I know I only speak for myself, but really, those current photos turn my stomach. Can’t anyone post photos from the glory days of the theater, instead of these pathetic gated delapitated pictures from now?
BTW, while someone’s pal may have been thrilled at the sight of all those El Cid extras, I’m afraid this transfer is very sub-par – the color is off and looks nothing like it did when originally shown, and the lack of detail is bothersome – contrast is also not up to par – all viewable on the DVD.
I was only in the New View once – in 1959, I’d guess, to see North By Northwest, which I followed all over the city as it went from the big theaters to the small. The New View was the end of the line for North By Northwest – I remember it was pouring rain when I came out in the late afternoon. It was, even back then, dank and cheesy-looking.
To Terry Wade – just seeing your post now – the Magic Carpet ride was housed in the old Dome Theater, not the Rosemary. My grandparents lived right across the street from what became the entrance to POP (Neptune’s Kingdom) at the Hotel St. Regis. Flight To Mars was my favorite ride as well, and, in fact, an artist’s rendition of it adorns the cover of my second novel, Kritzerland (you can see the cover at amazon.com).
I saw Windjammer at the Chinese – I’m sure my memory is playing tricks on me, but I could swear there was only ONE join line instead of two like Cinerama. I’m sure that’s must mis-memory, though. I don’t remember caring for Windjammer very much or thinking it that impressive. For me, impressive was Seven Wonders Of The World, which I saw down the street at the Warner Cinerama around the same time.
Don’t ask me for any details, because I cannot give them, but I was at a meeting the other night and someone in the know tells me that it looks like things are finally in place for a restoration and for the Pacific’s to become some sort of performing arts place.
The Stadium was “my” childhood theater, really – I practically lived there and at the Lido. I haven’t been in the auditorium, but I was in the lobby in 1975 and it was very different.
The bank has been there at least since the year of my birth, which was 1947. Of course, it was the old-fashioned BofA in those days – I think the redesign wasn’t done until the 70s or thereabouts. For anyone who loves this area, I can only tell you that my Kritzer trilogy (which is a thinly-veiled fiction of my childhood growing up in that area in the 50s and 60s) is jam-packed with every location in that area, from the Lido, to the Stadium and the Picfair movie theaters to all the supermarkets, restaurants, and everything else. The three books are Benjamin Kritzer, Kritzerland, and Kritzer Time. End of self-serving but well-meaning post. You can read about them on amazon.
If I knew how to do it, I have many photos of the Lido, although it looks exactly like the art on the book cover, which was actually done from a photograph.
I attended many movies at the Bruin, all throughout the mid-50s to the present. If you’d like to see classic shots of the exterior and interior from days of old, it’s featured in John Frankenheimer’s first film, The Young Stranger, with great exterior shots and lobby shots (as well as street shots of then Westwood – it’s available on a region 2 DVD), and, from the earlly 60s, Hall Bartlett’s The Caretakers, where we get great exterior shots of Polly Bergen walking up to the theater and buying a ticket, then great lobby shots as she enters the theater, and best of all, great auditorium shots when she goes beserk and runs up in front of the screen.
Amusingly, I saw a sneak preview of The Caretakers AT the Bruin – it was quite odd to be sitting in the auditorium watching Miss Bergen go berserk in the same auditorium!
I can’t remember if I posted about the Oriental under that theatre. I’ll go check. It’s a great shot, too, and that whole sequence lasts quite some time. Just watched a region 2 DVD of Frankenheimer’s first film, The Young Stranger. Lots shot at Marshall High (another troubled teen film, but a very good one), and the boy gets in trouble repeatedly at what we finally realize is the Bruin Theater in Westwood. Towards the end of the movie we get great shots of the 1958 exterior and lots of Westwood street shots, as well as the lobby of the Bruin. Amusingly, the auditorium interiors were obviously shot in a screening room somewhere and look nothing like a real movie theater.
There’s also a drive-in in the film – sadly, the shot is never wide enough to get signage or to see the street, but I think it might just be the Olympic. If anyone recognizes it, I’d love to know.
There is a DVD released this week of a film called Too Soon To Love – there is a scene of the two young leads walking past the Banner Theater – I’d never heard of it, but it has to be the one on Main St. since that’s the only Banner Theater listed anywhere in LA and environs. So, if you’d like a glimpse of its marquee fully lit and the rest of the street, check it out.
That is the most nauseating news I’ve heard all week. I hope Crobar goes out of business soon. If I’d known the theater was that cheap, I would have bought it. Just what Hollywood needs (or the world needs), another trendy nightclub for idiot kids to get wasted at. This trend will pass, and all these “renovated” theaters will sit empty, only by then they will have ruined them irrevocably. Karma, baby – it will come.
I know I only speak for myself, but really, those current photos turn my stomach. Can’t anyone post photos from the glory days of the theater, instead of these pathetic gated delapitated pictures from now?
I have many pix of the Lido and lots of others, but I don’t know where to put them so people can see.
BTW, while someone’s pal may have been thrilled at the sight of all those El Cid extras, I’m afraid this transfer is very sub-par – the color is off and looks nothing like it did when originally shown, and the lack of detail is bothersome – contrast is also not up to par – all viewable on the DVD.
I was only in the New View once – in 1959, I’d guess, to see North By Northwest, which I followed all over the city as it went from the big theaters to the small. The New View was the end of the line for North By Northwest – I remember it was pouring rain when I came out in the late afternoon. It was, even back then, dank and cheesy-looking.
I may call the number on the side of the building and go see what the interior looks like.
To Terry Wade – just seeing your post now – the Magic Carpet ride was housed in the old Dome Theater, not the Rosemary. My grandparents lived right across the street from what became the entrance to POP (Neptune’s Kingdom) at the Hotel St. Regis. Flight To Mars was my favorite ride as well, and, in fact, an artist’s rendition of it adorns the cover of my second novel, Kritzerland (you can see the cover at amazon.com).
Nope, sadly the Hamlet is now a Jerry’s Deli. Feh.
Memory playing tricks then – thanks for the info. It still didn’t seem to come close to the excitement I felt at Cinerama, though.
I saw Windjammer at the Chinese – I’m sure my memory is playing tricks on me, but I could swear there was only ONE join line instead of two like Cinerama. I’m sure that’s must mis-memory, though. I don’t remember caring for Windjammer very much or thinking it that impressive. For me, impressive was Seven Wonders Of The World, which I saw down the street at the Warner Cinerama around the same time.
Clearly both from the late 20s/early 30s.
They’re not there anymore – if memory serves the buildings were combined and it’s now the Egyptian Arena Theater, a 99 seat waiver house.
I think the mandate is to restore it to its former glory, not totally make it look like a meat locker – I hate what those people did to the Egyptian.
I was over the moon when I heard it.
Don’t ask me for any details, because I cannot give them, but I was at a meeting the other night and someone in the know tells me that it looks like things are finally in place for a restoration and for the Pacific’s to become some sort of performing arts place.
The Stadium was “my” childhood theater, really – I practically lived there and at the Lido. I haven’t been in the auditorium, but I was in the lobby in 1975 and it was very different.
The bank has been there at least since the year of my birth, which was 1947. Of course, it was the old-fashioned BofA in those days – I think the redesign wasn’t done until the 70s or thereabouts. For anyone who loves this area, I can only tell you that my Kritzer trilogy (which is a thinly-veiled fiction of my childhood growing up in that area in the 50s and 60s) is jam-packed with every location in that area, from the Lido, to the Stadium and the Picfair movie theaters to all the supermarkets, restaurants, and everything else. The three books are Benjamin Kritzer, Kritzerland, and Kritzer Time. End of self-serving but well-meaning post. You can read about them on amazon.
Drop me an e-mail – just click on my username and you’ll find it.
If I knew how to do it, I have many photos of the Lido, although it looks exactly like the art on the book cover, which was actually done from a photograph.
The parking lot WAS the Lido.
It’s quite a long sequence, too – a robbery scene.
I attended many movies at the Bruin, all throughout the mid-50s to the present. If you’d like to see classic shots of the exterior and interior from days of old, it’s featured in John Frankenheimer’s first film, The Young Stranger, with great exterior shots and lobby shots (as well as street shots of then Westwood – it’s available on a region 2 DVD), and, from the earlly 60s, Hall Bartlett’s The Caretakers, where we get great exterior shots of Polly Bergen walking up to the theater and buying a ticket, then great lobby shots as she enters the theater, and best of all, great auditorium shots when she goes beserk and runs up in front of the screen.
Amusingly, I saw a sneak preview of The Caretakers AT the Bruin – it was quite odd to be sitting in the auditorium watching Miss Bergen go berserk in the same auditorium!
I can’t remember if I posted about the Oriental under that theatre. I’ll go check. It’s a great shot, too, and that whole sequence lasts quite some time. Just watched a region 2 DVD of Frankenheimer’s first film, The Young Stranger. Lots shot at Marshall High (another troubled teen film, but a very good one), and the boy gets in trouble repeatedly at what we finally realize is the Bruin Theater in Westwood. Towards the end of the movie we get great shots of the 1958 exterior and lots of Westwood street shots, as well as the lobby of the Bruin. Amusingly, the auditorium interiors were obviously shot in a screening room somewhere and look nothing like a real movie theater.
There’s also a drive-in in the film – sadly, the shot is never wide enough to get signage or to see the street, but I think it might just be the Olympic. If anyone recognizes it, I’d love to know.
There is a DVD released this week of a film called Too Soon To Love – there is a scene of the two young leads walking past the Banner Theater – I’d never heard of it, but it has to be the one on Main St. since that’s the only Banner Theater listed anywhere in LA and environs. So, if you’d like a glimpse of its marquee fully lit and the rest of the street, check it out.
That is the most nauseating news I’ve heard all week. I hope Crobar goes out of business soon. If I’d known the theater was that cheap, I would have bought it. Just what Hollywood needs (or the world needs), another trendy nightclub for idiot kids to get wasted at. This trend will pass, and all these “renovated” theaters will sit empty, only by then they will have ruined them irrevocably. Karma, baby – it will come.