Fuzzy Bus

When I lived in Los Angeles I was in a very fortunate position.  My dear friend is a screenwriter and as such is a member of the Screenwriters’ Guild.  One of the perks of being in the Union is that he got into movies for free, and so did his guest.  It was during that time that I became familiar not only with the various movie theaters in the greater Los Angeles, but as he was “in the business” he would take me not to mall cinema or the multiplex theaters, but to the theaters around town that had a history.  A history of Hollywood and of movie-making, for many buildings in the city hold a history, be it the grand and wonderful Chinese Theater or a best Los Angeles hotel or a great beach-side restaurant in Malibu, the history of the great age of glamour and story telling is evident and all encompassing.

The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax was a regular haunt for us, a place where there is still a live person accompanying the movies, and before the feature, short films of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin still bring laughter from the audience.  The Rialto Theater in Pasadena does show currently released films.  But the experience of the movies here is intensified as sculptures and velvet curtains line the walls, and the balcony that is now not open to the public due to structural damage from earthquakes over the years, still looms behind as a reminder of the days when movie stars such as Mary Pickford, Clark Cable and Fred Astaire would sit up in those seats while attending their movie premieres.

The Nuart Theatre is on the West Side of LA, right on Santa Monica Boulevard.  This is a theater which still has the ticket taker booth out front.  Movies vary here, and back then we saw everything from “The Third Man” to the “Blair Witch Project”.  This theater has the most eclectic movie showings in town.  The Egyptian Theater, the El Capitan and of course Grauman’s Chinese Theatre line Hollywood Blvd. and have all been in business for almost one hundred years.  Now that I no longer live in Los Angeles, going to the movies is just not the same.  The seats may be more comfortable, the vibe is missing and for some reason the popcorn just does not taste as good.