Terrific video; sad to see it closed. I tried to do this with the drive-ins that were closing in my area, but I couldn’t bring myself to go inside. There were too many memories that I wanted to keep without having to remember that I went back after the drive-ins closed.
Late one night, I did go to the MGM back lot in Culver City, CA, with some friends. We ran around for a couple of hours and tried to identify the sets that were still standing. I was hoping to meet Elizabeth Taylor; she wasn’t there, and Judy was long gone; only the memories were left.
I’ve been a member of this site for 9 years, and I’ve never seen a section called “Movies (Adult).” Then again, I don’t go into depth; I just check for new entries most of the time.
Placing adult theaters into a separate section of the website implies restriction and shame. Many adult theaters were once ‘mainstream’ venues. Just because they are now ‘adult,’ doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to be hidden. I don’t like pornography and don’t watch or purchase it because it means that I am supporting people who I despise.
Please maintain easy access to the adult theaters. The entries might become somewhat explicit, but we’re all adults here – I hope.
Please, please, please move to Los Angeles! We have a few hundred theaters for you to work on! Will you take payment in drugs and hookers; it’s Hollywood currency.
How incredibly sad to see those pictures of the demolition of this theater. I went here a number of times (2001, Wild in the Streets, Gone With The Wind), and loved sitting in that auditorium. I used to go to the movies 3 or 4 times a week; now, the last time I went was Thanksgiving weekend of 1996. The megaplexes offer nothing but overpriced tickets, noisy people, and concession stands that should have a financial aid option.
Mr. Alvarez, who said anything about fear? I didn’t have a “role” in transmitting AIDS or any of the other diseases. There’s nothing to for me to deny; everything is in my comments. Fear and denial; I hope you’re not one of those fat, honkie, lesbian social workers who wants to save the world.
Mr. Saps, the theaters repurposed for the adult trade provided a location where people transmitted AIDS and STDs. That’s the “Times Square Experience” I am referring to, and I seriously doubt if anyone in an adult theater spent any time admiring the proscenium.
When I uploaded my initial post for this theater, I didn’t expect to get into a pissing match; that’s probably why they have that rule about not making personal attacks. Now, there’s you and two others making unsolicited comments.
You have two cheerleaders who agree with you; please contact them.
No, Mr. Saps, I didn’t do plenty. Re-read my submissions, and stop making incorrect assumptions. I was around it and avoided it when I saw it happening. Don’t equate my inexperience and self-preservation with your trashy behavior.
As far as people regretting what they didn’t do, I volunteered at an AIDS hospice for three years and heard nothing but regret. Also, my sister is an RN, and she worked in an AIDS ward for almost five years. She said that most of the patients were incredibly angry, then depressed until they died. All they talked about was why they were so self-centered and felt “liberated” when, in reality, they spent years being promiscuous.
I’m glad I missed “the Times Square experience,” and I think you were a part of it, which makes you lucky to be alive – and an imperious reminder of a destructive era that many want to forget. You’re violating the site rule regarding personal attacks; it’s a low-class approach that most people avoid, but I’m sure you don’t regret it.
When Times Square had all the theaters, I was planning a trip to go and see everything. The people I know who were there said, “You may be gay, but you’re also a Republican. You’ll hate it.” Reading the anecdotes for the Times Square theaters, I’m glad I never went.
They have a very interesting website. You can buy food for 25 cents and walk around naked, if you are so inclined. They don’t say anything about storing your clothes while you run around en la buff. I hope these people wear shoes, at least. Seriously, there is a lot of disease in the theaters/clubs that permit sexual activity. Please take care of yourselves; I’ve lost a lot of friends to AIDS, and they were very promiscuous. They went to places like Studs, Basic Plumbing, and The Midtown Spa. They laughed and said, “I acted like trash!” It was funny until they ended up in the AIDS wards of hospitals throughout L.A. The laughter turned to anger, then there was silence. Another empty seat in the theater.
Why do these places always look so sleazy? Pussycat Theaters had the right idea when they kept their theaters maintained, inside and out. I’m not a big porno fan, but, if you’re going to operate any kind of theater, keep it looking dignified. I worked in theaters for many years; it doesn’t cost a lot for basic maintenance.
A rock-climbing “venue.” A fitting tribute to what’s in the heads of the people who turned this theater into a trendy, gone-with-the-next-fad waste of valuable space.
Wow! I had no idea people could engage in an intelligent discussion regarding an adult theater’s location, operation policy, and current status. And to think I felt guilty seeing “Little Angel Pussy” at the Pussycat Theater!
I went to the Gilmore several times. I always liked being able to park near the big screen; I went during the week. I went with three friends, they were brothers, Jeff Tobias, Mark Tobias, and Robert Tobias, and they were triplets. The last time we were here, it was for a James Bond triple feature. It was a letdown because they were moving away, and I was graduating from high school with no direction in life. I started going to the drive-ins alone, and the last program I saw here was “Easy Rider” and “Drive He Said.”
If the Tobias brothers see this, please contact me at my email, – after you guys left, I avoided the draft, got a master’s degree, and retired early. We have two drive-ins around here, but my SUV doesn’t have a trunk, so we can’t sneak two dickfaces into the show anymore!
I saw “Yentl” here on a Sunday afternoon, and there were a lot of people in the theater. I was the only man in the audience. I felt like a sophisticated New Yorker who was ‘from’ and ‘cirmcuized.’
You people are making a big mistake with your comments regarding the future of the Avco: You’re using logic, reason, and customer appeal. I used to work in the industry and found that the people making the decisions in the theater chains and film distribution companies only care about money. That’s the bottom line. Whatever changes are made to the Avco, it’s based on economic benefit with little regard to anyone who appreciates theaters.
When I worked in the film industry in L.A. in the 70s and 80s, I would hear about X-rated drive ins. My boss, who had worked in film all over the country, told me that they exist mainly as ‘cruising’ spots, like the hardtop theaters. People constantly walk or drive around the field, looking for a sex partner. When they hook up, most of them go to the back of the field, or some find some obscured spot out in the open. The porn store on the premises allows the owners to make money during the day. I never found out if the films were hardcore, especially if the screen was out in the open and not surrounded by trees, like the Apache in Texas. Going to an X-rated drive in was cheaper than buying drinks in a bar, and the chances of scoring were a lot better.
I went to the Century shortly before it began programming gay adult films. I went to see “The Killing of Sister George” plus “The Gay Deceivers” for $2.00. The theater was nicely kept, clean, and with a good film presentation.
I never went there after the programming conversion, but I did go to the Richard’s Theater on Hollywood Blvd. and the Drake on Melrose (All Seats $1.00 after 11 p.m.). During that time, I had lost about 113 pounds, and people actually looked at me twice in those places. I never responded; I just wanted one person to share my life with. I never did anything with anybody; I felt too lonely and guilty. I remember staring at the screen, wondering if this was “gay life,” and I would hold back the tears while the people around me engaged in various physical activities.
When I turned 21, I started going to Studio One, replacing movies with music. Dancing with a couple of thousand other people was a hell of a lot better than sitting in those depressing theaters.
Now, Studio is gone, AIDS spread throughout the country, and the theaters closed. Never before or since will there ever be a time like that.
The Cine-Cienega was never a Pussycat Theater. You are thinking of the Pussycat on Santa Monica or the one on Hollywood Blvd. (formerly the Nu-View, among others). The Cine-Cienega started as an art house, then began running hardcore gay films, one of which was “Heavy Equipment” in – get this – 3D, containing, as John Waters said, “life itself” coming directly at the viewer.
The Cine-Cienega also had a notorious ‘back room’ where patrons could obtain physical relief or exposure to a then new illness which was infecting gay men and promptly ending their lives.
At one point, the Cine-Cienega had been transformed into a trendy restaurant. I went there after one of the gay pride parades, and the food was very good. I got a good look around inside but could not see any evidence of a theater.
I get so tired of seeing these beautiful theaters left to decay, only to be torn down in the name of “progress.” What a loss; we’re experiencing that here in California, also. Is it the money-driven real-estate developers, the status-seeking politicians, or is there a general apathy in our communities that leads to the destruction of these buildings? And people wonder why I want to have been born in the thirties.
Hi – I grew up in L.A. and spent countless hours in theaters that had the “old theater smell.” When I was in film school, Norman Jewison came in with “Rollerball,” and commented on how the best theaters had “that smell!”
The best program I ever saw at the Olympic was “Werewolves On Wheels,” “Hell’s Angels On Wheels,” and “Evil Knievel.” I went on a Monday night and hauled in a bunch of food and soft drinks.
A couple of years later, I was delivering stationery supplies during the day and going to school at night. After one particular delivery to a Cadillac dealership, I realized that I was on the site of the Olympic Drive In. I looked around to see if anything remained, but “progress” had eliminated any trace of the theater. This was the beginning of the end. Soon after, the Century in Inglewood would close, then the Centinela in L.A./Inglewood/Westchester and the Studio in Culver City would follow.
Now, I live fairly close to the Mission Tiki Drive In in Pomona. During the summer, the entire place is sold out, and long lines of cars wait to get in. The lines spill out into the street, and the people stay because, like so many of the people on this site, they want to continue a tradition that should have never come so close to dying.
When people are using crack, it’s loud and the chemicals smell bad – does anyone come into the auditorium and tell them to stop? Based on the above entries, this place is ripe for a raid. I used to work in social services; the last thing anyone wants is to get caught in one of these dumps. There are court fees, lawyer fees, and the mark on your police record, not to mention the worry and stress of what might happen in the future (job loss, being included in a police data bank). If you want sleaze without the risk, stay home and watch “8MM” with Nicholas Cage.
Terrific video; sad to see it closed. I tried to do this with the drive-ins that were closing in my area, but I couldn’t bring myself to go inside. There were too many memories that I wanted to keep without having to remember that I went back after the drive-ins closed.
Late one night, I did go to the MGM back lot in Culver City, CA, with some friends. We ran around for a couple of hours and tried to identify the sets that were still standing. I was hoping to meet Elizabeth Taylor; she wasn’t there, and Judy was long gone; only the memories were left.
I’ve been a member of this site for 9 years, and I’ve never seen a section called “Movies (Adult).” Then again, I don’t go into depth; I just check for new entries most of the time.
Placing adult theaters into a separate section of the website implies restriction and shame. Many adult theaters were once ‘mainstream’ venues. Just because they are now ‘adult,’ doesn’t necessarily mean that they need to be hidden. I don’t like pornography and don’t watch or purchase it because it means that I am supporting people who I despise.
Please maintain easy access to the adult theaters. The entries might become somewhat explicit, but we’re all adults here – I hope.
Please, please, please move to Los Angeles! We have a few hundred theaters for you to work on! Will you take payment in drugs and hookers; it’s Hollywood currency.
How incredibly sad to see those pictures of the demolition of this theater. I went here a number of times (2001, Wild in the Streets, Gone With The Wind), and loved sitting in that auditorium. I used to go to the movies 3 or 4 times a week; now, the last time I went was Thanksgiving weekend of 1996. The megaplexes offer nothing but overpriced tickets, noisy people, and concession stands that should have a financial aid option.
Mr. Alvarez, who said anything about fear? I didn’t have a “role” in transmitting AIDS or any of the other diseases. There’s nothing to for me to deny; everything is in my comments. Fear and denial; I hope you’re not one of those fat, honkie, lesbian social workers who wants to save the world.
Mr. Saps, the theaters repurposed for the adult trade provided a location where people transmitted AIDS and STDs. That’s the “Times Square Experience” I am referring to, and I seriously doubt if anyone in an adult theater spent any time admiring the proscenium.
When I uploaded my initial post for this theater, I didn’t expect to get into a pissing match; that’s probably why they have that rule about not making personal attacks. Now, there’s you and two others making unsolicited comments.
You have two cheerleaders who agree with you; please contact them.
No, Mr. Saps, I didn’t do plenty. Re-read my submissions, and stop making incorrect assumptions. I was around it and avoided it when I saw it happening. Don’t equate my inexperience and self-preservation with your trashy behavior.
As far as people regretting what they didn’t do, I volunteered at an AIDS hospice for three years and heard nothing but regret. Also, my sister is an RN, and she worked in an AIDS ward for almost five years. She said that most of the patients were incredibly angry, then depressed until they died. All they talked about was why they were so self-centered and felt “liberated” when, in reality, they spent years being promiscuous.
I’m glad I missed “the Times Square experience,” and I think you were a part of it, which makes you lucky to be alive – and an imperious reminder of a destructive era that many want to forget. You’re violating the site rule regarding personal attacks; it’s a low-class approach that most people avoid, but I’m sure you don’t regret it.
When Times Square had all the theaters, I was planning a trip to go and see everything. The people I know who were there said, “You may be gay, but you’re also a Republican. You’ll hate it.” Reading the anecdotes for the Times Square theaters, I’m glad I never went.
They have a very interesting website. You can buy food for 25 cents and walk around naked, if you are so inclined. They don’t say anything about storing your clothes while you run around en la buff. I hope these people wear shoes, at least. Seriously, there is a lot of disease in the theaters/clubs that permit sexual activity. Please take care of yourselves; I’ve lost a lot of friends to AIDS, and they were very promiscuous. They went to places like Studs, Basic Plumbing, and The Midtown Spa. They laughed and said, “I acted like trash!” It was funny until they ended up in the AIDS wards of hospitals throughout L.A. The laughter turned to anger, then there was silence. Another empty seat in the theater.
Why do these places always look so sleazy? Pussycat Theaters had the right idea when they kept their theaters maintained, inside and out. I’m not a big porno fan, but, if you’re going to operate any kind of theater, keep it looking dignified. I worked in theaters for many years; it doesn’t cost a lot for basic maintenance.
A rock-climbing “venue.” A fitting tribute to what’s in the heads of the people who turned this theater into a trendy, gone-with-the-next-fad waste of valuable space.
Gay men take note: The sign above the entrance says, “Parking In Rear.” Gentlemen, start your engines.
Wow! I had no idea people could engage in an intelligent discussion regarding an adult theater’s location, operation policy, and current status. And to think I felt guilty seeing “Little Angel Pussy” at the Pussycat Theater!
So, what’s with all the porn in Arizona? Even L.A. doesn’t have this many X-rated theaters anymore.
I went to the Gilmore several times. I always liked being able to park near the big screen; I went during the week. I went with three friends, they were brothers, Jeff Tobias, Mark Tobias, and Robert Tobias, and they were triplets. The last time we were here, it was for a James Bond triple feature. It was a letdown because they were moving away, and I was graduating from high school with no direction in life. I started going to the drive-ins alone, and the last program I saw here was “Easy Rider” and “Drive He Said.”
If the Tobias brothers see this, please contact me at my email, – after you guys left, I avoided the draft, got a master’s degree, and retired early. We have two drive-ins around here, but my SUV doesn’t have a trunk, so we can’t sneak two dickfaces into the show anymore!
I saw “Yentl” here on a Sunday afternoon, and there were a lot of people in the theater. I was the only man in the audience. I felt like a sophisticated New Yorker who was ‘from’ and ‘cirmcuized.’
You people are making a big mistake with your comments regarding the future of the Avco: You’re using logic, reason, and customer appeal. I used to work in the industry and found that the people making the decisions in the theater chains and film distribution companies only care about money. That’s the bottom line. Whatever changes are made to the Avco, it’s based on economic benefit with little regard to anyone who appreciates theaters.
When I worked in the film industry in L.A. in the 70s and 80s, I would hear about X-rated drive ins. My boss, who had worked in film all over the country, told me that they exist mainly as ‘cruising’ spots, like the hardtop theaters. People constantly walk or drive around the field, looking for a sex partner. When they hook up, most of them go to the back of the field, or some find some obscured spot out in the open. The porn store on the premises allows the owners to make money during the day. I never found out if the films were hardcore, especially if the screen was out in the open and not surrounded by trees, like the Apache in Texas. Going to an X-rated drive in was cheaper than buying drinks in a bar, and the chances of scoring were a lot better.
I went to the Century shortly before it began programming gay adult films. I went to see “The Killing of Sister George” plus “The Gay Deceivers” for $2.00. The theater was nicely kept, clean, and with a good film presentation.
I never went there after the programming conversion, but I did go to the Richard’s Theater on Hollywood Blvd. and the Drake on Melrose (All Seats $1.00 after 11 p.m.). During that time, I had lost about 113 pounds, and people actually looked at me twice in those places. I never responded; I just wanted one person to share my life with. I never did anything with anybody; I felt too lonely and guilty. I remember staring at the screen, wondering if this was “gay life,” and I would hold back the tears while the people around me engaged in various physical activities.
When I turned 21, I started going to Studio One, replacing movies with music. Dancing with a couple of thousand other people was a hell of a lot better than sitting in those depressing theaters.
Now, Studio is gone, AIDS spread throughout the country, and the theaters closed. Never before or since will there ever be a time like that.
I wonder how many people got/transmitted AIDS or STDs in this shit hole?
Check the signage at the top of the building. I wonder if it lights up at night.
The Cine-Cienega was never a Pussycat Theater. You are thinking of the Pussycat on Santa Monica or the one on Hollywood Blvd. (formerly the Nu-View, among others). The Cine-Cienega started as an art house, then began running hardcore gay films, one of which was “Heavy Equipment” in – get this – 3D, containing, as John Waters said, “life itself” coming directly at the viewer.
The Cine-Cienega also had a notorious ‘back room’ where patrons could obtain physical relief or exposure to a then new illness which was infecting gay men and promptly ending their lives.
At one point, the Cine-Cienega had been transformed into a trendy restaurant. I went there after one of the gay pride parades, and the food was very good. I got a good look around inside but could not see any evidence of a theater.
I get so tired of seeing these beautiful theaters left to decay, only to be torn down in the name of “progress.” What a loss; we’re experiencing that here in California, also. Is it the money-driven real-estate developers, the status-seeking politicians, or is there a general apathy in our communities that leads to the destruction of these buildings? And people wonder why I want to have been born in the thirties.
Hi – I grew up in L.A. and spent countless hours in theaters that had the “old theater smell.” When I was in film school, Norman Jewison came in with “Rollerball,” and commented on how the best theaters had “that smell!”
The best program I ever saw at the Olympic was “Werewolves On Wheels,” “Hell’s Angels On Wheels,” and “Evil Knievel.” I went on a Monday night and hauled in a bunch of food and soft drinks.
A couple of years later, I was delivering stationery supplies during the day and going to school at night. After one particular delivery to a Cadillac dealership, I realized that I was on the site of the Olympic Drive In. I looked around to see if anything remained, but “progress” had eliminated any trace of the theater. This was the beginning of the end. Soon after, the Century in Inglewood would close, then the Centinela in L.A./Inglewood/Westchester and the Studio in Culver City would follow.
Now, I live fairly close to the Mission Tiki Drive In in Pomona. During the summer, the entire place is sold out, and long lines of cars wait to get in. The lines spill out into the street, and the people stay because, like so many of the people on this site, they want to continue a tradition that should have never come so close to dying.
When people are using crack, it’s loud and the chemicals smell bad – does anyone come into the auditorium and tell them to stop? Based on the above entries, this place is ripe for a raid. I used to work in social services; the last thing anyone wants is to get caught in one of these dumps. There are court fees, lawyer fees, and the mark on your police record, not to mention the worry and stress of what might happen in the future (job loss, being included in a police data bank). If you want sleaze without the risk, stay home and watch “8MM” with Nicholas Cage.