Cinema 150
El Camino Real and Bowers Avenue,
Santa Clara,
CA
95051
El Camino Real and Bowers Avenue,
Santa Clara,
CA
95051
8 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Architects: George K. Raad
Firms: George Raad & Associates
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News About This Theater
- Jun 14, 2012 — REMEMBERING CINERAMA (Part 53: San Jose)
United Artists opened the Cinema 150 on August 24, 1966 with Audrey Hepburn in “How to Steal a Million”. It was located in Santa Clara’s Moonlite Shopping Center. The exterior was a giant square building with a metal escutcheon around the perimeter of the building. Inside, the spacious 901-seat theatre had a curved 85 by 32 foot curved screen for the Dimension 150 process. The glass-enclosed lobby had a very tall ceiling that conformed to the open feeling of the cinema.
The cinema closed on September 2, 1992 and the rocking seats were removed by UA and installed in a Santa Rosa, CA theatre.
The theatre, like most D-150 houses, was later demolished and a medical center was built on the former site.
Contributed by
Mike Croaro, Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Folks:
FYI….the exterior of this theatre is identical to that of the UA Stonestown in San Francisco which continues to operate as an art house.
Mike
Nostalgia prompts me to mention that I recall seeing a horror fest at Cinema 150 as a kid in the mid-1970s that included “The Lost Continent” and “The Valley of Gwangi.” “Continent” creeped me out royally—seeing that constricting seaweed and whatever that toothy-vegetative thing in the pit was on 150’s giant screen will do that to you. It seemed that for years 150 had “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as a permanent midnight flick. I’m pretty sure I saw “Cinerama,” which was already old when I saw it, at 150. Haven’t lived in the Bay Area for ages but 150 is still a cherished memory.
The first time I walled in to this theatre was for Return Of The Jedi. Seeing that 70 MM print on the gigantic screen was an experience that has not been duplicated since. You really lived the movie.
I saw Dances With Wolves there.
This theatre had the one of the largest screens in the nation. It measured 88 ft wide by 32 ft high.
Seeing Return Of The Jedi, Amadeus, Quest For Fire as well as Close Encounters on that mammoth screen was an unequaled experience.
“The Graduate” opened here fifty years ago today. The film went on to play (a venue record?) 40 weeks. And here’s a new retrospective article which includes some exhibition history (and other) details to commemorate the classic film’s golden anniversary.
Sorry Mike. Sad to say Stonestown Twin no longer exists. The thaeater mentioned above for seat removal is UA Cinema Center 6/Roxy 3rd Street Cinemas 6. It too NO LONGER EXISTS!🥺🥺
The Cinema 150 opened on August 24th, 1966. Grand opening ads posted.
opening movie:
Final night: Final night of performances: September 2nd, 1992. Screenshot of newspaper archive posted.
I have A LOT of memories of this theater as I lived on Donovan Avenue, which was very close walking distance to the theater. This was a beautiful theater, huge screen, and a great lobby with those giant windows bordered by stone arches.
At Bowers Elementary School we had a movie day where they would send a grade or the whole school (I can’t remember) to the theater to watch a film. They had a Saturday Matinee for kids where you could get 3 movies, a free hot dog, and a Coke for $1.50 We would spend the whole day there. Needless to say these were not first run films, we would see films like The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Perils of Pauline, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Point, etc. One time I sat in the aisle to be close to my brothers since there were very few open seats.
I remember Star Wars played there for about a year with lines around the block, it was then followed by Close Encounters of the Third Kind which also played for many months.
They had a soda machine in the lobby that would drop a paper cup, followed by crushed ice, and then the soda choice. Often times this did not work out so well. I remember they also sold popcorn that was already in tubs, with plastic wrap over the top and secured with a rubber band.
They would always have the curtain closed and would project the film on the curtain and then they would open the curtain. It gave it a bit of showmanship that I miss.
These memories are mostly from the 1970’s.