I was just in Charleston for SPOLETO (last week of May) and stopped by (while riding my bike) to look at/admire the theater for 30 minutes or so. While I have viewed the facade of this theater for decades (since the late 50s when I began regularly patronizing the theater) I have never seen a closeup of the “face”. Amazing how he can look at something for hours, days, decades and not see everything (kind of like a movie). Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Buckuna for a wonderful memory of the childhood moviegoing experience! I was born in 1952 and had very similar moviegoing memories, but mine were in Charleston, SC.
Hope you made it back to Venice to see the FOX (my last visit to the FOX was around 1985).
When was that daylight shot taken (i.e. Lost Memory)? Was the theater being scraped for repainting/restoration or has it deteriorated that badly since my last visit to Charleston?
By the way, can those great photos be accessed directly from the internet (as well as other Hollywood and LA landmarks)? If so, can someone please provide the site?
I remember seeing a doubleheader of two Howard Huges classics that hadn’t been show in years (like forever I thought at the time): SCARFACE & HELL’S ANGELS). PRISTINE PRINTS!
I attended other double features at the Tiffany, but preferred seeing movies at the Nuart, FOX Venice, and Vagabond. I was more of a 60’s hard rocker in the late 70’s & early 80’s, so dealing with the gliiter crowd that seemed to attend the Tiffany on a regular basis was a tad much for me (especially when I attended a midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW). Everyone there seemed to have a good time though.
Ticketseller, you’ve got guts to agree to change those letters, even in 1979 (hope you were always wearing slacks). I couldn’t resist patronizing the Vagabond because of those incredible double features of pristine 35mm prints. Now that you mention it, there were a lot of strange people who attended movies at the Vagabond (I even remember those drunks and annoying snoring sleepers you mentioned). And hanging out in that small lobby between features was AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER as well!
Yeah, I would get REAL NERVOUS after I passed MacArthur Park (can anyone imagine what it looked like in the 30s and 40s — what a shame it became a dump) and Echo Park.
In the “memory of my days” in LA, I think I saw all of Werner Herzog’s and other German Directors films at the Nuart (at least the first time).
A movie fan couldn’t go wrong attending double features at either the Nuart or the FOX Venice.
Even when the foreign movies were poor (like a Nuart doubleheader of sadistic Pasolini features), they were always interesting (bright note for 1979 after that Pasolini doubleheader – I got laid – I STILL remember that night of highs and lows).
I lived just down the street from the Carthay Circle on Robertson and Pico from 1979 – 1987. While I attended many movies in beautiful old Los Angeles theatres (like Grauman’s Chinese, the El Ray, El Capitan, etc..)I always regretted that I could not view a movie at this famous landmark. I often drove past this location while commuting to work and wondered what it would have been like.
And now the Los Feliz Brown Derby and the Ambassador Hotel will be demolished. LA still has little regards for its architectural history.
By the way, the best book I have ever read about Hollywood/ Entertainment buildings and locations is Richard Alleman’s HOLLYWOOD: THE MOVIE LOVER’S GUIDE (recently updated this year). Highly recommended (even though I don’t beleive that it mentions the Carthay Circle).
Being a native Charlestonian, I religiously patronized this theatre from 1958 – 1974. It was always an incredible experience because the Riviera was HUGE (as in # of seats, crowds, and screen).
Two of my greatest memories: seeing WOODSTOCK in 1970 and THE GREAT ESCAPE around 1963. When I ride by the theatre on my bike, the memories flow by me like a cool breeze.
Along with the GLORIA, AMERICAN, & THE GARDEN, the RIVIERA made seeing movies on King Street in downtown Charleston truly memorable experiences.
With regards to the Tiffany, I remember seeing a doubleheader of
SCARFACE and HELL’S ANGELS there about 1981. This was remarkable since both were Howard Hugh’s productions that hadn’t been seen on the big screen in years (and both prints were pristine).
I lived on North Gardner Street just South of Sunset Blvd. Between 1977=78 I’d often walk up North Gardner to attend double features at the Oriental for a dollar or $1.50.
The Pan Pacific and Gordon theaters were faves of mine during those days because we could see two relatively new movies for $1.50.
Being new to LA (and young and poor)I couldn’t have asked for a better value than patronizing those theatres (through the early 80s as I recall).
I visited the historic downtown district of Georgetown several weeks ago and saw the impressive old facade of this main street theater. It no longer show movies but appears to be used for other community functions.
It’s too bad that they don’t show movies anymore as Georgetown seems to lack even one movie theater.
Still, the Strand fits in nicely with the historic port and downtown area and still serves its citizens in some capacity.
I attended movies here on a fairly regular basis. While the screens were small (especially when it became a triplex) the Ashley Plaza was a pleasant place to watch movies, and the matinee prices were great. Since the Mall itself was very small, we never had to worry about crowds either.
So sad to hear about the closing of The American. My fondest memory of this theater: in 1964, when I was 12, I rode the bus into downtown Charleston to see A HARD DAY’S NIGHT. No one wanted to go with me (or drive me there) so I just hopped on the bus and took matters into my own hands (of course I didn’t tell my parents of my odyssey).
And I’ll never forget the experience……….
A wonderful place to see movies. Thanks for the memories.
I remmeber how amazed I was in November, 1977 (when I arrived in LA)
to find two relatively new features playing together at this theatre for $1.25. Wow, a double feature of new movies for a little over a buck!
We never had dollar houses and double features in South Carolina (except at the University of South Carolina).
I regularly attended double features here and at the Gordon Theater (on La Brea) for years. My fondest memory of the Pan Pacific: my buddy and I were the only ones laughing at a screening of Steven Spielberg’s “1941”.
I always wondered about the history of the Pan Pacific Auditorium next door, since it was closed and deserted (even though the architecture was still very imposing and memorable).
It’s sad the way LA treated it’s heritage (Schwabs, the Garden Court Apartments, the Brown Derby, etc.) when I lived there (1977 – 1987).
Are you implying that the AMERICAN will be torn down, refurbished, or rennovated as something other that a theatre/auditorium?
SEXBEATLE: What did you lose at that show?
I was just in Charleston for SPOLETO (last week of May) and stopped by (while riding my bike) to look at/admire the theater for 30 minutes or so. While I have viewed the facade of this theater for decades (since the late 50s when I began regularly patronizing the theater) I have never seen a closeup of the “face”. Amazing how he can look at something for hours, days, decades and not see everything (kind of like a movie). Thanks for sharing!
And we former patrons (1977 – 1987), do love the Nuart! Thanks for the note on the trailers (I still remember the NO SMOKING trailer).
Thanks Buckuna for a wonderful memory of the childhood moviegoing experience! I was born in 1952 and had very similar moviegoing memories, but mine were in Charleston, SC.
Hope you made it back to Venice to see the FOX (my last visit to the FOX was around 1985).
When was that daylight shot taken (i.e. Lost Memory)? Was the theater being scraped for repainting/restoration or has it deteriorated that badly since my last visit to Charleston?
Great photo though.
By the way, can those great photos be accessed directly from the internet (as well as other Hollywood and LA landmarks)? If so, can someone please provide the site?
Was the premiere that was staged in BOY MEETS GIRL (with James Cagney & Pat O'Brien) also shot at the Carthay Circle (Ronald Reagan also hosted)?
Also, was the theater/store on Disney World’s MGM/DISNEY STUDIOS Sunset Blvd. based on the Carthay Circle?
I remember seeing a doubleheader of two Howard Huges classics that hadn’t been show in years (like forever I thought at the time): SCARFACE & HELL’S ANGELS). PRISTINE PRINTS!
I attended other double features at the Tiffany, but preferred seeing movies at the Nuart, FOX Venice, and Vagabond. I was more of a 60’s hard rocker in the late 70’s & early 80’s, so dealing with the gliiter crowd that seemed to attend the Tiffany on a regular basis was a tad much for me (especially when I attended a midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW). Everyone there seemed to have a good time though.
Ticketseller, you’ve got guts to agree to change those letters, even in 1979 (hope you were always wearing slacks). I couldn’t resist patronizing the Vagabond because of those incredible double features of pristine 35mm prints. Now that you mention it, there were a lot of strange people who attended movies at the Vagabond (I even remember those drunks and annoying snoring sleepers you mentioned). And hanging out in that small lobby between features was AN EXPERIENCE TO REMEMBER as well!
Yeah, I would get REAL NERVOUS after I passed MacArthur Park (can anyone imagine what it looked like in the 30s and 40s — what a shame it became a dump) and Echo Park.
In the “memory of my days” in LA, I think I saw all of Werner Herzog’s and other German Directors films at the Nuart (at least the first time).
A movie fan couldn’t go wrong attending double features at either the Nuart or the FOX Venice.
Even when the foreign movies were poor (like a Nuart doubleheader of sadistic Pasolini features), they were always interesting (bright note for 1979 after that Pasolini doubleheader – I got laid – I STILL remember that night of highs and lows).
Great pictures of the Fox! Do you have any of such theatres as the Vagabond, WArners Hollywood, Gordon, Pan Pacific, Hollywood, and Wiltern?
Or perhaps the downtown LA theatres?
By the way: Thanks to CHRISTIAN & TC (above) for those great Carthay Circle photos and the Hollywood posters web site.
I lived just down the street from the Carthay Circle on Robertson and Pico from 1979 – 1987. While I attended many movies in beautiful old Los Angeles theatres (like Grauman’s Chinese, the El Ray, El Capitan, etc..)I always regretted that I could not view a movie at this famous landmark. I often drove past this location while commuting to work and wondered what it would have been like.
And now the Los Feliz Brown Derby and the Ambassador Hotel will be demolished. LA still has little regards for its architectural history.
By the way, the best book I have ever read about Hollywood/ Entertainment buildings and locations is Richard Alleman’s HOLLYWOOD: THE MOVIE LOVER’S GUIDE (recently updated this year). Highly recommended (even though I don’t beleive that it mentions the Carthay Circle).
Being a native Charlestonian, I religiously patronized this theatre from 1958 – 1974. It was always an incredible experience because the Riviera was HUGE (as in # of seats, crowds, and screen).
Two of my greatest memories: seeing WOODSTOCK in 1970 and THE GREAT ESCAPE around 1963. When I ride by the theatre on my bike, the memories flow by me like a cool breeze.
Along with the GLORIA, AMERICAN, & THE GARDEN, the RIVIERA made seeing movies on King Street in downtown Charleston truly memorable experiences.
Thanks for the memories, King Street!
Charles: Check out John Cole’s website for info on the Ashley Cinema and other Charleston and South Carolina Cinemas:
www.scmovietheatres.com
The Ashley Cinema (single screen) was located on Hwy. 17.
With regards to the Tiffany, I remember seeing a doubleheader of
SCARFACE and HELL’S ANGELS there about 1981. This was remarkable since both were Howard Hugh’s productions that hadn’t been seen on the big screen in years (and both prints were pristine).
Too bad video destroyed classic revival houses.
I lived on North Gardner Street just South of Sunset Blvd. Between 1977=78 I’d often walk up North Gardner to attend double features at the Oriental for a dollar or $1.50.
The Pan Pacific and Gordon theaters were faves of mine during those days because we could see two relatively new movies for $1.50.
Being new to LA (and young and poor)I couldn’t have asked for a better value than patronizing those theatres (through the early 80s as I recall).
I visited the historic downtown district of Georgetown several weeks ago and saw the impressive old facade of this main street theater. It no longer show movies but appears to be used for other community functions.
It’s too bad that they don’t show movies anymore as Georgetown seems to lack even one movie theater.
Still, the Strand fits in nicely with the historic port and downtown area and still serves its citizens in some capacity.
Demolished, eh. Oh well, as Raoul Walsh once wrote: “Memories are a form of immortality. Memories are young forever.”
Thanks for the memories Encore!
KEN ROE: Are you sure the New Beverly was once, in its early days, SLAPSIE MAXIES? Wasn’t Slapsies located on Wilshire Blvd. or somewhere else?
I attended movies here on a fairly regular basis. While the screens were small (especially when it became a triplex) the Ashley Plaza was a pleasant place to watch movies, and the matinee prices were great. Since the Mall itself was very small, we never had to worry about crowds either.
And The American Theater is closing as well……. Goodbye to exhibition in downtown Charleston!
So sad to hear about the closing of The American. My fondest memory of this theater: in 1964, when I was 12, I rode the bus into downtown Charleston to see A HARD DAY’S NIGHT. No one wanted to go with me (or drive me there) so I just hopped on the bus and took matters into my own hands (of course I didn’t tell my parents of my odyssey).
And I’ll never forget the experience……….
A wonderful place to see movies. Thanks for the memories.
I remmeber how amazed I was in November, 1977 (when I arrived in LA)
to find two relatively new features playing together at this theatre for $1.25. Wow, a double feature of new movies for a little over a buck!
We never had dollar houses and double features in South Carolina (except at the University of South Carolina).
I regularly attended double features here and at the Gordon Theater (on La Brea) for years. My fondest memory of the Pan Pacific: my buddy and I were the only ones laughing at a screening of Steven Spielberg’s “1941”.
I always wondered about the history of the Pan Pacific Auditorium next door, since it was closed and deserted (even though the architecture was still very imposing and memorable).
It’s sad the way LA treated it’s heritage (Schwabs, the Garden Court Apartments, the Brown Derby, etc.) when I lived there (1977 – 1987).