» Orange http://occinema.com Orange County Cinema Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:52:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Village Theatre http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/villa-theatre/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/villa-theatre/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:50:17 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/villa-theatre/ Village Theatre
1140 North Tustin, Orange, CA. 92867

Specifications

    Operators: Independent/Captain Blood
    Status: Closed
    Opened: 10/66
    Closed: 8/28/06
    Current Use:  Live Theater
    Screens: 3
    Seating: Slope

Profile

Images

Village Theatre Street Sign     Village Theatre Front     Village Theatre Side

Village Theatre Box Office     Village Theatre Star Walk     Village Theatre Walkway Star

Village Theatre Interior     Village Theatre Interior Lobby

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/villa-theatre/feed/ 1 The Block http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/the-block/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/the-block/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:48:01 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/the-block/ The Block
20 City Blvd., Building E, Orange, CA.
(714) 769 – 4262

Specifications

    Operators: AMC
    Status: Open
    Opened: 11/98
    Closed: NA
    Current Use: Film/First Run  
    Screens: 30
    Seating: Stadium

Profile

Images

]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/the-block/feed/ 0 Stadium Drive-In http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium-drive-in/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium-drive-in/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:45:54 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium-drive-in/ Stadium Drive-In
1701 West Katella, Orange, CA. 92867

Specifications

Operators: Century
Status: Demolished
Opened: 5/27/70
Closed: 9/12/96
Current Use:  Theatre
Screens: 8
Seating: Drive-in

Profile

Images

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium-drive-in/feed/ 1 Stadium http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:43:30 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium/ Stadium
1701 West Katella, Orange, CA.
(714) 532 – 9533

Specifications

    Operators: Century/Cinemark
    Status: Open
    Opened: 11/21/97
    Closed: NA
    Current Use: Film/First Run  
    Screens: 25
    Seating: Stadium

Profile

Images

Century Stadium Side     Century Stadium Front     Century Stadium Alternate Side

Century Stadium Street Sign

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/stadium/feed/ 0 Plaza Theatre http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/plaza-theatre/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/plaza-theatre/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:40:57 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/plaza-theatre/ Plaza Theatre (also known as Colonial Theatre)
138 South Glasell, Orange, CA.

Specifications

    Operators:
    Status: Closed
    Opened: 1915
    Closed: 1952
    Current Use: Retail
    Screens: 1(500 seats)
    Seating: Slope

Profile

Images

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/plaza-theatre/feed/ 1 Orange Mall http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-mall/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-mall/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:39:18 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-mall/ Orange Mall
2320 Orange Mall, Orange, CA.

Specifications

    Operators: AMC
    Status: Demolished
    Opened: 12/16/71
    Closed: 4/20/97
    Current Use: Retail
    Screens: 6
    Seating: Slope

Profile

AMC’s second entry in to the Orange County market, the Orange Mall 6 opened on December 16, 1971 as the West Coast’s first six-screen multiplex and the company’s sixth such venue nationally.

Built outside the Orange Mall, as a free standing structure, the theatre sat 1800, in six shoebox style auditoriums. Similar to most of AMC’s early multiplex builds, the venue was designed with a function over aesthetics approach and featured mono sound, until an early 80′s upgrade to Dolby surround. The theatre was first run until the company built two additional complexes in the area ( Mainplace 6 & Fullerton 8 ) and declining business levels dictated a switch to second run booking. Despite a dying mall and stiff competition from an ever growing local theatre market, the discount format proved successful and the Orange Mall 6 enjoyed respectable attendance up until the end.

In 1997, AMC opened a ten screen expansion on their Fullerton theatre and began construction on the Block 30, in Orange. Coupled with plans for a remodel of the Orange Mall, AMC’s focus on stadium new builds marked the end of the road for the Orange Mall 6 and the theatre was closed in April of 1997.

Shortly after closing, the theatre was razed and a Walmart was built on the site. 

Images

 Grand Opening Advertisement

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-mall/feed/ 0 Orange Drive-In http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-drive-in/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-drive-in/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:37:19 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-drive-in/ Orange Drive-In
292 North State College, Orange, CA.

Specifications

    Operators: Pacific
    Status: Demolished
    Opened: 6/18/41
    Closed: 1994
    Current Use: Housing
    Screens: 1/2
    Seating: Drive-in (800 cars)

Profile

Built beside the 101 freeway (later to become the I-5), surrounded by orange groves, the twenty five acre Orange Drive-In opened as the county’s first drive in, on June 18, 1941. The Orange not only introduced Orange County to the drive-in experience, but also exposed countless World War II era soldiers, stationed at the Santa Ana Army Base (once located at what is now the Orange County Fairgrounds), to the viewing format. During the 1950′s this drive-in was also the home of Dr. Robert Schuller’s ministry; holding Sunday church services, to an auto bound congregation, from the snack bar roof. Dr. Schuller would later parlay his drive-in church notoriety to build the famous Crystal Cathedral and launch a nationally syndicated televised service. In addition to being a cinema and part time church, the Orange operated a highly successful weekend swap meet for nearly thirty years.
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The Orange Drive-In, which was expanded in to an 800 car two screen during the early 70′s (to compete with the near bye Century Cinedome theatre and four screen Stadium Drive-In), would finish out it’s cinema years showing Spanish language films. After closing in 1994, the small screen was destroyed in a fire and the large main screen was taken down in 1997. The swap meet slowly disbanded, over the ensuing decade, as the lot was parceled off to freeway and housing development. Today, the site of the former drive-in can be seen beside the I-5′s State College Blvd. off-ramp, where a large apartment complex now stands.  
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Trivia

Newspapers initially listed the venue simply as “Drive-In” and erroneously gave Santa Ana as the location.

The drive-in opened with a double feature of ”Nice Girl” and “Keeping Company”

Founder of national music retailer, Wherehouse Entertainment, Bruce Ogilvie, launched his career selling records at the swap meet, during the early 1970′s. 

Images

        

Showtime Listing For Newly Expanded Orange Drive-In

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-drive-in/feed/ 5 Orange Theatre http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-theatre/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-theatre/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:35:03 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-theatre/ Orange Theatre
172 North Glasell, Orange, CA.

Specifications

    Operators: Fox West Coast
    Status: Closed
    Opened: 5/22/29
    Closed: Circa 1972
    Current Use:  Church
    Screens: 1
    Seating: Slope (1300 seats)

Profile

Images

Orange Theatre 1934     Opening Newspaper Advertisement

Orange Theatre 1963     Orange Theatre Orchestra Pit

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]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/orange-theatre/feed/ 1 City Cinemas http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/city-cinemas/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/city-cinemas/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:32:15 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/city-cinemas/ City Cinemas
3901 West Metropolitain, Orange, CA.

Specifications

Operators: ABC/Plitt/Century
Status: Demolished
Opened: 4/7/72
Closed:
Current Use:  Retail Park
Screens: 2/4
Seating: Slope (1500 seats)

Profile

The City Cinemas opened in 1972, as  the ABC Theatres 1 & 2. Located in the City Shopping Center complex, the theatre was a luxurious twin plex, seating 788 and 715. Originally operated by ABC Theatres, a division of the American Broadcasting  Company (also parent company to ABC television), the venue was sold to Plitt Theatres in the mid 70′s (Plitt’s namesake, Henry Plitt, had been an executive with ABC) , and later to Syufy/Century Theatres.
In the mid 1980′s, the theatre’s large auditorium was subdivided in to three screens, converting the City Cinema in to a far less notable four plex. While intended as a means to stay competitive with local multiplexes, the effort ultimately took away the venue’s primary drawing point and the theatre began to slip in to irrelevance. Coupled with the City Shopping Center’s decline, the theatre was forced to close by  the mid 90′s. The entire property was razed later in the decade and replaced by the Block ”lifestyle” shopping complex.
The former theatre site is now a parking lot.
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Images

         

]]> http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/city-cinemas/feed/ 1 Cinedome http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/cinedome/ http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/cinedome/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:30:09 +0000 CCrouch http://occinema.com/2007/08/30/cinedome/ Cinedome
3001 West Chapman, Orange, CA.

Specifications

    Operators: Syufy/Century
    Status: Demolished
    Opened: 6/17/69
    Closed: 2/99
    Current Use: Apartment Community  
    Screens: 2/3/4/6/8/11
    Seating: Stadium/Slope

Profile

Images

Cinedome Grand Opening    

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