By Editorial
Any Los Altos City Council decision about a theater vs. hotel vs. parking alternatives for the city-owned property at First and Main streets should be put on hold until more information is available. It is assumed that the $15,000 financial feasibility study commissioned by the city will soon shed some additional light on the situation.
Recently, the city-appointed Los Altos Youth Commission has rung in enthusiastically favoring the theater. No surprise. We suspect its location is irrelevant to young people. They do deserve a better shake for things to do in our quiet town. Just build it, and they will come.
Other voices favoring a theater have asked about the menu of movies that will be brought to Los Altos if the six-plex is operated by Camera Cinema of San Jose. Camera Cinema operates four theaters: the Camera I, Camera III and Towne theaters in San Jose and a two-screen house in Los Gatos. We assume that Camera Cinema would bring the same kinds of movies to Los Altos. Here is a list of the films shown in the last 30 days in the current Camera Cinema theaters.
*Unrated by MPAA, but San Jose Mercury News reviewers state that, if rated, these would probably earn this rating based on reasons given. The daily showing number is an average, since weekend showings could be more.
Note that exactly half the movies are rated R by the Motion Pictures Association of America. We wonder what has happened to the old G (for general audience) rated movies that once dotted the movie review pages. It is hard to picture any of the above for kiddies’ matinees.
Exactly what kind of audience would Camera draw? What impact would it have on the downtown? We don’t know for a fact, but the theater could be the catalyst for a changing downtown landscape. On the other hand, theaters need to provide what operators know will draw crowds and make money. That seems to becoming increasingly difficult, given recent history.
The threat of eviction of the Palo Alto Square Theater as announced this past week by the building owners could bode ill or well for any plans involving Los Altos. One less competitor, perhaps? Or is this a sign that the industry is fading?
We have always wanted a theater back in town. We just wish some angel would rent commercial space at $1.25 per square foot (the going rate downtown is currently $3-$6 per square foot), so a movie operator can afford to run a two- or three-screen auditorium, and in a location with easy access and good parking. What a dream.
