Thanks for that update! Indeed, the Home Theatre’s front did collapse on March 10, 1933 during the earthquake. Unfortunately, one woman was killed when the canopy fell on her. The theatre closed permanently on March 9, 1933 with two features supported by a Charlie Chaplin short and a serial. The building does appear to have been rebuilt for other retail purposes.
Original architect was Robert C. Aldrich in 1924/5 who described the venue as a Spanish architectural theme with a sloped floor with six feet pitch for clear viewing angles. The Style D Wurlitzer organ was said to be the biggest in town.
Seminole Mall opened theatre-less in 1965. The center was enlarged in 1970 bringing about what was announced as a four-screen theatre by American Multi-Cinema (AMC Theatres) which was expanding with four locations in Florida in 1970 including its fourth six-plex in Tampa. When AMC launched the Seminole 2 on June 17, 1971 with “True Grit” and “Cactus Flower” it had obviously been reduced to a twin-screen venue. A formal grand opening was held two days later.
In 1979, the AMC Seminole 2 was demoted to discount, sub-run $1 house. AMC dropped the theatre on January 30, 1994.
Renamed Teatro Azteca in 1938. Played Italian films and Spanish language films and was operated by Diertrich & Feldstein. A dance hall was housed on the second floor. In the 1940s, it dropped Italian films switching to full time Spanish langauge films for more than four decades. The theatre was remodeled in 1971 as the New Azteca Theater and the early 1980s as Teatro Azteca. It was closed by law enforcement on March 31, 1989 for safety reasons and appears to have closed permanently. Its proper name is Teatro Azteca which it operated as for more than 40 years closing with that name.
Alfred Morganstern launched the Broadway Theatre on Third Street on July 11, 1904 with live vaudeville opening with Maude Still and after five live acts, new moving pictures. On April 2, 1907, the remodeled Broadway became the Unique Theatre with vaudeville opening with Tommy Ryers and his trained monkeys and the Unique-o-Scope with some pictures on the screen. On October 5, 1913, the remodeled Unique became the Savoy Theatre opening and closing the evening with movies on the aluminoid screen and five live vaudeville acts between. On October 7, 1921, the remodeled Savoy became the Rialto Theatre.
A nitrate film explosion on March 21, 1930 closed the theater in need of a new projection booth. Lester P. Humphrey (no “s”) was the tough luck new operator of the charred venue. A remodeling effort took place with the theater relaunching remaining as the Rialto Theatre. Humphrey then sold the venue to James and Donald G. Knapp on July 9, 1932. The elder Knapp also had run the Temple and Strand prior to his death in 1933. The theater got a new marquee and a streamline look in 1936. Dietriech and Feldman remodeled the Rialto in 1946. The theatre devolved into a house playing exploitation and “adults only” film titles closing at the end of 1948.
On May 4, 1949, the theatre came back under new operators as the State Theatre with Jackie Cooper in “Where Are Your Children?” and “Are These Your Parents?” The operators promised “always a good show” for 25 cents - a rule that was violated on the very first day of operation. The State Theater’s policy changed to burlesque on September 21, 1951 with comedian “Little Jack Little” direct from Las Vegas and Lorraine Lee. Shows were 83 cents. That may have ended after the November 3, 1951 show that also featured Dempsey v. Willard boxing highlights. In 1953, the venue was used as a house of worship “at the State Theatre” and then called the Revival Center in 1958.
Likely shouldn’t be referenced as the Savoy Theatre.
The Fox West Coast California Theatre reopened after a major remodeling in June of 1955. The circuit dropped the Fox thereafter on June 21, 1955 with “The Magnificent Matador” in CinemaScope and “Hell’s Island” in VistaVision. In June of 1956, the Salvation Army converted the space for storage.
With all due respect to the San Bernardino Public Library, the theater opened as the Family Theatre. The original Family Theatre had opened in 1899 elsewhere in downtown. But this venue’s theatrical history dates back to when the Family Theatre converted here launching August 16, 1911 with Luigi Romano Borgnetto in “The Fall of Troy” and supposedly the West Coast premiere of Mutt and Jeff in “Mutt and Jeff Break Into Society.” The theatre became the Liberty Theatre on February 2, 1912. On August 6, 1913, it relaunched as the Isis Theatre with “The Long Strike,” Baby Earle in “An Energetic Member,” and “The Fear.” Even though it was still listed in the 1932 directory, it appears that Mrs. E.H. Loring closed up after showings on December 2, 1929 as more modern showplaces were getting the audiences - if not superior sound reproduction and presentation.
E.H. Dowell opened here as the Auditorium Theater on May 16, 1910 with motion pictures. Dowell was also manager of the La Petite and Star theatre in the Nickelodeon, show-store era. This theatre was an advance with an orchestra and multiple projectors. Carl Ray took on the venue and it was converted after a $10,000 refresh to the Strand Theatre on March 8, 1917. It converted to sound and changed names to the Ritz theatre on March 6, 1930. It became an adult theater just after Christmas of 1968. It closed in 1991 under the operation as a Pussycat Adult Theatre and was demolished.
The Temple Theatre opened with motion pictures on November 19, 1909. It rewired for sound to stay relevant continuing into the television era. It was reopened as the short-lived Capri Theatre on August 18, 1959 and repositioned as an art house playing “Henry V” for Fox West Coast Theatres. The art policy was discontinued in March of 1960 and the theatre became a grind house with double-features playing continuously. The theatre losed permanently on July 4, 1960 with “Alias Jesse James,” “Pork Chop Hill” and an edited version of the Johannson v. Patterson prize fight. The theatre was then razed for a parking lot.
Had 1,232 seats at its opening, it appears to have closed September 10, 1992 with “Boomerang” and “Whispers in the Dark” at the end of a 25-year lease. The venue was converted to a retail stereo store on August 29, 1997 called Video Mart.
This was originally announced as another automated franchise by United General Corporation in August of 1972. United General was racking up lawsuits about the time of the groundbreaking. It opened March 28, 1973 with “1776” on Cinema I with “Snowball Express” and “The African Lion” on Cinema II
The Maribel Drive-In Theater was launched by and named for Mary Bell who operated the venue along with her husband, Walter Bell. It opened on June 27, 1957 with Randolph Scott in “7th Calvary” and Dale Robertson in “Sitting Bull.” It had a 6,600 square foot Manco Vision screen promising a 300% brighter picture. Under new operators, it was renamed the Arcata Theatre when it reopened for the season on April 28, 1960. It likely closed at the end of a 30-year lease in 1987.
Appears to have closed May 11, 1997 potentially at the end of a 25-year lease. Technically, it opened and closed as the UA Cerritos Twin Cinemas according to virtually every advertisement (without the A&B - though the screens are referenced as such; just as hundreds of multi-screen drive-ins name their screens but they are not designated in the title of the theater)
Antone F. Cheroske was the builder and owner of the Egyptian in 1924. Fred J. Ward was the architect. Cheroske sold to Fox West Coast Theatres Circuit. The Egyptian installed sound to stay relevant. The theatre closed on July 28, 1959 with “Last Train from Gun Hill” and “Man Who Could Cheat Death.” A sign reading, “Temporarily Closed” was posted on the attractor which remained until the Egyptian was razed in October of 1959.
Two horrific incidents may have ended the LaShell Theater’s film run. It then became a house of worship called the LaShell Assembly of God through 1958. On May 11, 1959, it was converted to a 275-seat live venue, the short-lived LaShell Playhouse.
This venue became Edwards Westminster Twin in 1990 and ceased operations on June 4, 1998 with “Godzilla” on both screens. That film was moved inside to the four-plex the next day.
he Glendale Studio Movie Grill closed along with the rest of SMG’s locations for the COVID-Pandemic on March 17, 2020. SMG declared bankruptcy on October 25, 2020 and began closing locations, The SMG Glendale was removed from the SMG website in January of 2021 making the closure permanent.
M.C. Konkele spent just $1,800 building this modest, one-story venue in March of 1913 at 207-209 East Seaside on the Pike. When the 400-seat Wigwam Theatre opened in 1913, W.H. Electrical & Engineering provided the largest electrical, flashing sign in the history of Long Beach at 12' by 12'. To get additional revenue, the building had a peanut and popcorn stand that not only served patrons but had a window facing out to the street.
Pioneering theatre owner Jay Cleve Scott took on the venue under the banner of Scott’s Wigwam Theatre. Scott also ran the American, Rex, Palace and Rialto theaters at various points. At the end of a 10-year leasing agreement, Scott had outgrown the venue. He had the venue gutted and created a much more impressive two-story venue rebuilt by J.D. Sherer & Son. The venue was known as Scott’s Theatre on the Pike opening on September 11, 1924 with Wallace Beery in “Richard, the Lion-Hearted” with Rea Douglas at the pipe organ. It was now on a 25-year lease.
The theater changed names becoming an exploitation house trying to get passer-bys to drop a quarter or so to watch films. An example was in 1938 as the, again, renamed Victor Theatre run by Isaac Victor played “Birth of a Baby.” Victor was the grandson of Harry A. Victor who had started his theater business back in the nickelodeon, store-show days in McKeesport, PA in 1908. He had taken on the former Scott’s Theatre in 1929 equipping it for sound. The theatre was in the heart of a Depression-era building boom that brought a new pier and, across the street, the Municipal Auditorium. Sylvan Victor took over the operation running it into the 1940s. The theatre was sold to E. V. Tracy of the Tracy Theatre who steered the venue to the end of its lease in 1949.
On May 21, 1950, Harold Simpson remodeled the Victor as the Rainbow Theatre as an ultra-discount, sub-run house offering seats for as little as 14 cents each at opening. It relaunched that day with Esther Williams in “Neptune’s Daughter” and Rod Cameron in “Panhandle.” The venue was named for the rainbow-shaped pier with colorful lighting effects that had been built in 1931 in close proximity to the theatre called the Rainbow Pier. There was no pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow which came quickly.
The theatre returned to its exploitation days rebranding as the Follies Theatre beginning on March 2, 1951 under new operators. In late August 1951, Chester Wand and his projectionist were hauled off to jail for showing immoral films. The theatre rebranded thereafter and until closure as the El Rey Theatre also showing exploitation films through 1953. It then became home to a church from 1954 to 1957 before being offered for sale. The El Rey Theatre was later demolished as was the Rainbow Pier which closed on March 20, 1966, and the Municipal Auditorium in 1975.
The Downey Studio Movie Grill closed along with the rest of SMG’s locations for the COVID-Pandemic on March 17, 2020. SMG declared bankruptcy on October 25, 2020 and began closing locations, The SMG Downey was removed from the SMG website a year after the pandemic closure in March of 2021 likely making the closure permanent.
The Redlands Studio Movie Grill closed along with the rest of SMG’s locations for the COVID-Pandemic on March 17, 2020. SMG declared bankruptcy on October 25, 2020 and began closing locations, The SMG Redlands was removed from the SMG website a year after the pandemic closure in March of 2021 likely making the closure permanent.
Thanks for that update! Indeed, the Home Theatre’s front did collapse on March 10, 1933 during the earthquake. Unfortunately, one woman was killed when the canopy fell on her. The theatre closed permanently on March 9, 1933 with two features supported by a Charlie Chaplin short and a serial. The building does appear to have been rebuilt for other retail purposes.
Original architect was Robert C. Aldrich in 1924/5 who described the venue as a Spanish architectural theme with a sloped floor with six feet pitch for clear viewing angles. The Style D Wurlitzer organ was said to be the biggest in town.
Seminole Mall opened theatre-less in 1965. The center was enlarged in 1970 bringing about what was announced as a four-screen theatre by American Multi-Cinema (AMC Theatres) which was expanding with four locations in Florida in 1970 including its fourth six-plex in Tampa. When AMC launched the Seminole 2 on June 17, 1971 with “True Grit” and “Cactus Flower” it had obviously been reduced to a twin-screen venue. A formal grand opening was held two days later.
In 1979, the AMC Seminole 2 was demoted to discount, sub-run $1 house. AMC dropped the theatre on January 30, 1994.
Just to clarify that the cinema was the neighbor to the former Kilgore Value Mart Drug turned Rite-Aid now Dollar Tree.
Located in the Rainsville Plaza at 42 McCurdy Avenue North, a Rite-Aid followed by a Dollar Tree were the main features in the plaza.
Renamed Teatro Azteca in 1938. Played Italian films and Spanish language films and was operated by Diertrich & Feldstein. A dance hall was housed on the second floor. In the 1940s, it dropped Italian films switching to full time Spanish langauge films for more than four decades. The theatre was remodeled in 1971 as the New Azteca Theater and the early 1980s as Teatro Azteca. It was closed by law enforcement on March 31, 1989 for safety reasons and appears to have closed permanently. Its proper name is Teatro Azteca which it operated as for more than 40 years closing with that name.
Alfred Morganstern launched the Broadway Theatre on Third Street on July 11, 1904 with live vaudeville opening with Maude Still and after five live acts, new moving pictures. On April 2, 1907, the remodeled Broadway became the Unique Theatre with vaudeville opening with Tommy Ryers and his trained monkeys and the Unique-o-Scope with some pictures on the screen. On October 5, 1913, the remodeled Unique became the Savoy Theatre opening and closing the evening with movies on the aluminoid screen and five live vaudeville acts between. On October 7, 1921, the remodeled Savoy became the Rialto Theatre.
A nitrate film explosion on March 21, 1930 closed the theater in need of a new projection booth. Lester P. Humphrey (no “s”) was the tough luck new operator of the charred venue. A remodeling effort took place with the theater relaunching remaining as the Rialto Theatre. Humphrey then sold the venue to James and Donald G. Knapp on July 9, 1932. The elder Knapp also had run the Temple and Strand prior to his death in 1933. The theater got a new marquee and a streamline look in 1936. Dietriech and Feldman remodeled the Rialto in 1946. The theatre devolved into a house playing exploitation and “adults only” film titles closing at the end of 1948.
On May 4, 1949, the theatre came back under new operators as the State Theatre with Jackie Cooper in “Where Are Your Children?” and “Are These Your Parents?” The operators promised “always a good show” for 25 cents - a rule that was violated on the very first day of operation. The State Theater’s policy changed to burlesque on September 21, 1951 with comedian “Little Jack Little” direct from Las Vegas and Lorraine Lee. Shows were 83 cents. That may have ended after the November 3, 1951 show that also featured Dempsey v. Willard boxing highlights. In 1953, the venue was used as a house of worship “at the State Theatre” and then called the Revival Center in 1958.
Likely shouldn’t be referenced as the Savoy Theatre.
Was a $2.7 million theater with 1,600 seats
The Fox West Coast California Theatre reopened after a major remodeling in June of 1955. The circuit dropped the Fox thereafter on June 21, 1955 with “The Magnificent Matador” in CinemaScope and “Hell’s Island” in VistaVision. In June of 1956, the Salvation Army converted the space for storage.
With all due respect to the San Bernardino Public Library, the theater opened as the Family Theatre. The original Family Theatre had opened in 1899 elsewhere in downtown. But this venue’s theatrical history dates back to when the Family Theatre converted here launching August 16, 1911 with Luigi Romano Borgnetto in “The Fall of Troy” and supposedly the West Coast premiere of Mutt and Jeff in “Mutt and Jeff Break Into Society.” The theatre became the Liberty Theatre on February 2, 1912. On August 6, 1913, it relaunched as the Isis Theatre with “The Long Strike,” Baby Earle in “An Energetic Member,” and “The Fear.” Even though it was still listed in the 1932 directory, it appears that Mrs. E.H. Loring closed up after showings on December 2, 1929 as more modern showplaces were getting the audiences - if not superior sound reproduction and presentation.
E.H. Dowell opened here as the Auditorium Theater on May 16, 1910 with motion pictures. Dowell was also manager of the La Petite and Star theatre in the Nickelodeon, show-store era. This theatre was an advance with an orchestra and multiple projectors. Carl Ray took on the venue and it was converted after a $10,000 refresh to the Strand Theatre on March 8, 1917. It converted to sound and changed names to the Ritz theatre on March 6, 1930. It became an adult theater just after Christmas of 1968. It closed in 1991 under the operation as a Pussycat Adult Theatre and was demolished.
The Temple Theatre opened with motion pictures on November 19, 1909. It rewired for sound to stay relevant continuing into the television era. It was reopened as the short-lived Capri Theatre on August 18, 1959 and repositioned as an art house playing “Henry V” for Fox West Coast Theatres. The art policy was discontinued in March of 1960 and the theatre became a grind house with double-features playing continuously. The theatre losed permanently on July 4, 1960 with “Alias Jesse James,” “Pork Chop Hill” and an edited version of the Johannson v. Patterson prize fight. The theatre was then razed for a parking lot.
Reopened as the short-lived Capri Theatre on August 18, 1959 as an art house playing “Henry V” for Fox West Coast Theatres.
Had 1,232 seats at its opening, it appears to have closed September 10, 1992 with “Boomerang” and “Whispers in the Dark” at the end of a 25-year lease. The venue was converted to a retail stereo store on August 29, 1997 called Video Mart.
This was originally announced as another automated franchise by United General Corporation in August of 1972. United General was racking up lawsuits about the time of the groundbreaking. It opened March 28, 1973 with “1776” on Cinema I with “Snowball Express” and “The African Lion” on Cinema II
The Maribel Drive-In Theater was launched by and named for Mary Bell who operated the venue along with her husband, Walter Bell. It opened on June 27, 1957 with Randolph Scott in “7th Calvary” and Dale Robertson in “Sitting Bull.” It had a 6,600 square foot Manco Vision screen promising a 300% brighter picture. Under new operators, it was renamed the Arcata Theatre when it reopened for the season on April 28, 1960. It likely closed at the end of a 30-year lease in 1987.
The Maribel Theater was named for operators Mary and Walter Bell.
Appears to have closed May 11, 1997 potentially at the end of a 25-year lease. Technically, it opened and closed as the UA Cerritos Twin Cinemas according to virtually every advertisement (without the A&B - though the screens are referenced as such; just as hundreds of multi-screen drive-ins name their screens but they are not designated in the title of the theater)
Antone F. Cheroske was the builder and owner of the Egyptian in 1924. Fred J. Ward was the architect. Cheroske sold to Fox West Coast Theatres Circuit. The Egyptian installed sound to stay relevant. The theatre closed on July 28, 1959 with “Last Train from Gun Hill” and “Man Who Could Cheat Death.” A sign reading, “Temporarily Closed” was posted on the attractor which remained until the Egyptian was razed in October of 1959.
Two horrific incidents may have ended the LaShell Theater’s film run. It then became a house of worship called the LaShell Assembly of God through 1958. On May 11, 1959, it was converted to a 275-seat live venue, the short-lived LaShell Playhouse.
This venue became Edwards Westminster Twin in 1990 and ceased operations on June 4, 1998 with “Godzilla” on both screens. That film was moved inside to the four-plex the next day.
he Glendale Studio Movie Grill closed along with the rest of SMG’s locations for the COVID-Pandemic on March 17, 2020. SMG declared bankruptcy on October 25, 2020 and began closing locations, The SMG Glendale was removed from the SMG website in January of 2021 making the closure permanent.
M.C. Konkele spent just $1,800 building this modest, one-story venue in March of 1913 at 207-209 East Seaside on the Pike. When the 400-seat Wigwam Theatre opened in 1913, W.H. Electrical & Engineering provided the largest electrical, flashing sign in the history of Long Beach at 12' by 12'. To get additional revenue, the building had a peanut and popcorn stand that not only served patrons but had a window facing out to the street.
Pioneering theatre owner Jay Cleve Scott took on the venue under the banner of Scott’s Wigwam Theatre. Scott also ran the American, Rex, Palace and Rialto theaters at various points. At the end of a 10-year leasing agreement, Scott had outgrown the venue. He had the venue gutted and created a much more impressive two-story venue rebuilt by J.D. Sherer & Son. The venue was known as Scott’s Theatre on the Pike opening on September 11, 1924 with Wallace Beery in “Richard, the Lion-Hearted” with Rea Douglas at the pipe organ. It was now on a 25-year lease.
The theater changed names becoming an exploitation house trying to get passer-bys to drop a quarter or so to watch films. An example was in 1938 as the, again, renamed Victor Theatre run by Isaac Victor played “Birth of a Baby.” Victor was the grandson of Harry A. Victor who had started his theater business back in the nickelodeon, store-show days in McKeesport, PA in 1908. He had taken on the former Scott’s Theatre in 1929 equipping it for sound. The theatre was in the heart of a Depression-era building boom that brought a new pier and, across the street, the Municipal Auditorium. Sylvan Victor took over the operation running it into the 1940s. The theatre was sold to E. V. Tracy of the Tracy Theatre who steered the venue to the end of its lease in 1949.
On May 21, 1950, Harold Simpson remodeled the Victor as the Rainbow Theatre as an ultra-discount, sub-run house offering seats for as little as 14 cents each at opening. It relaunched that day with Esther Williams in “Neptune’s Daughter” and Rod Cameron in “Panhandle.” The venue was named for the rainbow-shaped pier with colorful lighting effects that had been built in 1931 in close proximity to the theatre called the Rainbow Pier. There was no pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow which came quickly.
The theatre returned to its exploitation days rebranding as the Follies Theatre beginning on March 2, 1951 under new operators. In late August 1951, Chester Wand and his projectionist were hauled off to jail for showing immoral films. The theatre rebranded thereafter and until closure as the El Rey Theatre also showing exploitation films through 1953. It then became home to a church from 1954 to 1957 before being offered for sale. The El Rey Theatre was later demolished as was the Rainbow Pier which closed on March 20, 1966, and the Municipal Auditorium in 1975.
The Downey Studio Movie Grill closed along with the rest of SMG’s locations for the COVID-Pandemic on March 17, 2020. SMG declared bankruptcy on October 25, 2020 and began closing locations, The SMG Downey was removed from the SMG website a year after the pandemic closure in March of 2021 likely making the closure permanent.
The Redlands Studio Movie Grill closed along with the rest of SMG’s locations for the COVID-Pandemic on March 17, 2020. SMG declared bankruptcy on October 25, 2020 and began closing locations, The SMG Redlands was removed from the SMG website a year after the pandemic closure in March of 2021 likely making the closure permanent.