I went last night for the final showing of “The Runaways.” There were about 10 of us milling about afterward as an employee put up “Theater Closed” on the marquee outside. No cake, unfortunately, unlike the night I helped close down the Orpheum in downtown L.A. Anyway, the place was much better run in these latter days than most people remember it. I wish someone had made it into a cinema bistro or done some other radical rethinking, but maybe nothing could have prevented it becoming a retail space. Anyway, I concur with what many are saying: absolutely no reason to ever enter the Beverly Center again.
The information in this header is not correct. I believe—though I’m not certain—that this drive-in was built with three screens, back in the ‘70s. But ever since I started attending in the mid-'90s, and probably long before that, only one of the screens has been in use, and the other two lots sit there vacant. I haven’t been up to Idaho yet this season but I don’t have any reason to believe they’ve started using either of the two idle screens again. It’s open weekends only, by the way, and shows second-run double features, just like the other area drive-in, the better known Parma Motor-Vu.
In the early 1980s, it was the Cine Theatre, a single-screen Spanish-language house. The interior was entirely gutted to build a Cineplex multiplex in the mid-‘80s. I don’t remember anything about the exterior being original or historic, either, but I could be wrong.
Did the theater close? The employee wrote here that it would be closing in January 2008. It’s still listed as open on this page, though, so wondering if there’s an update.
It’s great that you have a place to go see movies again… but, come on, I don’t think a 16-plex built in the ‘90s really counts as a “cinema treasure” for most people here.
There may be some confusion between the world-famous Pan Pacific Auditorium, a live venue where Elvis, among many others, performed, and the Pan Pacific Theatre, which sat nearby on Melrose Ave. I believe the latter closed down and was demolished in the mid-‘80s—not to be confused with the fire that destroyed the auditorium on the eve of its planned restoration. The last film I ever saw at the Pan Pacific Theatre was the re-release of “Rear Window” in the '80s; I believe it was a Laemmle house then.
In the early ‘80s, prior to the construction of the new four-plex on the site—and indeed, prior to the renovation of the entire outdoor mall—this was a humble single-screen Spanish-language house called the Cine. On Sunday mornings, a church called the Santa Monica Vineyard met there. I attended for a few years, and it was always amusing walking into “church” past some very salacious looking one-sheets en espanol. Incidentally, after the Cine closed, the Vineyard briefly moved its services down the mall to the Criterion, which was then a single-screen second-run prior house; it, too, was completely rebuilt, as a Mann six-plex.
For much of its history, including when I was growing up in Boise in the ‘60s and '70s, this was known as the Ada Theatre. (Boise is in Ada County.) It nearly fell victim to the urban development that saw most of the surrounding blocks torn down in the '70s but made a terrific comeback. Since the restoration, the theater has changed hands several times and actually closed for a few months when Cineplex Odeon dropped out after showing what some feared would be its final (but appropriate) engagement, “The Mummy.” Not only did another operator come in to save the day but the theater got yet another touchup. This is Boise’s only surviving theater that even predates the 1980s. The last other vintage downtown theater, the Pinney, was demolished in the mid-'60s.
The Rialto has run into problems on its way to divvying itself up, so for the time being you can still go sit in the balcony, with its wonderfully creaky old wooden steps.
The opening sequence of “Scream 2” was also shot here.
The colorful redesign in the ‘90s was by the same fellow who did El Capitan in Hollywood. This small house is a real gem, with a lovely marquee and multiple curtains.
The marquee is one of the highlights of the Miracle Mile area. It’s far more colorful now than it was in the theater’s final days as a last-run house and Filmex venue. When the theater was being renovated for a nightclub, the owners razed the original ticket booth. I’m not sure if they were forced to by preservation laws or what, but they did realize their mistake and build a new booth. This is a nice place to see a rock show, if you don’t mind standing and are tall enough to overcome sightline problems posed by the flat floor. A small balcony is usually open to VIPs only.
I went last night for the final showing of “The Runaways.” There were about 10 of us milling about afterward as an employee put up “Theater Closed” on the marquee outside. No cake, unfortunately, unlike the night I helped close down the Orpheum in downtown L.A. Anyway, the place was much better run in these latter days than most people remember it. I wish someone had made it into a cinema bistro or done some other radical rethinking, but maybe nothing could have prevented it becoming a retail space. Anyway, I concur with what many are saying: absolutely no reason to ever enter the Beverly Center again.
The information in this header is not correct. I believe—though I’m not certain—that this drive-in was built with three screens, back in the ‘70s. But ever since I started attending in the mid-'90s, and probably long before that, only one of the screens has been in use, and the other two lots sit there vacant. I haven’t been up to Idaho yet this season but I don’t have any reason to believe they’ve started using either of the two idle screens again. It’s open weekends only, by the way, and shows second-run double features, just like the other area drive-in, the better known Parma Motor-Vu.
Not true that “Magnificent Ambersons” was only released on VHS, as I have the Criterion laserdisc, which is highly collectible.
What is happening with the missing signage?
In the early 1980s, it was the Cine Theatre, a single-screen Spanish-language house. The interior was entirely gutted to build a Cineplex multiplex in the mid-‘80s. I don’t remember anything about the exterior being original or historic, either, but I could be wrong.
I think the Vista and Aero will also be with us for a while. I worry about the Egyptian, between the Cinematheque’s two houses.
View link
Apparently, the Festival is now closed.
I know. No address listed on that page, though.
Anyone know where in town the Mineralite Drive-in was? I assume there are no traces left, but in an area that unpopulated, you never know.
Did the theater close? The employee wrote here that it would be closing in January 2008. It’s still listed as open on this page, though, so wondering if there’s an update.
What do you mean by “trash it”? What plans are you aware of?
http://www.thevillagelive.com/about/gallery
This is the website for the concert venue that took over the place, with photos.
If this is confirmed, I plan to be there for the final show, yes.
And “Click” will be an old classic to some people in the future.
It’s great that you have a place to go see movies again… but, come on, I don’t think a 16-plex built in the ‘90s really counts as a “cinema treasure” for most people here.
“Targets” was not filmed here, but at the Sepulveda Drive-in up in the Valley. This information is included at the IMDB page you linked to.
There may be some confusion between the world-famous Pan Pacific Auditorium, a live venue where Elvis, among many others, performed, and the Pan Pacific Theatre, which sat nearby on Melrose Ave. I believe the latter closed down and was demolished in the mid-‘80s—not to be confused with the fire that destroyed the auditorium on the eve of its planned restoration. The last film I ever saw at the Pan Pacific Theatre was the re-release of “Rear Window” in the '80s; I believe it was a Laemmle house then.
In the early ‘80s, prior to the construction of the new four-plex on the site—and indeed, prior to the renovation of the entire outdoor mall—this was a humble single-screen Spanish-language house called the Cine. On Sunday mornings, a church called the Santa Monica Vineyard met there. I attended for a few years, and it was always amusing walking into “church” past some very salacious looking one-sheets en espanol. Incidentally, after the Cine closed, the Vineyard briefly moved its services down the mall to the Criterion, which was then a single-screen second-run prior house; it, too, was completely rebuilt, as a Mann six-plex.
For much of its history, including when I was growing up in Boise in the ‘60s and '70s, this was known as the Ada Theatre. (Boise is in Ada County.) It nearly fell victim to the urban development that saw most of the surrounding blocks torn down in the '70s but made a terrific comeback. Since the restoration, the theater has changed hands several times and actually closed for a few months when Cineplex Odeon dropped out after showing what some feared would be its final (but appropriate) engagement, “The Mummy.” Not only did another operator come in to save the day but the theater got yet another touchup. This is Boise’s only surviving theater that even predates the 1980s. The last other vintage downtown theater, the Pinney, was demolished in the mid-'60s.
Carved in two in the early or mid-‘90s, I believe. Fortunately, they kept the nice neon marquee that dates back a few decades.
The Rialto has run into problems on its way to divvying itself up, so for the time being you can still go sit in the balcony, with its wonderfully creaky old wooden steps.
The opening sequence of “Scream 2” was also shot here.
The sad conversion to office space happened in the early ‘80s. The facade is still well worth a drive-by.
The colorful redesign in the ‘90s was by the same fellow who did El Capitan in Hollywood. This small house is a real gem, with a lovely marquee and multiple curtains.
The marquee is one of the highlights of the Miracle Mile area. It’s far more colorful now than it was in the theater’s final days as a last-run house and Filmex venue. When the theater was being renovated for a nightclub, the owners razed the original ticket booth. I’m not sure if they were forced to by preservation laws or what, but they did realize their mistake and build a new booth. This is a nice place to see a rock show, if you don’t mind standing and are tall enough to overcome sightline problems posed by the flat floor. A small balcony is usually open to VIPs only.