Edwards Cinema Center
2701 Harbor Boulevard,
Costa Mesa,
CA
92626
2701 Harbor Boulevard,
Costa Mesa,
CA
92626
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Edwards Cinemas
Firms: Burke, Kober, Nicolais & Archuleta
Nearby Theaters
Edwards Cinema Center opened on August 25, 1972 in the Mesa Verde shopping center, across the street from the original Edwards Cinema. The Cinema Center, like the other Edwards Cinemas, always showed double features, sometime both A pictures. One reason for their success was their large parking lot, the indoor ice rink and the many restaurants, such as Hamburger Hamlet, at the center– you could park once and make a night of it.
This was Edwards 7th Orange county location and their first four-screen operation. The area was well-served with cinemas, for a little over a mile south down Harbor Boulevard was Edwards Harbor Twin, which opened in 1970. James Edwards was protecting his turf well.
In 1974 Edwards built an identical theater, the Bristol 4 Cinema about three miles away in Santa Ana, which was demolished in 2001. The last night of movies at the Cinema Center was March 8, 2001 and the building was demolished around 2005. Another casualty in the center was the old-school bowling alley, Kona Lanes, which was built in 1958. Kona Lanes closed in late May of 2003, despite protests and was later demolished.
Contributed by
Ron Pierce
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
I think the address is 2701 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Cinema Center at Harbor and Adams will live in my mind until the day I die. If you drive past the now vacant, fenced in lot next to the CVS drive thru pharmacy you just might catch sight of me dropping off popcorn and candy in loving memory, maybe dumping a 40 dog of Malt liquor into the dry, cracked earth. As a kid I remember seeing some real classics there with my mom including: Stripes, For Your Eyes Only, Easy Money, Vacation, Airplane 2, A Christmas Story, Gremlins, Halloween III Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, just to name a few. Around 1986 I began hanging out there with my junior high friends just about every Friday night, drinking and smoking and watching the latest flick. This was the place to go back in the day. Big nights included: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and 3, Pretty in Pink, Cobra, Back to School, Weird Science, Aliens, and a couple of the Friday the 13th installments. Then the Charter Center opened in Huntington and the crowds of my classmates thinned, I think the last movie I saw there was Basic Instinct. Every time I pop in a DVD from that era it takes me right back to that theater. Love it. Miss it.
thanks richard,good memories,too bad no pictures.
“The Rocketeer” was presented at the Edwards Cinema Center in 35mm Dolby Stereo beginning on Friday June 21, 1991.
I was in the neighborhood recently so I decided to swing by and pay my respects. Happy to see that the sad patch of land which used to be Edwards Cinema Center, The Ice Skating Palace, Kona Lanes and the old record store has been developed into a massive condominium complex. Looks really nice. Life goes on.
Forgot about this theater. I remember seeing Ice Castles with Robbie Benson here back in the late ‘70s. Can also remember seeing Meatballs listed on one of the individual theater marquees while I was there for another movie. Also recall the nearby ice rink & Hamburger Hamlet.