Crest Theatre
4275 Atlantic Boulevard,
Long Beach,
CA
90807
4275 Atlantic Boulevard,
Long Beach,
CA
90807
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 70 comments
Happened to be next door today to where the Crest once stood. Added a picture of what the block looks like now.
Higher quality grand opening ad
Crest theatre opening Thu, Jan 23, 1947 – 8 · Long Beach Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California) · Newspapers.com
That was Mr. Francis. Although, I don’t recall him balding. He had curly hair. He loved the kids and would put on a Saturday kid’s show every week. He refused to play monster movies because he said our mothers would complain. But they always showed a film, “Crazy Races”, about ten or twelve cartoons (the last one they would run upside down and backwards) and they had birthday cake for any kids who had a birthday during the week. He would stand on the stage with a microphone after the movie and give out the cake and prizes for those who had the winning number for “Crazy Races.” Very fond memories.
Does anyone have a photo of Harry Francis? I went to The Crest in the 1960s as a kid and remember a short, balding man working there all the time but don’t know if this was him or not. I’d remember if I could see a photo. Thanks.
Completed in 1946 and first film was shown January 23,1947.
I worked for Mr. Francis near the end of his career at the Bruin. Great man.
Hello Tinseltoes… Sorry, I cannot download your photos. I’d love to have seen this theater!
What a beautiful theater….Great marquee.
My late friend, Joseph Musil, who owned the magnificent American Museum of Theatrical Design (aka: Salon of the Theatres) in Santa Ana, managed to rescue some of the wonderful brass floral lighting which traversed the ornate lobby and auditorium.
I also wonder what happened to his incredible collection of photographs and 35mm slide collection of historic southern California theaters, especially of Long Beach?
I remember the Municipal Auditorium, the original Pike with the Plunge and the Public Library in Lincoln Park and of course, the Pacific Electric Red Cars. I also remember when they were shooting the movie, ‘It’s a Mad. Mad. Mad, Mad World.’ Does anyone remember the 5 cents per scoop of ice cream at Sav-On drug stores? (On a side note, the end of the movie, ‘The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms’ was shot at the Pike, not Coney Island.
Not only the theatres but most of the Downtown L.B. buildings that were there in 1962 are also gone.
I grew up in Long beach from 1951-1962 and remember going to all of the movie theaters in town but when I went back for a few days in 1995, I was surprised that all of the theaters were gone, from the:
State; West Coast; Imperial; United Artists; Roxy; The Palace; Rivoli; Crest and Towne theaters. I remember seeing ‘a 3-d movie, 'The House of Wax’ in 1953 at the West Coast and ‘Them’ at the State. i remember staying all day on Saturdays at the Roxy and the Palace watching three features; cartoons, coming attractions and the weekly news, all for 25 cents. Does anyone remember getting Bon-Bons?
I have been living in Palm Beach County, Florida for twenty years but still think of Long Beach before the life got so complicated.
Oh the vertical neon Crest sign on the Long Beach house looks close to the same as the Crest Theatres in Fresno and Sacramento.
Hi, the Loyola is still standing. But converted to office space. The Fox Inglewood is still standing, but closed and all in one piece. If you look it up on this site , there is a nice video on You Tube. Crest in Fresno is used for concerts they say. But the Crest Theatre in Sacramento is still alive and running films and concerts. What a Gem.
Hi William – Are or WERE???
I no longer live in CA – but, will be visiting
soon & would like to take another trip down Memory Lane…
Other Fox West Coast Theatres with step down lounges are:
Loyola Theatre (1946) in Los Angeles, CA
Fox Theatre (1949) in Inglewood, CA
Crest Theatre (1949) in Sacramento, CA
Crest Theatre (1949) in Fresno, CA
Thanks for clearing that up Dennis. I thought that I saw Mad World there in 63' – guess it must have been 65'. Who knows, maybe we sat on the same row – lol. Small World – Great Memories. Thanks…
I also saw Help at the Crest in ‘65. That same year the Crest had It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World a couple years after it premiered at the Cinerama Dome up in Los Angeles.
It was the Crest that had the lounge. I can remember waiting there for the Beatles film, “Help!” to start.
Can anybody tell me if it was the Crest or the Towne that had the step down lounge? I believe that it was the Crest, but, I honestly can’t remember. I do remember that the last movie that I saw at the Towne was “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, back in 1963. I have such great memories of Long Beach at that time. Remember swimming in the little pond in Houghton Park? Lest, not forget the one & only POP (Pacific Ocean Park); of course that was Santa Monica, not Long Beach. Love those memories & Oh, if only life were that simple again… If anyone happens to have any pictures “PLEASE POST”.
I sorely miss those days of the late 50’s through the late 60’s. During hot summer days while on school summer vacation we enjoyed the cool air-conditioned auditoriums of the Crest, Towne and Atlantic (just up the street) theatres. Sometimes we would even go into Downtown L.B. to see kiddie films at the State, UA and Rivoli (all of which are now long gone) then spend a few hours at the Pike. Ahhh! Yes, those were the good old days.
Great b&w pictures of opening night, they really new how to do things back then, Keg Lights and everything!!!
I used to go to the Crest & Towne theaters as a child..my grandpa would drop me off and it was so nice to sit and watch the Disney classics…as I am today “The Absent-Minded Professor” (on Netflix-ha)…I even saw “The Wizard Of Oz” there and get this one…tonight of all nights I am taking my 20 yr old daughter to see the same movie for the 70th anniversary presentation in Burbank!!..not the same as the old theaters but it will be fun!…I loved Shady Acres…was there all the time aas a kid also..it was right next door to a trailer park and my great grandma lived there…she had what we now call “Alzheimer’s” so she would yell at me if she saw me in the bushes trying to recover my ball as I was a “lousy” shot!!…hahaha wow…that’s funny!
The Crest was located at Atlantic and Burlinghall. I attended one of the last showings there in 1978 of “Star Wars.” I believe that the last movie shown was “Saturday Night Fever.”
I waited about 3 hours to get in to see “Mary Poppins.” Almost that long to see the double bill of “A Hard Days Night” with the Elvis picture, “Follow That Dream” about 45 years ago. A year later, saw the Beatles again in “Help!”
And if I recall correctly, I think I spent my 11th birthday there seeing “Mad, mad, mad, mad world,” which featured sights of Long Beach.
Liked it better than the Towne.
after viewing the aerial shots i now totally agree i was completely off track. 50 years is a long time to remember the exact locations.
i lived there in 1950 and loved those places. the aroma of walking by
welch’s is still there. seeing the “thing” at the crest and walking home thru scherer park over the railroad track to locust and peace st is still eerie