Century 21
3161 Olsen Drive,
San Jose,
CA
95117
3161 Olsen Drive,
San Jose,
CA
95117
7 people
favorited this theater
The San Jose Century 21 was built in 1964, with the intention of using the 3-strip Cinerama process; but it actually only showed 70mm.
The screen was later replaced with a flat model, but has remained intact as a wonderful throwback to the domed Cinerama palaces of the 1960’s.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 33 comments)
I’m grateful that the Winchester 21, 22 and 23 are still in operation, and am thankful for that non-transferable lease as I suspect it may be one of the few things preventing Cinemark from taking a bulldozer to these amazing theatres and replacing them with one of their shoebox 24-screen cineplexes.
I will never forget seeing 2001 the week of its release in 1969. The Century 21 still had its curved screen and the place was jammed. My date and I wound up sitting very close to the screen —– if I remember right we were actually within the arch of the screen. 70MM never looked so good. It was a transforming experience for me in the way I look at film. Great memory!
Minor correction regarding your date (of course, you may have intended to type an “8” and keyed in a “9” by mistake). Whatever the case, I’ll take this opportunity to mention a “2001” article I wrote a few years ago that detailed its original release, the San Jose details of which were included.
23 July 1968 … San Jose, CA, USA: Century 21 [88 weeks]
A bit of trivia for you that I think appropriate for this page: San Jose’s Century 21 run of “2001” was the longest, continuous, single-theater run of the film in the U.S. (The duration of the engagements in Los Angeles and San Francisco were longer but they included a moveover to a different theater during the course their runs.)
I guess that if I am old enough to attend the opening week of 2001 that I can be forgiven for forgetting the year. Thanks for the correction Michael.
This is an August 2008 photo.
Boxoffice Magazine’s issue of November 30, 1964, announced that Syufy’s Century 21 in San Jose had opened on Tuesday, November 24. A seating capacity of 950 was given.
“2001” played so long at the Century 21 that we must have seen it ten times. After it closed, “Woodstock”, was shown forever. I’ll never forget how the theater was filled with pot smoke for every showing of Woodstock. The entire audience was always stoned from 2nd hand smoke.
My friends and I were regulars at the Century 21 all through high school.
They run the film projector bulb so low at the #21 theatre you can’t see the picture in a dark part. No showmanship anymore, Don’t bother to close the drapes. They are trying to save money on new bulbs, that’s why they don’t have 3-D or digital in the #21 Dome Theatre or #22 next door. The Syufy Century brothers still run this place in 2011 and didn’t sell to CineMark. I think they have a long lease on the land under the Domes. Come on guys how about turning up the projection light and bring back the large curved screen. Put in one of the new Imax curved screens or give it a new name like Syufy EX. The larger the better but you need to light It up. Id hate to think what a West Wind Drive In that the Syufys run under this new name. Has anyone gone, is the light good on a outdoor screen. They still run many Drive Inn’s on the West Coast thank god.
The Drive-Ins have Technalight and the Solano in Concord has one digital screen.
Syufy MANAGES the Domes. Decisions about their maintenance and upkeep don’t necessarily come from California if you catch my drift.
The managers there at the location care very much about their theatres but there’s only so much you can do when you’re not quite a Cinemark and not quite a Century.
Folks, The Century 21, 22, and 23 domes will soon meet their demise. Those three cinemas sit on land owned by those who own the Winchester Mystery House. Ray Syufy signed a 50 year lease on the land in 1962 and went on to build and open Century 21 in 1963. That original lease expires in 2012. The families that own and operate WMH have already signed lease agreements with development firms to develop another boutique retail establishment to take the place of the theaters. Now is the time to act if you wish to save the last of these unique historical cinemas.