Sadly, much of this theatre’s interior is stripped down to the studs these days. While the windows have long been blacked out, I managed to sneak a peak at the lobby recently. Much of the ceiling is missing, the concession area is a skeleton, walls are stripped bare, and electrical conduit hangs loose everywhere. I’m guessing this stripped down state is left over from Edwards' pre bankrupcy remodel plans, as a heavy layer of dust suggests it’s been quite some time since anyone frequented the lobby.
The building is currently used as a youth ministry and has undergone heavy remodeling (bares little resemblance to it’s theatre days).
Tucked away, down a secluded side street, this once popular and pioneering southern Orange County cinema is basically forgotten as a theatre (few locals even remember the building to have once been a theatre).
The theatre is currently (9/07) being remodeled in to a live performance theater by the same ministry that operates the Curtain Call Dinner Theater in Santa Ana, CA. A banner hanging under the original theatre signage advertises “Biblical to Broadway” as the future programming.
Looking in the windows, it appeared they were conducting a major remodel on the venue.
I recently (9/07) went through the vacant Brea Plaza 5, here are some updates on the venue:
(From Captain Blood era)
Most of the interior was spray painted flat black and a few amatuer murals were placed around the building.
The original concesion stand was haphazzardly cut open in the center and a large peninsula was added. This poorly constructed addition consisted of exposed particle board and severly obstructed the tiny lobby.
(Post closing)
Obviously, teenagers managed to break in and use the building as a hangout at some point, as there is a great deal of graffitti and discarded bottles/cigarrette butts throughout the venue.
Perhaps related to the teens, all interior glass has been broken, day-glo paint is splattered randomly on the walls, and left over equipment/booth materials have been strewn about the building.
The box office and concession cabinetry has been torn apart.
(Random treasure)
A seemingly functional automaticket machine still sits in the box office.
While a heavy duty cleanup and a little TLC could bring this venue back to life, it appears the landlord has basically forgotten about or written the theatre off. I’d like to think someone will step in an give this theatre a new lease on life (there are definite posibilities), but it seems more likely to sit empty for years and eventually be gutted for a warehouse or storage facility.
I believe this was the theatre once operated by the family of character actor Brion James. James' parents ran a theatre in Beaumont, when Brion was a child, sparking his interest in film/acting. Brion James was a prolific charater actor from the mid 70’s until his death in the late 90’s, usually playing the villian or heavy role in films/tv.
As of 8/07, the Tascosa Drive-In is still open (status needs to be updated to open/first run).
The venue still features the twin tower/marquee mentioned and shown in the photo link above (the towers are covered with corrugated steel sheets). However, the entry gates are now similar to the kind one would find in a livestock pen and feature large Texas medallions on each gate.
Outside of the unique entryway, the Tascosa Drive-In is rather bare bones. A tiny corrugated metal building, serving as projection booth and concession stand, stands in the center of an unpaved lot. The screen (I only noticed one, but another might have been on the opposite side) is a series of white pannels on a metal scaffolding. A small playground sits beneath the screen. The venue utilizes FM radio broadcast for sound, but retains carside poles (minus the speaker boxes).
A former ABC and Plitt venue, the Cinema Twin sits in the rear of a strip mall complex, with a freestanding marquee located along Western Street. The theatre has a T shaped layout; a small central lobby and peninsula concession stand in front, two auditoriums positioned at right angles from the back of the lobby (acess via rear sides of auditoriums).
The theatre currently (8/07) stands vacant and stripped of it’s theatre fixtures, including consession stand and wall treatments. While the street side marquee remains intact, the building appears heading for a retail space conversion.
I believe Bill H is correct. The Knowlwood’s was located where the “restaurant of the week” building now stands; over the past ten years it’s rotated from chinese, to mexican, to burger, back to mexican, and to it’s current (07') sushi incarnation. The theatre was located in the area that is now Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and a rear property office complex.
In regard to the stage: The original theatrical stage still exists, behind the screens, but is basically sealed off and only accessible via a constantly locked door. The area is covered with a few decades worth of dust/debris and in no condition for use (without major work).
The Alondra 6 was typical of AMC’s mid 70’s era multiplexes. AMC had just moved out of the multiplex novelty stage (exemplified in venues, like the Fashion Square 4, that were poorly designed oddities) and in to mass produced formulistic venues.
Obviously built on a modest budget, the theatre was “no frills”, and purely functional in design; modest shoebox style auditoriums, small screens, budget seating fixtures, pseudo stereo sound, minimalistic support facilities, and generic decor. I do recall there being a booth toilet, awkwardly placed near a doorway.
The theatre must have closed in he late 90’s, as it was still listed on corporate phone lists as late as 97'.
I was a manager at AMC Fullerton when Pacific was “planning” the Lemon street complex. While Fullerton’s exansion (opened May 97') was usually cited as the reason Pacific’s build fell through, I always suspected there was something else involved.
Pacific had announced their complex and begun preparing the property before AMC even finalized their exansion plans. Yet, over a year long period, the Lemon street lot never progressed beyond demolishion of the drive-in facilities and a “comming soon” advertisement on the old marquee. By the time AMC broke ground for their expansion, the Pacific site had been sitting, devoid of activity, for a considerable time (i.e. beyond dragging their feet, Pacific’s project had been “dead in the water” almost from the start).
In addition to the lack of notable effort on Pacific’s part, one has to question why Pacific’s planned 25 screen new build would have even felt threatened by the Fullerton complex, stadium addition or not.
In the end, there must have been more to the story.
Opened in 1972 as a first run theatre, converted to art/independent/revival in the 80’s. Formerly an Edwards Theatre, later as part of Regal Entertainment Group, the property is located directly across the street from South Coast Plaza (facing Nordstroms). The theatre was allowed to fall in to disrepair, under REG, and closed in January 2007. Regency Theatres picked up the lease, remodeled, and reopened the theatre in March 2007.
The theatre has a no frills, purely functional, layout. A large auditorium (formely 500+ seats, but slightly less after the remodel) on one side, two smaller auditoriums on the other. The small lobby is divided by a peninsula style concession stand, that doubles as the venue’s box office. Following the remodel, lounge furniture was added to the lobby.
A rather standard, 80’s era, mall multiplex. At one time it was the “latest and greatest” (along with the mall), driving older competition under. Then, after trends changed towards the megaplex (of which Amarillo currently has two), the Westgate was forced in to becomming a second run theatre.
This theatre is located in the shell of a former retail department store; as a result, the venue is divided up on different floor levels (1-6 and 7-16), accessed via escalators, with seperate concession stands for each level. A basement level exists under the complex, but the huge space was left unfinished (ceilings too low for auditorium use, theatre exclusive access limitting any other use); a caged off theatre storage area stands as the floor’s sole occupant.
I recently stopped by the theatre to take a few pictures before it’s pending demolition. Even in it’s decaying state, the theatre provides some character to the area. The pealing blue paint, dated hanging sphere light fixtures, and nautical themed signage bring to mind a time when Orange County coastal communities reveled in their off beat nature. Unfortunately, I’m sure the site’s new structure will follow right along with the coast’s homogenization (i.e. yet another tan stucco and glass building with boutique retail on the first floor and offices on the upper levels). Sure, a lot more money will be made with the new building, but the community will lose another bit of the atmosphere that drew them to the area in the first place.
Having said that, I don’t see how anyone could have made a go of this venue in it’s current configuration/state. Beyond the economics of running a single screen, with literally no parking, in a high rent area, the theatre is (was) in need of major renovation. Short of a party, with very deep pockets, taking it on as a gift to the community, there was no way the Port was ever going to be a feasible project. Sad, but true. If only the unique architecture (at least the building face) could be salvaged for the new property, but I definitely wouldn’t hold out the hope anyone would care enough to consider that.
The Puente 6 and 4 were the starting points for a “who’s who” of west coast AMC “names”. Amoung these were the Dashwood sisters, who would work their way from Puente box cashiers to industry executives; one is now COO of Pacific Theatres, the other is in charge of Lucas Films' THX division. Back in the days of AMC’s division system (now defunct), Puente alumni were a dominant presence among West Division upper management/executives.
This theatre is a former Cinemark that was picked up by Starplex Cinemas, in 06', as part of a package deal that included two additional theatres, in Hilliard, OH and Lexington, KY (both now converted to Movie Tavern venues).
A horrific side note to this theatre: In the early 90’s, a long term janitor for the theatre, Lewis Lent, was convicted of murdering a twelve year old boy (whom he had allegedly brought to the theatre, after hours, on several occassions) and suspected of being involved in several other abductions.
The projection booth and food storage room are accessed from the building’s exterior, via a stairway in the courtyard (i.e. one has to go outside to access these areas). Perhaps, the most unique feature of this theatre is what could very well be the most expensive view of any theatre in existance; the theatre faces Laguna Beach’s main beach. The box office, concession stand, and projection booth balcony all have clear views of the beach/ocean/historic life guard tower.
The theatre’s interior is rather plain, but well maintained. Unfortunately, the twining of the theatre resulted in significant sound bleed through; especially from the left theatre, which is equiped with DTS.
I work for the current operator and was the GM for this theatre’s relaunch. The signage Stuart spoke of, similar to a child’s “Light Brite” toy (in reverse), is still partially intact. While no longer used and covered over, we ran across the remnants when we were setting up the current light box signage. It must have been something memorable in it’s day, as numerous locals spoke of the old sign.
Fortunately, the Woodbridge has found a new life as a discount theatre. After years of languishing in the shadow of nearby “modern” theatres, the Woodbridge has experienced quite the rebirth and regularly experiences capacity crowds (it does some impressive attendance for a neighborhood five plex).
Good idea to broaden the offerings and become a true entertainment destination. However, it sounds like IPic might be targeting too narrow a market. Additionally, the smaller auditoriums lead me to wonder if the end product will be all that appealing; i.e. there will be more options, but they will be scaled down to the point where none are competitive with full scale counterparts.
Sadly, much of this theatre’s interior is stripped down to the studs these days. While the windows have long been blacked out, I managed to sneak a peak at the lobby recently. Much of the ceiling is missing, the concession area is a skeleton, walls are stripped bare, and electrical conduit hangs loose everywhere. I’m guessing this stripped down state is left over from Edwards' pre bankrupcy remodel plans, as a heavy layer of dust suggests it’s been quite some time since anyone frequented the lobby.
The building is currently used as a youth ministry and has undergone heavy remodeling (bares little resemblance to it’s theatre days).
Tucked away, down a secluded side street, this once popular and pioneering southern Orange County cinema is basically forgotten as a theatre (few locals even remember the building to have once been a theatre).
The theatre is currently (9/07) being remodeled in to a live performance theater by the same ministry that operates the Curtain Call Dinner Theater in Santa Ana, CA. A banner hanging under the original theatre signage advertises “Biblical to Broadway” as the future programming.
Looking in the windows, it appeared they were conducting a major remodel on the venue.
I recently (9/07) went through the vacant Brea Plaza 5, here are some updates on the venue:
(From Captain Blood era)
Most of the interior was spray painted flat black and a few amatuer murals were placed around the building.
The original concesion stand was haphazzardly cut open in the center and a large peninsula was added. This poorly constructed addition consisted of exposed particle board and severly obstructed the tiny lobby.
(Post closing)
Obviously, teenagers managed to break in and use the building as a hangout at some point, as there is a great deal of graffitti and discarded bottles/cigarrette butts throughout the venue.
Perhaps related to the teens, all interior glass has been broken, day-glo paint is splattered randomly on the walls, and left over equipment/booth materials have been strewn about the building.
The box office and concession cabinetry has been torn apart.
(Random treasure)
A seemingly functional automaticket machine still sits in the box office.
While a heavy duty cleanup and a little TLC could bring this venue back to life, it appears the landlord has basically forgotten about or written the theatre off. I’d like to think someone will step in an give this theatre a new lease on life (there are definite posibilities), but it seems more likely to sit empty for years and eventually be gutted for a warehouse or storage facility.
I believe this was the theatre once operated by the family of character actor Brion James. James' parents ran a theatre in Beaumont, when Brion was a child, sparking his interest in film/acting. Brion James was a prolific charater actor from the mid 70’s until his death in the late 90’s, usually playing the villian or heavy role in films/tv.
As of 8/07, the Tascosa Drive-In is still open (status needs to be updated to open/first run).
The venue still features the twin tower/marquee mentioned and shown in the photo link above (the towers are covered with corrugated steel sheets). However, the entry gates are now similar to the kind one would find in a livestock pen and feature large Texas medallions on each gate.
Outside of the unique entryway, the Tascosa Drive-In is rather bare bones. A tiny corrugated metal building, serving as projection booth and concession stand, stands in the center of an unpaved lot. The screen (I only noticed one, but another might have been on the opposite side) is a series of white pannels on a metal scaffolding. A small playground sits beneath the screen. The venue utilizes FM radio broadcast for sound, but retains carside poles (minus the speaker boxes).
A former ABC and Plitt venue, the Cinema Twin sits in the rear of a strip mall complex, with a freestanding marquee located along Western Street. The theatre has a T shaped layout; a small central lobby and peninsula concession stand in front, two auditoriums positioned at right angles from the back of the lobby (acess via rear sides of auditoriums).
The theatre currently (8/07) stands vacant and stripped of it’s theatre fixtures, including consession stand and wall treatments. While the street side marquee remains intact, the building appears heading for a retail space conversion.
The showplace 4 is now a Gold’s Gym.
I believe Bill H is correct. The Knowlwood’s was located where the “restaurant of the week” building now stands; over the past ten years it’s rotated from chinese, to mexican, to burger, back to mexican, and to it’s current (07') sushi incarnation. The theatre was located in the area that is now Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and a rear property office complex.
In regard to the stage: The original theatrical stage still exists, behind the screens, but is basically sealed off and only accessible via a constantly locked door. The area is covered with a few decades worth of dust/debris and in no condition for use (without major work).
The Alondra 6 was typical of AMC’s mid 70’s era multiplexes. AMC had just moved out of the multiplex novelty stage (exemplified in venues, like the Fashion Square 4, that were poorly designed oddities) and in to mass produced formulistic venues.
Obviously built on a modest budget, the theatre was “no frills”, and purely functional in design; modest shoebox style auditoriums, small screens, budget seating fixtures, pseudo stereo sound, minimalistic support facilities, and generic decor. I do recall there being a booth toilet, awkwardly placed near a doorway.
The theatre must have closed in he late 90’s, as it was still listed on corporate phone lists as late as 97'.
I believe the site may now be an LA Fitness.
I was a manager at AMC Fullerton when Pacific was “planning” the Lemon street complex. While Fullerton’s exansion (opened May 97') was usually cited as the reason Pacific’s build fell through, I always suspected there was something else involved.
Pacific had announced their complex and begun preparing the property before AMC even finalized their exansion plans. Yet, over a year long period, the Lemon street lot never progressed beyond demolishion of the drive-in facilities and a “comming soon” advertisement on the old marquee. By the time AMC broke ground for their expansion, the Pacific site had been sitting, devoid of activity, for a considerable time (i.e. beyond dragging their feet, Pacific’s project had been “dead in the water” almost from the start).
In addition to the lack of notable effort on Pacific’s part, one has to question why Pacific’s planned 25 screen new build would have even felt threatened by the Fullerton complex, stadium addition or not.
In the end, there must have been more to the story.
The Montwood 7 is now closed (6/19/07 being the final day of business).
Opened in 1972 as a first run theatre, converted to art/independent/revival in the 80’s. Formerly an Edwards Theatre, later as part of Regal Entertainment Group, the property is located directly across the street from South Coast Plaza (facing Nordstroms). The theatre was allowed to fall in to disrepair, under REG, and closed in January 2007. Regency Theatres picked up the lease, remodeled, and reopened the theatre in March 2007.
The theatre has a no frills, purely functional, layout. A large auditorium (formely 500+ seats, but slightly less after the remodel) on one side, two smaller auditoriums on the other. The small lobby is divided by a peninsula style concession stand, that doubles as the venue’s box office. Following the remodel, lounge furniture was added to the lobby.
A rather standard, 80’s era, mall multiplex. At one time it was the “latest and greatest” (along with the mall), driving older competition under. Then, after trends changed towards the megaplex (of which Amarillo currently has two), the Westgate was forced in to becomming a second run theatre.
The theatre is still open and looks about the same as it did under Laemmle. Regency seems to be operating it as a second run art house.
This theatre is located in the shell of a former retail department store; as a result, the venue is divided up on different floor levels (1-6 and 7-16), accessed via escalators, with seperate concession stands for each level. A basement level exists under the complex, but the huge space was left unfinished (ceilings too low for auditorium use, theatre exclusive access limitting any other use); a caged off theatre storage area stands as the floor’s sole occupant.
I recently stopped by the theatre to take a few pictures before it’s pending demolition. Even in it’s decaying state, the theatre provides some character to the area. The pealing blue paint, dated hanging sphere light fixtures, and nautical themed signage bring to mind a time when Orange County coastal communities reveled in their off beat nature. Unfortunately, I’m sure the site’s new structure will follow right along with the coast’s homogenization (i.e. yet another tan stucco and glass building with boutique retail on the first floor and offices on the upper levels). Sure, a lot more money will be made with the new building, but the community will lose another bit of the atmosphere that drew them to the area in the first place.
Having said that, I don’t see how anyone could have made a go of this venue in it’s current configuration/state. Beyond the economics of running a single screen, with literally no parking, in a high rent area, the theatre is (was) in need of major renovation. Short of a party, with very deep pockets, taking it on as a gift to the community, there was no way the Port was ever going to be a feasible project. Sad, but true. If only the unique architecture (at least the building face) could be salvaged for the new property, but I definitely wouldn’t hold out the hope anyone would care enough to consider that.
The Puente 6 and 4 were the starting points for a “who’s who” of west coast AMC “names”. Amoung these were the Dashwood sisters, who would work their way from Puente box cashiers to industry executives; one is now COO of Pacific Theatres, the other is in charge of Lucas Films' THX division. Back in the days of AMC’s division system (now defunct), Puente alumni were a dominant presence among West Division upper management/executives.
This theatre is a former Cinemark that was picked up by Starplex Cinemas, in 06', as part of a package deal that included two additional theatres, in Hilliard, OH and Lexington, KY (both now converted to Movie Tavern venues).
A horrific side note to this theatre: In the early 90’s, a long term janitor for the theatre, Lewis Lent, was convicted of murdering a twelve year old boy (whom he had allegedly brought to the theatre, after hours, on several occassions) and suspected of being involved in several other abductions.
The projection booth and food storage room are accessed from the building’s exterior, via a stairway in the courtyard (i.e. one has to go outside to access these areas). Perhaps, the most unique feature of this theatre is what could very well be the most expensive view of any theatre in existance; the theatre faces Laguna Beach’s main beach. The box office, concession stand, and projection booth balcony all have clear views of the beach/ocean/historic life guard tower.
The theatre’s interior is rather plain, but well maintained. Unfortunately, the twining of the theatre resulted in significant sound bleed through; especially from the left theatre, which is equiped with DTS.
I work for the current operator and was the GM for this theatre’s relaunch. The signage Stuart spoke of, similar to a child’s “Light Brite” toy (in reverse), is still partially intact. While no longer used and covered over, we ran across the remnants when we were setting up the current light box signage. It must have been something memorable in it’s day, as numerous locals spoke of the old sign.
Fortunately, the Woodbridge has found a new life as a discount theatre. After years of languishing in the shadow of nearby “modern” theatres, the Woodbridge has experienced quite the rebirth and regularly experiences capacity crowds (it does some impressive attendance for a neighborhood five plex).
Good idea to broaden the offerings and become a true entertainment destination. However, it sounds like IPic might be targeting too narrow a market. Additionally, the smaller auditoriums lead me to wonder if the end product will be all that appealing; i.e. there will be more options, but they will be scaled down to the point where none are competitive with full scale counterparts.
The theatre is currently (10/06) undergong some repairs from an afterhours fire in one of the small auditoriums and should reopen shortly.