Updated opening date: When the Royal Theater officially opened for business on August 30, 1940, it was the only movie theater in Guadalupe. Japanese American Kiyozo Noji and his family were employed by owners Arthur Fukuda and Jack Takeuchi to operate the business. It was a welcome addition to Guadalupe, for the Japanese immigrants, all residents of the community, and soldiers serving at nearby Camp Cooke. Japanese language films, as well as feature films, were shown.
The Airdome was located at 570 F Street. The News Messenger reported it was next to the old library, which is still there.
Film Daily Year Book 1926 lists 300 seats.
The Lincoln Theatre that opened in the 1920s was at a different location.
Th Grand opening ad for this Lincoln Theatre May 1, 1949, is now in the photo section.
Hanford Sentinel, September 22, 1941: Report of reconstruction.
Avenal, Sept. 22. Construction work began Friday on Kings county’s newest theatre building. The new Avenal theatre, operated by the T & D, Jr., Circuit who also operate the Fox Hanford and Ritz showhouses, will have a capacity of 300 seats, including loges, a large foyer and lobby, and also will house six stores and a bank. It Is being constructed around the present Avenal theatre, which currently has a seating capacity of less than 500.
Architect for the reconstruction: Otto Adolf Deichmann.
Engineering News Record, September 25, 1941:
Calif., Avenal-—-Avenal Theatre, Avenal, rein.-con, theatre, office and store, to D. Palmer, P.O. Box 546, Santa Cruz, $150,000. O. A. Deichmann, 1026 Market St., San Francisco, archt.
Hanford Sentinel: Reopened March 19, 1942:
Accompanied by circuit official, and fellow theatre managers, M McAlexander attended the opening of the new Avenal theatre Thurs day night (March 19). The house is operated by T & D ‘ Jr. Enterprises, which own the Fox and Ritz theatres.
Would the current location be 367 N. State Street, current location of Victory Theatre Plaza?
Here is information from the Press Democrat:
The former Victory Theater became part of Victory Theater Plaza on November 1, 1982, with 12,000 square feet of office and retail space.
Victory Theater Plaza was designed by architect Harry Jordan. The old brick walls were supported by a new structural frame and one-third of the original building was retained.
Here’s a little fun. Photo is from a 1957 movie Crime Of Passion. This house can be found today at 11170 Fairbanks Way, Culver City. The neighborhood was built in 1949. The Studio Drive-in is probably farther away than it looks but it is still overpowering.
The Cabart name was derived from combining partners Charles A. CABallero and Milton ARThur. Milton Arthur came to Long Beach in 1930 and leased the Capitol, later named the Tracy Theatre. His brother, Harry Arthur, ran several East Coast theaters, in the 1930s, most notably the Fox New England Circuit and was listed as a stockholder in New York’s Roxy. Mr. Caballero partnered in 1947 with William Foreman to form United Drive-In Theatres, later known as Pacific Drive-In Theatres.
As early as April 1932, Mr. Arthur was mentioned in the Santa Ana Register as division manager of Fox West Coast Theaters. A story appearing in Variety on February 26, 1936, reported Milton Arthur was banned from the Fox West Coast home office because of a feud with Charles Skouras. At the time Arthur was FWC district manager of five Orange County theaters and the feud may have had something to do with a contract for the Broadway and West Coast Theaters to share revenues. Milton’s father, Harry C. Arthur Sr., managed the Fox West Coast in Anaheim for 18 years before his death in 1945.
Film Daily Year Book 1940 lists Cabart Theatres with 15 Southern California locations. Cabart’s Long Beach houses at one time or another were the Atlantic, Brayton, Dale, Cabart, Art, Ritz, Rivoli, Tracy, and State. By 1950, with offices at 4425 Atlantic Blvd in the Towne Theatre, the La Shell and Santa Fe were added to now 21 locations. As for the Art Theatre it was Mr. Arthur’s idea in January 1949 to change the name of the Lee Theatre to the Art Theatre, that name being more descriptive for at the time the theater was playing Laurence Olivier’s Henry V.
Other theaters mentioned as Milton having an interest in were the Southside Theatres and Alto Theatre, Los Angeles, Fanchon & Marco theatres and the Temple Theatre in San Bernardino. In 1949 Cabart purchased the State, Walkers, Yost, and Princess in Santa Ana and would later operate the Paulo Drive-In, Costa Mesa.
Cabart theatres weren’t without problems. In December 1947 the Ebell Theatre filed suit against Arthur and 15 distributors for violation of the anti-trust law. In October 1952 Milton assumed the lease of the Ebell for $750 a month. In August 1950 a similar suit by Eulah and Ivan Hanson of the Atlantic Theatre against Cabart was dismissed. Mr. Hanson had passed away the previous April and in 1958 the Atlantic came under the Cabart Theatres banner.
The most devastating hit to Cabart Theatres was the February 25, 1952, $500,000 fire of the Broadway Theatre in Santa Ana. Managed by a Cabart officer George King (Milt’s brother in-law), the theater had just undergone a $250,000 refurbishment. The Broadway was rebuilt, reopening in 1955, with mid-century minimalist architecture, in contrast to the ‘Skourasized’ Fox West Coast, Santa Ana.
Mr. Arthur began planning the Los Altos Drive-in Theatre in 1953. When it opened on June 3, 1955, the Long Beach Independent noted it was jointly owned by Cabart Theatres and Pacific Drive-In Theatres. In 1960 the Cabart, Rivoli, State, and Towne, became part of Pacific Theatres.
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, Arthur for many years was chairman of the Los Angeles County Park and Recreation Commission and was a proponent to bring major league baseball to Los Angeles. At one time he, and brother Harry, was part owners of the St. Louis Browns baseball. In March of 1957 Milton was part of Mayor Norris Poulson’s entourage who met with with Walter O’Malley in Vero Beach to persuade him to bring the Dodgers to Los Angeles. Before meeting with O’Malley, Arthur said he had already researched Chavez Ravine as a possible site.
Mr. Arthur led a colorful life prior to becoming a theater magnate. The Press-Telegram noted he was born in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen and was a bat boy for the Yankees in 1913-14 under Frank Chance. He came to Los Angeles in 1921 as a film salesman and opened his first theater there in 1926. At the time of the October 1951 interview he made his home on Myrtle Avenue in Bixby Knolls. Mr. Arthur passed away in August 1973.
Sanborn Maps 1928 (in photo section) place the Moore Theatre at today’s 513 State Street, along the railroad tracks.
On the opening, Mr. Moore said, Wheatland ”has been seven years without a picture and talking pictures an absolute stranger.”
Opening announcement for the Palms Theatre July 3, 1945, is now displayed.
Opening announcement for the Palms Theatre July 3, 1945, is now displayed.
The updated address is 854 Guadalupe Street.
From National Park Service:
Royal Theatre
Updated opening date:
When the Royal Theater officially opened for business on August 30, 1940, it was the only movie theater in Guadalupe. Japanese American Kiyozo Noji and his family were employed by owners Arthur Fukuda and Jack Takeuchi to operate the business. It was a welcome addition to Guadalupe, for the Japanese immigrants, all residents of the community, and soldiers serving at nearby Camp Cooke. Japanese language films, as well as feature films, were shown.
Now with photos: 1924 Sanborn Map showing Moving Pictures at approximately today’s 3569 Main, Post Office to left.
Also, 1949 photo from East Contra Costa Historical Society showing theater with Post Office to left.
The Airdome was located at 570 F Street. The News Messenger reported it was next to the old library, which is still there.
Film Daily Year Book 1926 lists 300 seats.
The Photo Theatre was located at 645 5th Street in the IOOF building, which can be seen restored in downtown Lincoln today.
Source: Lincoln News Messenger.
Rennies Town Theatre: Was razed before the February 9, 1971 earthquake. See news clipping.
As previously commented on in 2007. Now in the photo section: News clipping for demolition in March 1971 because of February 9 earthquake.
The Lincoln Theatre that opened in the 1920s was at a different location.
Th Grand opening ad for this Lincoln Theatre May 1, 1949, is now in the photo section.
Added Grand Opening advertisement June 24, 1932.
Hanford Sentinel, September 22, 1941: Report of reconstruction. Avenal, Sept. 22. Construction work began Friday on Kings county’s newest theatre building. The new Avenal theatre, operated by the T & D, Jr., Circuit who also operate the Fox Hanford and Ritz showhouses, will have a capacity of 300 seats, including loges, a large foyer and lobby, and also will house six stores and a bank. It Is being constructed around the present Avenal theatre, which currently has a seating capacity of less than 500.
Architect for the reconstruction: Otto Adolf Deichmann.
Engineering News Record, September 25, 1941: Calif., Avenal-—-Avenal Theatre, Avenal, rein.-con, theatre, office and store, to D. Palmer, P.O. Box 546, Santa Cruz, $150,000. O. A. Deichmann, 1026 Market St., San Francisco, archt.
Hanford Sentinel: Reopened March 19, 1942:
Accompanied by circuit official, and fellow theatre managers, M McAlexander attended the opening of the new Avenal theatre Thurs day night (March 19). The house is operated by T & D ‘ Jr. Enterprises, which own the Fox and Ritz theatres.
Would the current location be 367 N. State Street, current location of Victory Theatre Plaza?
Here is information from the Press Democrat:
The former Victory Theater became part of Victory Theater Plaza on November 1, 1982, with 12,000 square feet of office and retail space.
Victory Theater Plaza was designed by architect Harry Jordan. The old brick walls were supported by a new structural frame and one-third of the original building was retained.
Here’s a little fun. Photo is from a 1957 movie Crime Of Passion. This house can be found today at 11170 Fairbanks Way, Culver City. The neighborhood was built in 1949. The Studio Drive-in is probably farther away than it looks but it is still overpowering.
The Cabart name was derived from combining partners Charles A. CABallero and Milton ARThur. Milton Arthur came to Long Beach in 1930 and leased the Capitol, later named the Tracy Theatre. His brother, Harry Arthur, ran several East Coast theaters, in the 1930s, most notably the Fox New England Circuit and was listed as a stockholder in New York’s Roxy. Mr. Caballero partnered in 1947 with William Foreman to form United Drive-In Theatres, later known as Pacific Drive-In Theatres.
As early as April 1932, Mr. Arthur was mentioned in the Santa Ana Register as division manager of Fox West Coast Theaters. A story appearing in Variety on February 26, 1936, reported Milton Arthur was banned from the Fox West Coast home office because of a feud with Charles Skouras. At the time Arthur was FWC district manager of five Orange County theaters and the feud may have had something to do with a contract for the Broadway and West Coast Theaters to share revenues. Milton’s father, Harry C. Arthur Sr., managed the Fox West Coast in Anaheim for 18 years before his death in 1945.
Film Daily Year Book 1940 lists Cabart Theatres with 15 Southern California locations. Cabart’s Long Beach houses at one time or another were the Atlantic, Brayton, Dale, Cabart, Art, Ritz, Rivoli, Tracy, and State. By 1950, with offices at 4425 Atlantic Blvd in the Towne Theatre, the La Shell and Santa Fe were added to now 21 locations. As for the Art Theatre it was Mr. Arthur’s idea in January 1949 to change the name of the Lee Theatre to the Art Theatre, that name being more descriptive for at the time the theater was playing Laurence Olivier’s Henry V.
Other theaters mentioned as Milton having an interest in were the Southside Theatres and Alto Theatre, Los Angeles, Fanchon & Marco theatres and the Temple Theatre in San Bernardino. In 1949 Cabart purchased the State, Walkers, Yost, and Princess in Santa Ana and would later operate the Paulo Drive-In, Costa Mesa.
Cabart theatres weren’t without problems. In December 1947 the Ebell Theatre filed suit against Arthur and 15 distributors for violation of the anti-trust law. In October 1952 Milton assumed the lease of the Ebell for $750 a month. In August 1950 a similar suit by Eulah and Ivan Hanson of the Atlantic Theatre against Cabart was dismissed. Mr. Hanson had passed away the previous April and in 1958 the Atlantic came under the Cabart Theatres banner.
The most devastating hit to Cabart Theatres was the February 25, 1952, $500,000 fire of the Broadway Theatre in Santa Ana. Managed by a Cabart officer George King (Milt’s brother in-law), the theater had just undergone a $250,000 refurbishment. The Broadway was rebuilt, reopening in 1955, with mid-century minimalist architecture, in contrast to the ‘Skourasized’ Fox West Coast, Santa Ana.
Mr. Arthur began planning the Los Altos Drive-in Theatre in 1953. When it opened on June 3, 1955, the Long Beach Independent noted it was jointly owned by Cabart Theatres and Pacific Drive-In Theatres. In 1960 the Cabart, Rivoli, State, and Towne, became part of Pacific Theatres.
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, Arthur for many years was chairman of the Los Angeles County Park and Recreation Commission and was a proponent to bring major league baseball to Los Angeles. At one time he, and brother Harry, was part owners of the St. Louis Browns baseball. In March of 1957 Milton was part of Mayor Norris Poulson’s entourage who met with with Walter O’Malley in Vero Beach to persuade him to bring the Dodgers to Los Angeles. Before meeting with O’Malley, Arthur said he had already researched Chavez Ravine as a possible site.
Mr. Arthur led a colorful life prior to becoming a theater magnate. The Press-Telegram noted he was born in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen and was a bat boy for the Yankees in 1913-14 under Frank Chance. He came to Los Angeles in 1921 as a film salesman and opened his first theater there in 1926. At the time of the October 1951 interview he made his home on Myrtle Avenue in Bixby Knolls. Mr. Arthur passed away in August 1973.