Gardena Cinema is an 800-seat, single-screen movie theater located on Crenshaw Boulevard, Gardena, California in the US. It was built in the 1940s.[1]

History

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The theater was built in 1946.[2] In 1976, the Kim family, South Korean emigrants, purchased the theater.[1][2]

In 2023, local fans of the theater rallied support for the theater in response to it being listed for sale.[3] The community aims for the theater to be preserved.[2][4] In 2023, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival held a screening at the movie theater.[1] As of May 2023, Judy Kim, who runs the cinema her parents bought, is in the process of filing for nonprofit status to keep the business afloat while her family looks for a buyer.[2][5]

Gardena Cinema is the last single-screen theater in the South Bay.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Locals rally to save historic family-owned theater in Gardena". KTLA. 2023-05-20. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  2. ^ a b c d Toohey, Grace (2023-05-19). "One of L.A.'s last family-owned cinemas is in limbo. Its fans aren't ready to give up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  3. ^ "Supporters rally to help keep Gardena Cinema from closing; theater now listed on the market". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2023-05-08. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  4. ^ "Community supports Gardena Cinema | Gardena Valley News". gardenavalleynews.org. 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  5. ^ Chiotakis, Steve (2023-03-06). "One of last family-owned theaters in SoCal is saying goodbye". KCRW. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  6. ^ "Gardena Cinema up for sale after providing decades of movie-going experiences". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-07-13.

33°53′45.5″N 118°19′34.5″W / 33.895972°N 118.326250°W / 33.895972; -118.326250