 The Balboa Theater (right) in 1974 | |
 | |
| Former names | Ritz Theater Balboa Pussycat Theater |
|---|---|
| Address | 707 E. Balboa Boulevard Newport Beach, California U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°36′07″N 117°54′00″W / 33.60198265663146°N 117.89998437349709°W |
| Owner | LAB Holding[1] |
| Opened | March 17, 1928 |
| Closed | December 1, 1991 |
The Balboa Theater is a historic former movie theater on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. Opened as the Ritz Theater in 1928, it screened mainstream film for 47 years. In 1975, Pussycat Theaters acquired the venue and converted it to an adult movie theater to the ire of residents and city officials. The Pussycat operation became the subject of several police raids and an eventual criminal court trial for its exhibition of pornographic films. In 1979, Landmark Theatres became the Balboa's operator, operating it as an arthouse theater. The Balboa Theater screened its final movie in 1991 and remains closed despite attempts to reopen it.
- ^ Clay, Joanna (April 13, 2016). "Newport Beach moves ahead with plans to sell Balboa Theater to Lab developer". The Orange County Register. Southern California News Group. Retrieved February 3, 2024.