Valencia Theater

paulench on January 3, 2005 at 7:35 am

I attended the B&K Valencia double features back in the mid-1950s to late-1960s. They frequently ran Hollywood reissue, Hammer horror, Tarzan adventure, and Japanese sci-fi films. I don’t recall them ever having first-run blockbuster shows – those would shown two blocks away at the B&K Varsity.

The auditorium was relatively small compared to other local venues, but it did have a balcony. The auditorium was decorated as a European (Spanish?) courtyard. The ceiling was dark blue and its lights resembled a starry night. The lobby was small but adequate. I remember noting at the time that the Valencia must have had a history of stage shows or vaudeville due to the nature of its stage front and steps leading up to the stage.

The projection angle must have been very steep (above the balcony) because I remember the semi-wide screen having a slight tilt backwards at the top, which was not very noticeable once the show started, unless one sat very close to the front.

This is where I saw the original “King Kong” during a 1958 reissue. I think it was double billed with something called “The Collossus of New York”. I saw many a Saturday program at the Valencia but King Kong stands out.