Lido Theater Celebrate's 80th Birthday With Lupus Benefit Shows

NEWPORT BEACH, CA —The Southern California landmark Lido Theater will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a special Champagne and hors d’oeuvres reception on Thursday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m., followed by a screening of the Oscar-winning Jezebel at 7 p.m. The acclaimed movie starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda, now part of the Library of Congress National Film Registry, was the first movie to open the theater in 1938.

It has been said that Miss Davis, a Corona del Mar resident at the time, drove by the theater daily while it was under construction. She reportedly requested a sitting parlor in the ladies room, which was built and remains today, and also told the original owners of the Lido Theater to open with her movie Jezebel, which they did.

A benefit Lupus International, tickets for the reception and movie are $20 per person and can be purchased online. Lupus International provides funding for support and research for this chronic autoimmune disease, as well as pediatric rheumatology fellowships at major teaching hospitals and leading research centers throughout the country.

The Lido Theater and Via Lido Plaza were developed by the Griffith Company which also developed much of Lido Isle, and originally gifted the former City Hall property to the City of Newport Beach. The Fritz Duda Company acquired the property in 1986, and as only the second owner in its rich 80-year history, the company has renovated the theater in recent years and has maintained its status as one of the only operating single screens in California.

Restored in recent years, the landmark Lido Theater features a new, state-of-the-art projection and sound system, yet maintains an air of Old Hollywood glamour. Movie-goers will notice elegant lobby chandeliers, vintage poster cases, the original box office, art deco architectural details, a balcony, and a magnificent red velvet waterfall curtain on an elevated stage.

The Lido Theater also features some of its original Catalina tilework, revered at the time for its colorful hand painted beauty, and rarely seen in Southern California today. The auditorium walls have stunning murals depicting underwater ocean scenes that appear to glow from black lights illuminating the walls when the house lights dim.

The Lido Theater is located in Via Lido Plaza at 3459 Via Lido, off Newport Boulevard, in Newport Beach. For additional information, please call (949) 673-8350 or visit RegencyMovies.com.

Photos, courtesy Lido Theater