Another list of things long gone - Part I

Since I had so much fun with the list of bowling alleys gone from the Southern California landscape, I decided to try the theme again, but with a different type of business/building that has slowly disappeared from the area.  Movie theaters.  Now we have the medium and large multiplex theaters, but the old single/twin screens seem to have almost all vanished.

The Brentwood Twin Theater was at 26th and Wilshire.  Why they called it the Brentwood, since it was in Santa Monica, was a mystery to me.  I remember seeing "Myra Breckenridge" (yes, I snuck in) and "Count Dracula" there, among other movies.  It was a long walk from home, but doable and it was even easier to get to by bus.

The Olympic Drive-in was at the corner of Olympic and Bundy and now there is a Cadillac dealership there.  My parents took us to a number of drive-in performances when we lived on Franklin Street, which was only five minutes away.

Westwood was home to the National at 10925 Lindbrook Drive.  Saw a lot of movies there during my days as a high school student, and when I was home on leave from the military.  Started going again when I got out and went often until it closed for good in 2008.

1314 Wilshire Boulevard is still there physically, although the NuWilshire theater is long-closed.  Among the many films I remember seeing there are "The Exorcist", "Like Water for Chocolate" and "The Impostors".

I never did see a movie at the Yale Theater, located at the corner of Yale and Wilshire during its brief run.  Probably because it showed XXX movies and I was never a fan of those.

Today is the 36th anniversary of the day I saw "Star Wars" on its opening day at the AVCO Westwood.  I heard a new theater is being built on the site of the old one.

I go often to the AMC Century City 15, but there was once an AMC Century City 14 and I went to a lot of films there.  The one that sticks out most in my mind is "Schindler's List", which I saw with someone who was a good friend at the time (we're still in contact today).  I was so blown away by what I saw, I went directly after the film to the gym and started running on the treadmill.  I would probably have run all evening except eventually the treadmill timed out.

I mentioned Picwood Bowl in my tome on long-lost bowling alleys and next to it was the Picwood Theater.  That location has almost always had a theater nearby.  There was a four-screen theater in the original Westside Pavilion and I go often these days to the 12 screen Landmark in the other part of the Westside Pavilion that was added on.  Movies I remember seeing at the old four-screen theater are "The War At Home" and "The Whole Wide World", among others.  Last film I saw at the current theater there was "The Iceman".

There was a theater on Motor Avenue called "The Palms" and I believe I saw at least one movie there.  "Blazing Saddles".

The Mann Plaza stands out in my mind for one particular movie I saw there.  Paul Rodriguez in "A Million to Juan".  I went with a friend and aside from us there were only two people in the single auditorium that had more than 500 seats.  Our experience was indicative of how badly the movie flopped at the box office.

The Fox Venice Theater is noteworthy because its exterior remains much the same today as it was when it showed movies.  Today it is an indoor swap meet.

I remember seeing a lot of movies at the old Criterion on the Santa Monica Mall, which is now the AMC Criterion 6.  It was the Mann 6 at one point and I saw "Searching for Bobby Fischer" and "The Fugitive" there back in the 1990s.

One more for this first part of what I didn't realize was going to have to be a multi-part series, since I'm still on the Westside.  What is now the first AMC dine and view theater in Marina Del Rey was originally a Cineplex Odeon.  The movie I remember most going to there was the second time I went to see "Star Wars: Episode I".  I'd already seen it at The Village in Westwood, but wanted to see it again.

I'll do this again soon.