Alan’s partner’s name was John.. They both used to come into the Record Factory in Monterey when I worked there in the early 80’s to buy intermission music.
The theater on Cannery Row was also known as the 812 Cinema. I loved that place! I have great memories of sitting on those big comfy pillows and smoking pot while watching an all-night Pasolini triple bill!
The Dream Theater was one of the most beautiful and unique theaters I’ve ever gone too. It had three types of seating: reclined chaise-lounge type seats for the first 4 or so rows, then regular-style rocking theater seats for the middle rows, with high-backed, compartmentalized, two-seater love seats in the back few rows.
The theater also had three screen curtains: 1) in front, a horizontally-opening lush red velvet curtain, then a vertically-rising gold lame drape, and finally another horizontally-opening, shimmering white screen-protecting curtain. One of the pleasures of attending a film here was watching all those curtains do their thing at the beginning of each screening!
It also had a fabulous deco-inspired illuminated ceiling which slowly changed hues from reds to blues as the film was about to begin.
The theater’s decor was totally groovy early-70’s hippie-chic. Lots of natural wood and stained glass… Very Big Sur!
In the mid-80’s, the Dream added a second tiny theater — a screening room that couldn’t have had more than 30 seats, yet still had great sightlines and excellent sound. They squeezed this screen into some unused space above the lobby and snack bar, thus keeping the large main theater intact.
After John and Alan both died of AIDS in the late 80’s, another owner ran the theater for a few more years, although it lost its gay sensibility which always made the Dream such a special place.
Eventually, shamefully, the city of Monterey allowed the building to be bulldozed to make room for yet another bland strip mall on Lighthouse Avenue. Many tears have been shed over the loss of this fantastic theater, which was gone before any of us even realized it was in danger. Shame on Monterey for not preserving it.
Alan’s partner’s name was John.. They both used to come into the Record Factory in Monterey when I worked there in the early 80’s to buy intermission music.
The theater on Cannery Row was also known as the 812 Cinema. I loved that place! I have great memories of sitting on those big comfy pillows and smoking pot while watching an all-night Pasolini triple bill!
The Dream Theater was one of the most beautiful and unique theaters I’ve ever gone too. It had three types of seating: reclined chaise-lounge type seats for the first 4 or so rows, then regular-style rocking theater seats for the middle rows, with high-backed, compartmentalized, two-seater love seats in the back few rows.
The theater also had three screen curtains: 1) in front, a horizontally-opening lush red velvet curtain, then a vertically-rising gold lame drape, and finally another horizontally-opening, shimmering white screen-protecting curtain. One of the pleasures of attending a film here was watching all those curtains do their thing at the beginning of each screening!
It also had a fabulous deco-inspired illuminated ceiling which slowly changed hues from reds to blues as the film was about to begin.
The theater’s decor was totally groovy early-70’s hippie-chic. Lots of natural wood and stained glass… Very Big Sur!
In the mid-80’s, the Dream added a second tiny theater — a screening room that couldn’t have had more than 30 seats, yet still had great sightlines and excellent sound. They squeezed this screen into some unused space above the lobby and snack bar, thus keeping the large main theater intact.
After John and Alan both died of AIDS in the late 80’s, another owner ran the theater for a few more years, although it lost its gay sensibility which always made the Dream such a special place.
Eventually, shamefully, the city of Monterey allowed the building to be bulldozed to make room for yet another bland strip mall on Lighthouse Avenue. Many tears have been shed over the loss of this fantastic theater, which was gone before any of us even realized it was in danger. Shame on Monterey for not preserving it.