Marina 1-2-3

302 S. Catalina Avenue,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Unfavorite 9 people favorited this theater

Showing 1 - 25 of 32 comments

rivest266
rivest266 on October 31, 2019 at 4:10 pm

The Surf cinema opened on March 8th, 1968 and the Marina Cinema 1 & 2 opened on December 25th, 1969. Grand opening ads posted.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 12, 2019 at 4:49 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

Realtorman150
Realtorman150 on January 24, 2018 at 12:08 am

I used to work at the Marina Theater 83-84 and Randy and Court Was still working…I still Remember when Mr. Klee?? Would pull up in his Big Lincoln to the front and his wife would stay in the car…I would change the Marque for the New movies and clean the lot for extra hours on Sunday after the theater closed…How time flies by!…Does anyone know if Randy is still alive today? How about Lynden I believe who was running the projection booth? Andrea, James Martinez, John Walz…Wow old times

beachkid
beachkid on July 12, 2012 at 6:59 am

I remember attending in the late ‘60 or early '70, a Dracula movie at the Strand. I don’t recall the name of the movie. Any ideas where I can obtain a listing of movies shown at the Strand during the above time frame? I remember going to the Strand from the early '50 until I moved out of Redondo in the mid '60. I also attended the Fox Redondo.

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on March 18, 2012 at 2:36 pm

What is now in this location?

tnavel
tnavel on March 17, 2012 at 3:22 pm

the strand was where i would take a date to then go just next door to the revalairs club.

davidfhale
davidfhale on November 11, 2011 at 11:19 am

Here’s a photo of the original Strand.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ron_felsing/3313817607/

David

LawMann
LawMann on August 15, 2010 at 5:49 pm

Hi Pat
I used to fish on the Horseshoe Pier during the mid-60’s. We used to get there 4 am when it was still dark but people were already there fishing. Great times for a kid growing up during the 1960’s.

PatH
PatH on January 18, 2010 at 10:59 am

My father loved the Strand. In the mid/late 1940’s and I believe into the 1950’s, he would always get excited about winning a theater drawing for prises. The best of all times was a MG roster.
I have great memories fishing at the local rainbow style pier.
Pat

lisapaolotti
lisapaolotti on April 13, 2009 at 9:07 am

I worked at the Marina 3 theater from 1978 to 1981 and Randy Ruddy was my manager. Randy, in all the years since then I’ve always said it was my favorite job ever, and that you were the greatest boss because you were the only boss who ever told his employees “I’ll look out for you guys, just don’t screw up too badly”. Even after all my professional and intellectual jobs, serving popcorn at the Marina was my best job ever (with the possible exception of my current) b/c it was like hanging out with fun, interesting friends, all the free popcorn you want, serving customers who are typically in a good mood, and watching all the movies you want for free! Nirvana! And wearing the shortest and tiniest sailor dress. And lots of crazy times. And I’ll never forget my friend Dean.

MPol
MPol on March 28, 2009 at 10:41 am

Another fabulous-looking theatre bit the dust. How sad.

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on December 22, 2008 at 7:05 am

After this was torn down, what was built in its place?

mujerado
mujerado on December 20, 2008 at 8:18 pm

50sInglewood, the other theater was the Fox Redondo, which has its own page here on Cinema Treasures.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 16, 2008 at 3:38 pm

From Boxoffice magazine, January 1938:

The Strand Theater, Redondo Beach, was opened Thursday January 6, with many prominent film persons in attendance. The house is owned by Mike and Abe Gore and Adolph Ramish.

stephenl42
stephenl42 on October 6, 2008 at 7:16 pm

I saw The Cardinal at the Strand, probably in the 60s. A few years later I saw a Jane Fonda movie in the small theater that was built in the back of the Strand. I did not live in Redondo Beach, but I knew of the Strand because of my many visits to the pier. I enjoyed visiting movie houses as much as I enjoyed the movies. There was another theater in Redondo near the marina. I can’t remember its name.

HeleninPaso
HeleninPaso on July 28, 2008 at 9:41 am

Many of my girlfriends and I worked at the Strand in the early 60’s. I worked in the ticket booth. We earned the enormous salary of $1.00 per hour. Of course we always let our boyfriends in for free. My favorite movie that showed at the Strand during that time period was Westside Story. It played for at least a month. I remember the showing of live boxing matches being a big draw. A man named Mr. Poulos owned the theatre at that time and one of the Maucks managed it.

Helen (Crow) Robertson

harmony1415
harmony1415 on March 23, 2008 at 2:46 am

I’d often wondered what happened to the Strand Theatre, where I happily watched “Help!” starring The Beatles in the 60s when I was a teen living in Torrance. Not just once but several times. Can’t remember what other movies I saw at The Strand. Theatres seemed magical to me then….

afift1ford
afift1ford on July 14, 2007 at 10:20 pm

Ken Mc.
Think you, it was a long time ago, I may not have remembered the name of the movie but I will remember the date tell I die, and as time passed we seen a bunch of movies at the Torrance drive in on Torrance Blvd. We had two kid’s and now three grand kid’s., Love the movies.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 10, 2007 at 8:25 pm

Ken Green, here is your furniture store. Photo is dated 1954:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics31/00050120.jpg

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on July 10, 2007 at 8:22 pm

Close. The film would have been “A Summer Place”. The aforementioned theme song was a huge hit in 1959.

afift1ford
afift1ford on July 10, 2007 at 7:09 pm

My first date with my wife was at this theater in 1959 or 60, She lived on Saphire St. and I lived on Topaz, We walked to the show along the beach walk-way, I think the movie was A Theme From A Summer Place?.
Larry Nelson

beachkid
beachkid on July 9, 2007 at 2:26 am

I remember The Strand quite well. I used to live a block north of the theater from about 1945 to 1962 or so. I remember going to the free matinees held on Saturday afternoon that was sponsored by some furniture store, Mc-something or another. I remember the boos and catcalls the kids made when it was announced the sponsorship was over and there was to be no more free movies. The matiness usual started with cartoon/newsreels and an movie. My last attendance was seeing Count Dracula just before 1970 at the rear of the theater.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on October 14, 2006 at 5:51 am

I saw “the Trip” (the film mentioned in the opening parpagraph above). While it has nothing to do with the theatre, I can’t help but share that “the Trip” was one of the top ten biggest pieces of cinema garbage I have seen.

RandyRuddy
RandyRuddy on February 8, 2006 at 9:11 pm

My name is Randy Ruddy and I was the Manager of the Marina 3 Cinemas from July of 1976 until it closed on Sept. 30, 1987. During 30 years in the biz I also managed at The Fox West Coast Santa Ana, Fox Anaheim, Fox Fullerton, Fox Redlands, Crest San Bernadino, and the La Mar in Manhattan Beach, all in southern California. But the best memories were of the re-named Strand. Some of the notable patrons included Nancy Allen, Harris Yulin with Sarah Miles, and Chuck Norris. In the South Bay, theatre employees would trade passes and one day I got a call from an usher at the “adults-only” Pussycat Theatre in Torrance. When he came down I found him a very knowledgable chap and every time he came by we talked of films we liked and he helped me pick 2nd features (?) and we shared favorite films into the evening. After 6 months of this and after he borrowed by VHS of “The Yakuza” he stopped coming by. I found out he got a job at a video store in Manhattan Beach. I saw him a decade later when he walked into the AMC Century 14 theatre to check on the grosses of his film “Pulp Fiction” & he remembered me! Good to know Quentin maintained his love of films. The Strand was owned by the Lippert chain and after being split into 3 screens had 223, 231, and 176 seats. John Klee was the last operator/leasor. Oh yeah, and from Chistmas 1981, for a month or so, it was haunted by a deceased employee.