Fox Cinemaland Theatre

Came across a 1971 ad for “The French Connection” listing Cinemaland as a featured theater (added to photo section).

I’m an O.C. native and can’t say I remember this theater across from Disneyland in the ‘70s.

Looked like a grand single-screen palace back in the day, before the split, similar to Edwards Cinema in Costa Mesa & Big Newport in Newport Beach.

Even with the split, kind of odd it only lasted a decade, especially with its prime location across from the region’s biggest tourist attraction.

The location of this theater is (was) at the corner of Harbor Blvd and W. Manchester Ave (which, past the theater’s location, curves into a parallel road – and becomes Sl Manchester Ave. – along the 5 Freeway). As noted earlier, it is not directly across Harbor Blvd from the Disneyland entrance; rather it is directly opposite the Tomorrowland Train Station in Disneyland (next to the Innoventions Building and the Autopia). On the site today stands a Mimi’s Cafe (although the theater’s actual footprint is part of the current restaurant’s parking lot – the restaurant’s address is 1400 S. Harbor Blvd, interestingly). It is directly across from the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground.

Side note: I also saw “Herbie Rides Again” here in the summer of 1974, and I distinctly remember the full-size Herbie-styled VW Bug replica outside the entrance doors near the ticket booth! I also saw the 1976 “King Kong” here with my dad, and in the summer of 1977 I remember going here for a few weekends for a kids' movie festival, seeing such films as “The World of Abbott & Costello” (1965), “The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County” (1970), “Clarence the Cross Eyed Lion” (1965), “Eight on the Lam” (1967), “McHale’s Navy Joins The Air Force” (1965), and others.

nothing like the 70’s theatre Business!Great stuff.

Some photos (vintage and contemporary) and newspaper ads of this theater can be found here.

I think this theater is in this photograph – View link

I visited this theater once a long time ago, and the location in the photo seems right.

According to the 4/15/68 Boxoffice Magazine, Cinemaland’s first manager was Harold Brislin, an individual who had formerly managed the Fox West Coast, in Santa Ana, and had been with the company for 33 years (at the time of Cinemaland’s opening).

The Fox Cinemaland opened during a minor new theatre building spree during the late 1960s in Orange County.

Edwards opened their Newport Cinema (aka Big Newport) theatre in 1969. Syufy (Century) opened their twin Cinedome down the I-5 Freeway from Cinemaland, also in 1969. In Costa Mesa, the South Coast Plaza Theatre opened in 1968 or 1969. In or around 1972, ABC opened the City Center in Orange. All were luxury theatres of their day and had 70mm capability.

Newport is still open. The Cinedome and City Center have been demolished, and South Coast Plaza still remains vacant.

This theatre was demolished in early 1998 and turned into a bus stop. Technically, though, it wasn’t located directly across from the old Disneyland main entrance, but about a block or two down the street.

I remember going there in the summer of 1974 when “Herbie Rides Again” played. There was a Herbie replica sitting on the red carpet out in front of the theatre. I don’t remember much about the interior, but the outside and lobby were brightly lit. My parents would also drive by the theatre at night on the 5-Freeway. I’d always check out what was playing there on the marquee close to the freeway.

I took a tour of the theatre as it was being demolished. Mann did a terrible job in tri-plexing this place. Where the original screen was, the contractors built a skinny theater at the back wall. The rest of the old single auditorium was subdivided into two auditoriums.

I’m not sure the exact number of seats in the single screen version of this place, but my friend said about 900. His father worked there.

Sadly, this place sat for over a decade empty and vagrants camped out inside.