Ken Cinema
4061 Adams Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92116
4061 Adams Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92116
12 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 42 comments found
Just an update as well. They no longer use the carbon arcs or reel to reel. They have a nice 4K digital and a platter system with their 35mm.
Sorry, the date you have for the Ken’s inception is wrong. It may have been conflated with the construction date for San Diego’s Hillcrest Theater (later the Guild).
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/sep/14/ken-cinema-celebrates-100-years-film-not-its-100th/
One of the comments in the above link states that a resident “who has lived in Kensington since 1945, says he remembers only a vacant lot on the west half of the 4000-block of south side of Adams Avenue until the theater opened in 1947.”
Other local histories also support a 1947 opening, as does information passed to me by people who worked with the Ken’s Bob Berkum before his retirement in the early 1980s.
Pretty low ceiling in the auditorium!
Here’s a direct link to the photos posted on 8/19/11. (Thanks, Danny.)
Does anyone have any information on the Ken pre-1947 remodel? Did it actually show movies before then?
Lots of photos, including a few interiors, here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.119571068065336.12520.117370998285343&type=1
Can’t make out that One-sheet!
Any interior photos?
A couple photos of the Ken Theatre.
View link
View link
I recently took a weekend trip to San Diego. While in San Diego I wanted to visited any historic theaters that were still left in the city. I was sadden to find out that Ken Cinema was the last single-screen theater in San Diego. of course I had to see film, “ Holy Rollers.” I am happy this theater at least remains.
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y9ku5ca
Here are two 1983 photos:
Photo1
Photo2
Thanks.
Joe, the cinema may have some filed away, if there’s something specific that you’re looking for you might want to try phoning them or the city office which is at the Hillcrest Cinemas.
Does anybody here know any way that I can see some of the old Ken Film calendars from like the 94 – 04 period?
Here is another photo.
Advertised as the Ken-Art in the LA Times in March 1967.
Ken, the photo you linked was taken in 2003, as the film showing at the time was “Lilya 4 Ever”, which was out in limited release in April of that year. A very disturbing film, though definitely Ken fare. I saw many a disturbing film there over the years, “Fat Girl” and “Julien Donkey Boy” are two examples that come quickly to mind.
I’ve posted this same picture above, though now it’s included on my theatres page on Flickr:
View link
Here is an undated photo:
http://tinyurl.com/24xdb5
This is another night view of the Ken Cinema.
Here is a close-up view of the Ken Cinema.
The first time I can remember attending the Ken was in the early eighties for a Saturday night
screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There were so many people dressed up as the characters in the movie that I had no idea what to expect. It was my first viewing of this now camp classic and I can remember someone entering with a motorcycle from a door on the front right side, playing the role of the Meatloaf character and the scenes where people tossed toilet paper and rice towards the screen.
Truly an eye-opening experience.
In a few weeks, I’ll be bringing a group of photographers there for a screening of Edward Burtynsky’s movie, Manufactered Landscapes. Looking forward to it.
http://www.pbase.com/camera0bug
Any truth to the rumor that this will be turned into a duplex cinema called the Ken & Barbie?
It is sad that the carbon arch projectors have been retired, though the theatre will surely benefit from the fact that the projector will now be manager run rather than projectionist run, lowering the theatre payroll. It was inevitable, and good for Landmark to wait until the Ken’s projectionist retired to make this major change.
A fairly recent photo of the Ken can be seen here: View link
Just a little P. S.
I am so very glad that I learned how to run the booth in the time period that I did. All of the old disciplines were still practiced. We changed projectors about every twenty minutes, we “rode the gain” for the sound, we “trimmed the arc”, we opened and closed the drapes, we dimmed the lights up and down, we turned the intermission music on and off and we “overlap” spliced the film with glue. We called this “Showmanship”. I am proud to have been a part of it.
Dan Whitehead
Irving, Tx.
WED20SEP06, 9:10P CST
That’s a real shame but I guess inevitable. I’m sure the carbon is very expensive to make now. It’s been a long time and I can’t remember all that went into the carbons, but there were some rare earths involved. I guess carbon arc lamps, tube driven amplifiers and glue splicing are all history.
Dan Whitehead
Irving, Tx.