“26 Miles Away…”
The historic Avalon Casino at Catalina Island 26 miles off the California coast was built in 1929, and was once a getaway for the rich and famous, including Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Lauren Becall and Humphrey Bogart.
In 1999, my wife and I honeymooned on Catalina Island off the Southern California coast, and we still have near-annual getaways there to celebrate anniversaries since. The island was sold to the Wrigley family (the chewing gum magnates) back in 1919, and was quickly turned into a famed movie location as well as a playground for Hollywood’s rich and famous, including Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Lauren Becall, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe (aka Norma Jean Baker, who lived on the island with her first husband), along with countless producers, directors, etc. Catalina was also the subject of the song “26 Miles Away,” sung by the 1950s/1960s pop group “The Four Preps,” one of whom was future TV producer Glen A. Larson (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”). In 1981, the island made headlines as the place where actress Natalie Wood drowned after falling off her yacht, which she shared with husband Robert Wagner. Six years ago, a massive wildfire swept across the island, which prompted mass evacuations. Happy to report the island has successfully rebounded.
Last week, my wife and I returned to our favorite little zen spot, and I was determined to catch a movie in the historic Avalon Casino in the port city of Avalon. Built in 1929, the casino is a bygone mix of European/Mediterranean architectures laden with art deco flourishes that practically radiate history. This iconic rounded structure is easily the most recognizable landmark in Avalon and of the island itself. There is an antiquated movie theater on its lobby level, and an enchanting ballroom upstairs, which doubles as a roller-rink, and features an old-style bandstand. The top floor also offers a truly spectacular view of Avalon harbor, and the cliffs behind it. On this trip, the upstairs was closed off for tours, save for the lobby level, which houses the famed, 97-year old Avalon Theatre, in which I was determined to see a movie, just for the experience.
The Avalon Theatre
Despite many island visits, my wife and I got our first look inside the landmark Avalon Casino only last summer, and I became instantly smitten with the charming Avalon Theatre, which was the first movie theater in Southern California with a built-in capacity for sound, to accommodate Hollywood’s then new “talkies.” My wife, who always plans ahead, pre-bought tickets to see a movie there, on the night of our actual anniversary, no less. A perfect anniversary gift.
The entranceway into the Casino/Theatre is in the back of the building, facing the hills, away from the coastline. Adorning the entrance are a series of massive murals–nine of them–which depict a mix of mermaids, Greek mythology, island life and oceanic lore. The murals instantly take one back to the early 1930s, both in style and in their hand-crafted opulence. With its artwork and grand archways, Avalon Theatre is an art deco mashup of New York’s famed Empire State Building and Old Hollywood.
The 1929 vintage theatre has a domed ceiling similar to the ceiling of the ballroom on the top level. There is also a grand wraparound mural along the circumference of the dome which reflects the same motifs as the outside murals; a mixture of Greek mythology and island life, all done with gorgeous art deco flourishes, and lit with purple and blue lights that accentuate the oceanic vibe.
No stadium seating in this old-timey theater, which is not a problem, since the seats are situated on a gradual incline from the old orchestra pit area to the rear entrances/exits. At the front of the theater, off to the left hand side of the stage, is a vintage Page organ; one of four still in existence. This is the original Page organ custom-built for this very theater back in 1929.
Towards the rear of the theater, over the twin entrances/exits, are the dual masks of tragedy and comedy, which were once worn by actors in ancient times to more easily convey the emotional intent of a play for those seated far from the stage in outdoor, hillside-situated amphitheaters.
Shortly after we arrived, the house lights dimmed, and instantly everything was cast in deep blues, once again reflecting the azure hues of the island’s surrounding Pacific Ocean. With an hour to go before the movie, we were about to be treated to a free concert before the show! More on that in a bit…
Even in the cool blue lighting, my eyes were drawn to the intricate artwork along the aisle seats–with handcrafted wood and intermittent lighting which showcased the old-fashioned carpeting laid down the center aisle, where we sat. Granted, the near-century old seats (many times reupholstered) were not as soft or comfy as the plush, reclining chairs of modern multiplexes, but for me, they did the trick. I was so in awe of the surroundings, I honestly didn’t care. Old Hollywood atmosphere permeated this grand old movie palace. It’s no wonder the major Hollywood studios all hoped to premiere their new ‘talkies’ at this venue back in the 1930s.
Seeing the work that went into this theater (and its many restorations since) makes modern theaters and multiplexes look about as elegant as a furniture warehouse full of unsold La-Zy-Boys.
The Concert
When we bought our tickets to that movie, we didn’t realize it also came with a live performance on the original 1929 Page brand organ, which utilized massive bellows semi-hidden behind grated artwork above the theater stage. The featured organist was a local musician named Jon Tusak, playing in the same venue as such legendary luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. Throughout his hourlong performance, Tusak played a roughly chronological range of favorites, including themes from “The Wizard of Oz,” “My Fair Lady,” and John Williams’ “Superman: The Movie” (closing out the performance with Williams’ iconic love theme), and adding his uniquely improvisational flavor to each piece.
After each piece, the attendees would break into applause, and Tusak would turn around and smile in gratitude. There were only about twenty or so people at this Friday night screening, but most were seated early for the concert, too.
After each song, the sparse but receptive audience broke out into uniform applause, and Tusak would turn and smile in gratitude each time. Tusak has performed at Avalon Theatre for screenings of silent films, as well as preludes to newer feature films. Having recently attended a screening of the silent classic “Nosferatu” (1922) with a live organist last Halloween, I’ve come to enjoy live music as either prelude or accompaniment to movies. Glad to see this is a tradition Catalina Island’s Avalon Theatre is keeping alive.
The Movie
Following the live performance came the feature film. In this venue, the 1080p movie was clearly being sourced from a Mac computer (the Mac’s telltale toolbar briefly appeared onscreen before the projectionist opened ‘full screen’ mode), and the movie screen itself suffered from a vertical banding issue which more visible in brighter scenes. As much as I love vintage movie houses, Avalon Theatre is not the sort of venue you attend for maximum, state-of-the-art digital projection. Frankly, you can get that in nearly any run-of-the-mill multiplex these days.
Note: For anyone interested in my deep-dive review on “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), click on this link.
Captain Pete Maverick (Tom Cruise) suits up in preparation for flying an experimental airplane at Mach 10… and a bit more.
The final attack on the unnamed enemy’s enriched plutonium stockpile is unexpectedly timely in the wake of the recent Iran debacle. The movie’s final attack through the canyons to destroy a small target with a double strike feels very “Star Wars,” and that’s not a bad thing. The climax also breaks the tension between Maverick and his late wingman’s son, “Rooster” (Miles Teller).
The movie’s technical presentation wasn’t exactly perfect; it was sourced from an offstage Mac computer, and the movie screen had noticeable vertical banding artifacts (clearly visible in this photo).
Minor technical nits of the screening aside, “Top Gun: Maverick” is such a custom-made crowdpleaser that audience members exiting the theater to their homes or hotels were all talking about it. Everyone left that theater with a smile. Frankly, if I were only there for the movie, I could’ve streamed it on my HD digital projector at home in arguably better quality, which was, in fact, how I first saw “Top Gun: Maverick” four years ago. However, this particular screening of “Top Gun: Maverick” was more about the experience of seeing a movie–any movie–in a nearly century-old, historic movie palace.
If wishes were horses and price was no object, I would love to see the Avalon Theatre screen movies in actual 35mm film instead of digital sources, as they did not too long ago. However, authentic celluloid film projection is becoming a lost art, as it’s fraught with technical, logistical and even fiscal challenges. The Avalon Theatre at Catalina Island does host an annual film festival, though I’m sure digital projection has become the standard for that as well. This is where imagination comes in handy. Just sitting in the beautifully-appointed, 97-year old Avalon Theatre set the tone for me to imagine myself watching an old silent film or perhaps an early ‘talkie’ back in 1930. There’s still a major component of the entertainment industry that’s as crucial today as it was in 1929: suspension of disbelief.
Seeing a movie at Avalon Theatre with a live organist, surrounded by the venue’s handcrafted art deco flourishes, felt a bit like going back in time. As a fan of silent movies, radio plays and old movie houses, it makes me grateful to exist in a technological crossroads where such places and things still exist for a Gen-Xer cinéaste like me to occasionally dip a few toes into the past.
