831 S. Nash St. El Segundo, CA 90245 | map |
News: It reopened Thursday, February 13, 2025.
The new look at night. Thanks to Kyle Sherman for sharing this February 2025 photo.
Original opening: November 15, 1996 as Pacific's Beach Cities Cinema. It's located in an office park on the north side of Rosecrans Ave., a
bit east of Sepulveda.
Seating: The 1996 capacity or what it was after the ArcLight revamp are unknown. After the CinemaWest remodel and installation of recliners the 16 screen complex has a total capacity of about 1,300. The seat counts, including handicap spaces: 1 - "GSL" - 192 | 2 - 44 | 3 - 71 | 4 - 44 | 5 - 70 | 6 - 83 | 7 - 70 | 8 - 4DX - ?? | 9 - 70 | 10 - 83 | 11 - 49 | 12 - 54 | 13 - 49 | 14 - "Screen X" - 187 | 15 - 70 | 16 - 70 |
Architects: The original designer is not known. Gensler worked on the 2010 revamp into an ArcLight location. Cinecor Construction was the general contractor for the 2024-25 renovations by CinemaWest.
A November 15, 1996 opening day ad. Thanks to Mike Rivest for locating it. Visit his site: Movie-Theatre.org. At the time of the opening Pacific Theatres also
had a six-plex nearby in the Manhattan Village Mall, 3560 Sepulveda, Russ Jones commented:
"I
like how the ad states that the complex was the 'largest THX facility in
the United States.' I can tell you from experience, they never were THX
certified. I went there a few times shortly after they opened. Not
once did they run any THX trailers. And all the times I went there, I
walked out because of super bad presentations."
It was given a two-month overhaul in 2010, reopening as the
ArcLight Beach Cities on November 5. The Pacific Theatres parent company Decurion Corp. closed the theatre in March 2020 due to Covid restrictions. In April 2021 they announced that they wouldn't be reopening any of their Pacific or ArcLight branded theatres. See our
Cinerama Dome page for news about what's happened to some of the company's other locations.
An aerial view of the complex from Google Maps. That's a parking garage on the left, Nash St. running up the right. The rest of this development and Rosecrans Ave. are out of the frame at the bottom.
In November 2023 it was announced that CinemaWest would be taking over the location. Initially they were projecting a Summer 2024 opening date. The company operates 17 other locations in California and Idaho. The property owner is Continental Development, a firm headed by Richard Lundquist.
A 2024 rendering from the CinemaWest website.
"
After shuttering in the pandemic, an ArcLight theater gets a second act" was a February 7, 2025 L.A. Times story by Roger Vincent. Some of his comments:
"After
$10 million in upgrades, CinemaWest Beach Cities will have 16 screens
and a Pink’s Hot Dogs restaurant that will serve alcohol and also be
open to non-moviegoers. It will be the 18th location for CinemaWest, a
Petaluma, Calif.-based theater chain that operates cineplexes in
California and Idaho, and a flagship location for the company 'on par
with private screening rooms at major studios,' owner Dave Corkill
said....
"With
moviegoing habits scrambled in the age of streaming, movie theaters
have lost some of their luster as anchor tenants at shopping malls and
other commercial centers. CinemaWest’s landlord, though, is banking on
the theater being a key draw at Continental Park, a 100-acre commercial
development with 3 million square feet of office space, restaurants,
shops and a hotel. 'I don’t believe that a movie theater is the key to
attracting office tenants,' landlord Richard Lundquist said, 'but I do
feel that the movie theater attracts restaurants, which then attract
office tenants, so they all go hand in hand. I do feel it will draw
business.'..."
Reopening: February 13, 2025 as the CinemaWest Beach Cities.
A pre-opening post on the theatre's Facebook page.
There is an outdoor patio and a branch of Pink's Hot Dogs. Two auditoria are branded as premium large format including their GSL house (Giant Screen Laser) with an Atmos installation and a ScreenX venue. Another house that is to open a bit later is 4DX
equipped. They're promising to regularly program classic and independent
films.
Another shot from the Daily Breeze article.
Checking out the display on what had been the ArcLight attraction board. Thanks to Vikki Baxter for sharing her February 2025 photo.
The Pink's side of the lobby. Photo: Vikki Baxter - February 2025
Ticketing kiosks and a look over toward the restrooms. Photo: Vikki Baxter - February 2025. Thanks!
The inner lobby. Thanks to Patrick Ready for this February 2025 shot and others appearing here that are shared on Google.
The entrance to auditorium #14, the Screen X house. Photo: Patrick Ready - February 2025
One of the auditoria. Photo: Patrick Ready - February 2025
The rear of one of the smaller houses in the complex. Photo: Patrick Ready - February 2025. Thanks!
Looking back out to the main lobby. Thanks to Amanda Rosenblum for sharing her March 2025 photo.
The lobby in the Pacific era:
The look in August 2008. Photo: Ken McIntyre
A view beyond the snackbar toward the inner lobby. Photo: Ken McIntyre - 2009
Interior views as the ArcLight:
The boxoffice area. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this shot he took on March 9, not long before the theatre closed due to Covid restrictions. It's one of nine photos
in a 2022 post for the
Cinema Tour Facebook group. He commented: "
I was seeing 'The Hunt' during a week-long vacation from work."
The display wall in the lobby. It's a March 12, 2024 photo taken by Jay L. Clendenin for the Los Angeles Times. Visit his website:
www.jlcvisuals.com |
on Instagram.
One of the auditoria. Photo: Richard DuVal - March 2020
A seating detail. Photo: Richard DuVal - March 2020
Construction views:
Looking in from the main entrance doors. Photo: Bill Counter - December 23, 2024
Deeper into the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - December 2024
The view across the bar area from the doors onto the patio. Photo: Bill Counter - December 2024
A look into the inner lobby from the north exit doors. Photo: Bill Counter - December 2024
The lobby shortly before opening. Thanks to Kelly Corkill for sharing the photo. It was part of a seven photo February 8 post for the
Cinema Tour Facebook group.
The Pink's location near the doors to the patio. Photo: Kelly Corkill - February 2025
The Pink's tribute wall. Photo: Kelly Corkill - February 2025. Thanks!
The rest of the complex was open but work continued into April on the 4DX house, auditorium 8. Thanks to Kelly Corkill of Cinecor Construction for sharing a short video clip on the
Cinema Tour Facebook group on April 4.
Across the front risers in auditorium 8. Thanks, Kelly!
More exterior views:
2008 - Across the patio and through the trees. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this photo and the others appearing here. He comments: "I
interviewed for a job over at TRW when I moved to LA in 1984. I remember
driving slowly down Rosecrans looking for the TRW complex. Most of
Rosecrans between Sepulveda and Aviation was vacant land. Hard to
picture that now when you see this theater and all the rest of the
retail on that stretch."
2008 - A closer look toward the facade's pylon. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2008 - The signage as the Pacific Beach Cities. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2009 - A look across the patio. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2009 - Another angle on the entrance. Photo: Ken McIntyre
2010 - The ArcLight remodel underway in September. Photo: Ken McIntyre
c.2020 - A late in life ArcLight shot by Ken McIntyre. Thanks, Ken!
2020 - Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing this shot he took on March 9, not long before the theatre closed due to Covid restrictions. It's one of nine photos in a 2022 post for the
Cinema Tour Facebook group. He commented: "
I was seeing 'The Hunt' during a week-long vacation from work."
2020 - Another look at the entrance. Photo: Richard DuVal
2020 - The front doors. Photo: Richard DuVal
2024 - Across the patio on December 23. No work yet on the exterior signage. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - A closer look at the patio. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - The entrance as seen from across Nash St. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - North on Nash. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - The north end of the building as we look south toward Rosecrans Ave. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - Arclight signage still in place in December at the entrance to the back parking lot. Photo: Bill Counter
2024 - The west side of the building. That's a bit of the complex's parking garage on the far right. Photo: Bill Counter
2025 - New signage going up. Thanks to Kelly Corkill for sharing the photo. It was part of a seven photo February 8 post for the
Cinema Tour Facebook group.
2025 - The new look of the tower in early February. Photo: Kelly Corkill
2025 - Pink's signage ready to go up. Photo: Kelly Corkill
2025 - Almost ready to open. The
umbrellas were out and the Pink's signage had been installed on the canopy.
Thanks to Kelly Corkill for sharing the photo.
More information: See the Cinema Treasures and Cinema Tour pages about the complex.
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