Rolling Hills Theater
2535 Pacific Coast Highway,
Torrance,
CA
90505
2535 Pacific Coast Highway,
Torrance,
CA
90505
8 people
favorited this theater
This was a big, beautiful modern theater built in the 1960’s.
The building was a distictive design, entering the lobby, then making a hard right to enter the auditorium. The roof of the building slanted upwards, higher as it extended to the back of the building.
The theater had a huge screen and is believed to have been run by Pacific Theatres.
The Rolling Hills also has a very sad history:
One morning in the early ‘70’s the projectionist failed to return home and the police were called. Once inside, the bodies of the projectionist, Asst. Manager and two other employees were found in the manager’s office, on the floor, tied and murdered execution style. The safe was open so the killers had already gotten the day’s receipts. A Disney double feature played that evening. The Manager, who was off that night, was so upset he converted the stockroom to an office and never used the other one again. The Daily Breeze ran photos of the bodies being taken out on gurneys. This was the beginning of the end.
Shortly after the theater was twinned, and then closed. The building still stands, now housing a restaurant.
Contributed by
Manwithnoname
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Recent comments (view all 141 comments)
The theatres in the South Bay when I moved here right before Kennedy was shot in 63 were the Strand [up from the Redondo pier] and the Fox Redondo [ near the ocean at the north end of the pier] .the Hermosa theatre in Hermosa [on Hermosa Avenue ] the La Mar theatre in Manhattan Bch ,as well as an old silent theatre in El Segundo that was still there into the 80s.Fairfusa organ and all. There was also this tent set up for a few w eeks on the Hermosa pier in 64 that showed silent films and film clips at the site of an old bowling alley next to the old Taco Bill restaurant
The murders actually occurred in the projectionist room, I know, I worked there at the time. I only said my 2 cents worth in their memory. We played nothing but Disney movies for a whole year afterwards.
Happened upon this thread looking for tidbits on Clancy’s Hamburgers (Torrance Bv, East of Hawthorne Bv). What a stroll down memory lane! RE: post by C (B) G on Aug 13, 2005 at 6:38pm. Hey, thanks for all the coinage! That was my band “86 Proof” in the Summer ’68 (Stones & CCR). We always won the Battle of the Bands and it made for a nice “Live Audition venue” when the talent scouts were passing through town. Free movies were a nice bonus on the big screen too. Transplanted to Nor-Cal in ‘95 but good to visit the Great South Bay electronically. Keep Rawkin and movie going!
I remember the TG&Y manager who was murdered, Jack Sweeten. I worked with him when he was assistant manager at Long Beach TG&Y, and my Dad was manager. He was such a nice man, and very funny. I had a secret crush on him. It was devastating to hear of his murder.
the killer was seen hanging out in a local Riv. beer bar called “The Port of Call, just prior to being arrested. A fellow South high alum named Mike Montgomery owned it. Anybody ever hear anything about that?
I’m from San Diego but I live close by The AMC Rolling Hills theatres now. I had no idea this happened. Absolutely disturbing to read about this. I worked as a projectionist for 10+ years and I was alone every Thursday night/Friday morning. Many times people would fall asleep in the theatre after the last show and the night usher wouldn’t catch them so they would wake up 5am or so and wander around the theatre.
I had one guy come up to me around 6am and ask what time the concession stand opens. I told him we were closed and asked him what he was doing here. He said he feel asleep during the last show and was waiting for the movie to start up again? For all I know he could of easy did the samething to me.
Anyhow I will take some pictures and post them soon.
A Torrance cop that went to South High in the Sixties named Chuck Hrehor was an investigating officer. I was told by a mutual friend that the scene was a nightmare. The people were bound & then forced to watch as each one had his or her throat cut. This was just a few years after the Tate murders. A few of the Manson zombies were from the southbay. Food for thought !
Interesting thread. I graduated from South High in 1971 and virtually lived at many of the theatres mentioned here. I would eventually start Video Out-Takes in Redondo and later Video Archives in Manhattan Beach where Tarantino worked for years.
Anyway, in the early 70s, I had a good friend who worked for the LAPD, and he swore that the Torrance police were a rather rogue bunch with a nefarious reputation. I always felt they really acted like Brownshirts about that time, far more aggressive and physical than other PDs even on simple traffic stops. We were continually rousted by them for merely driving around at night…for them, probable cause never entered into it.
My friend at the LAPD stated it was well known the guy who was arrested for the Rolling Hills Theatre murders was a victim of vigilante justice. He said a couple of Torrance officers went into his cell that night and hung him with a bed-sheet, that the whole OD ruse was simply a cover-up, and that the lynching became common knowledge underground because the Torrance PD wanted to send a message to any other criminals who had murder on their mind. I’ve always believed my LAPD friend’s version over the official account.
This theater is now, among other things, a BevMo.
We need a good photo taken of the building. It’s still there, but the street view can’t be adjusted to show it. Must be somewhere behind the strip mall shown in the foreground.