United Artists 6
24800 Hesperian Boulevard,
Hayward,
CA
94545
24800 Hesperian Boulevard,
Hayward,
CA
94545
3 people
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Looking through various ads available through Newspapers.com it does appear that though this opened as a six screen theatre in 1976, sometime around November 1977 it began appearing as Hayward Cinema 5. Wasn’t until around spring 1988 that it returns to six screens.
Looking at the footprint of the building it doesn’t seem likely they added/removed part of the structure so my guess is that they needed an auditorium with larger capacity and knocked down a wall to make five screens, and likely put it back up later when having more screens outweighed having more seats.
Also, this began appearing in the International Motion Picture Almanac as a UA theater in 1983.
Thanks Scott,
It was opened by Robert L. Lippert Theatres. According to a news clipping in the photo section, Robert L. Lippert, owner of Hayward 6 Cinemas, passed away four days after the theaters opened.
Ron - thanks for posting this ad. I was always pretty sure that this opened with six screens and always figured the five screen confusion came from the GCC Southland up the street.
However, I think it opened as a UA. Festival operated the Festival 6 (later 9), also up the street.
Grand opening ad for November 12, 1976, as Hayward 6 Cinemas is now in the photo section.
Designed by: Bonfanti & Lawrence. (Vincent Robert Bonfanti; Donald J. Lawrence).
Seating: 1,636. Original operator: Festival Cinemas.
the building is currently being used as an Armed Forces recruiting center.
I saw The Wiz here in November ‘78! It was 5 screens then. 3 shoebox on one side and 1 shoebox and a larger theatre on the other side. Later the restrooms became 2 cinemas and #1 and #2 became 1 for a total of 6 screens. Actually a nice theater comparison to UA Berkeley (yuck!).
I remember seeing Independence Day in that old theater back in 96 during it’s theatrical run. Starship Troopers in 1997 with my dad and my cousins. It’s funny how my dad took us to see this flick due to the violence and some sexuality which is tame today. The Relic in 96 also and Deep Impact in 1998. Awesome time in at this movie theater as a kid. I think I might of saw SideKicks with Chuck Norris and the late Jonathan Bandis back in 93 in this same theater.
That is why Gals like Balconyclosed…Just in case it ain’t a guy.Okay.
Another reason I am so glad I got of the Theatre business in 1983 after almost ten years.Guys like me are gone; that is guys like balconyclosed CAN’T ENJOY A DECENT FILM!!!!!!
Went and saw a movie there late evening once and never went there again. Halfway during the movie it went off focus and after 5 minutes, I went to the lobby and no one was around. The snack bar was closed, the door to the projection booth was open, so i went in there and went upstairs and the projectionist was asleep. I woke the guy up and he fixed the picture back. Then later, this couple sat in the last row and got on their cell phones and started talking to people. I got up and walked up to them and told them to take it out to the lobby, turned out they were employees working there! I immediately asked for the manager, I really went off on him. I demanded a refund and got it. I wrote a letter of complaint to United Artists, and they never responded to me. No wonder that theater closed.
This theater holds a a special memory for me. My mom and I literally scraped together enough change to take me to see E.T. there. I was too young to be embarrassed but old enough to remember how poor we were and what a sacrifice it was to see a movie.
The church is currently working on the building.
i have several fond memories of this theater as my brother was the projectionist for the last few years it was open, and i had several friends who worked there as well so i spent a lot of time there. the heart of the bay christian center (formerly east bay faith center) purchased the building right before the theater shut down. they’ve been trying to move their church to that building, but hayward residents have been fighting it as they don’t want the increased traffic and noise in the area.
Are there any FOR LEASE or FOR SALE signs on the building?
the last movie i saw in this theater was the princess diaries, and i can see why it closed down because we were manly the ones in there, its sad how they just board it up, i whould rather go to it then these multiplexes
I did drive-by this theater recently & it looked like someone was doing some work on it. I doubt that it will be showing movies, but who knows.
In approx 1988, it was converted from five to six screens. Two auditoriums were added in the front of the building where the store fronts used to be, and the original auditorium #’s one and two were combined together as one big auditorium. The concession counter was also moved from the middle of the lobby to the right side of the lobby.
The Chabot is a great place & just got a new marquee recently.
The 12-plex mentioned above should be coming in 2005 at the corner of Foothill Blvd and B St in downtown Hayward, at the site of an old Lucky’s/Albertson’s supermarket that is now shuttered.
You don’t have to worry, SYUFY is building a new 12plex in downtown Hayward w/Redevelopment. It’s slated to open in 2 years I heard.
BUT – Don’t forget the beautiful CHABOT THEATER in Downtown Castro Valley – its getting a whole make-over and is a very historic
landmark – still playing first run films! This house is a few
short minutes from the Hayward area and is a quaint neighborhood
1940’s experience!
How can a town not support at least one multiplex?
There are plans for the Southland building to be torn down and replaced by retail spaces according to the shopping center leasing
agent as of this past Summer.
The Southland 5 Cinemas (about ¼ mile away) has also been shuttered for the last few years and is still empty. The Festival Cinemas closed earlier this year. Hayward does not currently have a operating movie theater.
As of December 2003, this Theatre remains vacant and abandoned.