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King Kong May Not Return to Temple Theater
Feb 23, 2006 - TC Community
The old Temple Theater property (recently Edwards, et al.) is due for redevelopment; the plan is a subject of some local controversy. If you have a comment weigh in in the Alumni Forum.

The editor saw King Kong (the Ray Harryhousen original) and many other classics in the old, that is, the really old, Temple Theater (photo) in the early 1950s. The original theater, with its wagon wheel fence, had a single large auditorium that seated hundreds. The Saturday matinee cost twelve cents, or for a quarter you got a candy bar - not to mention the exciting western, two or three serials like a Superman or a Captain Somebody AND about a zillion cartoons. Needless to say, by the 1960s the floor was just a bit sticky; perhaps that's why it was torn down for the quadriplex. 'Twas never the same.

I visited the developer's site; couldn't help noticing the first feature they promote is security. When I was seven or eight, my mother would drop me and George Domogalla at the curb among the 600 other boisterous kids and drive "down town" to do her shopping at the Market Basket (where Ralph's is now). George's mother would pick us up three hours later. Security lay in knowing half of the 600 and them knowing you. 'Twas never the same.

RC

More for you nostalgia buffs:

I found this site: Cinema Treasures, with commentaries and histories of lots of movie houses alive and alive in memory.

Anyone have a photo of the old and rebuilt T. Theater(s). Email me.

Redeveloper's Site

Comments
jhelmer - Feb 27, 2006, 12:51 AM
I feel I should comment here as I currently live in Temple City and this is an issue on many residents hate list. Funny thing is everyone is complaining about increased traffic, pollution, and general disruption to life as they know it in Temple City. But when asked the question "are you going to attend the meetings to register your objections", most have made comments like "oh no, they don't want to hear from me", or "I'm so angry I'm afraid of what I'd say." B. S., get involved is what I want to say to them. The Temple Theater is so much a part of our past and everyone wants to remember and relive their youth when they return or live in Temple City. But not many are attending the theater these days, be it the theater is not the most modern or it just costs too much for a family to go to the movies these days. Lives have changed from when we were kids going to the Saturday matinee. I remember my parents giving my two brothers and me 25 or 50 cents each to get in to see two movies, cartoons, get a drink and candy or popcorn, the theater manager held a gift give away using your ticket stub number during the intermission. In junior high, we went to the theater as a sort of first date with our parents dropping us off curb side on Friday or Saturday night, meeting our guy or girl from school to watch the movie, and our parents picking us up after the movie. By high school the theater seemed lame because there were drive-ins to go to for such social interactions. These days I find going to the theater to see a movie expensive and can wait the few months to see it on video/dvd at home a less than half the price as a single movie ticket. I have mixed feelings about the new Piazza Las Tunas project. I do like the history and memories of my youth and want to keep that memory alive by keeping the theater, even though it isn't the single screen theater that was so much a part of my youth. As an adult I think yes building a place where I can shop and dine out would fit my current life style. But the condos above it all has me questioning if this is right for such a high profile corner as Rosemead and Las Tunas. I get and understand that having the condos gives the developer a quick repay on his investment in the development through the sale of the condos (at over $500,000 each), and continued income with the leasing of the commercial space. What I don't understand is the benefit to a contract city, as is Temple City, where the only benefit is sales tax...they get little from property taxes. I understand this type of development is big in many areas of the state. I wonder what others think of this in their downtown areas and has this type of development reached other states. Am I living in Temple City thinking this is only happening in my city, my state and no elsewhere?
rcurtiss - Mar 9, 2006, 7:35 AM
You said just about all of it, Reese. But you failed to mention, if we had the 12 cents in exact change, we could get in quicker, without having to wait in that endless line. Also, every Saturday there was a drawing during intemission where we could win a number of prizes plus a bag of suckers. And, finally, I was usually free to walk to the show and home, not needing my mother to pick me up. Of course, I lived closer than you, and had a big brother, Deny Curtiss (class of '58), to walk with me.

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