Valley Plaza Cinema

I worked here in 1986 from May (just before I graduated from high school until the closing shift in October, either the 30th or 31st. During that time, we showed Space Camp, Ruthless People, Aliens, Jumpin' Jack Flash, and Stand By Me, among others. It was a great job I loved the crew I worked with.

1/21/74: AFT: Butley
1/23/74: American Graffiti (continues)
(2/01/74: Sneak: Jonathan Lingston Seagull)
2/04/74: AFT: Lost in the Stars (2 days)
2/06/74: Jonathan Livingston Seagull; The Thief Who Came To Dinner
2/13/74: Serpico
(2/16-2/17/74: matinees: Pippi Longstocking)
2/27/74: Papillon (benifit premiere – BHS Orchestra Associates)
2/28/74: Serpico (continues)
3/06/74: Papillon
3/11-3/12/74: AFT: Rhinoceros (2 days)
3/13/74: Papillon (continues)
3/27/74: The Last Detail
4/08-4/09/74: AFT: Luther (2 days)
4/10/74: The Great Gatsby
(5/05-5/06/74: matinees: Marco)
5/06/74: AFT: Three Sisters (2 days)
5/08/74: The Great Gatsbyl Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams
5/15/74: Zardoz; Fantastic Planet
(5/18-5/19/74: matinees: Rumpelsiltskin)
5/22/74: The Three Musketeers
6/05/74: The Three Musketeers; Chariots of the Gods?
6/14/74: Old Yeller; The Incredible Journey
(6/17-6/18/74: Frank West PTA: n/a)
(6/24-6/25/74: Frank West PTA: George!)
6/26/74: Conrack; The Heartbreak Kid
(7/01-7/02/74: Frank WSest PTA: And Now, Miguel)
7/03/74: The Sound of Music
(7/08-7/09/74: Frank West PTA: Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines)
7/10/74: For Pete’s Sake
7/15-7/16/74: Frank West PTA: Flight of the Doves)
(7/22-7/23/74: Frank West PTA:The Wacky World of Mother Goose)
7/24/74: For Pete’s Sake; Oklahoma Crude
(7/29-7/30/74: Frank West PTA: Living Free)
7/31/74: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad; Beyond Atlantis
(8/05-8/06/74: Frank West PTA: An Elephant Called Slowly)
(9/12-9/13/74: Frank West PTA: The Shakiest Gun in the West)
8/14/74: The Parralax View; Paul and Michelle
(8/19-8/20/74: Frank West PTA: Smokey)
8/21/74: Pippi in the Sounth Seas; Brother of the Wind
8/28/74: Chinatown; Little Laura and Big John
9/06/74: Chinatgown; The New Centurians
9/11/74: The Last Picture Show; Easy Rider
9/18/74: 2001; a Space Odyssey
10/02/74: Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry; The Last American Hero
10/09/74: Bootleggers; Le Mans
10/18/74: The Longest Yard
11/13/74: The Longest Yard; The Parallax View
(11/23-11/24-74: matinees: Charlotte’s Web)
11/27/74: The Odessa File
(11/28-12/01/74: matinees: Touch the Sky)
12/06/74: The Odessa File; The Lords of Flatbush
12/11/74: Camelot; Oliver
12/18/74: Tom Sawyer; Huckleberry Finn
12/25/74: The Godfather part II

I did just notice a miswtake on my list. The weeklong matinbee engagement of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that started 9-1-71 played by itself, not with Charlotte’s Web.

1/21/70: Cactus Flower
1/28/70: Cactus Flower; Me, Natalie
2/18/70: The Reivers; Viva Max! (2 weeks)
¾/70: The Sterile Cuckoo; Goodbye, Columbus
3/11/70: Downhill Racer; The Gypsy Moths
3/18/70:In Search of the Castaways; The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit
4/01/70: In Search of the Castaways; Downhill Racer
4/8/70: Marooned
4/22/70: Marooned; Ring of Bright Water
4/29/70: The Lawyer; Romeo and Juliet
5/6/70: A Walk in the Spring Rain; The Comic
5/13/70: The Molly Maguires; Marlowe
5/20/70: A Man Called Horse; The Reivers
5/27/70: King of the Grizzlies; The Battle For Britain (2 weeks)
6/10/70: The Boys In the Band; Staircase
6/17/70: 2001: a Space Odyssey; The Dirty Dozen
6/24/70: Sleeping Beauty; The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (2 weeks)
7/8/70: The Cheyenne Social Club; With Six You Get Eggroll (2 weeks)
7/22/70: Paint Your Wagon; Norwood (5 weeks)
8/26/70: Getting Straight; Medium Cool
9/2/70: The Out-Of-Towners; If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium (2 weeks)
9/16/70: Z; Secret of Santa Vittoria
9/23/70: On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; The Impossible Years (9 days)
10/02/70: Doctor Zhivago (5 days)
10/07/70:Threesome; Sex and the College Girl
10/14/70: Threesome; El Condor
10/21/70: The Cross and the Switchblade
10/28/70: Darling Lili; The Hawaiians
11/4/70: WUSA; Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon
11/11/70: The Student Nurses; The Love Doctors
11/18/70: The Cross and the Switchblade (return engagement)
11/25/70: Monte Walsh; The Cheyenne Social Club
12/9/70: The Babymaker; Borsalino
12/16/70: Scrooge; A Boy Named Charlie Brown (2 weeks)
12/30/70: Rio Lobo; Monte Walsh (2 weeks)
1/13/71: Catch-22; The Adventurers (2 weeks)
1/27/71: Five Easy Pieces; Move (3 weeks)
2/17/71: The Owl and the Pussycat; The Ballad of Cable Hogue (3 weeks)
3/10/71: Cromwell
3/17/71: Little Big Man; Rio Lobo (3 weeks)
4/7/71: Love Story (5 weeks)
5/12/71: A New Leaf; Darling Lili
5/19/71: Two a Penny
5/26/71: Lawrence of Arabia (2 weeks)
6/9/71: Nana; Myra Breckinridge
6/16/71: Doctor’s Wives; There’s a Girl In My Soup
6/23/71: The Horsemen; A Man Called Sledge
6/30/71: Plaza Suite; Waterloo
7/7/71: Le Mans; A Man Called Horse7/14/21: Le Mans; The Reivers
7/21/71: The Anderson Tapes; The Pursuit of Happiness
7/28/71: Pinocchio; The Wild Country (2 weeks)
8/11/71: Big Jake; Von Richthofen and Brown (2 weeks)
8/25/71: Jacqueline Susann’s The Love Machine; Valley of the Dolls
9/01/71: The Love Machine; Doctors’ Wives
(9/1/71: weeklong matinee double feature: Willie Wonka; Charlotte’s Web)
9/8/71: Song Of Norway; True Grit
9/15/71: Woodstock; Gimme Shelter
9/22/71: On Any Sunday; Little Fauss and Big Halsey
9/29/71: On Any Sunday; Evil Knievel
10/6/71: The Hellstrom Chronicle; The Red Tent
10/13/71:Blue Water, White Death
10/20/71: Carnal Knowledge; Pretty Maids All In a Row (2 weeks)
11/3/71: Bless the Beasts and Children; A New Leaf
11/10/71: Way Out; Chisum
11/17/71:The French Connection; Vanishing Point
11/24/71:The African Elephant; Blue Water, White Death
12/1/71: The Telephone Book; The Female Animal (9 days)
12/10/71: See No Evil; The Anderson Tapes
12/17/71: Scrooge; A Boy Named Charlie Brown (8 days)
12/25/71: $; Friends (3 weeks, 3 days)
1/19/72: Star Spangled Girl; Plaza Suite (2 weeks)
2/2/72: Harold and Maude; T.R. Baskin
2/9/72: XY & Z; Diary of a Mad Housewife (2 weeks)
2/23/72: Pocket Money; something big (2 weeks)
3/8/72: Such Good Friends; Catch-22
3/15/72: The Hired Hand; Play Misty For Me
3/22/72: The Godfather (12 weeks)
6/14/72: Nicholas and Alexandra (4 weeks)
7/12/72: Now You See Him, Now You Don’t; Perri (2 weeks)
7/26/72:The Burglars; Buck and the Preacher
8/2/72: Play It Again, Sam
8/9/72: Prime Cut
8/16/72: The War Between Men and Women
8/23/72: Snoopy, Come Home!; Who Says I Can’t Ride a Rainbow!
8/30/72: Butterflies Are Free; 3rd week co-feature: The Revengers
9/20/72: Stand Up and Be Counted; Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
9/27/72: The Last Picture Show; Fools Parade (2 weeks)
10/11/72: The New Centurians (3 weeks)
11/1/72: Funny Girl (re-release)
11/8/72: Cabaret
11/15/72: The Valachi Papers (4 weeks)
12/13/72: Snoopy, Come Home; Scrooge (6 days)
12/19/72: The Getaway (6 weeks, 1 day)
1/31/73: 1776
2/7/73: Young Winston (2 weeks)
2/21/73: Shamus; Play It Again, Sam (2 weeks)
3/7/73: The Legend Of Boggy Creek; Man In the Wilderness
3/21/73: The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean; 2nd week â€" Vanishing Point
4/4/73: Up the Sandbox; Bless the Beasts and Children
4/11/73: Brother Sun, Sister Moon; 2nd week â€" Harold and Maude
4/25/73: Cabaret; Marjoe
5/2/73: Save the Tiger; Lady Sings the Blues (2 weeks)
5/16/73: The Ruling Class; The King of Marvin Gardens
5/23/73: Camelot (re-release)
5/30/73: Carnal Knowledge; The Graduate
6/6/73: The Legend of Frenchie king; The Wild Bunch
6/13/73: Hitler: The Last 10 Days; Fuzz
6/20/73: Godspell
6/27/73: Paper Moon; 2nd week â€" A New Leaf (4 weeks)
7/25/73: Lost Horizon (2 weeks)
8/8/73: 40 Carats; Butterflies Are Free (2 weeks)
8/22/73: Oklahoma Crude
8/29/73 The Day of the Jackal (2 weeks)
9/12/73: Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing; $
9/19/73: The Stone Killer; The Friends of Eddie Coyle
9/26/73: Let the Good Times Roll; Concert For Bangladesh
10/3/73: Bang the Drum Slowly; Oklahoma Crude
10/10/73: Romeo and Juliet (2 weeks)
10/24/73: Westworld; Soylent Green (3 weeks)
(10/29/73 The Iceman Cometh (American Film Theatre) (2 days) )
(11/12/73 The Homecoming (American Film Theatre)) 2 days
11/14/73: The Way We Were (5 weeks, 2 days)
12/21/73: American Graffiti (7 weeks)

Thanks, Mike. My handwritten notes DID show the correct date, but I was making some typing mistakes, and obviously didn’t catch them all.

Did the Valley Plaza resemble the Century 21 in Anaheim? Statewide opened several theaters in the early 1960s, with very similar plans designed by the San Diego architectural firm of Tucker, Sadler, & Bennett. I think the Bakersfield house was one of them, but haven’t been able to find a published reference confirming it. A close resemblance between the Valley Plaza and any of the other Statewide projects designed by that firm would be the next best thing.

For the 4/25/61: n/a notation, the double feature was A Man For All Seasons; Taming of the Shrew.

Statewide’s Cinema Valley Plaza had its Gala opening on Tuesday, September 19, with a special benefit (for the Boy’s Club) premiere of HAWAII. The theatre opened with 1,030 seats, 200 less then planned due to a strike at the manufacturing plant. It would take another couple of months before the open spaces in the auditorium would be filled with the remaining seats. The theatre was the exact twin of a San Bernardino theatre that had opened the previous month. The Loew’s banner went up on the theatre on Friday, November 3, 1967.

1960’s regular film presentations (exluding children’s matinees):
9/20/67: Hawaii (4 weeks)
9/18/67: The Sound of Music (9 weeks, 2 days)
9/22/67: Thoroughly Modern Millie (reserved performance engagement)
2/14/68: Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (inc. opening benefit)
3/13/68: In Cold Blood (short: Recon Pilot)
4/03/68: In Cold Blood; The Great British Train Robbery
4/10/68: The Graduate
5/29/68: No Way To Treat a Lady
6/05/68: Madigan; Sergeant Ryker
6/12/68: Secret War of Harry Frigg; A Matter of innocence
6/19/68: The Odd Couple (short: A Windy Day)
7/17/68: Rosemary’s Baby
8/14/68: Hammerhead; Anzio (except 8/16, when Eggroll sneak showed)
8/21/68: With Six You Get Eggroll
8/28/68: For Love of Ivy (short: Wonderful Austria
9/11/68: For Love of Ivy; Texas Across the River
9/18/68: Interlude; Walk, Don’t Run
9/25/68: With Six You Get Eggroll; Dark of the Sun
10/02/68: How Sweet It Is (short: Boston Freedom Trail; cartoon)
10/09/68: How Sweet It Is; I’ll Never Forget What’s Is Name
10/16/68: The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
10/23/68: The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom; 5 Card Stud
10/30/68: Helga; Divorce American Style
11/13/68: Othello (Olivier) 2 days only
11/15/68: Doctor Zhivago
11/27/68: Barbarella; Project X
12/11/68: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter; Petulia
12/18/68: West Side Story; The Thomas Crown Affair
12/25/68: Candy
1/22/69: Secret Ceremony; Work is a Four Letter Word
1/29/69: Riot; Danger Diabolik
2/05/69: Skidoo; Half a Sixpence
2/11/69: The Wrecking Crew; Dayton’s Devils
2/19/69: The Brotherhood; Strange Affair
2/26/69: Romeo and Juliet (inc. benefit premiere: KHSD Faculty Wives)
3/26/69: 3 in the Attic; The Wild Racers
4/02/69: The Stalking Moon; Paper Lion
4/09/69: Pendulum; Coogan’s Bluff
4/16/69: The Odd Couple; Rosemary’s Baby
4/23/69: The Sleeping Beauty (Kirov Ballet) 2 days only
4/25/69: n/a
5/07/69: Guess Whose Coming To Dinner; To Sir With Love
5/14/69: Fraulein Doktor; Waterhole #3
5/21/69: A Fine Pair; The Stalking Moon
5/28/69: Hook, Line & Sinker; Supergo Vs. Diabolicus
6/04/69: My Side of the Mountain; Hello Down There
6/11/69: The Southern Star; Shalako
6/18/69: Run Wild, Run Free; The Cat
6/25/69: Support Your Local Sheriff; Night They Raided Minsky's
7/02/69: True Grit; The President’s Analyst
7/23/69: Mackenna’s Gold; How To Save a Marriage…and Ruin Your Life
8/06/69: The April Fools; Wait Until Dark
8/20/69: Goodbye, Columbus; Barefoot in the Park
9/10/69: Daddy’s Gone-a-Huntin'; The April Fools
9/17/69: if…; Benjamin
9/25/69: The Loves of Isadora; 3 int 2 Won’t Go
10/01/69: Oliver! (incl. benefit premiere – KC Mental Health)
10/29/69: Last Summer; Festival
11/05/69: Inga; 99 Women
11/12/69: Funny Girl (including benefit premiere-Child Guidence Center)
12/10/69: Fanny Hill; Paranoia
12/25/69: Bob&Carol&Ted&Alice