United Artists
17th & Bristol, Santa Ana, CA.

Specifications

    Operators: UA/Mitchell Brothers
    Status: Demolished
    Opened: 7/14/65
    Closed: 1990
    Current Use:  
    Screens: 1
    Seating: Slope

Profile

On July 14, 1965, the UA Santa Ana opened at the Hoehner Plaza shopping center, showing “In Harm’s Way.”  The 1000+ seat theatre continued to operate as a semi successful first run for the next ten years, ending it’s mainstream run on September 1, 1975, with a double bill of the Disney’s “The Apple Dumpling Gang” and “Swiss Family Robinson. Two days later, the theatre began it’s most notable chapter.  

On September 3rd, the UA Santa Ana reopened under the ownership of controversial adult entertainment impresarios Jim & Artie Mitchell (aka the Mitchell Brothers), as a straight porn theatre. This began a well publicized battle between the city of Santa Ana, spearheaded by senator Charles Keating (who owned the Lincoln Savings & Loan across the street), and  the Mitchells. For the next decade, the two sides regularly fought over obscenity vs. free speech in the California court system, with the Mitchells managing to come out on top time and time again. However, by the late 80’s, the once highly profitable venue (annually grossing as much as $1 million in it’s heyday) had gone the way of most adult theatres. In 1990, the lease was not renewed and the theatre was demolished in 1992.

Trivia

In 1978, during the second City of Santa Ana vs. Mitchell Brothers obscenity hearings, eight pornographic films were viewed by the court, at Knott’s Berry Farms’ Independence Hall. The previous hearing had included a showing at the Mitchell Brother’s Santa Ana theatre, but the brothers had declined to cooperate for the second hearing; forcing the court to utilize the amusement park’s replica hall and pay for the installation of 35mm film equipment.   

Images

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