I grew up in Manhattan Beach and loved that theater. It is the one we always went to. I saw everything from Bambi to King Kong there.
One day a friend of mine came by and said he knew a way in. I cannot remember if I was in junior high or still in grade school but it was in the late 70’s or ealy 80’s. Someone had broken one of the ticket windows. We climbed the wooden wall that surrounded that block and went in to investigate. We went to the projector room and found the reels with the old LA Times adds featuring the little dog trying to carry the huge Sunday paper. We went into the back room downstairs directly behind the ticket booth and it was still full of candy. Yes, I ate it. We went through all the rooms upstairs and found bags and bags of old stale already popped popcorn and had popcorn fights. The theaters themselves had the seats removed so we took the fluorescent lights and through them at the screens and watched them explode in a brilliant blue light.
Many a boring afternoon where spent there with my friends. But the best part was how long it took them to tear it down. We went back all the time. At one point after the roof had been removed we went in and a lot of the walls where torn down. The long hallway that went to the little theater in the back was still standing. We took it upon ourselves to tear that thing down.
Talk about a great farewell to an old friend. I know, it was juvenile but so was I. And like I said, that theater was there my entire life to that point and that is where I saw all my movies. It really was an old friend.
I am glad I found this page. I too wish there where pictures.
I grew up in Manhattan Beach and loved that theater. It is the one we always went to. I saw everything from Bambi to King Kong there.
One day a friend of mine came by and said he knew a way in. I cannot remember if I was in junior high or still in grade school but it was in the late 70’s or ealy 80’s. Someone had broken one of the ticket windows. We climbed the wooden wall that surrounded that block and went in to investigate. We went to the projector room and found the reels with the old LA Times adds featuring the little dog trying to carry the huge Sunday paper. We went into the back room downstairs directly behind the ticket booth and it was still full of candy. Yes, I ate it. We went through all the rooms upstairs and found bags and bags of old stale already popped popcorn and had popcorn fights. The theaters themselves had the seats removed so we took the fluorescent lights and through them at the screens and watched them explode in a brilliant blue light.
Many a boring afternoon where spent there with my friends. But the best part was how long it took them to tear it down. We went back all the time. At one point after the roof had been removed we went in and a lot of the walls where torn down. The long hallway that went to the little theater in the back was still standing. We took it upon ourselves to tear that thing down.
Talk about a great farewell to an old friend. I know, it was juvenile but so was I. And like I said, that theater was there my entire life to that point and that is where I saw all my movies. It really was an old friend.
I am glad I found this page. I too wish there where pictures.