Return to The Golden Era
When was the last time you experienced the thrill of going to the movies in a real movie theatre? I don’t mean one of those factory cut-out, black box rooms where you can hear the sound of the other four films showing on either side of, above and below you—I mean a real movie theatre.
I admit I sound like a bit of a throwback, but my fondest memories of seeing movies was when I was a kid, attending Saturday matinees at one of the four movie theatres in our area; the El Rey in Walnut Creek, the Park in Lafayette, the Rheem in Moraga or the Orinda Theatre in, you guessed it… Orinda. Of the four, the classiest, most elegant was the Orinda Theatre.
Do you remember what it was like to see a film in one of those great movie houses built during the “Golden Era” of Movies? Or, perhaps you’re too young to have had the opportunity to enjoy the experience. Whatever the case, I have great news—the experience is still very much ALIVE, at the Orinda Theatre.
Even if you’ve never been inside, you’ve certainly passed it, probably hundreds of times, traveling on highway 24 past the town of Orinda. The Orinda Theatre’s neon sign stand as a familiar landmark by day and a beacon by night.
The theatre opened on Dec 27th, 1941, reportedly with a double bill of The Maltese Falcon and Tarzan’s Secret Treasure. On and off since the 1970s the theatre has faced a number of challenges. It was closed for many years but re-opened in 1989. Today, with numerous multiplex cinemas operating in our region the theatre is again in a struggle for survival.
In 2004, a group of dedicated, visionary local citizens formed a non-profit foundation called the Lamorinda Film and Entertainment Foundation (LFEF), which works to keep the theatre in operation. Recently, I was approached by one of the founding members of the foundation, Efi Lubliner, who asked if ALIVE Magazine would be the first “official” sponsor of the LFEF. Thinking of the wonderful experience that is the Orinda Theatre, I enthusiastically said, “yes!” A driving force for the LFEF, Efi, along with his wife, Shira, has come up with a creative way to attract more business to the theatre—they’re bringing in first rate, foreign films for exclusive screenings, every month. This month’s offering is a wonderful Czech film entitled, Autumn Spring (pg 23 & back cover).
So, roll back the clock to that Golden Era. Visit the Orinda Theatre, and treat yourself to a real movie experience.
Each month, ALIVE will review the next LFEF film offering. The coming film trailer is available on or website at aliveeastbay.com. For more information about the LFEF, go to lfef.org.
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