Gale Theatre

7023 Greenleaf Ave. Whittier, CA 90602 | map |  

 

Opened: 1916. Joe Vogel found a reference in the January 22, 1916 issue of Southwest Contractor & Manufacturer noting that The Gale Theatrical Company would erect a brick theatre on S. Greenleaf Avenue. The original address would have been something like 115 S. Greenleaf.  

Seating: 575 

The location was on the west side of the street a half block south of Philadelphia St. It was just south of the location of the Optic Theatre, a house that closed a bit before the Gale opened. The Family Theatre was across the street. In 1932 the Wardman (now the Whittier Village Cinemas) would open just a bit farther south of where the Family had been. 

 

Thanks to Nicholas Edmeier for sharing this image in his 2023 article "History of Whittier Movie Theaters" on the Whittier Museum blog. He comments: 

"The Gale Theatre had its grand opening on June 5, 1916. The Whittier News reported that over 1,000 people attended the two-day opening. Unlike the previous theaters, the Gale received a lot of pre-opening publicity, including two full pages in the Whittier News advertising all the local businesses who had contributed to its construction.

"It’s been a challenge to find photos taken of the Gale Theater building. The only image that’s currently been found is from the 1916 Whittier News documenting its opening. Sadly the photo was placed between the paper creases, resulting in an awkward reconstruction scan. The Gale was described to be a white painted brick building with a tin roof and skylights, and a green electric 'Gale' sign over the entry archway."

A 1917 flyer for Geraldine Farrar in Cecil B. DeMille's December 1916 release "Joan, the Woman." It's in the collection of the Whittier Museum. Thanks to Nicholas Edmeier for including this in his 2023 article "History of Whittier Movie Theaters."

In 1920 the Gale was being operated by Truman C. Berry, J.H. Gwin and E.C. Siler who would open the Scenic Theatre in 1921. That house was later renamed the Roxy. They were also involved in the Strand Theatre. 

Closing: Evidently the Gale closed around 1922. 

Status: It's unknown. The church building now on the site could be a remodeled version of the Gale Theatre. 

 

On the far right, the storefront with the black awning is the former location of the Optic Theatre. The next building down, now a Victory Outreach Church, is at the Gale's location. The turquoise seen on the left of the image is the Whittier Village Cinemas. Photo: Google Maps - 2019

More Information: Cinema Treasures has a page about the Gale but no additional data has emerged. 

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