Eulogizing a Pioneer

NEWPORT BEACH — More than 1,000 mourners attended funeral services Wednesday for James Edwards Sr., the 90-year-old theater chain founder who was eulogized for his business savvy and innovation that led him to found a company that operates more than 500 movie screens in California.

“The motion picture industry came to Newport Beach today to pay tribute to Jimmy,” said Phillip Barlow, president of Walt Disney’s Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, who eulogized Edwards as a “tough but honest” businessman “whose word was his handshake.”

“He was still running the business up until last week,” Barlow said, “at an age when all other entertainment heads have long ago retired.”

Edwards suffered a heart attack at his Newport Beach home Saturday while tending to powerboats moored at his home.

Among mourners who filled St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach were Donald L. Bren, Irvine Co. chairman; former Assemblyman Gil Ferguson; Harold Ezell, former Immigration and Naturalization Service western regional commissioner; Costa Mesa Police Chief David L. Snowden and a number of movie industry executives.

As part of a tribute, flags at Edwards’ theaters flew at half-staff.

Diminutive in stature but a powerhouse in business, Edwards was remembered in one eulogy as a tough negotiator who often held meetings late in the day, after his opponents were already tired.

“Jimmy was a 5-foot-something Paul Bunyan,” Barlow said.

Richard Sim, Irvine Co. executive vice president, described Edwards as a visionary who had a rare sense of honesty. “A man’s word was his bond--well, that truly was Jim Edwards.”

While members of the Edwards family did not speak at the church, the Rev. Kenton Beshore of Mariners South Coast Church passed on their memories.

Among the early stories was how Edwards met his future wife, Bernice, when she was employed by a dentist. “He took a liking to her and her voice,” Beshore said.

Beshore said that Edwards’ family told of his favorite sayings, including, “You heard it here, kid.” and “That’s a great idea, but how’s it gonna sell more tickets?”

Beshore said that one of Edwards’ children said: “Dad would love to be here today because you know how he loved a full house.”

Edwards opened his first theater in 1930 in Monterey Park at the age of 23. “Once he borrowed a toothless lion and drove it around the town of Monterey Park to promote a jungle film,” Beshore said as mourners laughed.

But his company paralleled Southern California’s burgeoning love affair with talking pictures, and grew, even through the Depression.

From that first movie theater, where he and his wife collected tickets, served refreshments, ran the movie projector and cleaned up, he began to open additional theaters.

He created the nation’s first multiplex when he put two screens into a single theater in 1939. He was also the first theater operator to bring first-run films to Orange County, which were shown at the Edwards Theatre at Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue in Costa Mesa in the early 1960s.

He was the founder of what, at the time of his death, was the nation’s 15th-largest theater chain with 500 movie screens and just began expanding outside Southern California. Barlow said that Edwards Theatres Circuit Inc. annually had higher revenue than all competitors in 11 Western states.

Barlow often cautioned Edwards about risky projects, such as Edwards’ penchant for buying up property to build more theaters, including four-plexes. But Edwards was an optimist, Barlow recalled, who told him that putting up more theaters in bad times was good business because people with televisions don’t always stay at home. Eventually they want to see a movie.

“I told him, ‘Jimmy, we should be putting our money in CDs,”’ Barlow said. “He said, ‘Every home has a kitchen. But they still go out to eat at restaurants.’ ”

The family requests that charitable donations be made in memory of James Edwards Sr. to Hoag Hospital Foundation in care of the Hoag Heart Institute in Newport Beach.