Movie Theater Magnate James Edwards Sr. Dies at 90

James Edwards Sr., the theater magnate whose name has been synonymous with motion pictures for many Southern California moviegoers, died Saturday after being pulled from the waters off his home on Newport Island.

Edwards, 90, apparently suffered a heart attack and fell into Newport Bay about 1 p.m. while tending to powerboats moored at his home, family members said. Edwards was discovered by Bernice, his wife of 64 years, and was pulled from the water by neighbors who heard her screams for assistance.

He died shortly after being taken by paramedics to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, said Lt. John Blauer of the city fire and marine departments.

Edwards had a history of heart trouble but remained active as chairman and chief executive of the family-owned and operated Edwards Theatres Circuit Inc. He still reported to work daily at his offices near the chain’s flagship theater at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

“He was involved day and night with the company,” said his son, James Edwards III.

Edwards, whose long career paralleled Southern California’s burgeoning love affair with “the talkies,” opened his first theater in his hometown of Monterey Park during the depths of the Depression.

Edwards once said he and his wife squeezed a profit from that theater by collecting tickets, serving refreshments, running the movie projector and cleaning up after patrons. “And the next day we’d get up and do it all over again,” he said.

Edwards gradually began to open additional theaters, parlaying his initial, risky investment into one of the nation’s largest regional chains with more than 500 screens stretching from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.

“He just kept going, and he was always able to keep one step ahead of the others,” said Don Barton, one of Edwards’ grandchildren.

Edwards moved to Newport Beach during the 1950s after suffering a serious heart attack. He loved the water, family members said, and enjoyed being on and around boats during his time away from work.

But the planned retirement didn’t stick, and after two years, Edwards charged back into the theater business. He once quipped that he was “sicker in those days from thinking about being sick than I was from being sick.”

Edwards’ reentry came at a fortuitous time. As Orange County’s population mushroomed during the 1960s and ‘70s, Edwards opened theaters and cineplexes in newly created residential developments. By 1981 Edwards had 51 screens at 24 locations--as well as a reputation as a fiercely competitive businessman, a stern boss and a tough negotiator.

When a competitor once won a bidding war for a key theater location in Irvine, Edwards still kept pushing to buy the complex. Just hours before the theater opened, Edwards made his final, successful offer. As patrons lined up for popcorn, Edwards’ crews changed the marquee to the now-familiar Edwards logo.

Edwards, who saw his first movie in the early 1900s in the back room of a Pasadena storefront, never doubted that movies would survive challenges from other forms of entertainment.

“He was building theaters like gangbusters, even when people thought VCRs were going to kill movie theaters,” said Newport Beach City Manager Kevin J. Murphy. “He knew they wouldn’t.”

In recent years, he correctly identified the ongoing industry trend toward huge cineplexes with elaborate lobbies, massive snack bars and more-comfortable seating. In 1995, Edwards celebrated his 89th birthday by opening the Irvine Entertainment Center, which boasts 21 screens--including a massive IMAX theater--and 6,000 seats.

Edwards had encouraged his children--and grandchildren--to join the family-operated business.

James Edwards III now serves as president and chief executive; Joan Edwards Randolph, a daughter, serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer; another daughter, Carole Ann Ruoff, is assistant treasurer; and grandson Barton serves as vice president and marketing and general sales manager.

“Dad was a showman,” James Edwards III said. “He loved show business.”

Times staff writer Scott Martelle and correspondent John Canalis also contributed to this story.