Comments & Curiosities:

It’s a mystery. Actually, it’s the Port Theater. But that’s a mystery too.

The Newport Beach icon on East Coast Highway is being fluffed and folded and is looking pretty good considering its 60th birthday is in the rear-view mirror. Wish I could say the same. Yes, it’s true. The Port opened its doors in 1950, which wasn’t yesterday. Do you remember 1950? I don’t. I was still in my Similac stage.

It was a pretty good year for films, with “All About Eve,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and Disney’s “Cinderella.” I tried to find out if any of those played at the Port that year, but I could not. Some movie trivia? Of course. Always time for that.

In “All About Eve” Bette Davis delivers one of the most famous lines in movie history. What was it? Tick, tick, tick, time. “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” In “Cinderella,” what is the Prince’s name? Tick, tick, tick, time. No, it isn’t Prince Charming, and in fact he’s never named in the film.

Lastly, what is the connection among Newport Beach, Bette Davis and bubbly blond Betty Hutton, the star of “Annie Get Your Gun”? Davis lived here in the 1930s and ’40s (more on that later), and Betty Hutton was a frequent visitor who was often seen at the Balboa Bay Club.

What were we talking about? Wait, I remember. The Port Theater. It has been cold, dark, and presumed dead since 1998, and has been on the brink of the precipice more than once, coming closest to the abyss in 2007, when the demolition permit was pulled, the wrecker’s ball was poised and everyone was told to stand back.

But as it had so many times before, the Port and it’s tall-ship/yo-ho-ho-ho-a- pirate’s-life-for-me sign stood tall and told the people who wanted to take it down, “Ahoy, mateys, want a piece of this? Bring it on.”

Three years ago, Dr. Fariborz Maseeh of Newport Beach became the proud owner of the Port Theater. Maseeh was born in Iran, holds a doctorate in engineering from MIT, and founded IntelliSense, which gave birth to revolutionary micro-technology widgets called MEMS, all of which tells me that Maseeh doesn’t have a lot of trouble with math. He now splits his time between his investment management firm, Picoco LLC, and his philanthropic activities in the arts, education and science.

So what are Dr. Maseeh’s plans for the Port Theater? That’s a good question, and just one more mystery about the theater. Maseeh has declined all requests for interviews, thank you, leave your number, pleasure, have a great day. You’d have a better chance of finding a Trappist monk who moonlights as an auctioneer than finding out what Maseeh plans to do with the Port Theater.

Will it return to the film biz with first-run features? Don’t know. An art house, maybe? “Cinema Paradiso,” “Chocolat,” a Martha Raye-Steve McQueen Film Festival? No idea. How about a legit theater? A concert hall? A jazz club? A tanning salon? A Wal-mart maybe? Give it up. I told you, no one knows.

And as for Dr. Maseeh, like they say where I come from, he ain’t talkin’. I really hope it comes back to life as a performance venue of some kind and hope the totally cool sign survives.

The Port Theater is an important part of Newport Beach history, even though it will always play second banana to that incredible jewel box of a theater, the Lido, which opened in 1938 and was operated by the D.W. Griffith Company, which brings us back to Bette Davis.

In 1938, while the Lido was being built, it caught the eye of a local resident who happened to live nearby, who happened be a famous actress, who happened to be named Bette Davis. Her new film, “Jezebel,” starring Davis and Henry Fonda, was in editing.

Davis contacted the Griffith Company and told them that when their cute little theater in Newport Beach opened, it had better open with “Jezebel.” And so it did, because the Griffith Company knew that if you’re going to get sideways with an actress, pick someone other than Bette Davis.

But when she stopped by the Lido to see how construction was going, Davis was appalled that both men and women went through the same door in the lobby to get to their respective restrooms. At Davis’ request, the men’s restroom was relocated to the odd location it occupies today, halfway up the stairs.

But Davis wasn’t done directing yet. The period vanity tables and mirrors you see in the ladies’ room today are there specifically because Bette Davis willed them there.

So there you have it — the Port and the Lido, Bette Davis and a CEO with a PhD from MIT who is super smart but really quiet. I’m sure it’s all connected. I just don’t know how. In the meantime, go to a movie. It’s fun. I gotta go.

PETER BUFFA is a former Costa Mesa mayor. His column runs Sundays. He may be reached at [email protected].