Montclair Savings Cinema

9355 Monte Vista Avenue,
Montclair, CA 91763

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Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments

rontrotter
rontrotter on July 11, 2010 at 8:55 am

As one of the two projectionists for thirty years at the Montclair “Twin” then “Triplex” then “Eightplex” then “Fiveplex” then nothing, I saw many changes in the facility from ‘twinning’ the large auditorium to adding the fiveplex in the back making it an eightplex to the distruction of the front theatre to the closure and distruction of the back five. The Montclair Cinema’s last day was September 2, 2000. I know. I was there to break down the film and start dismantling the projection equipment. A sad day. And a loss of a thirty-year-old job.

Kyle Muldrow
Kyle Muldrow on June 3, 2010 at 7:07 pm

Here’s something that popped up in the “General Cinema Locations” thread on Cinematour.com: a training video for ticketing cashiers for the Montclair Cinema. Enjoy!

View link

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on March 24, 2010 at 2:23 am

So was this technically two separate theatres? (ie. separate entrances/lobbies?)

AnthonyDuran
AnthonyDuran on February 2, 2010 at 11:51 pm

Man, this was my home away from home during my childhood in the ‘80s. Saw everything here from “Spaceballs” to “The Great Outdoors” to “Batman” (on opening day) to “Back to the Future parts II & III” to “Jurassic Park” to… I could go on and on. So sad that both theatres are gone… So many great memories will live on though! This will always be a part of my childhood.

richjr37
richjr37 on October 21, 2009 at 2:08 am

Bill was there when i was playing Dr. Scott at Rocky Horror in the late ‘80s-early '90s.

richjr37
richjr37 on June 23, 2009 at 4:27 pm

When was the screen on the left side of the original building twinned?

richjr37
richjr37 on June 23, 2009 at 4:25 pm

Actually,Zubi,the SRO Montclair 3(later Pacific Montclair 3,they expanded it to a 5-plex shortly after the acquisition)was located on Holt Blvd.

The Indian Hill was near the Pomona/Montclair border on Indian Hill Blvd.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on May 11, 2009 at 12:03 am

Here is an April 1969 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/oemace

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 16, 2008 at 8:54 pm

Opened as a twin on June 22, 1969, according to the LA Times. Here is part of an article on that date:

Southern California’s first Cinema I & II, a $1 million dual theater complex designed to meet adult and general family entertainment needs, just opened at the Montclair Plaza shopping center. This is the forerunner of 40 proposed Southland Cinema I & II theaters, according to Arthur Silber, West Coast manager for General Cinema, Inc.

Burke, Kober, Nicolais & Archuleta, Los Angeles and San Francisco architectural firm, designed the 1,500 seat structure for owners Montclair Associates and lessee General Cinema.

sameegrl
sameegrl on July 26, 2008 at 10:04 pm

There were two other theaters in Montclair at one time, the UA 6 (now a church) and another one on Holt between Ramona and Indian Hill. Does anyone remember the name of that theater? I saw alot of movies at all three Montclair theaters.

sameegrl
sameegrl on July 26, 2008 at 6:18 pm

Living in Montclair, this was one of the three theaters within walking distance of my house. I loved going to the Midnight Shows! They not only showed Rocky Horror, but things like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Heavy Metal, and various horror flicks. Saw Legend and My Deadly Friend at the midnight shows, lol!
Remember going to a packed house to see E.T. here when it was released.
Montclair went from having 3 walk in theaters and 1 drive in to only having the drive in. Sad, really sad.

Lavarus
Lavarus on June 17, 2008 at 5:35 pm

On June 15, 2008 I passed by this old haunt to see how it has been changed… It is now part of the expanded Bally’s Fitness. The building which used to house multiple businesses is now a single gym large enough to have its own zip code.

Troy Martin
Troy Martin on May 14, 2008 at 7:09 am

I saw “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” here.

It also played there in late 1979 to early 1980.

saugezfree
saugezfree on December 18, 2007 at 12:04 am

I managed the two complexes for 12 years. 1983 to 1995 before going over to Paramount Pictures. I even started up the midnight shows with The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a summer kid show series along with a monthly senior citizen show. It was sad to see these theatres go with the times but as we all know bigger and better theatres are always being built.

Rickjr34
Rickjr34 on March 15, 2007 at 8:12 am

Opened in 1969 as a Loews three screener. Sold to General Cinema in the 70s'.

The back five theatres opened in 1979.

Adjacent to the back building,there was a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store,a comedy club called “The Laugh Stop” and a Bally’s Fitness.

Lavarus
Lavarus on January 25, 2007 at 5:00 pm

Address Correction: 9355 Monte Vista Ave.