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California Theatre

1049 American Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 | map |


Opened: The California Theatre made its debut sometime around 1921. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for this 1924 photo. It can also be seen on the Cal State Long Beach page about the theatre. Note the swing-out style sign above the marquee. "The White Moth" was a May release starring Barbara La Marr and Conway Tearle.

Seating: 400-500 is the estimate on the Cal State page.

It was listed in the 1922 through 1926 and 1932 city directories. The theatre was on the west side of the street between 10th St. and 11th St. American Way got renamed Long Beach Blvd. in the 1950s. 
 

A May 1924 article about ventilation and organ upgrades. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page. 

Closing: It appears that the 1933 Long Beach earthquake was the end of this one. There's nothing listed at this address in the 1937 city directory.

Status: The west side of the block has been redeveloped with a market and an apartment building. 

 

1933 - Looking back toward the booth after the collapse. Thanks to the Ronald W. Mahan Collection for sharing the photo. Ron calls our attention to the private viewing window with a drape that's on the auditorium back wall to the left of the projection ports. On the right side of the image we get a view of what's left of the house right organ chamber.

 

1933 - A Winstead postcard of the back end of the theatre after the earthquake. Thanks to Casey Winstead for including this in a post of 34 post-earthquake Winstead images for the Lost Angeles Facebook group. Casey comments: 
 
"My great uncle George went out the day after the Long Beach Earthquake of March 10, 1933 to record the event with his Graflex 3A press/postcard camera. My great uncle, and my grandpa, Thomas Edison Winstead, owned Winstead Bros. Photography, headquartered on Pine Street in Long Beach. They sold Kodak cameras and film. They had three or four other stores in southern California, as well as a photo development lab, photo publishing service bureau, and a real photo postcard publishing business."
 
The postcard appears with the collection of post-earthquake photos on the site Penny Postcards from California. Also see their section of Long Beach cards.   
 

2019 - A view south on Long Beach Blvd. toward 10th St. The theatre site was somewhere in the middle of the image. Superior Grocers is using a 1033 address, the apartment building on the right is using 1081. Photo: Google Maps

More information: Sorry, there isn't any yet.

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