Opened: 1940. The theatre was on the west side of the street just south of Edenhurst Ave. This rendering appeared with the April 11, 1940 San Fernando Valley Times article reproduced below.
Thanks to Ron Strong for locating the article and rendering. Visit his fine Bijou Memories site for tales of theatres he used to visit in Burbank and Glendale. The article mentions Smith's operation of the Roxy and Cosmo theatres in Glendale. He would also be the lessee of the Vogue Theatre when it opened across the street from the Cosmo in November 1941.
The Atwater was owned by Harry Owens, composer, bandleader and radio and TV performer. In the 1930s he was music director at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. Owens, a former vaudeville performer, was a leading exponent of Hawaiian music and achieved fame with his song "Sweet Leilani," Bing Crosby's first gold record and winner of a 1938 Academy Award. He and Crosby had met in 1926 while performing at the Club Lafayette in Los Angeles.
Architect: Paul F. Hartman, who also designed the Vogue in Glendale.
Seating: 650
A November 1941 Times ad located by Ken McIntyre that listed the four theatres operated by Grover Smith.
A 1942 ad for the Atwater. It's reproduced on page 90 in the Arcadia Publishing book "Atwater Village" by Netty Carr, Sandra Caravella, Luis Lopez, Ann Lawson and Friends of Atwater Village. They note that "Owens decorated the theatre with beautiful murals of Hawaii that depicted mountains, waterfalls, and beach scenes. The carpets and stage curtains had bold tropical leaf and flower patterns."
A 1948 listing for the Atwater and Grover Smith's other theatres spotted by Ken McIntyre.
Closed: It was running at least into the mid-50s.
Status: It's been remodeled for retail use. The Pampered Birds store is in what used to be the lobby and booth. The auditorium is used as an artist's studio.
A view of the theatre building as Pampered Birds. Photo: Google Maps - 2012
More Information: See the the Cinema Treasures page on the Atwater for what little there is. Thanks to Ken Roe and Stepwest for the research. Also see a Wikipedia article on Harry Owens.
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