Major Theatre

 333 N. San Fernando Blvd.  Burbank, CA 91502 | map |

Opened: December 15, 1937. The Major Theatre is listed in the 1938 city directory. An early address for the theatre was 333 W. San Fernando Rd. The photo is a 1938 shot by Herman Schultheis that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. They're running "Love And Hisses" with Walter Winchell and Bert Lahr along with "She Loved a Fireman" with Ann Sheridan.

The theatre was built for Albert Fonda Minor (known as Al) who at the time also operated the Loma. At the time of the Major's opening there was a third theatre in town, the Victory, a house later renamed the Burbank. In late 1938 Minor would take that one over and in 1940 he would build the Magnolia. 

Seating: 815 

A Sanborn real estate map showing the theatre. The pink store on the left was Penney's. Thanks to Wes Clark's Burbankia for the map. It appears in the terrific San Fernando Road album on Google Photos.

Al Minor died in 1941. In the 1945 through 1949 editions of the Film Daily Yearbook it's his widow, Minnie Minor, listed as the owner of Minor Theatres. The company's four theatres were managed by his son Charles. In early 1950 Charles closed the Burbank, citing unfavorable business conditions. Ron Strong reports that Sterling Theatres, Inc., a firm headed by William J. Kupper, Jr., bought the remaining Minor Theatres holdings in August 1950.

The firm was no relation to the Seattle-based Sterling Theatres. Sterling had opened the Cornell Theatre in 1949 and would open the California Theatre in December 1950. Charles stayed on as manager of the Magnolia, Loma and Major. Jackson Mayers, in his 1975 book "Burbank History," notes that the Major had a minor fire in 1951.

A 1953 ad for two of the theatres owned by Sterling. The Major was running a western show consisting of a couple of oldies: "Canyon Passage" was from 1946 and "Frontier Gal" dated from 1945. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the ad.

Talent show time in 1954. Thanks to Ken Mcintyre for finding the Valley Times photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

Sid Pink and his associates took over the theatre from Sterling in 1953. Ron notes that Sid is best remembered as a producer of the 3-D hit "Bwana Devil." He also had theatres in East L.A. and Anaheim. In 1955 Sid sold the Major to Fred Stein of Statewide Theatres, a transaction noted in the October 15 issue of Boxoffice.

Closing: It closed May 3, 1959 as a result of a fire, according to Jackson Mayers on page 157 of his "Burbank History." Soon the inevitable "Closed For Remodeling" copy was on on the marquee. The theatre never reopened.

Status: The building is still there but it's been converted to retail after being divided down the middle. It's now a Tae Kwon Do studio and a boutique called Zamba.

Interior views:

A lobby view that appeared in an article about carpet and wall coverings Boxoffice on January 8, 1938. Thanks to Cinema Treasures researcher Joe Vogel for spotting it and to Ron Strong for including the photo on his Bijou Memories page about the Major. The photo's caption: "Another California Theatre, the Major, at Burbank, is made more attractive with fine carpets in its foyer and on the stairway. The Fabric is Rialto Velvet."

A 1938 auditorium view. Thanks to Ron Strong for locating the trade magazine photo. It also makes an appearance as a post by Dallas Movie Theaters on Cinema Treasures.

Thanks to Brigham for this 2019 shot and others appearing here that he took above the ceiling of the Tae Kwon Do studio currently occupying half the theatre space. The photos appear in the Burbankia San Fernando Road album on Google Photos. Here the view is from the front of the auditorium looking along the house right wall toward the lobby end of the building.

A better view of the house right wall. Photo: Brigham - 2019 

The wall treatment between side wall pilasters. Photo: Brigham - 2019

A pilaster detail. Photo: Brigham - 2019

A bit of painted ornament. Photo: Brigham - 2019

A portion of the roof structure and some of the surviving ceiling near the screen end of the building. Photo: Brigham - 2019. Thanks, Brigham! Ron Strong notes that some of this decor is not from when the theatre was in the building, but from a later tenant. 


More exterior views:

A look at the Major in 1954 during "Burbank on Parade." It's a Eudell McGinnis photo in the San Fernando Road album from Burbankia that's on Google Photos. Thanks to Deanna Bayless for spotting the theatre in the collection sending along a link. 

Bill McGinnis comments: "The Guy in the cowboy outfit in the parade is Bill Williams. I made a big close-up and the sign on the car says 'Grand Marshal.' I Googled him and found that he had a television series in 1952 called 'The Adventures of Kit Carson.' The woman riding shotgun in the Bill Williams car is actress Barbara Hale, his wife and the little kid next to him is their son William Williams-Katt who starred as Carrie’s prom date in the horror movie, 'Carrie.'"

Another 1954 look north toward the Major. The Penney's store beyond the theatre is now a Ross Dress For Less. Photo: Eudell McGinnis

Another 1954 parade view. The Major is running "The Command" (an early Cinemascope title) and "Naked Jungle" at "New Low Prices." That second feature starred Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker in a saga of a South American plantation threatened by a 20 mile long column of army ants. Photo: Eudell McGinnis. Thanks, Deanna!

A detail from the previous photo. 

A 2011 Google Maps view looking south on San Fernando.

The back of the theatre in 2011. Thanks to Deanna Bayless for her photo on Cinema Treasures. 

More information: See Ron Strong's Bijou Memories post about the Major for a fine history of the theatre. The Cinema Treasures page on the Major Theatre has some additional data and discussion.

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