Bluelight Cinemas

You’re probably right, Scott. I know the theater was originally a 3plex, and West Side Valley Theatres could have been the operator. At some point, North American Cinemas took it over-in the 90s. The theaters were 3 long and narrow with an aisle down the middle, about 275 seats each as I recall. North American put up a wall in the middle of theaters 2 and 3 and it became a five plex. You went down a hallway to access theaters 4 and 5 and there were side doors, so the back of those theaters were basically the front six or seven rows of the originals. Theater 1 remained long and narrow. The remaining four theaters were all pretty small. Craig Gildea was the manager there for a few years in the mid to late 90s. He left and has since passed away. I don’t know when North American closed it, but the name change to Bluelight must have been with the new owners. If my memory serves, directory ads ran in the Oakland Tribune, and maybe Chronicle and San Jose papers, I’m not sure. It thought it was a fairly mediocre theater- uncomfortable seats and mono sound, but it did pretty good business, and the theaters were so small that sellouts did occur.

Originally a UA house called The Oaks. A single screen that expanded as more patrons discovered Cupertino (birthplace of Dana Carvey!) and its famous Flint Center.

Now no more movie theaters or shopping centers! No Oaks, Cupertino Square or Vallco! 😔😔😔

I’ve posted information and photos from a recent visit here.