The wife and I just got back from a quick little jaunt to San Diego. One thing we like to do while down there is cross the bridge over to Coronado Island. You can't beat spending a summer evening browsing Bay Books, strolling the grounds of the Hotel Del and enjoying a relaxing dinner at the Rhinoceros Cafe (ask for the dill-crusted salmon, my favorite for nearly 20 years).
I can't imagine visiting the island and not spending time outside or at least next to an open door with the sea breeze gently kissing your face. Well, that is until I took a gander at the newly renovated Village Theatre on Orange Ave.
Shuttered for more than a decade, the 64-year-old movie theater has staged a comeback thanks to Vintage Cinemas of Los Angeles and Coronado's Redevelopment Agency. This is more than a fresh coat of paint and adding new seats. $3 million has been spent to take the the theater from one screen to three; digital sound and 3D projectors have been added; and renowned theater designer Joseph Musil, whose work includes the El Captain Theatre in Hollywood, helped develop the Art Deco interior before his passing last year.
Stepping inside, a long, vintage concession stand greets you on the left and the inviting Art Deco lobby, complete with pleated, red-velvet benches and vased flowers, beckons you toward the the three theaters in the back. The one theater I was able to peek in was beautiful: red-velvet, high-back chairs arranged in a semi-circle around the screen, a grand red curtain protecting its secrets; neon, three-dimensional murals (designed by Disney muralist Bill Anderson) depicting Coronado treasures like the Hotel Del adorned each of the side walls. Made me want to run back for a bag of popcorn and stay for the flick.
The only visible complaint would be the marquee: it’s digital and while beautiful too, it doesn't provide showtimes, just graphics on the three films. To see what time something is playing, you have to physically go up to the box office where the times are posted on a small sheet of paper. Kind of frustrating when there’s really no place for a quick stop on busy Orange Ave.
Where you saw a movie used to be as important as the movie itself. Theaters used to be majestic and unique. They had ornate chandeliers and cozy balconies, Wurlitzer organs pumping out live music before shows and velvet curtains that didn't rise until the lights went out. It wasn't just a business, it was an art form.
In this age of cookie-cutter multiplexes that emphasize quantity over quality, it's nice to see the Village Theatre buck that trend and bring back a sense of grandeur to seeing a movie outside our homes. This is a theater worthy of your time and something the people of Coronado should be very proud of.
For more information and pictures, visit http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2552
