GOOD OLD DAYS:

Former Corona del Mar resident J.G. Ortman remembers a time when a soda at the now-shuttered Port Theater’s snack bar cost 50 cents and filmgoers never knew when they might bump into a minor film star in the aisles.

Ortman’s mother and father were the first owners of the Port Theater, which opened in 1949. Ortman, a student at Orange Coast College at the time, worked at the snack bar.

Ortman’s mother and father got their start in the theater business in Oklahoma during the 1930s.

“The Great Depression was hot and heavy for them,” Ortman said. “The relatives knew how they liked — or rather, loved — movies, so a couple of smart loans came out from under the mattress.”

The couple purchased a 300-seat theater in Hennessey, Okla.

“The seller didn’t think movies would last very long,” Ortman said. “Besides, when sound came, he just couldn’t see investing in the future.”

The first few years in theater industry were rough for the Ortman family, but by 1937, they had made enough money to build a two-story home.

The Ortmans later moved to Fullerton and opened a theater there during World War II.

The family eventually made a deal to put up $50,000 for the almost-finished Port Theater on East Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.

Ortman’s mother sold tickets while his father managed the theater.

The Art Deco-style theater opened its doors in 1949, according to Ortman.

Ortman remembers selling a soda at the snack bar to the film star Broderick Crawford while the film “All The Kings Men” was playing at the Port. Crawford plays a small-town Southern politician in the film.

“Yes, he came to see his own movie,” Ortman said. “And to top off the story, he came back to see it again two nights later.”

The Port Theater has fallen into disrepair since it closed in 1998, and the building’s powder-blue facade is peeling.

Ownership of the theater has changed hands several times over the years.

The current owner, Iranian businessman and Newport Beach resident Fariborz Maseeh, has not publicly revealed his plans for the theater, but renovations there are ongoing.

City-approved plans for the theater include sofa seating in the mezzanine area, as well as theater-type seating for the lower level. The plans also show a small stage area and a movie screen.

The building was going to be demolished at one point to make way for an office structure, but a new facility on the spot would have faced difficulty meeting city parking requirements, according to Newport Beach city officials.

A phone call to Maseeh’s office was not returned Friday.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com.