Aero Theatre

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Aero Theatre
Aero Theatre on Montana, Santa Monica, California.jpg
Full name Max Palevsky Aero Theatre
Address1328 Montana Avenue
Location Santa Monica, California, United States
OwnerJ.S. Rosenfield & Co.
Operator American Cinematheque
Type Movie theater
Genre(s)Film
Capacity 425 [1]
Construction
BuiltJune 19, 1939
OpenedMay 15, 1940
Website
americancinematheque.com/about/theatres/aero-theatre

The Aero Theatre is a single-screen movie theater in Santa Monica, California, built in 1939 and opened in 1940. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

Named in tribute to the aerospace industry, [3] Aero Theatre was built in 1939 for aviation pioneer Donald W. Douglas of the Douglas Aircraft Company to serve as a 24-hour movie house for his employees at a nearby plant. [5] The French Normandy-style theater was designed by P.M. Woolpert and cost $45,000 ($1.02 million in 2024) to construct. It originally sat 678. [6]

By the late 1980s, the Aero was one of Los Angeles' last repertory theaters, regularly programming double features. [7] [8] However, by the end of the 1990s, the theater, then owned by Chris Allen, had fallen on hard times. [9] Robert Redford, who spent time at the Aero growing up, attempted to buy the theater for Sundance Cinemas in 2001, but the deal was never completed [10] and the theater closed in April 2003. [9]

In January 2005, the theater reopened as the Max Palevsky Aero Theatre, after renovations were made by the American Cinematheque. [9] The $1 million ($1.61 million in 2024) renovation included a new 44x17 foot screen, larger and more comfortable seats (reducing capacity to 427), and a new concession stand. [5] The Cinematheque had previously overseen a $12.8 million ($25.1 million in 2024) renovation of Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, and the organization subsequently programmed both theaters. [11]

In 2006, the theatre began hosting the Dusk-to-Dawn Horrorthon, an overnight, six-to-seven horror film marathon. The event is held every year in October. [2]

The Aero underwent renovation again in 2019 and 2021, including improvements to projection, sound, and the general facility. [1]

Aero Theatre has made appearances in several films, including 10 to Midnight (1983), [12] [13] Masquerade (1988), [14] Sleepwalkers (1992), [15] Get Shorty (1995) [16] and Donnie Darko (2001). [17]

Alternative rock band Weezer referenced the Aero in their song "Aloo Gobi", the second track on their 2021 album OK Human . Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo resides in Santa Monica and wrote the song about a typical date he would go on with his wife Kyoko. [18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Aero Theatre - American Cinematheque". American Cinematheque . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  2. 1 2 King, Susan (January 17, 2015). "Classic Hollywood: Santa Monica's Aero Theatre regulars believe in the joy of movies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Aero Theater (sic) 75th Anniversary Exhibit 2015". Santa Monica History Museum. 8 September 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  4. Axe, Jason; Martinez, Ray. "Aero Theatre". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  5. 1 2 LaPorte, Nicole (January 5, 2015). "After waiting game, Aero takes flight". Variety. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  6. "26 Mar 2003, Page 37". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "23 Feb 1987, 22". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "6 May 1990, Page 613". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 "Aero Theatre". Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  10. "26 Mar 2003, Page 37". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 via Newspapers.com.
  11. McNary, Dave (April 9, 2019). "Netflix in Talks to Buy Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre From American Cinematheque". Variety. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  12. Blankenship, Phil (August 6, 2016). "10 to Midnight". New Beverly Cinema . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  13. Patterson, Robert (March 11, 2019). "10 to Midnight (1983)". Set-Jetter. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  14. @PeterAPeel (September 3, 2020). "Just to point out that MASQUERADE is mostly set in the Hamptons, looks to have been shot there but at one point a few characters go see a movie at the Aero in Santa Monica" (Tweet). Retrieved September 28, 2021 via Twitter.
  15. "Sleepwalkers (1992) Film Locations". Global Film Locations. July 16, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  16. "Get Shorty 1995". The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. "DONNIE DARKO / THE EVIL DEAD | American Cinematheque". American Cinematheque . Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  18. Perry, Kevin EG (26 January 2021). "Weezer: 'This album is about feeling isolated, alienated and secluded – it's perfect for now'". NME . Retrieved September 28, 2021.