Vine Cinema & Alehouse
1722 First Street,
Livermore,
CA
94550
1722 First Street,
Livermore,
CA
94550
2 people
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Now called the Vine Cinema & Alehouse. Serving food and alcohol. Updated website link: http://www.vinecinema.com/
From the Motion Picture Herald, May 12, 1956, p. 8: “Plans for building a new theatre in Livermore, Calif., to be called the Vine, have been announced by L.S. Hamm of the newly formed Southern Alameda Theatres Corporation. Designed by Gus Santacono, the 1000-seat theatre will be operated by Roy Cooper Theatres.
The Vine opened on 12/26/1956. The following listing was in that afternoon’s Oakland Tribune movie section: California’s Newest! Most Modern! Gala Opening! Tonight! Doors open at 5:45 P.M. 1000 Panoramic View Seats Rocking Chair Loges Stereophonic Sound! Giant Screen! Ample Free Parking…Year Round Air Conditioning! Landscaped Patio Area!
The Vine opened with “You Can’t Run Away From It” starring June Allyson and Jack Lemmon, and “7th Cavalry” with Randolph Scott.
A few July 2012 photos can be seen here and here.
The entry for Gale Santocono in the 1962 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory lists the Vine Theatre at Livermore as one of his works.
The Vine Theatre was built in 1956, according to the October 6 issue of Boxoffice which said that it would be opened in November by the Roy Cooper circuit, and would have “…about 800 seats.” But the opening was delayed, and Boxoffice of November 10 said that Ampex sound equipment had been installed in the house, which was now expected to be opened in December.
An earlier Boxoffice item about the planned theater said that West Side Theatres intended it to replace their State Theatre at Livermore.
The January 12, 1957, issue of Boxoffice said that the Vine, now open, was “…designed in the modern California style.” No photograph was provided to illustrate the “modern California style,” but Boxoffice often used the term to describe midcentury modern theaters in California that had exposed redwood and/or rough stone elements in place of the steel, concrete, or plaster characteristic of the midcentury style in other parts of the country.
Restaurant next door is Zephyr Grill:
http://www.zephyrgrill.com
Now a great dinner and wine theater showing first-run art movies and the classics.
Wonderful local wines (Livermore Valley / Wente) with limited service dinner menu and table service from next door fine-dining restaurant.
Pleasant waiting area with couches and tables. A great addition to Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin area near San Francisco, CA.
Nicely remodeled with attentive and knowledgable staff. Worth a trip!
Locals weigh in on yelp.com:
http://tinyurl.com/5du5u9
The Vine was twinned in the early 70s, if memory serves.
What’s to become of the Vine now that the multiplex has opened? It might go back to being a second-run theatre, which is was for most of the 80s through 1992. It went back to being a first-run theatre in 1992 with the release of “Batman Returns.”
Any old photos of the original.
Here is the official web site of the Vine Cinema. No pictures of the theatre, unfortunately, except a small shot of the marquee.
While the new look is nice, I miss the charm of the original theatre with the corner entrance.
It seemed as if this theater was continuous James Bond in the 60s. A nice place then —– it sounds like it still is.
The Vine was twinned sometime before 1981, because when my cousin moved to Livermore at that time, it was already twinned. About two years ago, its plain circa 1960s exterior was updated to a pleasing brick and tile look, with a retro style wedge shaped marquee lit in part with bare bulbs. More screens were added on adjacent property as well.