Sometime between December 21st and 28th of 1973 the Century theatre expanded from (1) screen to (5) screens. These were the films that were playing:
1) Papillon (playing in the dome)
2) Ash Wednesday (with co-feature Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice)
3) American Graffiti
4) Paper Moon (with co-feature Harold & Maude)
5) The Sting
On or around December 20th 1974 the Century theatres opened a major motion picture into multi-theatres. Although this is standard practice today, I believe this was the first time the Century theatres had done it. Here are the films that were playing:
1) The Trial of Billy Jack (with co-feature Five Easy Pieces)
2) The Towering Inferno
3) The Towering Inferno
4) The Towering Inferno
5) Earthquake
During the week of December 20th 1976 the Century theatres held a special sneak preview of the Peter Bogdanovich film NICKELODEON. Price of admission for one was just a nickel (I believe all the proceedings went to charity).
The Enean theatre closed its doors in early 1968 and reopened on April 17, 1968 under the new name Concord Showcase. The first feature of the Showcase theatre was THE FOX starring Sandy Dennis and Keir Dullea.
The Festival Cinemas 5 opened on Wednesday May 28, 1969 (coincidentally the same day the Capri theatre in Concord, CA opened). It originally opened as the Festival 1 & 11 with two screens. The first features were WINNING starring Paul Newman and THE LOVES OF ISADORA starring Vanessa Redgrave.
The Festival 1 & 11 would expand to (5) screens becoming the Festival Cinema Center on Wednesday June 30, 1971. The films playing were:
The Hillcrest theatre opened on or around June 5, 1968. Its first features were a double bill of THE PRIVATE NAVY OF SGT. O FARRELL starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller and THE YOUNG AMERICANS.
On April 30, 1980, the Hillcrest theatre became the Cooper Cinema. It opened with the Francis Ford Coppola film APOCALYPSE NOW.
The Cooper Cinema closed its doors on or around September 8, 1981. Its last listed features were a double bill of STUDENT BODIES and GAS.
The Capri theatre opened on Wednesday May 28, 1969 (coincidentally the same day the Festival 1 & 11 theatres in Walnut Creek, CA opened). The first feature was WINNING starring Paul Newman.
Back in 2005 I had an opportunity to stop by the Park and Shop Shopping Center in Concord, California and paid a visit to the long abandoned Capri theatre. I was surprised to find the front doors to the theatre were unlocked. Upon entering, I found both escalators (located to the right) roped off and no longer operational. The only way up was by staircase (located on the left). Except for one flyer taped to the front door and a large cross propped up in a corner at the top of the staircase, I saw no other signs that a church had become the recent occupier of the Capri theatre. As I made my way down the left corridor towards the front lobby, it seemed as if nothing had changed. The wonderfully dated movie reel designed carpet was still in place as well as the refreshment counter. The only difference I saw was the amount of clutter placed in front of the glass doors in front of the lobby. Large lighting units, sofas and chairs had been left strewed about. I was unable to get any closer to the theatre. The glass doors before the lobby area were locked.
Although I had only attended the Capri theatre a few times in the 1970s (THE MISSOURI BREAKS in May of 1976 and ANNIE HALL in April of 1977) a feeling of nostalgia and sadness came over me as I left the shopping center parking lot.
The last feature I attended at the Fox Concord Theatre was ISLANDS IN THE STREAM with George C. Scott in May of 1977. At that point the theatre was still a single screen.
Sometime between December 21st and 28th of 1973 the Century theatre expanded from (1) screen to (5) screens. These were the films that were playing:
1) Papillon (playing in the dome)
2) Ash Wednesday (with co-feature Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice)
3) American Graffiti
4) Paper Moon (with co-feature Harold & Maude)
5) The Sting
On or around December 20th 1974 the Century theatres opened a major motion picture into multi-theatres. Although this is standard practice today, I believe this was the first time the Century theatres had done it. Here are the films that were playing:
1) The Trial of Billy Jack (with co-feature Five Easy Pieces)
2) The Towering Inferno
3) The Towering Inferno
4) The Towering Inferno
5) Earthquake
During the week of December 20th 1976 the Century theatres held a special sneak preview of the Peter Bogdanovich film NICKELODEON. Price of admission for one was just a nickel (I believe all the proceedings went to charity).
The Enean theatre closed its doors in early 1968 and reopened on April 17, 1968 under the new name Concord Showcase. The first feature of the Showcase theatre was THE FOX starring Sandy Dennis and Keir Dullea.
The Festival Cinemas 5 opened on Wednesday May 28, 1969 (coincidentally the same day the Capri theatre in Concord, CA opened). It originally opened as the Festival 1 & 11 with two screens. The first features were WINNING starring Paul Newman and THE LOVES OF ISADORA starring Vanessa Redgrave.
The Festival 1 & 11 would expand to (5) screens becoming the Festival Cinema Center on Wednesday June 30, 1971. The films playing were:
1) Plaza Suite
2) Tora, Tora, Tora
3) The Summer of 42
4) Love Story
5) Wild Rovers
The Hillcrest theatre opened on or around June 5, 1968. Its first features were a double bill of THE PRIVATE NAVY OF SGT. O FARRELL starring Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller and THE YOUNG AMERICANS.
On April 30, 1980, the Hillcrest theatre became the Cooper Cinema. It opened with the Francis Ford Coppola film APOCALYPSE NOW.
The Cooper Cinema closed its doors on or around September 8, 1981. Its last listed features were a double bill of STUDENT BODIES and GAS.
The Capri theatre opened on Wednesday May 28, 1969 (coincidentally the same day the Festival 1 & 11 theatres in Walnut Creek, CA opened). The first feature was WINNING starring Paul Newman.
Back in 2005 I had an opportunity to stop by the Park and Shop Shopping Center in Concord, California and paid a visit to the long abandoned Capri theatre. I was surprised to find the front doors to the theatre were unlocked. Upon entering, I found both escalators (located to the right) roped off and no longer operational. The only way up was by staircase (located on the left). Except for one flyer taped to the front door and a large cross propped up in a corner at the top of the staircase, I saw no other signs that a church had become the recent occupier of the Capri theatre. As I made my way down the left corridor towards the front lobby, it seemed as if nothing had changed. The wonderfully dated movie reel designed carpet was still in place as well as the refreshment counter. The only difference I saw was the amount of clutter placed in front of the glass doors in front of the lobby. Large lighting units, sofas and chairs had been left strewed about. I was unable to get any closer to the theatre. The glass doors before the lobby area were locked.
Although I had only attended the Capri theatre a few times in the 1970s (THE MISSOURI BREAKS in May of 1976 and ANNIE HALL in April of 1977) a feeling of nostalgia and sadness came over me as I left the shopping center parking lot.
The last feature I attended at the Fox Concord Theatre was ISLANDS IN THE STREAM with George C. Scott in May of 1977. At that point the theatre was still a single screen.