Miramar Theatre
1598 S. El Camino Real,
San Clemente,
CA
92672
1598 S. El Camino Real,
San Clemente,
CA
92672
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 62 comments found
Use this Address on Google to get a better street view:
1720 North El Camino Real, San Clemente, Calif.
It is across the street from Knuckleheads, whose listed address is 1717 North El Camino Real.
I have been looking into the possible changing of the building (keeping the exterior the same of course) into a dance club, in the Old San Clemente Bowling Alley, and the Miramar Theater into an office building or recording studio. Does any one have the present day floor plans of the two buildings? Please post a link. Thanks!
Apparently, the Miramar is in the process of being sold yet again. LAB Holdings, owners of the historic Casino San Clemente ballroom, have announced plans to renovate the theatre and neighboring bowling alley, for use as a performing arts center and restaurant, once the sale is complete.
The City is demanding that the owner at least paint the exterior or else the city will arrange it and bill the owner for the cost: View link
1983 Photo
Raad: Some old issues of Boxoffice are available online at Issuu.com. I find it easier to search within them by using Google’s Advanced Search “Search within site or domain” feature.
Joe,
Can you point me to where you found the information or maybe even scan and send it to me?
Regards and thanks,
Raad
From the January 29, 1938, issue of Boxoffice Magazine: “Construction on the Pacific States Theatres new San Clemente Theatre is being rushed for the February 11 opening set by Mike and Abe Gore, owners of the house.”
i was raised in san clemente and went to the miramar all the time.i saw surf films, rock bands,midnite movies and regular movies.it was a great theatre in its time.the building that backs up to it used to be the bowling alley but that was closed in the 50’s i think. and there was aorange julius on the side facing coast highway in the 60’s that turned into a surf shop in the 70’s and an arcade in the 80’s. http://tinyurl.com/4rd9rk in the picture the property on the left was sebastians playhouse but in the 30’s it was a casino so that might be the casino theatre mentioned in a earlier post.the miramar closed when multiplexs opened.movie distributors wanted new releases to go to the multiplexs first and by the time the miramar could get them they were already a couple of months old.plus parking was an issue.without a dedicated parking lot you had to park in the alley or on the side of the road,not a problem in a small beach town of the 60’s and 70’s,but a problem in a congesttedtourist trap of the 80’s and 90’s
Now we need June photos.
Here are the May 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/3hlnkg
http://tinyurl.com/43a6cy
http://tinyurl.com/4o2ty8
http://tinyurl.com/4tcvae
http://tinyurl.com/4cjzjs
http://tinyurl.com/4rd9rk
http://tinyurl.com/3v7dqk
http://tinyurl.com/4bumej
Would that be considered housing?
Not in good shape at all. Some homeless people are living on the property. I will post some photos later.
Here is a recent article about the Miramar possibly being used as a movie theater again.
Philbert,
I cant access the article. Could you please cut and paste it here?
Thanks,
Raad
Here is the correct url for the latest article on the Miramar from the Orange County Business Journal:
View link
An auto dealer has purchased the Miramar Theatre from the previous owner whose plans to build a 40,000 square foot complex of shops and residences ran into resistance from local residents who wanted the theatre preserved. Auto dealer Marc Spizzirri has indicated he plans to demolish the rear of the theatre which once housed a bowling alley while keeping the remainder of the theatre closer to its old design. A complete article on the purchase can be read in the below article from The Orange County Business Journal dated 10/29/08.
[url=http://www.ocbj.com/industry_article_pay.asp?aID=71045804.6422946.1546727.6474992.9643438.453&aID2=118970]
Let’s hope “closer to its old design” means restoration.
!!! DEAR FRIENDS OF THE MIRAMAR !!!
WE NEED YOU OCTOBER 2 !
As a friend of historical preservation, you may be aware that the San Clemente City Council recently adopted an ordinance to name about 10% of the community’s most important historical resources as “landmarks.” This is a wonderful development!
UNFORTUNATELY, however, it appears that some members of the City Council are now thinking about excluding some of the City’s most precious icons from the Landmarks List!
By excluding buildings such as the Miramar Theater, the Casino (Sebastian’s), the Beachcomber Motel and other obvious landmarks from the official Landmarks List, the Council would send a message that they have little problem seeing these iconic structures overshadowed, moved or even DEMOLISHED! (A relocation permit is currently pending on the Casino, and a DEMOLITION PERMIT is currently pending on the Miramar Theater.)
Do you want to see the Miramar Theater building or other landmark buildings demolished?
Please come to the public hearing on October 2 at 7 p.m. at City Hall (100 Avenida Presidio). We need to let the Council know we expect them to do the right thing, and not to exclude our most precious historic landmarks from the city’s official Landmarks List.
ADDITIONALLY, please send your City Councilmembers a quick email requesting that they save San Clemente’s heritage and designate all 25 landmarks recommended by their own Landmarks Task Force and unanimously approved by their own Planning Commission. Below are email addresses of each Councilmember, or you can email them all at once.
SEE YOU OCTOBER 2 ! (And wear something red!)
Councilmember email addresses:
Santa Barbara has “three” historic movie theatres. In chatting with someone who seemed to know, they thought it was achieved through a combination of a redevelopment agency, plus private donations. It’s hard to understand how “we”, having been blessed with a wonderful old theatre, an original Clifford Balch no less, architect of that time period extraordinaire, and that we would even THINK about letting a developer bulldoze it to cash-out at the expense of our whole community. Go figure.
Please have a look at the sanclementetheatre.com website for a vision for the historic San Clemente Theatre (a.k.a. Miramar). We are still looking for any interior photos. Thanks
I spoke with the owner over the phone, curious as to whether or not he’d even be willing to sell it. He told me that he would sell it to me for 7 million… a steep price for something that needs so much renovation. Let me know if anyone is interested in following up on his offer. I would love to see it stand. Not to mention, I think our youth in this town need something more to do than hang out drunk behind the Krikorian Theater on Friday and Saturday nights. Think music hot-spot…
What’s the story with this theater. Is it still standing. When do you think they are going to start the demolition on it? It’s in pretty bad shape I hear, and the land is worth so much more.
Friends of the Miramar Theater:
THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER AND WE NEED ALL YOUR HELP!
Thank you all for your comments so far..
The fight for the Miramar theater and its saving is an Iconic struggle that is not only about this specific building of local historical value…It is in fact a symbol of what we all on here strive to accomplish in our own ways…and that is to spot light that if you forget where you came from you are doomed to not know where your going!
PLEASE TAKE THIS CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! WE NEED YOUR HELP!
A community that would look the other way as a historic part of its past is subject to the brutal abuse of the $elfish, $elf $erving intents of a few is no better than family members who allow an older member of their group to be allowed to wither and die in front of their own eyes while they all are too busy finding excuses for why its not their responsibility to care for them.
Please encourage all you know on here or elsewhere to voice their opinions NOW, and if possible to do so by the deadline for public input date of the 17th of AUG. (thats this coming Thursday!!).
ALL PLEASE SHOULD E-MAIL THEIR COMMENTS AND WISHES / DEMANDS TO SAVE THE MIRAMAR THEATER TO THE FOLLOWING E_MAIL ADDRESS NOW!!!!
Your Subject Line should be something like: Save the Miramar
Sincerely,
Raad Ghantous
Miramar Committe Chair
San Clemente Historical Society
Friends of the Miramar Theater:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
~Margaret Meed
I would like to thank you all in advance for any and all actions you might take in the effort to help save this Iconic Building!
I would humbly request that if you do indeed send in any written comments to the city of San Clemente that you perhaps take a moment and copy me on it so we can acknowledge it and share it with our membership at the San Clemente Historical Society.
My e-mail is —>
I again would like to extend the heart felt thanks of the whole board as well as the local community at large to all of you for caring enough to help and have your voices heard…
Warmest regards,
Raad
Raad: Yes, you have tapped into a unique and exceptional community of theater lovers by posting here so with any luck many will read your words and respond because we all care or we wouldn’t be members of this “exceptional community”. I send you best wishes.