Being a theater Junkie I tried to hit every theater the South bay had to offer. The NTHS hangout was the South Bay 4’¦.But UA Del Amo and Mann at Olde Town Place took a close second.

Lets start with the Originals (already built when I was but a lad)

Torrance UA Theater ‘“ This was the Rambo and Wrath of Khan Theater for me. A single screen across the street from the original rolling hills twin and the newer AMC Rolling hills on Crenshaw and PCH. A classic.

Rolling Hills Twin. A big twin theater in the flight path of Torrance airport. Last movies I saw there: Condorman and Zorro the Gay Blade. Torn down to make the AMC rolling Hills 6..then expanded to 20. Run by SRO back then’¦a triple murder including the manager happened in 1973 ‘¦.The movie playing at the time: Worlds strongest Athlete (which I saw there with my father that week) the theater limped along for 10 more years’¦last film: Splash.

torr1.jpg
Torrance Drive-In‘¦The best of the drive-ins that I remember. Surrounded by large Eucalyptus trees it was one of the only ones that attempted to block the surrounding light pollution. Across the street from Bishop Montgomery High School. Last movies I saw: Double feature Masters of the Universe’¦and the Breakfast Club. They always had the weirdest double features. It’s all Houses now.

Vermont Drive In
: Hands down the one I went to the most. Pioneer chicken strips watching ‘˜Running Scared’™ was my favorite time. (don’t remember the movies on the sex romps there’¦but those were good times too) This was the family theater’¦till it turned bad near the end’¦. couldn’t even go to the snack bar without a knife or a Spanish-English dictionary. Last film: The Matrix

The Rodium Drive -In: The only one still standing in its original form’¦albeit no films have been shown for 25 years. Highlight: ‘˜Erotic adventures of Cinderella’™ and the Chilly Willie shorts’¦ Lowlight: Slamming my finger in a car door while in my sleeper (loved those footies) Brother Mikel worked there in High School.

South Bay 3 (then 4’¦then a Different 4’¦then 3 again) these were my main theaters. The Star Wars sagas’¦Abyss, ‘¦Field of Dreams ‘¦.Indy movies and countless others (to a lesser degree’¦Rocky Horror). 1 and 4 (best of the group) were shut down. Then 1 was sub-divided and became 2nd run films (didn’t stop me from seeing Starship Troopers another 3 times) Still there today while Target and EXPO took over the other sites. That year that 4 was sitting empty’¦it haunted my dreams as the perfect location to make the theater I always wanted’¦booths for eating, beer and Sunday film festivals. But alas…the Alamo Drafthouse West was not to be.

The Park (Gardena) My grandma would kill me for missing this one.
She ran the dress shop on the right hand side during the late 40’s and 50’s. I remember ‘Go For It’ (first boobies) and ‘Phantom of the Paradise’ (first DePalma) – I don’t care how many times Williams sings Evergreen…or makes me laugh in Smokey and the Bandit …he still creeps me out from that movie!!.iiI keep expecting to see his face fall off at any moment. But when the new owners took over in 1994 I saw Independence Day there… the last movie I saw with my mother before she moved to San Diego. She told me about the time that Tarzan (and the Huntress) Premiered there and John Weismuller was in attendance. They are still Going strong.

The Reign of the Multiplex:

UA Del Amo
Another frequented theater of my youth. Midnight shows of Gremlins, Flash Gordon standing in line for Cobra and Right stuff and Grease. Baffled by the pulling of Starcrash after two days of sellout shows. One of the best parts was the rocketship arcade that was right outside. Another gang related loss as Torrance police were asked to leave the mall’¦thus allowing gangs to cruise the south end (half of which was torn down in the new millennium and has been reborn as a high end outside mail’¦with a new AMC theater) Always got in free cause my dad was the fire marshal’¦coool!.

Mann Del Amo 9
This one came and went after high school’¦not to bad for a newer theater’¦the only THX certified for a long time. Was not really part of the mall. It was behind Robinsons/May in the parking lot. Later it became a LA Fitness. Lots of great films here’¦but Saving Private Ryan was tops. ‘¦Secret Story: After the closing’¦ construction crews left the front doors unlocked’¦after a few nights recon, me and a few cronies filled my garage with 2 rows of seats 2 Voice of the Theater speakers and few 70mm reels..including a THX Broadway original’¦.Still have the speakers.

Mann Old Towne Place
A classic at the end of the mall’¦some highlights’¦Evil Dead 2, Wildcats’¦but also remember The Junkman by local legend HB Halicki and Jaws 3-d on the special silver screen. I believed Jill B. worked there in High School (and convinced me not to get the buttered popcorn…EVER!!) Also was almost through out when Doug Bell made a crude remark at a retarded person (I believe the film was Buck Rodgers in the 25th Centurty’¦.ohhh’¦Wilma Derring’¦happy thought) Mall converted to outside mall’¦and the theater was no more.

AMC Rolling Hills (6 then 20)
My biggest problem there was the parking ‘¦.was always amazed that at anytime of the day’¦there was at the most 2 empty parking spots’¦.so to solve it in the 90’s’¦they added more theaters (go figure) Highlights: getting my signed picture of Lucy Lawless and seeing Army of Darkness’¦Low Light’¦The Cell (also happens to be the last time I saw a movie’¦that’s how bad it was)

AMC South Bay.
Modern and Unique (built on a parking structure)’¦Best experience: Spice Girls (I know, I know’¦but sitting around 50 giddy pre-teens makes for a weird experience lemme tell ya’¦also I knew all the songs). Also watching Basketball with Andy Muckle cause none else would see it with me. Other classics: Sixth Sense and The Matrix. Low-light: South Park with a 10 crying 5 year olds and a few 10 year olds asking their parents what the word F*ck means. My buddy the normally level headed Phil nearly lost it. Ghetto’™d out after the LA riots’¦and has become a place to avoid.

Others:
South Bay 6 Drive in: After a kidnapping and 2 Murders it was shut down in the nineties’¦horrible corrugated screens and tons of light pollution from the golf course. All memories were low-lights.
Alpine : this was at alpine Village..closed along time ago. (but I hear it is still there)
The Grand: This was downtown Torrance..became a community theater in the 60’s
The Pussycat (Stadium,) : Another downtown Torrance landmark’¦closed in 1991. I was way to young’¦but the soft serve across the street was a frequent stop.

2 Replies to “Theaters and Memories”

  1. Well then…
    The Strand was another classic house in the Beach area, situated across from Redondo Beach Pier.

    In the ’60’s, the screen was moved forward and the back of the theater walled off creating the Surf Theater which ran art films and pictures like Roger Corman’s “The Trip”.

    Several years later, what remained of the original theater was twinned and the whole thing renamed the Marina 1-2-3. Eventually, the Strand was closed and demolished. (http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2262/)

    If I remember correctly, Don was a projectionist at the Marina 1-2-3… I saw The Fly there (I think w/Don)

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