Edwards Big Newport

This is a great theater (screen #1) to see a big event movie on opening weekend, and a good theater overall. Avoid seeing a movie on screen #2 (the one to the right of the main auditorium), as this screen crops images to a 2:1 fixed ratio. Screen #3 (left of screen #1) was originally THX. Screns 4-6 are more modern stadium-style auditoriums, with little to no cropping and good digital sound.

The Big Newport is not a single screen thetre it is sixplex.

The Big Newport was built as a single screen and was never divided. Additional screens through the years were added to the existing single screen. The big screen has always been a draw and the industry should take note.brucec

I am not disputing the fact that it was never divided but the original listing was that it is a single screen operation, but there has been screens added which made it a six plex. It has been updated since I made my post.

I believe the REG Edwards Newport 6 was where Discovery Channel's new show "Big" showed a very big popcorn popper in the newport cinemas parking lot.

This is still a great place to see big "event" movies, but unfortunately they no longer open and close the huge red curtains. They just sit open while an absolutely horrific "pre-show entertainment" (blatant and irritating advertising) film plays.

UPDATE: They have re-instated the tradition of closing and re-opening the curtain. For the latest Star Wars film they dimmed the lights then faded up a projection of a red Vader helmet directly on the red velvet curtain, which drew lots of ooohs and aaahs before they opened the curtain.

The Edwards Newport Cinema ("Big" Newport, screen #1) was among the handful of theaters that was equipped with Cinema Digital Sound (CDS), the 1990-1991 precursor to the contemporary digital sound formats.

In 1997, I was working at the Chinese in Hollywood when I had noticed a patron was watching me as I "rode the fader" (adjusted the sound) during the performance of "Titanic." After the movie concluded, he introduced himself as a brother projectionist from Local 504, IATSE, Orange County.

A few months later, the business agent in Los Angeles calls me and asks if I would be interested in being the projectionist for four days at the Newport Film Festival to take place at the Edwards Newport Cinema.

When I got to Newport Beach, that same brother that had greeted me at the Chinese was waiting to show me around the Newport Cinema.

When doing a film festival, it means the projectionist is in hyperdrive. You must build-up prints and do tear-downs on the fly. That means, while the movies are playing in all six theaters, you must be building up the next set of features and tearing down the old at the same time because features only run once.

There was just me to do all of this WITH NO HELP.

On the first day of the show, the vice president of Edwards comes into the booth after discovering the film prints were being delivered upstairs into the projection booth. Instead of asking me if I would like a sip of water or a crust of bread, he began to complain and told me the projectionist had to carry film up and down the stairs, not UPS or whomever.

After a nice arguement, I told him that I was doing him a favor and he should appreciate someone coming in from L.A. to help make sure his stinking film festival was a success. Then, I put on my coat and said, "Bye-Bye!" He yells to me, "I will sue you, I'll sue. Oooh, I hate you people." I said, "Bye-Bye!" He then yells, "I will sue your local union. How can you do this to your local?" I said, "Bye-Bye!"

That is my one and only story regarding the Edwards Newport Cinema.

Bye-Bye!

I saw "Four Brothers" and "40 Year Old Virgin" here in August. Neither time did they close and reopen the curtains before showtime. Just a dimming of the house lights after Regal's very annoying "2WENTY" pre-show.

For more on "Big Newport's" recent presentation, please read this article:

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/revenge_sith_satisfies_inner_child.htm

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.

Meredith Rule...read your post date Aug 8 2005. I am interested in how you ever made out. Did he sue the union? Did anything ever happen to you, over you walking out? Am interested in knowing what happen.

I spent almost thirty years in the movie theatre business as a projectionist and a technician. Edwards was the last outfit I worked for and I was with them for five years. I too miss the old days of the title drapes. When I was a trainee in November of 1972, a white screen was something that was never to be seen. I was always trained that a screen should be covered with either a drape or a picture. My how things did change!! I would like to say that, in my opinion, Edwards built the very best of the multi-screen cinemas.

Also, just for the record, Edwards had an excellent engineering department which took a back seat to no one.

The Big Newport Theatre opened on Feb. 11th, 1969.

During the late-1980s, I went to many Edwards theatres. They usually did a pretty good job on presentation. The chain was one of the few in Orange County that actually ran title drapes before nearly every show (Syufy/Century did at the Orange Cinedome, until they began with the slide shows sometime in the 1980s). About the only thing that I didn't care for at an Edwards was the Los Angeles Times commercial they'd run before the previews. But for the most part, I prefered seeing films at an Edwards over AMC or Mann theatres in Orange County.

In my opinion, when Edwards built the Irvine Spectrum theatres (which are very nice), they let the quality of their presentation and overall theatre cleanliness go down hill at other theatres. Town Center and Charter Centre were totally run down before they were closed, and it was a real shame to see them that way. Big Newport started showing signs of wear-and-tear before it was renovated. Still, I think as a grand theatre, it should not run the "2Twenty" and leave it as a grand place to see movies. Run it like the Grauman's Chinese or Pacific's El Capitan in Hollywood. Make it a class act once again.

I retired from the movie theatre industry in December of 200. Someone please help me out of my ignorance and tell me what "2Twenty" means.

Oops, I meant 2000, not 200.

In 1989, Big Newport presented the Director's cut of "Lawrence of Arabia". It was an amazing experience, and an excellent show: A beautiful 70 MM print, with great sound, an overture, intermission, no commercials, and no previews. A true class act!

JSA

DanW: "The 2wenty" is the name Regal Entertainment Group has given to the twenty minutes of ads and movie trailers that precede the feature in almost all of their theatres. By giving it what they appear to think is a hip&trendy name, they can pretend that it's part of the show instead of just a bunch of advertising. They even have a web site for it.

Bill Kallay: The relationship of Southern California's Edwards theatres and the Los Angeles Times goes back for ages. I remember seeing the Times ad (about 15 seconds long) every week at the various Edwards theatres I attended in the San Gabriel Valley in the 1950's. It was the only ad the theatres ran (aside from their usual popcorn plug), and the word was that The Times gave free advertising space in the paper for any theatres that ran Times ads on their screens.

Thank you Joe Vogel.

Regal has recently changed the name of their (HIGHLY ANNOYING!) pre-show from "The 2wenty" to "Regal First Look". It's the same old pre-show crap...with a different name.

The pre-show "First Look" is shown, as either "Regal First Look" or "AMC First Look", since National CineMedia, the company that does the pre-show, is owned by Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment, and Cinemark Theatres.

Hey, Does anyone in Orange County, Ca. remember "The Plitt" as we called it, located where "The Block At Orange" is now located? It was, up until the early 80's, a single screen with slightly curved screen and incredible sound! Remember walking into the doors past the lobby and the enormous screen seemed to be so close and wrapped around you? Star Wars & ET opening day...and those high-back, rocking seats! Remember the restaurant connected across the breeze-way? What was it called?

I drove by the Big Newport today.

People were outside standing (sitting) in line for Pirates. Everyone was wearing the pirate costume. Also, here are the capacities.

Big Newport - 1108 seats.
Aud 2 - 444 seats
Aud 3 - 289 seats
Aud 4 5 and 6 (stadium) - 284 seats.

total - 2693

I received a response to my comment on July 3rd, but I don't know where to find it. I clicked on the address...no indication where it is. If anyone can help I would be grateful.

Thanks, Mark

Mark, are you talking about:

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/70mm_in_orange_county_city_center.htm

Jeff,

Thank you so much for the info on the "Plitt City Center" in Orange, Ca. I think it's great that there is some history still preserved regarding the theatre.

Many thanks,

Mark

at bignewport.com it says the screen is 40x80. Thats 2 to 1. Not 2.4 to 1 or 1.85 to 1. Edwards had mulitplexes with fixed screens like that down in San Diego County as well. How can they get away with that! I remember seeing a few films at their theaters back in the '90's. Credits and subtitles and actors would be cropped off or missing. Ridiculous. Needless to say I never went back.

When Regal took over did they do away with those stupid fixed screens and install screens with adjustable masking so that films can be shown in the proper aspect ratio?

I'd take that website's info with a grain of salt. For the bulk of the mid-2000's, I practically lived at this theatre. I NEVER had any issues with actor/subtitle/credit cropping...at least not in the MAIN auditorium. As for the auditorium to the right of the main one, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY! ;o)

JohnMessick, sorry to take two and a half years to answer you. Absolutely nothing happened to me. He could not sue because I was just an employee there to help with no contract. I just went back to the Chinese and told my LA business agent that the VP can do XXX with his theater. Later, the VP got fired! Now, the VP could have sue his own Orange County union for not having their own men in the booth, but not LA union. Get this, the VP was actually a member of the Orange County union. And I knew this. He could never sue his own union, that FREAK!!!

Yes, the Edwards VP was also a member of the Projectionist Union.

The architectural firm of Pearson & Wuesthoff designed the 400-seat second auditorium opened at Edwards Newport in 1971. This was reported in the August 24, 1970, issue of Boxoffice. They might have designed the Newport itself, though I've been unable to track down any confirmation of this. The same firm designed Edwards Harbor Twin Cinemas in 1970, and a number of other theater projects during that period.

Mr. Ruhle has obviously slid to our universe....from a parallel where the Edwards VP was a Member of IATSE Local 504 (Orange County CA) He was never a member of our Local. I have been a member of Local 504 since 1978. Furthermore they way you have worded your blog I do not beleive that you were a member of IATSE. You certainly were not a professional projectionist and it seems that your being fired was appropriate. Had you been a member of the IA I would have filed charges against you for violating our jurisdiction and for conduct unbecoming a member.