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A year-by-year, film-by-film history of 70-millimeter wide gauge exhibition in Orange County, California

 

 Compiled by Michael Coate and William Kallay

 


 

70mm Equipped Theatre Pictures

Hutton Centre

 

Theatre Specifications
Chain: Edwards
Opened: June 10, 1988
Closed: Early-2000s — Now demolished
Seats: Approx. 500 (two largest auditoriums)

 

Edwards opened the Hutton Centre 8 on June 10, 1988.  This complex featured two large auditoriums with approximately 500 seats each, 70mm projection and THX Sound.  The opening day attraction included a 70mm presentation of “The Presidio.”

 

The theatre was elegant, in a late-1980s sort of way.  The lobby was large, with the two main screens on the left and right side as you entered the complex.  The marquee was stylized in an old-fashioned curved shape and the lobby was well-lit.  Upstairs, patrons could take a peek at the main projection rooms, which carried Christie projectors.

 

The main auditoriums were built as wide-bodies, much in the tradition of late-1980s cinemas, placing the audience closer to the screen.  The front walls were covered with “waterfall” curtains, making it seem like the screen was ultra-wide.  The theatres were plush and comfortable.

 

Edwards, at the time of the opening, proudly announced that each auditorium had wall-to-wall screens, with the exit doors located under the screens.  This proved to be a major disappointment to those few who wanted to see scope movies there, because those films were cropped on the sides!

 

One of the pluses of the Hutton Centre was its sound system.  Although THX-certification has received some flack over the years, this theatre sounded great in screen #1.  In fact, the theatre rarely showed 70mm prints, but did excel with some 35mm Dolby Stereo prints.  One of the best sounding presentations I’ve ever heard was on the 1988 film, “U2: Rattle And Hum.”  The sound was so clean, it felt like you were at a live U2 concert.

 

By the mid-1990s, the theatre fell into serious disrepair.  Lights were burnt out, curtains torn and/or stained, ceiling tiles were broken and the projection was subpar.  This was once a first-rate presentation theatre, and it was once certified for THX standards, but it no longer carried them.  The theatre also started attracting “gang banger” types.

 

The theatre closed in the early-2000s and has been demolished.

 

 

[1]

Hutton Centre Sunday paper ad (June 1988) [Enlarge]

[2]

Hutton Centre (2005)

[2]

Looking towards MacArthur Blvd.

[2]

Marquee and box office

[2]

 

[2]

Marquee and box office closer view

[2]

Box office glass and Dolby Stereo sticker

[2]

Lobby and snack bar

[2]

Main theatre auditorium #1 (left)

[2]

Staircase to restrooms, arcade, and viewing windows to projection booth on right side of complex

[2]

Side of Hutton Centre facing MacArthur Blvd.

[2]

Sign directing drivers to parking structure at the rear of theatre

[2]

End of late-1980s exhibition

[2]

End of Hutton Centre (as of August 6, 2005)

[2]

Hutton Centre now has a sunroof...

[2]

...and a spacious interior

[2]

Through the lobby windows

[2]

Remnants of the lobby

[2]

Remnants of the staircase leading to the arcade, restrooms and projection room 

[2]

Lobby carpet

[2]

Seats have been thrown into the lobby

[2]

A few of the 2500 seats from the entire complex

[2]

Marquee

[2]

Box office

[2]

 

[2]

Box office glass

[2]

Box office as seen from behind theatre

[2]

Box office and lobby from inside

[2]

Auditorium #1 from lobby

[2]

 Lone seat at rear of auditorium #1

[2]

Auditorium #1 (facing screen)

[2]

Auditorium #8 with half of its screen wall torn down

[2]

Auditorium #8 close-up

[2]

Auditorium #8 exit light and door

[2]

Auditorium #8

[2]

Former entrance to auditorium #8

[2]

Auditorium #8 interior facing former screen

[2]

Auditorium #8 as seen from MacArthur Blvd.

[2]

Auditorium #7

[2]

Auditorium #7 seats

[2]

Auditorium #7 (left), auditorium #6 (right) with lobby and entrance (top)

[2]

Auditorium #s 7-thru-1 (left-to-right, then across to the left)

[2]

The lobby as seen from behind theatre

[2]

The lobby as seen looking toward MacArthur Blvd. — Note auditorium #8 on the upper left side —This was one of two of the larger auditoriums in the complex

[2]

Auditorium #6

[2]

Auditoriums #2-4

[2]

...and the rubble keeps on piling up


[1] The Orange County Register / Edwards
[2] William Kallay

 


 

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