The Fox Cinemaland was demolished in January 1998 after sitting idle for years. It opened shortly after the South Coast Plaza theatre in Costa Mesa, CA by the NGC chain.
Just by way of info, the Fox Anaheim was refurbished in the late-1950s and equipped with stereophonic sound.
I found a reference in Motion Picture Herarld to this theatre’s projection equipment. Is anybody familiar with Motiograph? Was this projector capable of showing both 35mm and 70mm? The only references I’ve found on it said certain Motiograph projectors were built in the 1800s to 1940s. It seems unusual that a then-new theatre in Rolling Hills would be equipped with an old projection system.
According to Boxoffice (June 22 1966), this theatre sat 1150 and was equipped with Norelco 35/70mm projectors. It was the first new theatre built on Staten Island in 30 years at that point in time.
And if I’m not mistaken, the two additional “large auditoriums” were opened prior to 1992. I saw “Father of the Bride” there in 1991.
The complex, especially when it was opened in 1987, was fairly uninspiring. It was similiar in decorative features to the AMC MainPlace which opened earlier that year. But in my opinion, the MainPlace theatres (especially the big 70mm houses) were nicer. I don’t know if I’d call the AMC Fullerton classic, but it was more of an improvement over AMC’s previous fare, like the Orange Mall 6.
Pacific Theatres was planning a large megaplex on the site of the old Anaheim Drive-In, just down the street and off the 91 Freeway. AMC had expanded their Fullerton complex to 20 screens, but I’m not clear on the exact year. The first time I visited the stadium side was for the engagement of “South Park.” But I think that Pacific backed out because of AMC’s presence within such a small radius. A Lowes Home Improvement store sits on the site of the old drive-in.
Excuse the pun, but this once regal theatre wasn’t always poorly run with screenings of the “2Wenty,” an open screen, re-wired surround sound and dim 35mm projection on its massive screen. This was once a class act in Orange County, and it’s a shame that Regal has let it go to waste.
They did some renovation with new curtains and speakers, but overall, they’ve cheapened the experience of going to this theatre with the above mentioned issues. This flagship should be just that—a flagship! Regal should run it as a special theatre where moviegoers can experience films far and above the general megaplex one can find anywhere in their town. Anybody can go to a typical and bland shoebox megaplex today. Not everyone in Orange County can go to a big screen theatre like Big Newport.
Junk the “2Twenty” (and I thought AMC was bad with their preshow “entertainment”), close the curtains, present music according to the theme of the movie being played that night, and re-wire the surrounds so that front channel dialogue is heard on the front channel—not the surrounds. Gee, kind of like how they used to run movies in the “old days.”
I saw “The Matrix: Reloaded” on the big screen and the curtains were wide open prior to the feature. But on “Star Wars III,” they closed them for a brief moment as described in the article pasted here.
Mann Valley West shut down
By Brent Hopkins and Evan Pondel, Staff Writers
TARZANA – Mann Valley West rolled its last reel Thursday night, clearing the way for demolition of the theater and some nearby shops and for construction of an upscale retail development.
Bounced between owners for decades, the movie house was one of only a few remaining on Ventura Boulevard, and it bowed out with late showings of “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo” and “Skeleton Key.” Mann representatives confirmed that Thursday night’s shows were the last.
“I’m really saddened by the news,” said Jennifer Lewis, who worked there as an usher at age 16 and now owns Body & Sol Swimwear up the block. “The Mann is where I go see all my movies. It’s a Tarzana landmark.”
The development company notified business owners several months ago of renovation plans to bring in an upscale grocery and other high-tone shops.
Although the theater lacked the stadium seating and ritzy digital projection of the megaplexes, local residents expressed displeasure at its closure.
“Most of the residents here in Tarzana got very upset,” said Helen Itria Norman, president of the Tarzana Property Owners Association. “You get used to having something in a location, even if you don’t patronize it.”
She said the theater and neighboring buildings, including Shoe Pavilion, would be razed in October to make way for extensive construction. retail, restaurants and possibly condominiums will be developed in three phases.
Norman said residents have lobbied the developers to include a new theater in the construction plan.
“They’re very sad about losing it, but they accept the fact that the new shopping center will be most attractive,” she said. “We’ll do our best to make it succeed.”
Charles Greene, a North Hills resident who still made the trip down to Tarzana, mourned the loss of the theater he’d frequented for years.
“I try to get in for the cheap matinee,” he said. “There’s a lot of the old theaters closing down. It’s sad that they’re closing.”
I was in Beverly Hills the night before this theatre was to go down. All I could think of is how yet another great theatre is meeting with the wrecking ball. “Durn” developers…
Jose, I was in Puerto Rico for a very short time—just enough time to go from the airport to a cruise ship. While on the highway passing through San Juan, I saw a dome structure off to the side. It looked very much like a Cinerama-type dome theatre. Do you know of a building like this in San Juan? And if there is, is this an old Cinerama theatre? Thanks!
News of the destruction of The Beverly is terribly sad. Even though the theatre was gutted years ago, the structure stood for many years. I took an exterior tour of this former palace and could only imagine how beautiful it was.
Can I get your permission to use your photos of Rivoli, Capitol, Warner/Penthouse, DeMille, and Criterion? My collaborator, Mike Coate, and I are revamping our “70mm In New York” photo gallery section, and your pictures sound like they’d be great additions. Shots from the era you mentioned would be excellent. We can give you credit on the photo gallery page in which these picture would appear.
Manwithnoname: Yes, “Gone With The Wind” did play there in 70mm, as did “Days Of Heaven.”
The snack bar in the original theatre is round, but off-hand, I’m not recalling if it sat in the center of the lobby, or was located against the center wall of the lobby just before you entered the auditorium(s) on either side. I guess this was a feature I didn’t pay too much attention to while attending this theatre. All I remember is that the snack bar was round. The lobby windows have since been covered in paper so you can’t see inside.
I tend to recall this trailer of “The Goonies” that Mr. Coate is taking about. Not sure if I had seen it in the theatre, or perhaps on television at the time (Entertainment Tonight…before it got all into subjects not pertaining to the film industry), or on a television program devoted to 1985 summer movies. But it does sound very familiar and I can picture it in my mind. But you know how memory has a way of tricking oneself! :)
According to the Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1963, this theatre was “Equipped with the latest projection equipment including Ampex stereo four-track sound and a giant 30x60 screen” and 874-seats.
The original South Coast theatre opened on March 13, 1968. There was an “Invitational Screening” the night before, and the theatre seated 1174 patrons before being split in two by 1976.
It’s a shame that Edwards/Regal hasn’t gone back to the plan of refurbishing this theatre, and the one behind it. This area of Costa Mesa has always had a “ritzy” aura about it, and a luxury theatre similar to ArcLight in Hollywood would serve the area well. It’s right down the street from the Performing Arts Center, for heaven’s sake!
I only remember the original South Coast (Plaza) being a two screener. I don’t recall going to the theatre when it was a single screen, as I was barely 7 when it was split in two.
Nice lobby, but seeing movies in those ultra long auditoriums was always a chore. Sometimes I’d get excited to see a movie at the theatre, thinking it would be playing in the 700-seat house in the back, only to be surprised it was playing in the the “twin.” I had to sit close as possible to the screen to get any enjoyment of seeing widescreen movies.
The Plaza “III” with its early stadium seating is still a personal favorite. Nice big screen, excellent sight-lines and great sound. It was still fairly impressive, despite the worn appearence of the interior, to see movies there in the late-1990s. The theatre was just the right size, in my opinion, where it was big enough to hold a Saturday night crowd, but intimate enough to enjoy quiet movies like “Aliens” and “Saving Private Ryan.” :)
Manwithnoname: South Coast “I” was split into two auditoriums by 1976. By your recollection, do you know if the 70mm projection equipment remained in one of the twin houses, or was moved over to South Coast Plaza Theatre III (which opened in 1970)? Or was SC Plaza III always equipped for 70mm?
Manwithnoname, I stand corrected regarding the old UA. Geronimo indeed played at the UA Del Amo (which did run a bit of 70mm when it was open.) I had the date down correctly, but I was off by a theatre. :) Please disregard my last reference to the UA on Crenshaw and PCH being a 70mm house. Just trying to get any information on if that house was equipped for the large format.
The Del Amo, at the time of the Geronimo engagement, was referered to as Fashion Sq. Mall in the UA ad in the Los Angeles Times (Dec. 17, 1993.) I didn’t have the ad on me when I posted.
Manwithnoname wrote: The UA Theater occupied the space at the corner end of the property..
Then perhaps I did see the building during my visit to Rolling Hills. I might be wrong on this, but it looks like a bank now occupies the building, but not sure.
I read that the UA wasn’t huge (around 600+ seats), but it did run some 70mm prints. The last one was “Geronimo: An American Legend” in late 1993. I’m rather bummed that I didn’t simply take a drive out to the theatre to see the film. It was playing in Orange at the Cinedome (also demolished), but had no desire to see the film.
It’s too bad that the Rolling Hills has those unfortunate murders linked to the theatre’s past. Sounds like many who’ve written in this thread had mostly positive memories of the theatre.
Thank you Teri and Manwithnoname for confirming this information about the Rolling Hills. It seemed like it was probably a nice theatre in its former glory, before twinning and gutting, etc.
As for the UA, I had a difficult time figuring out if the structure was still there or not. Again, I hadn’t read this thread before I visited Torrance, and am not familiar with these theatres. Anyway, the shopping mall across the street looks like it had been totally re-modeled. The only building, at first glance, that might’ve looked like it had been a theater at one time, is the Circuit City. But that building is very large. Was that possibly a Montgomery Wards or JC Penny? There are other buildings in the parking lot, but they all seem small for a theatre, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have held a theatre. Do you happen to know if the UA was large like the Rolling Hills?
I think I saw the building for the first time today (I’m not familiar with Rolling Hills or the theatre—and I didn’t have this thread printed during my visit). It’s located towards the back of the shopping center and it has a sloped roof, correct? It appears that there has been so much re-modeling to this theatre, it doesn’t look like an old movie theatre (plus the fact it has an unusual design).
I had a difficult time trying to decide if this was indeed a movie theatre at one time. There is another rather tall brick building in the same shopping center which houses a drug store and Trader Joe’s grocery store. Either one could easily be a 1100-seat theatre building constructed in the 1960s.
Is Killian’s a part of the original theatre, or was this built afterwards? Thanks.
Paul Carroll wrote: I saw Return of the Jedi on opening day when I was 15 in Dome #1. the far left speaker distorted like mad, three years later when I started to work there the problem was still there.
Thanks for the memories of Cinedome! :) I saw Jedi in July of 1983 when the 2nd 70mm print had moved to theatre #2 (the long rectangular auditorium). This was disappointing to me and my family, because we wanted to see the film in the dome. I asked an usher when the next show was, and he said not for another hour. So we ended up seeing “Jedi” in the smaller theatre with the flat screen. But the presentation was still spectacular, though my mom complained about the pre-popped Cinedome popcorn tasting bad. I remember complaining why anyone would want to see “Staying Alive” in 70mm in the other large dome!
I’ve seen a number of films in dome #1 (a.k.a. “20”) and don’t recall any speaker problems on stereo films. Most of the films I saw in #1 were 35mm stereo prints. It seemed most of the 70mm prints I saw at Cinedome played in the other large dome.
Paul Carroll wrote: I was told that the wood beams that held up the domes were termite ridden.
Could’ve been. The domes were fairly cheaply built, but Century could’ve probably had them fixed for a LOT less than the cost of building the Stadium 25 on Katella. (Maintenance seems to an issue with most theatre chains, both past and present.)
Century did invest in upgrades and expansion to this theatre from the mid-‘70s through the early 1990s. I recall they changed the curtains in the main domes, and built a larger box office and facade on the front of the complex. They even freshened up the lobby and concession counters. So to me, it didn’t seem like a theatre that was neglected. Perhaps I went to screenings sans rats, termites and sticky floors. But I do recall some of the staff acting, quite frankly, like they didn’t want to be there. Theatres aren’t known for the best customer service, and Cinedome wasn’t immune.
Yes, I’ve heard of thrashed prints at Cinedome. But most of the time, especially with 70mm prints, they were presented in pristine condition—though there were two that I recall being “bad.” “Star Trek V: The Really Bad One” and “True Lies” both had a soft focus in the center of the picture.
Other fond memories of Cinedome for me:
-Paying to see “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” in 70mm, sneaking into see “Cannonball Run,” then getting seriously busted by my parents for doing so.
-Trying to watch “Legend” while my girlfriend had other things in mind.
-Waiting for “Fatal Attraction” to start when someone brought out a beachball and it was tossed around the dome. As for the film? Once Glenn Close came roaring out of the bathtub, the whole audience of 860+ people jumped out of their seats. Scared the Hot Tamales out of everyone.
-Seeing both “The Black Hole” and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and being introduced to the idea of an overture.
-Even a movie like “Days Of Thunder” was entertaining on the big, curved screen of the dome.
Many, many other memories persist in my mind. Too bad most of these new megaplexes don’t seem to create the memories I had at the Cinedome. Just not the same.
The Cinedome was actually busy until its last few days of operation. If memory serves, “Titanic” played on two screens for a considerable amount of time in second-run when the Cinedome was turned into a discount house. That’s pretty impressive for a theatre with the high seating capacity the Cinedome was known for.
The last show I saw there was “Men In Black” (1997). In the lobby, there was an artist conceptional drawing of the new Century 25 going up on Katella Avenue. I knew, at that point, that the Cinedome’s days were numbered. The theatre closed down in early 1999 after nearly 30-years of operation.
Michael Coate is correct that the Century 25 opened earlier than November 1998. :) I recall seeing “Anastasia” there in Christmas of 1997. One of my experiences with this new theater was my family wanted to see “Flubber,” but all four or five screens were sold-out! That didn’t seem to happen at the Cinedome, where seating capacity was high.
Indeed, there were numerous Friday and Saturday nights in which the theatre parking lot was full. I’ve fought to find parking many times there, but usually the experience of seeing films here outweighed the parking problems. I always wondered why Syufy/Century (which are one in the same) didn’t buy extra property around them to expand not only parking—-but the number of screens. I’m sure they certainly made enough money on this complex to justify expansion on that lot. The Cinedome was very popular. I can recall numerous times waiting in long lines in the parking lot for a showing of the popular movies of the day. “Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.” “True Lies.” “Fatal Attraction.” And for a number of years, the Cinedome usually got 70mm prints of the big films, much like its competitor, Edwards Newport Cinema (a.k.a. “Big Newport.”)
I don’t recall the Cinedome having sticky floors. The theatre was usually kept up better than many other houses I’d been to in the area, including the dreadful AMC Orange Mall 6. I think where I began seeing a decline in showmanship was when the theatre showed vacation slides of Europe and local advertisements. One of the nice things about this theatre for years is that it didn’t show slideshow ads. I often felt like I was going to the movies, not watching television or a relative’s travel slides.
But when the theatre showed big event films, it excelled in presentation. I recall seeing the final “Star Trek” (original series) film in 1991, and they played the “Star Trek” theme as an overture. I also remember those curtains opening up to their very wide screens in the large domes. Talk about an experience. Almost everyone I’ve heard talk about the Cinedome has kind things to say about it. No, it wasn’t perfect. But overall, it was a great place to see movies.
Indeed, a major apartment development is going up, but next door where a hotel and restaurant used to stand. The Cinedome’s lot, at least for now, is vacant. It’s really quite sad to think that Century tore down this theatre. All we have now are The Block of Orange, which is seemingly always crowded, and the Century 25.
The Fox Cinemaland was demolished in January 1998 after sitting idle for years. It opened shortly after the South Coast Plaza theatre in Costa Mesa, CA by the NGC chain.
Just by way of info, the Fox Anaheim was refurbished in the late-1950s and equipped with stereophonic sound.
I found a reference in Motion Picture Herarld to this theatre’s projection equipment. Is anybody familiar with Motiograph? Was this projector capable of showing both 35mm and 70mm? The only references I’ve found on it said certain Motiograph projectors were built in the 1800s to 1940s. It seems unusual that a then-new theatre in Rolling Hills would be equipped with an old projection system.
According to Boxoffice (June 22 1966), this theatre sat 1150 and was equipped with Norelco 35/70mm projectors. It was the first new theatre built on Staten Island in 30 years at that point in time.
And if I’m not mistaken, the two additional “large auditoriums” were opened prior to 1992. I saw “Father of the Bride” there in 1991.
The complex, especially when it was opened in 1987, was fairly uninspiring. It was similiar in decorative features to the AMC MainPlace which opened earlier that year. But in my opinion, the MainPlace theatres (especially the big 70mm houses) were nicer. I don’t know if I’d call the AMC Fullerton classic, but it was more of an improvement over AMC’s previous fare, like the Orange Mall 6.
Pacific Theatres was planning a large megaplex on the site of the old Anaheim Drive-In, just down the street and off the 91 Freeway. AMC had expanded their Fullerton complex to 20 screens, but I’m not clear on the exact year. The first time I visited the stadium side was for the engagement of “South Park.” But I think that Pacific backed out because of AMC’s presence within such a small radius. A Lowes Home Improvement store sits on the site of the old drive-in.
For more on “Big Newport’s” recent presentation, please read this article:
View link
Excuse the pun, but this once regal theatre wasn’t always poorly run with screenings of the “2Wenty,” an open screen, re-wired surround sound and dim 35mm projection on its massive screen. This was once a class act in Orange County, and it’s a shame that Regal has let it go to waste.
They did some renovation with new curtains and speakers, but overall, they’ve cheapened the experience of going to this theatre with the above mentioned issues. This flagship should be just that—a flagship! Regal should run it as a special theatre where moviegoers can experience films far and above the general megaplex one can find anywhere in their town. Anybody can go to a typical and bland shoebox megaplex today. Not everyone in Orange County can go to a big screen theatre like Big Newport.
Junk the “2Twenty” (and I thought AMC was bad with their preshow “entertainment”), close the curtains, present music according to the theme of the movie being played that night, and re-wire the surrounds so that front channel dialogue is heard on the front channel—not the surrounds. Gee, kind of like how they used to run movies in the “old days.”
I saw “The Matrix: Reloaded” on the big screen and the curtains were wide open prior to the feature. But on “Star Wars III,” they closed them for a brief moment as described in the article pasted here.
William,
Was this theatre ever equipped for 70mm that you’re aware of?
There is more information about “Oklahoma!” engagements in the New York City area here:
View link
I came across an ad for this theatre which opened on July 12, 1967.
The Sherman Oaks 1 & 2 have now been demolished. I drove by the site and saw nothing but rubble from the former theatre sitting on the ground.
Hi Filmbreak,
Do you recall if the Fine Arts had 70mm projection capability? Thanks.
Mann Valley West shut down
By Brent Hopkins and Evan Pondel, Staff Writers
TARZANA – Mann Valley West rolled its last reel Thursday night, clearing the way for demolition of the theater and some nearby shops and for construction of an upscale retail development.
Bounced between owners for decades, the movie house was one of only a few remaining on Ventura Boulevard, and it bowed out with late showings of “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo” and “Skeleton Key.” Mann representatives confirmed that Thursday night’s shows were the last.
“I’m really saddened by the news,” said Jennifer Lewis, who worked there as an usher at age 16 and now owns Body & Sol Swimwear up the block. “The Mann is where I go see all my movies. It’s a Tarzana landmark.”
The development company notified business owners several months ago of renovation plans to bring in an upscale grocery and other high-tone shops.
Although the theater lacked the stadium seating and ritzy digital projection of the megaplexes, local residents expressed displeasure at its closure.
“Most of the residents here in Tarzana got very upset,” said Helen Itria Norman, president of the Tarzana Property Owners Association. “You get used to having something in a location, even if you don’t patronize it.”
She said the theater and neighboring buildings, including Shoe Pavilion, would be razed in October to make way for extensive construction. retail, restaurants and possibly condominiums will be developed in three phases.
Norman said residents have lobbied the developers to include a new theater in the construction plan.
“They’re very sad about losing it, but they accept the fact that the new shopping center will be most attractive,” she said. “We’ll do our best to make it succeed.”
Charles Greene, a North Hills resident who still made the trip down to Tarzana, mourned the loss of the theater he’d frequented for years.
“I try to get in for the cheap matinee,” he said. “There’s a lot of the old theaters closing down. It’s sad that they’re closing.”
I was in Beverly Hills the night before this theatre was to go down. All I could think of is how yet another great theatre is meeting with the wrecking ball. “Durn” developers…
Jose, I was in Puerto Rico for a very short time—just enough time to go from the airport to a cruise ship. While on the highway passing through San Juan, I saw a dome structure off to the side. It looked very much like a Cinerama-type dome theatre. Do you know of a building like this in San Juan? And if there is, is this an old Cinerama theatre? Thanks!
News of the destruction of The Beverly is terribly sad. Even though the theatre was gutted years ago, the structure stood for many years. I took an exterior tour of this former palace and could only imagine how beautiful it was.
Dennis Z,
Can I get your permission to use your photos of Rivoli, Capitol, Warner/Penthouse, DeMille, and Criterion? My collaborator, Mike Coate, and I are revamping our “70mm In New York” photo gallery section, and your pictures sound like they’d be great additions. Shots from the era you mentioned would be excellent. We can give you credit on the photo gallery page in which these picture would appear.
What resolution would these pictures be in?
Thanks!
Bill
Manwithnoname: Yes, “Gone With The Wind” did play there in 70mm, as did “Days Of Heaven.”
The snack bar in the original theatre is round, but off-hand, I’m not recalling if it sat in the center of the lobby, or was located against the center wall of the lobby just before you entered the auditorium(s) on either side. I guess this was a feature I didn’t pay too much attention to while attending this theatre. All I remember is that the snack bar was round. The lobby windows have since been covered in paper so you can’t see inside.
I tend to recall this trailer of “The Goonies” that Mr. Coate is taking about. Not sure if I had seen it in the theatre, or perhaps on television at the time (Entertainment Tonight…before it got all into subjects not pertaining to the film industry), or on a television program devoted to 1985 summer movies. But it does sound very familiar and I can picture it in my mind. But you know how memory has a way of tricking oneself! :)
According to the Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1963, this theatre was “Equipped with the latest projection equipment including Ampex stereo four-track sound and a giant 30x60 screen” and 874-seats.
The original South Coast theatre opened on March 13, 1968. There was an “Invitational Screening” the night before, and the theatre seated 1174 patrons before being split in two by 1976.
It’s a shame that Edwards/Regal hasn’t gone back to the plan of refurbishing this theatre, and the one behind it. This area of Costa Mesa has always had a “ritzy” aura about it, and a luxury theatre similar to ArcLight in Hollywood would serve the area well. It’s right down the street from the Performing Arts Center, for heaven’s sake!
I only remember the original South Coast (Plaza) being a two screener. I don’t recall going to the theatre when it was a single screen, as I was barely 7 when it was split in two.
Nice lobby, but seeing movies in those ultra long auditoriums was always a chore. Sometimes I’d get excited to see a movie at the theatre, thinking it would be playing in the 700-seat house in the back, only to be surprised it was playing in the the “twin.” I had to sit close as possible to the screen to get any enjoyment of seeing widescreen movies.
The Plaza “III” with its early stadium seating is still a personal favorite. Nice big screen, excellent sight-lines and great sound. It was still fairly impressive, despite the worn appearence of the interior, to see movies there in the late-1990s. The theatre was just the right size, in my opinion, where it was big enough to hold a Saturday night crowd, but intimate enough to enjoy quiet movies like “Aliens” and “Saving Private Ryan.” :)
Manwithnoname: South Coast “I” was split into two auditoriums by 1976. By your recollection, do you know if the 70mm projection equipment remained in one of the twin houses, or was moved over to South Coast Plaza Theatre III (which opened in 1970)? Or was SC Plaza III always equipped for 70mm?
Manwithnoname, I stand corrected regarding the old UA. Geronimo indeed played at the UA Del Amo (which did run a bit of 70mm when it was open.) I had the date down correctly, but I was off by a theatre. :) Please disregard my last reference to the UA on Crenshaw and PCH being a 70mm house. Just trying to get any information on if that house was equipped for the large format.
The Del Amo, at the time of the Geronimo engagement, was referered to as Fashion Sq. Mall in the UA ad in the Los Angeles Times (Dec. 17, 1993.) I didn’t have the ad on me when I posted.
Manwithnoname wrote: The UA Theater occupied the space at the corner end of the property..
Then perhaps I did see the building during my visit to Rolling Hills. I might be wrong on this, but it looks like a bank now occupies the building, but not sure.
I read that the UA wasn’t huge (around 600+ seats), but it did run some 70mm prints. The last one was “Geronimo: An American Legend” in late 1993. I’m rather bummed that I didn’t simply take a drive out to the theatre to see the film. It was playing in Orange at the Cinedome (also demolished), but had no desire to see the film.
It’s too bad that the Rolling Hills has those unfortunate murders linked to the theatre’s past. Sounds like many who’ve written in this thread had mostly positive memories of the theatre.
Thank you Teri and Manwithnoname for confirming this information about the Rolling Hills. It seemed like it was probably a nice theatre in its former glory, before twinning and gutting, etc.
As for the UA, I had a difficult time figuring out if the structure was still there or not. Again, I hadn’t read this thread before I visited Torrance, and am not familiar with these theatres. Anyway, the shopping mall across the street looks like it had been totally re-modeled. The only building, at first glance, that might’ve looked like it had been a theater at one time, is the Circuit City. But that building is very large. Was that possibly a Montgomery Wards or JC Penny? There are other buildings in the parking lot, but they all seem small for a theatre, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have held a theatre. Do you happen to know if the UA was large like the Rolling Hills?
Was this theatre equipped for 70mm?
I think I saw the building for the first time today (I’m not familiar with Rolling Hills or the theatre—and I didn’t have this thread printed during my visit). It’s located towards the back of the shopping center and it has a sloped roof, correct? It appears that there has been so much re-modeling to this theatre, it doesn’t look like an old movie theatre (plus the fact it has an unusual design).
I had a difficult time trying to decide if this was indeed a movie theatre at one time. There is another rather tall brick building in the same shopping center which houses a drug store and Trader Joe’s grocery store. Either one could easily be a 1100-seat theatre building constructed in the 1960s.
Is Killian’s a part of the original theatre, or was this built afterwards? Thanks.
Paul Carroll wrote: I saw Return of the Jedi on opening day when I was 15 in Dome #1. the far left speaker distorted like mad, three years later when I started to work there the problem was still there.
Thanks for the memories of Cinedome! :) I saw Jedi in July of 1983 when the 2nd 70mm print had moved to theatre #2 (the long rectangular auditorium). This was disappointing to me and my family, because we wanted to see the film in the dome. I asked an usher when the next show was, and he said not for another hour. So we ended up seeing “Jedi” in the smaller theatre with the flat screen. But the presentation was still spectacular, though my mom complained about the pre-popped Cinedome popcorn tasting bad. I remember complaining why anyone would want to see “Staying Alive” in 70mm in the other large dome!
I’ve seen a number of films in dome #1 (a.k.a. “20”) and don’t recall any speaker problems on stereo films. Most of the films I saw in #1 were 35mm stereo prints. It seemed most of the 70mm prints I saw at Cinedome played in the other large dome.
Paul Carroll wrote: I was told that the wood beams that held up the domes were termite ridden.
Could’ve been. The domes were fairly cheaply built, but Century could’ve probably had them fixed for a LOT less than the cost of building the Stadium 25 on Katella. (Maintenance seems to an issue with most theatre chains, both past and present.)
Century did invest in upgrades and expansion to this theatre from the mid-‘70s through the early 1990s. I recall they changed the curtains in the main domes, and built a larger box office and facade on the front of the complex. They even freshened up the lobby and concession counters. So to me, it didn’t seem like a theatre that was neglected. Perhaps I went to screenings sans rats, termites and sticky floors. But I do recall some of the staff acting, quite frankly, like they didn’t want to be there. Theatres aren’t known for the best customer service, and Cinedome wasn’t immune.
Yes, I’ve heard of thrashed prints at Cinedome. But most of the time, especially with 70mm prints, they were presented in pristine condition—though there were two that I recall being “bad.” “Star Trek V: The Really Bad One” and “True Lies” both had a soft focus in the center of the picture.
Other fond memories of Cinedome for me:
-Paying to see “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” in 70mm, sneaking into see “Cannonball Run,” then getting seriously busted by my parents for doing so.
-Trying to watch “Legend” while my girlfriend had other things in mind.
-Waiting for “Fatal Attraction” to start when someone brought out a beachball and it was tossed around the dome. As for the film? Once Glenn Close came roaring out of the bathtub, the whole audience of 860+ people jumped out of their seats. Scared the Hot Tamales out of everyone.
-Seeing both “The Black Hole” and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and being introduced to the idea of an overture.
-Even a movie like “Days Of Thunder” was entertaining on the big, curved screen of the dome.
Many, many other memories persist in my mind. Too bad most of these new megaplexes don’t seem to create the memories I had at the Cinedome. Just not the same.
The Cinedome was actually busy until its last few days of operation. If memory serves, “Titanic” played on two screens for a considerable amount of time in second-run when the Cinedome was turned into a discount house. That’s pretty impressive for a theatre with the high seating capacity the Cinedome was known for.
The last show I saw there was “Men In Black” (1997). In the lobby, there was an artist conceptional drawing of the new Century 25 going up on Katella Avenue. I knew, at that point, that the Cinedome’s days were numbered. The theatre closed down in early 1999 after nearly 30-years of operation.
Michael Coate is correct that the Century 25 opened earlier than November 1998. :) I recall seeing “Anastasia” there in Christmas of 1997. One of my experiences with this new theater was my family wanted to see “Flubber,” but all four or five screens were sold-out! That didn’t seem to happen at the Cinedome, where seating capacity was high.
Indeed, there were numerous Friday and Saturday nights in which the theatre parking lot was full. I’ve fought to find parking many times there, but usually the experience of seeing films here outweighed the parking problems. I always wondered why Syufy/Century (which are one in the same) didn’t buy extra property around them to expand not only parking—-but the number of screens. I’m sure they certainly made enough money on this complex to justify expansion on that lot. The Cinedome was very popular. I can recall numerous times waiting in long lines in the parking lot for a showing of the popular movies of the day. “Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.” “True Lies.” “Fatal Attraction.” And for a number of years, the Cinedome usually got 70mm prints of the big films, much like its competitor, Edwards Newport Cinema (a.k.a. “Big Newport.”)
I don’t recall the Cinedome having sticky floors. The theatre was usually kept up better than many other houses I’d been to in the area, including the dreadful AMC Orange Mall 6. I think where I began seeing a decline in showmanship was when the theatre showed vacation slides of Europe and local advertisements. One of the nice things about this theatre for years is that it didn’t show slideshow ads. I often felt like I was going to the movies, not watching television or a relative’s travel slides.
But when the theatre showed big event films, it excelled in presentation. I recall seeing the final “Star Trek” (original series) film in 1991, and they played the “Star Trek” theme as an overture. I also remember those curtains opening up to their very wide screens in the large domes. Talk about an experience. Almost everyone I’ve heard talk about the Cinedome has kind things to say about it. No, it wasn’t perfect. But overall, it was a great place to see movies.
Indeed, a major apartment development is going up, but next door where a hotel and restaurant used to stand. The Cinedome’s lot, at least for now, is vacant. It’s really quite sad to think that Century tore down this theatre. All we have now are The Block of Orange, which is seemingly always crowded, and the Century 25.