Aero Theatre

Aero Theatre
Address 1328 Montana Avenue
Location Santa Monica, California, United States
Owner American Cinematheque
Type Movie theater
Genre(s) Film
Capacity 400
Construction
Built June 19, 1939
Opened May 15, 1940
Website
americancinemathequecalendar.com/aero_theatre_events

The Aero Theatre is a Santa Monica, California, single-screen movie theater built in 1939 and opened in 1940.[1][2][3][4]

The theater was built by Donald W. Douglas to serve as a 24-hour movie house for his company's aircraft employees, who worked at a nearby plant. The French Normandy–style theater, designed by P.M. Woolpert, cost $45,000 to build, and originally sat 678 people.[5]

By the late '80s, the no-frills Aero was one of Los Angeles's last repertory theaters, regularly programming double features.[6][7]

By the end of the '90s, the theater (then owned by Chris Allen) had fallen on hard times. Robert Redford, who spent time at the Aero growing up, attempted to buy the theater in 2001 for Sundance Cinemas,[8] but the deal didn't end up happening.

In 2005, the theater reopened after renovations were made by the nonprofit organization American Cinematheque[9], which also hosts screenings at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

References

  1. ↑ Cinematreasures.org
  2. ↑ LA Weekly
  3. ↑ Los Angeles Times
  4. ↑ Santamonicahistory.org
  5. ↑ "26 Mar 2003, Page 37 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  6. ↑ "23 Feb 1987, 22 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  7. ↑ "6 May 1990, Page 613 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  8. ↑ "26 Mar 2003, Page 37 - The Los Angeles Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-10-14.
  9. ↑ Los Angeles Conservancy


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