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Author Topic: Santa Barbara CA theatres Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-07-2007 01:53 AM                        I used to frequent all of Metropolitan theatres in Santa Barbara when I was studying photography at Brooks Institute in the very early sixties. There were not too many in the city with the two main theatres, the Arlington and the Granada being my favorites. The two others were the State which was located directly across the street from the Granada and the California several blocks away. I know the California was demolished years ago and I did not see the State Theatre during one of my visits to the city many years later. I also do not recall seeing the Granada. What ever happened to this theatre? It was a huge theatre with a balcony and watching movies from up there was a great joy! The Arlington was still there and I know beside showing movies, it is now a performing arts centre. I also remember the city's concert hall, the Lobero Theatre and the Santa Barbara Symphony performances I used to attend and enjoy there. Is the orchestra still housed at the Lobero or do they perform their concerts at the Arlington now? -Claude  |  IP: Logged Richard P. May Expert Film Handler Posts: 243 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jan 2006 posted 09-07-2007 11:42 AM                     Claude, I put Granada Theater Santa Barbara into Google, and got several excellent references to the theater, and a current restoration effort. Yes, it is a beautiful place. You will enjoy seeing this internet information. Dick May  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-07-2007 12:08 PM                        Thanks, Dick I went to Google and found several links about the Granada and it's current restoration project. Will check all of them out this evening. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 09-07-2007 01:48 PM                     Claude The State closed and was converted into a arcade during the 80's and later I think into retail.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-08-2007 12:36 AM                        I have very fond memories of the Granada Theatre. The first film I saw at this theatre was Alfred Hitchcock's latest film PSYCHO in September 1960. Other film I recall seeing there among many others were EXODUS (35mm/Mono), THE DEVIL AT FOUR O CLOCK and the Japanese film, HARU NO YUME (Spring Dreams) by Kaisuke Kinoshita during an international film festival. I also saw a rough edit of BUTTERFIELD EIGHT when MGM brought the film to Santa Barbara as a major studio preview. Elizabeth Taylor wan an Oscar for her performance in this film. By the way, does the studios preview their roughly edited films for audience reactions and comments only in California theatres or do they do it nation wide? =Claude [ 09-08-2007, 02:24 AM: Message edited by: Claude S. Ayakawa ]  |  IP: Logged Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-08-2007 01:34 AM                     A couple of exterior photos of the GRANADA I took last year appear on this page. quote: Claude Ayakawa By the way, do the studios preview their roughly edited films for audience reactions and comments only in California theatres or do they do it nation wide? Many test screenings do take place in California, but just as many, if not the majority, are screened in other parts of the country. The reason usually cited is a desire to screen a film for an "average" audience. From what I can tell, Phoenix and Dallas are popular and oft-used test-screening cities. From researching the production and distribution history of certain films, I've been able to learn the locations of any test screenings. Some non-Los Angeles examples: SPARTACUS (1960): Oakland WEST SIDE STORY (1961): Minneapolis & San Francisco THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965): Minneapolis & Tulsa STAR! (1968): Cleveland SWEET CHARITY (1969): Chicago JAWS (1975): Dallas A STAR IS BORN (1976): Phoenix CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977): Dallas STAR WARS (1977): San Francisco ALIEN (1979): St. Louis & Dallas BLADE RUNNER (1982): Dallas, Denver & San Diego Well, you get the idea.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-08-2007 02:04 AM                        Michael, Was WEST SIDE STORY, SOUND OF MUSIC & STAR all photographed on 65mm negative stock shown in 70mm or did they make special 35mm reduction prints for the preview showings? It is very possible SPARTACUS was presented in 35mm because the original negative was in horizontal 35mmTechnirama and the film was advertised as Super Technirama 70 during most of it's road show engagements in 70mm. Thanks for the Granada Theatre link. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Phil Ranucci Expert Film Handler Posts: 236 From: Carpinteria,CA, United States Registered: May 2006 posted 09-09-2007 02:57 PM                     Claude- The Granada's balcony was converted into 2 screens in the 70's. Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera took over in 1992-3 and did live shows with film during the summer/holidays. Metropolitan ran the movies during those times. SBCLO went under and the Granada is being renovated as we speak, set to re-open in March 2008 with a larger stage and restored balcony and plasterwork. They will not have a booth so will be a live house. The SB Symphony will finish their 2007-8 season at the Arlington and then move to the Granada. The Lobero is still running and is a jewel of a theater, they have 35mm and digital projection now. The Arlington is still open and has a Barco/Kodak digital setup along with 35mm. Santa Barbara had 3 70mm houses at one point, The Arlington, Granada, and Fiesta #2. No longer, all gone. Phil  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-10-2007 12:12 AM                        Thanks for the info Phil. Is the Lobero theatre now a full fledge movie theatre? During my years at Brooks, the Lobero was the only performing arts theatre in the city and the Arlington and Granada were full time movie venues. Although Metropolitan was operating the Arlington at the time, we always referred to the theatre as the Fox Arlington because it was recently a part of 20th Century Fox's chain of theatres before the studio was made to liquidate its motion picture exhibition business by the US government due to anti trust concern. The theatre still displayed "FOX" on a steeple on the roof when I was a student. None of the theatres in S.B. were equipped for 70mm when I was there so I guess it came later. Now that the Granada will be a full time performing arts centre, will the Arlington continue to operate as a movie/P.A. venue or will it be a full fledge movie theatre? The Arlington and my beloved Waikiki (#3 in later years) were almost identical. While the Arlington featured a facade of the old mission around it's stage and the surrounding walls were decorated to appear like one were in a Mexican courtyard, the Waikiki had a huge rainbow around it's stage and the walls were decorated to make the audience feel like they were in a tropical jungle. Both theatres had a ceiling with hundreds of tiny blinking lights that made it look like one were viewing a movie under a starlit sky. The Waikiki is no more because it was demolished a few years ago but I am very happy the Arlington still lives on. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 09-10-2007 09:34 AM                     Metropolitan Theatres has operated the Arlington since around 1960 along with Granada, California, State and the Airport Drive-In. During that time Metropolitan picked up a few more former Fox Theatres. During that time Fox West Coast Theatres was part of National Theatres and then National General Theatres and later sold to Mann Theatres.  |  IP: Logged Michael Coate Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1904 From: Los Angeles, California Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-10-2007 08:25 PM                     quote: Claude S. Ayakawa Was WEST SIDE STORY, SOUND OF MUSIC & STAR all photographed on 65mm negative stock shown in 70mm or did they make special 35mm reduction prints for the preview showings? I have reason to believe "The Sound Of Music" was test-screened in 70mm. Not sure about the others. Due to the cost involved and the incomplete nature of the films, generally, 70mm prints are not used for test screenings. Some exceptions that I'm aware of: "Metamorphoses" (1977), "Capricorn One" (1978), "Alien" (1979), "Blade Runner" (1982). Two films that eventually got released with 70mm prints for which I attended a test screening were "Black Rain" (1989) and "Last Action Hero" (1993). The test prints were 35mm and from what I remember, the sound was mono and used temp music culled from other films. quote: Claude S. Ayakawa None of the theatres in S.B. were equipped for 70mm when I was there so I guess it came later. The first 70mm presentation at the GRANADA I'm aware of was "Star Wars" in fall '77. The first at ARLINGTON was "Return Of The Jedi" in spring/summer '83. I'm not aware of any 70mm runs at the FIESTA. quote: Phil Ranucci Santa Barbara had 3 70mm houses at one point, The Arlington, Granada, and Fiesta #2. What about the FAIRVIEW in neighboring Goleta?  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-10-2007 11:27 PM                     quote: Michael Coate What about the FAIRVIEW in neighboring Goleta? When I visited this theatre in the summer of '74 to see a double feature of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (preceded by a cartoon) and THE HEARTBREAK KID (preceded by a preview for THE TOWERING INFERNO), the then single screener had a rather small screen (it's only "luxury" was the waterfall drapes). It had plain brick walls. There was no evidence of surrounds and when leaving through the exit door I could only see a single speaker behind the screen.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-11-2007 02:13 AM                        How could I forget the Airport Drive In theatre at Goleta. I used go go there often with some of my fellow Brookies who lived with me at Mr & Mrs Graham's boarding house. Most of the films we saw there were grade b films but they were fun to watch. -Claude  |  IP: Logged

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