New Port Theatre
2905 East Coast Highway,
Corona Del Mar,
CA
92625
2905 East Coast Highway,
Corona Del Mar,
CA
92625
12 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 38 comments found
I’ll be there for the Lord of the Rings marathon… can’t wait… loved this theater back in the day… thrilled to have it back!
There is off-street parking behind the theater, about ½ block away. I haven’t been there in some time, but I remember a huge parking lot, serving several buildings, including the theater, located behind the building.
Reopened now as a luxury cinema: http://portnewport.com/calendar/
Glad to hear it’s being used again. It’s in such a beautiful area. I used to pass this theatre on the way to Laguna Beach in the 90’s.
L.A. Times article
Port Theater in Corona del Mar will reopen after 14 years
The new facade looks like soundproofing material,well at least they are fixing it up.
Great that councilwoman Gardner made the effort to keep everyone informed and the Port in the news; not so great that she throws in the “count me out” and “I’d just as soon watch it on my tv” comments, in reference to food service being added.
According to a a newsletter recently sent by the councilwoman who represents the Corona Del Mar area, the seismic retrofitting and other improvements are progressing and that she expects the theater to reopen by the end of 2011: View link
A photo from November 2010:
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It just looks like so many theatres built near the Ocean.East or West coast.
The news is not good. Here’s what the “renovation” looks like so far:
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A couple more photos of the Port Theatre.
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Photo of the Port Theatre Box Office
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Port Theatre marquee
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Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cb4yng
From a brief item in Boxoffice Magazine, October 1, 1949: “Ted Jones, president of the Western Amusement Co., was here recently for the opening of the new $100,000 Port Theatre, erected on Coast Highway by contractor-owner Ralph Wilmot.” The headline read “Lease of Nearby Parking Lot Clears Way for Opening at Corona Del Mar.” The opening had apparently been in doubt due to the failure of the owner to provide the off-street parking the city had required as a condition of the permit to build the theater.
Later in the article there’s a paragraph about a lawsuit against Wilmot brought by a group of investors claiming they had had an agreement to trade a Long Beach motel for the theater, and that Wilmot had later refused to complete the deal. The court was asked to appoint a receiver to take charge of the theater until the suit could be settled. Maybe the owner’s various legal problems had something to do with the lack of fanfare for the Port’s opening.
Interesting that the intro paragraph of this page says the theater again lacks off-street parking.
does anyone have any other historic information on the Port Theater?
Please see my letter of March 2007. Thanks!
Remodeling of the theatre is now underway, which will take about a year. Sounds like it will be more modern and plans have been approved for added dining. I’m just pleased that it’s been saved. Here’s the article with photos for viewing. View link
Here are some May 2008 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/478j7n
http://tinyurl.com/49mr5y
http://tinyurl.com/4hle2a
http://tinyurl.com/3ernej
http://tinyurl.com/3r76px
http://tinyurl.com/52pj3e
Here is a May 2008 photo of the Port Theater.
I took some pictures today.No signs of re-opening yet.
In a fortunate, last minute, twist, the Port now appears heading for a rebirth. According to the 1/26/08 Orange County Register, the property’s new owner, Fariborz Maseeh, plans on reopening the Port as a cinema.
The portholes remind me of the Vern Theater on Olympic in Los Angeles.
here’s a few pictures i took of Port Theater on March 2007.
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I just purchased the newly-remastered Beatles movie Help! today, and two ticket stubs from the Port are included in the artwork. The two tickets, one for a 10 AM show and the other for a 7:30 PM show, are dated September 1, 1965. The price, including tax, for the “Premiere Showing” was $1.49.