
In early March of 2001, a mall water line broke, forcing the theatre to close for repairs. After about a week of being advertised as “reopening soon”, Edwards announced that they were shuttering the venue for good (the water damage had allowed the troubled chain to utilize an escape clause in their lease).
Even if this event had not taken place, I don’t imagine the theatre would have lasted much longer. By the time it closed, the theatre was in sad shape and devoid of customers. Typical of many older sites Edwards was operating at the time, the chain had completely neglected the theatre for years; they basically gave up on the Westminster Mall after opening the nearbye Westminster 10, in 92'.
Regency Theatres has officially signed on to reopen the Franciscan Plaza. The opening is slated for November 2009. Along with an extensive remodel, partially funded by a $450,000 loan from the city, a bar/lounge will be added to the second floor.
As for the flooding mentioned earlier, I believe you are thinking of another theatre (perhaps, the Laguna Beach South Coast). The Niguel was located well above sea level and not directly adjascent to the ocean (a large gated community has stood on the ocean side of PCH for quite some time). The Niguel’s flooding and water damage issues were the result of the theatre being built at the base of a hillside; i.e. drainage problems during heavy rains. While the theatre is long gone, Monarch Bay Plaza still stands, near the corner of Crown Valley and PCH.
The first “mystery theatre” picture, is the Santa Ana Theatre (also billed as the Santa Ana Electric Theatre), which was located on east 4th street. The theatre was operated by “Doc” Roberts (he’s the man standing on the far left hand side of the photo). The Santa Ana library dates the theatre opening/picture to 1908, while the City of Santa Ana lists 1906; in either case, this would make the Santa Ana/Electric Theatre the first commercial movie theatre in Orange County, predating the Temple Theatre (which has traditionally been billed as the first) by a year or two.
It was originally an AMC. Interstate/Starplex were the second tenants.
Starplex Cinemas sold this theatre. Effective 3/20/09, the theatre is operated by Elvis Cinemas.
This theatre was originally a Cinemark and was later sold to Interstate Theatres (which merged with Starplex Cinemas). As the name implies, the theatre is located near a livestock processing center.
Edwards took over the theatre in 1978.
The Fountain Valley Twin was opened by Loew’s on 12/24/71. The opening features were “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “T.R. Baskin”. General Cinemas took the theatre over in 1973.
A very modest strip mall cinema, that served as Stanton’s only movie theatre, until Edwards' Village Center 6 opened in the mid 80’s. Formerly part of the Loew’s chain, the Stanton Theatre’s sole moment of notoriety came in 1969, when the theatre was one of two Orange County venues (the other being Newport Beach’s Balboa Theatre) raided for showing “I am Curious, Yellow”. The seized films resulted in a case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court. When the theatre was closed for remodeling in 1977, there was a permit stipulation, that no future x-rated or un rated films be shown, before the site was allowed to reopen.
After Edwards opened the Village Center 6, the, now independently owned, Stanton Theatre quickly fell out of favor with movie goers and turned to Indian films, with limited success. The theatre was closed for good by the mid 90’s and sat vacant for years. A frequent site for break ins, vandalism, and transient squatters, the theatre was damaged by a fire in the late 90’s. In early 2005, the entire strip mall was razed to make way for a new commercial development.
Joe Vogel posted: “Maybe Cecil is one of Harry’s sons, or perhaps a grandson”
I believe Cecil is (was?) Harry’s son, as an early 60’s news bit, about the opening of Anaheim’s Brookhurst Theatre (another Vinnicof Theatre), lists Vinnicof & Son Theatres as being operated by Harry and Cecil Vinnicof.
After being divided in to four screens, the Brookurst was operated by the folowing companies:
American Family Theatres 1992 – 1997
Globe Theatres 1998 – 2003
Interstate/Starplex Cinemas 2003 – 2006