Opened: December 5, 1950. The building is on the south side of the street between California St. and Lima St. The neighborhood is known as Magnolia Park. The opening night photo from the San Fernando Valley Historical Society appears on the Cal State Northridge Oviatt Library website. "Breakthrough" was a film starring John Agar. The program opening night also included a studio preview. For the rest of the week the second feature was "Hot Rod."
Architect: Unknown.
Ron Strong comments on the lobby: "Entering the main lobby to the snack bar, visitors were greeted with a very plush carpet in a design that incorporated a red wine colored motif, broken by elaborate green vines dotted by golden poppy flowers, which continued into the auditorium. A curved staircase led up to the balcony with its additional 50 seats as well as it's own restrooms."
The auditorium decor was described in a newspaper account as "a colorful series of murals lining the auditorium walls and depicting scenes of California's historical and scenic attractions. The early Indians, the padres and their vinyards, the conquistadors, the missions are pictured, created by artist Nat Smith. Fiesta scenes, bathing beaches and native flora are also depicted. Colors of wine, gold and green provide the decorative scheme for the auditorium and for other rooms of the California Theater."
Seating: 1,650. There was a cry room. It was the only Burbank theatre to have a balcony. The balcony had rockers and smoking was allowed there.
Another pre-opening ad. Thanks to Ron Strong for finding these two ads for his fine Bijou Memories page about the California.
Lt. Governor Goodwin J. Knight, Rex Allen, and Johnny Grant at the grand opening. The photo from the California Valley Historical Society appears on the CSUN Oviatt Library website.
More information: See Ron Strong's fine Bijou Memories page about the California Theatre. For additional material also see his California Theatre album on Google Books.
See the Cinema Treasures page on the California. The Cinema Tour page has a 2003 exterior photo.
| back to top | San Fernando Valley theatres | San Fernando Valley: theatres by address | Downtown | Westside | Hollywood | Westwood and Brentwood | Along the Coast | [more] Los Angeles movie palaces | the main alphabetical list | theatre history resources | film and theatre tech resources | theatres in movies | LA Theatres on facebook | contact info | welcome and site navigation guide |
No comments:
Post a Comment