Montclair Savings Cinema
9355 Monte Vista Avenue,
Montclair,
CA
91763
9355 Monte Vista Avenue,
Montclair,
CA
91763
7 people
favorited this theater
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As one of the two projectionists for thirty years at the Montclair “Twin” then “Triplex” then “Eightplex” then “Fiveplex” then nothing, I saw many changes in the facility from ‘twinning’ the large auditorium to adding the fiveplex in the back making it an eightplex to the distruction of the front theatre to the closure and distruction of the back five. The Montclair Cinema’s last day was September 2, 2000. I know. I was there to break down the film and start dismantling the projection equipment. A sad day. And a loss of a thirty-year-old job.
Here’s something that popped up in the “General Cinema Locations” thread on Cinematour.com: a training video for ticketing cashiers for the Montclair Cinema. Enjoy!
View link
So was this technically two separate theatres? (ie. separate entrances/lobbies?)
Man, this was my home away from home during my childhood in the ‘80s. Saw everything here from “Spaceballs” to “The Great Outdoors” to “Batman” (on opening day) to “Back to the Future parts II & III” to “Jurassic Park” to… I could go on and on. So sad that both theatres are gone… So many great memories will live on though! This will always be a part of my childhood.
Bill was there when i was playing Dr. Scott at Rocky Horror in the late ‘80s-early '90s.
When was the screen on the left side of the original building twinned?
Actually,Zubi,the SRO Montclair 3(later Pacific Montclair 3,they expanded it to a 5-plex shortly after the acquisition)was located on Holt Blvd.
The Indian Hill was near the Pomona/Montclair border on Indian Hill Blvd.
Here is an April 1969 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/oemace
Opened as a twin on June 22, 1969, according to the LA Times. Here is part of an article on that date:
Southern California’s first Cinema I & II, a $1 million dual theater complex designed to meet adult and general family entertainment needs, just opened at the Montclair Plaza shopping center. This is the forerunner of 40 proposed Southland Cinema I & II theaters, according to Arthur Silber, West Coast manager for General Cinema, Inc.
Burke, Kober, Nicolais & Archuleta, Los Angeles and San Francisco architectural firm, designed the 1,500 seat structure for owners Montclair Associates and lessee General Cinema.
There were two other theaters in Montclair at one time, the UA 6 (now a church) and another one on Holt between Ramona and Indian Hill. Does anyone remember the name of that theater? I saw alot of movies at all three Montclair theaters.
Living in Montclair, this was one of the three theaters within walking distance of my house. I loved going to the Midnight Shows! They not only showed Rocky Horror, but things like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Heavy Metal, and various horror flicks. Saw Legend and My Deadly Friend at the midnight shows, lol!
Remember going to a packed house to see E.T. here when it was released.
Montclair went from having 3 walk in theaters and 1 drive in to only having the drive in. Sad, really sad.
On June 15, 2008 I passed by this old haunt to see how it has been changed… It is now part of the expanded Bally’s Fitness. The building which used to house multiple businesses is now a single gym large enough to have its own zip code.
I saw “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” here.
It also played there in late 1979 to early 1980.
I managed the two complexes for 12 years. 1983 to 1995 before going over to Paramount Pictures. I even started up the midnight shows with The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a summer kid show series along with a monthly senior citizen show. It was sad to see these theatres go with the times but as we all know bigger and better theatres are always being built.
Opened in 1969 as a Loews three screener. Sold to General Cinema in the 70s'.
The back five theatres opened in 1979.
Adjacent to the back building,there was a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store,a comedy club called “The Laugh Stop” and a Bally’s Fitness.
Address Correction: 9355 Monte Vista Ave.
Pictures: http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=2184