Editor’s note: As the Islander went to press, the Catalina Island Company had formally withdrawn a statement sent to the Islander that announced movies would no longer be shown at the Avalon Theatre effective Jan. 1, 2020. However, as of 3:45 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14, the original statement remained up on the Catalina Island Company Facebook page. So did a follow-up statement elaborating on the reasons for the decision.
Island Company, please reconsider
I just read the response as to why the Casino Theater will no longer be showing movies. We live in Northern California, and we have been bringing our family at least once a year to Catalina for about 43 years. Most of our friends vacation in Santa Cruz, California, but we choose to drive or fly to Long Beach every year because Catalina is cleaner and has exhibited a more family/child friendly atmosphere. Additionally, the water is warmer making swimming & snorkeling much more enjoyable.
We have watched over the past few years the erosion of some of that family experience. The lease losses to wonderful established family business (i.e. ice cream, coffee, Italian food, etc), have been saddening. I must admit there have been some improvements for dining (Steve’s, Avalon Grill, Bluewater Grill, Descanso upgrade), but it seems more and more that the Catalina Island Company is gearing more towards the “profit” to be made catering to the daily Cruise Line customers who aren’t there in the evenings to eat dinner or go to the theater anyway. I have talked to many business owners in Avalon, and they have told me that the cruise clients don’t really spend that much anyway, especially on food that the receive on the ships for free.
The lengthy response regarding the theater’s closing just simply does not hold water to me. Instead of “upgrading” food/etc., how about lowering prices so everyone can afford to enjoy the experience? It is just sad that yet another Catalina Island icon is disappearing because of “lack of profit.”
Please reconsider your decision to close the theater.
Thank you,
Gary Preeo
Lodi, CA
A win-win proposal: have non-profit take over Avalon Theatre
“How many Islanders does it take to change a light bulb? One, but there are 3,999 who will tell you how much better the old light bulb was!” For good or bad, this is how so many Islanders look at ANY changes in our small town, as every little change has major ramifications. I am one of the guiltiest parties as I was born here 72 years ago and have seen so many of the things that have meant SO MUCH to me to be gone/going. I consider this my home and Catalina provides more memories than I can even dare to contemplate.
I have to admit that I contributed the dialogue on “Catalina Discussion” on Facebook and chimed in with many of the others my knee jerk reaction to losing a loving institution that has been around for 90 years! Unfortunately, it was venting that did nothing positive, except to show our frustration at losing an institution/a friend. I experienced ALL of my early movies here as a child and young adult as they didn’t have all of the other alternatives as they do now on the internet or the ability to simply go out and buy the film. For most of the Islanders and visitors alike, THIS IS OUR ONLY ADULT/FAMILY NIGHTLIFE!
On the other hand, as the unofficial Islander Historian, I also know that since the Santa Catalina Island Co. was established by the three Banning Brothers, Joseph, Hancock, and William, in 1894 (125 year celebration) and William Wrigley Jr. and his descendants keeping the Island going and flourishing since 1919 (Centennial Celebration), I have had to take stock of how hard they have had to try to provide all that they have for us Islanders, even when it has meant losing money. We complain when they are forced to make a financial business decision that everyone of us would understand in our personal dealings and yet we complain as if we are babies and a sucker has been taken out of our mouths. I FOR ONE AM SPOILED ROTTEN. My father was Philip Knight Wrigley’s chief engineer and so was in charge of the Casino and all of the other buildings around the Island form 1945-60. I guess that this has always given me a false sense of entitlement and I now publicly apologize for my arrogant attitude!
The Casino Theatre was NEVER ours in the first place so we are in no position to demand that it continue.
To say that the Casino Theatre is an iconic building, not only for Avalon, but for the lovers of live cinema around the world, is not an overstatement! First theatre in the world built acoustically perfect for talking motion pictures! All of the early premiers by the movie giants, Sennett, Griffith, DeMille, who used our unique theatre to get the only sound theatre reaction they could to their first “talkies.” The artwork was done by John Gabriel Beckman, who had designed “Grauman’s Chinese Theatre” (now known as TCL Chinese Theatre) and who did the set design and art directions for film classic, like “Casablanca,” “Lost Horizons,” “Les Misérables,” “Mildred Pierce,” etc. How about those fantastic free organ concerts performed by Jon Tusak before weekend showings on an organ that is the last of its kind in the world For these reasons alone, I feel strongly that it should continue, as icon of Catalina that needs to keep going for another 90 years!
Where do we go from here? I am hoping that the Catalina Island Co. will work with a private, islander based, non-profit organization, that wants to keep the theatre going. It would seem to me that showing more classic films, and older popular films, possibly changing every night or two, would make more sense than working through a distributor who will force the film to stay around for one to two weeks! I can also envision locals and mainland lovers of film choosing the films they would want to see, as the Catalina Island Co. did on a limited basis some years ago. I can see star studded premiers. Don’t forget, there have been over 600 movies, many classics, made on Catalina since 1909! Why not enjoy Catalina’s contribution to the history of movie making by showing some of OUR FILMS on the big screen!
The idea of the Catalina Island Co. handing over their properties that no longer made financial sense to them is not unprecedented. Back in the ‘60s, they offered to the City of Avalon the “St. Catherine Hotel” (Desanso Beach), the Steamer Pier, and the “Bird Park” for only $1/each if Avalon would take over the responsibility of running them and paying their expenses. The City turned them down and the “St. Catherine” and the Steamer Pier were then torn down and the birds were sent to the “Los Angeles Zoo.” If the Catalina Island Company feels so moved to make the same offer with a reputable group of local leaders now, I would hope/pray that we would pick up the ball and run with it. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE THEATRE IS OVERWHELMING, WITH SOME IMAGINATION.
The people of Avalon have been “carried” by the Catalina Island Co. for 125 years, 100 of those years by the Wrigley family, and so I feel it is time that we, the Islanders, take the gauntlet from them when necessary, in this case the Casino Theatre. We need to show our appreciation for their sacrifices and let them know that we are now willing to start shouldering more of more of the responsibility of what is happening in our small town for the next Centennial! I would like to be of any assistance to whoever comes up to the plate. THIS CAN ONLY BE A WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, for the Catalina Island Co., the Wrigley descendants, locals, and visitors alike.
Chuck Liddell
Avalon
Re: News that the Casino will no longer be showing movies
ARE YOU KIDDING?????
In the past decade, Avalon has changed so much we hardly recognize. it – some for the good but a lot for the bad. I feel that the Santa Catalina Island Co. has lost the vision of its forebears to provide a safe, beautiful place for families and those not-so-rich to enjoy.
While we all have to survive economically in this day and age, everything has become so ridiculously expensive in Avalon it is no longer family friendly. The things that made Avalon and Catalina so special for those of us who have vacationed year after year through generations (three in my family) are going by the wayside.
Thank you for building a really nice new Vons which I was skeptical about.
Thank you for saving the miniature golf course.
However, there are no longer any places to eat that are affordable and have decent food. You are catering to the rich and the cruise ships, the hotels are more pricey than New York City now, you play bar music on the flying fish boat trip and allow alcohol on board (what’s up with that?)—I could go on and on. We no longer go to Descanso at all. We miss the family businesses who always remembered us from year to year like Lori’s Good Stuff and the Old Turner Inn.
Taking away the movie theater is the last straw for our family – this is just too sad to bear. Going to the movies at the Casino was a great joy to us – hearing the organ player and feeling like we were back in time in the 1950s – all so special.
An explanation would be in order. Please realize that there are many, many people who come year after year without fail who deserve a voice in the severe decline in Avalon and the vision for the future. We are not happy.
We mourn the loss of “our” Avalon.
Sincerely,
The Griffin family
Santa Monica
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