California Theatre of Performing Arts

The Fox California Theatre is located at 562 4th Street.

This theatre still has its original organ.

The California Theatre was built by Fox West Coast Theatres and was designed in a Spanish-colonial style by architect John Paxton Perrine. It opened on 15th August 1928 with the movie "Street Angel" with the stars of the film Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell attending. The opening programme was complemented by a Franchon and Marco vaudeville show "Monkey Shines Idea".

Will Rogers made his final public performance at this theatre on 28th June 1935 (he died in a plane crash on the 15th August 1935).

The theatre closed for movies on 27th August 1969 with the last movies being "Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice" and "How To Commit A Marriage".

It was acquired by the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera Association from the National General Corporation in 1965 and has ben magnificently restored.

The original 2 Manual/10 Rank Wurlitzer Theatre pipe organ is still installed and playable.

Recent color photos of this theatre can be found on the site: "America's Stunning Theatres" by photographer and stagehand Noah Kern at: http://www.pbase.com/affablebeef/theatres Comments and information may be left there without registration; such can be public view or only to Mr. Kern. Scroll down the page to find the name, and then click on the sample image above it to be taken to the page of photos of it.

Nice recent photo:
http://www.pbase.com/image/34450761

From the LA Library:

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics07/00023438.jpg

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics07/00023439.jpg

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics07/00023498.jpg

Here is a photo of the interior, circa 1942:

http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics07/00023436.jpg

Here is a very recent photo of the California theater.

I am told that in the mid 60's a young man asked manager Raymond Pankow for permission to work on the organ so he could play it. When parent company National General Corp (Fox West Coast Theatres) tried to give the organ away to a church, Mr. Pankow said they were still using it (The organ was used during a Wednesday night telephone hookup game called Miss Fortune) and they couldn't have it.
As of this writing, 1/2007, I believe Mr. Pankow is still living in Grand Terrace, CA. Maybe someone could find him and verify this story. I'm grateful to him for saving this wonderful organ.

This is a recent close-up view.

Here is part of an LA Times story dated 11/27/38:

Purchase of the California Theater building at 564 Fourth Street, San Bernardino, by the California-San Bernardino Theater Corp., a subsidiary of the Fox West Coast organization, from the San Bernardino Land & Mortage Company, for $150,000 marks one of the largest realty deals there this year.

The purchaser of the property has occupied it from the time the building was constructed about ten years ago. The two-story structure has a seating capacity of 1800.

Here is a nice 2009 photo.

A good 1930 image of this theatre may be seen if one scrolls to the bottom of the URL below.
Plus all information on the Wurlitzer 216 with Bob Salisbury playing the organ in a movie provided by
this web site.

http://www.californiawurlitzer.com/index.html

This is a 2009 shot from another angle.

Here are two 1983 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/c6thg5
http://tinyurl.com/cbpudq

Ken, the first shot (c6thg5) is of the Crest Theatre.

So it is. Thanks.

Here are some April 2009 photos. The last is of the adjacent multiplex, which is not listed on CT.
http://tinyurl.com/dcodad
http://tinyurl.com/cf43jw
http://tinyurl.com/dhotld
http://tinyurl.com/cjy4b6
http://tinyurl.com/czwa58
http://tinyurl.com/cwbknj
http://tinyurl.com/cp4l7g
http://tinyurl.com/dhtf38

1983 Night Photo

Four June 2009 photographs I took of the Fox California:
Building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/3649068042/
Marquee: http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/3648262775/
Ticket booth:http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/3648263835/
Ticket booth: http://www.flickr.com/photos/achangeinscenerymovies/3648264729/

Here is the National Register of Historic Places registration form for the California Theater.