The iconic La Paloma theatre in downtown Encinitas is 85 years old this year (it opened in 1928, unbelievably) and is due for a makeover. That is why it is being torn down next spring and turned into the 6th location of the Cinnepolis movie theatre/bar/restaurant chain.
I'm joking of course. Don't get yourself in a tizzy. If it was ever torn down, it would be over my dead body. I've been to countless films there over the years- most of them surf films- and had the honor of premiering the movie 'Smash It Up' while working for O'Neill. Now my groms go there to see surf films and the cycle continues. Man does that make me old.
What makes the building so iconic is the history and architecture. There's none of these old school buildings left- like the Arlington in Santa Barbara or Lido in Newport Beach- and there's nothing like hooting at the top of your lungs with your fellow surf brethren as someone's getting pitted at Pipe on the big screen.
Of course the ambience is second to none at La Paloma. Where else can you drop popcorn on the floor and instead of an usher cleaning it up at the end of the movie- your dog does?!
And surf movies aren't the only show in the house. The midnight screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Fridays is legendary, first rate movies like George Clooney's Gravity is playing this week, kid's live theatre productions, and local legends Switchfoot and Eddie Vedder have played live in the venue- as well as the late great Jerry Garcia.
But now I've rambled on and completely gotten off the topic. Yes, there has been discussion lately about renovating the La Paloma. After 85 years, there's bound to be some water damage, termites, and wear and tear. The city council met yesterday to help figure out ways to renovate the aging landmark. The San Diego Union Tribune
reported Encinitas city employees can work with the Downtown Encinitas Mainstreet Association (DEMA) to explore ways to renovate the privately owned theatre. So that's a good sign. DEMA will have the theatres best interest in mind- not a big movie theatre chain like Regal or Edwards Cinemas. Dody Crawford, executive director of the DEMA, brought forward the La Paloma Theatre proposal, telling the council that she longs to see the historic building on Coast Highway 101 renovated. “Every time I visit the La Paloma, my heart breaks,” she said. The white stucco structure was one of the nation’s first theaters to show talking pictures. Famed actress Mary Pickford attended the theater’s opening gala event. The theater’s owners, who live in Los Angeles, have said that they are supportive of a restoration effort, Crawford said. In response to council questions, she said she wasn’t asking the city to buy the building. She said she just wanted some assistance — signatures on grant applications and city advice — as she seeks federal or state historic preservation funding. Council members directed city arts employees to help her out.
