Sterling Recreation Organization (SRO) owned the Montclair Theatre until they sold it to Pacific Theatres in 1984. I worked for SRO nearly 10 years, and was an Assistant Mgr. at the Montclair Theatre, before transferring to other theatres owend by them. The Montclair Theatre originally had one screen and sat approximately 1,250 patrons. It had a “cry room” (a glass enclosed room at the rear of the theatre). The room sat about 12 people so families with infants and young children could watch the movie without disturbing other patrons. In about 1977, it was expanded by adding an additional 650 seat house and a 250 seat house. The name was changed to the Montclair Triplex. This was done in part to compete with the Montclair Cinema, which had two movie screens located at the Montclair Plaza. At the time executives felt the city was saturated with movie screens, and that theatres would not want to compete with each other by showing the same movie, which is now commonplace. A third Multiplex movie theatre opened on San Bernardino Road, and incorporated “lodge seating” for which they charged more money. After Pacific Theatres bought out SRO’s theatres in California, they divided the large house, which was one of the last theatre houses in the area capable of seating that many people. Shortly thereafter, the theatre was closed.
Sterling Recreation Organization (SRO) owned the Montclair Theatre until they sold it to Pacific Theatres in 1984. I worked for SRO nearly 10 years, and was an Assistant Mgr. at the Montclair Theatre, before transferring to other theatres owend by them. The Montclair Theatre originally had one screen and sat approximately 1,250 patrons. It had a “cry room” (a glass enclosed room at the rear of the theatre). The room sat about 12 people so families with infants and young children could watch the movie without disturbing other patrons. In about 1977, it was expanded by adding an additional 650 seat house and a 250 seat house. The name was changed to the Montclair Triplex. This was done in part to compete with the Montclair Cinema, which had two movie screens located at the Montclair Plaza. At the time executives felt the city was saturated with movie screens, and that theatres would not want to compete with each other by showing the same movie, which is now commonplace. A third Multiplex movie theatre opened on San Bernardino Road, and incorporated “lodge seating” for which they charged more money. After Pacific Theatres bought out SRO’s theatres in California, they divided the large house, which was one of the last theatre houses in the area capable of seating that many people. Shortly thereafter, the theatre was closed.