CHECKING IN WITH ... LYNDON GOLIN:

Lyndon Golin may not be a Newport Beach native — he grew up in British Columbia — but since 2001, he’s been the owner of one of the city’s most beloved landmarks: the Regency Lido Theatre, which opened 70 years ago and still sports the marquee, balcony and ladies’ powder room that it did in 1938. This month, the Lido will serve as a venue for the annual Newport Beach Film Festival, and Golin took a break from festival planning to talk about life behind the movies.

There’s an old story about Bette Davis coming by this theater when it was being built and having a say in its design. Is there any truth in that?

Bette Davis came by during the construction of the theater and took a tour of it and noticed that the men’s and women’s rooms were the exact same size, and she made a comment to the builder that there’s no way women should have a bathroom this small. Thus, they made it larger and added on the powder room.

Do people still use the powder room?

We stock it every couple days. It’s filled with hair spray, gels, lotions, different products, and the ladies use a lot of them.

Are you the only theater left in Southern California with a powder room?

Actually, no. We have them at South Coast Village as well. I don’t think they’re part of any new construction, but old theaters seemed to put them in the women’s rooms.

People usually refer to a theater like yours as an art house. Do you like that term?

We do largely show specialty films. Art house is a correct term.

What’s the most profitable movie you’ve ever shown here?

For us, it would have been “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

I actually saw that here. Thanks for reminding me.

We had that here five months. That was probably the longest-running film we had here since 2001. People just kept coming back to see it, bringing friends, bringing family.

What’s your favorite movie you’ve ever shown here?

My favorite would have to be “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

How many times did you see it?

I probably saw it three times myself, bringing friends and family as well.

What was your biggest hit last year? Was it “Juno”?

Yes.

Did you like that one?

I did, yes. It was a great film.

So how do you go about choosing a movie to play here, especially considering that you’re not showing the usual multiplex fare?

A lot of it’s based on buzz at film festivals, or when a film will open in New York, which is before Los Angeles. That’s how we identify the films we want to play here. And most of the big art films do the festival circuit, and the buzz usually starts with the festivals and the awards, and from there, we target the films we want to play here.

Do you ever show vintage movies?

We do a surf series. And we will occasionally bring back an old film, like we brought back “Blade Runner,” for example. We’ll bring films back on anniversaries for a week. Each of the last six years, we’ve played “It’s a Wonderful Life” the week before Christmas.

When you see a movie here, where do you prefer to sit, the floor or the balcony?

I prefer the balcony. It’s real nostalgic and just a great line of sight to be up there.

Does the theater look the way it did in 1938?

The Catalina tile out there is the original tile. The mahogany columns are original. Obviously, the carpet and paint have changed, but the actual physical plan hasn’t changed.

What were the theaters like in your hometown growing up?

Seventies and ’80s multiplexes, primarily. There were no real historic theaters.

So this must have been a new world for you.

It was. Ever since I came to Southern California, I loved this theater, and to be able to operate it is just a real blessing. I think it’s really one of the greatest theaters in Southern California.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at [email protected].