Tulare Theatre
229 E. Tulare Avenue,
Tulare,
CA
93274
229 E. Tulare Avenue,
Tulare,
CA
93274
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened in 1927 and located on Tulare Avenue near L Street, the Tulare Theatre was designed by Timothy Pflueger. The theater closed in 1975 and was demolished five years later to make way for a new bank building.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Here is a May 1940 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dgkxwe
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has a number of drawings by Timothy Pflueger that can be seen on-line, including some depicting the Tulare Theatre. Enter Tulare in the search box. You can also search on Pflueger and then select the resulting “works by” link to see drawings of some of his other projects.
Also, the “firm” listing on this page should show Miller & Pflueger.
This is supposed to be the State Theater in Tulare, in 1942. I would like someone to confirm that this theater was actually in Tulare before I add it, since the source is prone to geographical errors.
http://tinyurl.com/plcyra
With regard to the photo of the State, a couple of 1973 issues of Boxoffice said that the former State Theatre in Tulare was being refurbished for use as a retail shop. The address was 225 E. Kern Avenue. Today there’s a photo studio and frame shop called Gainsborough Studio operating at 227 E. Kern, which appears to be in the theater building, though the facade has been substantially altered.
Here is the Tulare Theater in 1942.
Does anyone remember a multi-screen house in Tulare called the Tower Square Cinemas? I think it had four screens. The manager’s name was Randy Schull. I was sent there a couple times for service calls by Mr. Tate of Walnut Properties/Pussycat Theatres (and no, the Tower Square Cinemas never showed porno as far as I can recall. Walnut Properties/Pussycat Theatres did have some houses that were not porno).
I have submitted an entry for Tower Square Cinemas; it should appear soon.
From what I found the Tower Square Cinema opened in 1980 but don’t know how accurate that it, closed in 1995 and was a triplex. It was located at 50 N.. Tower Square. At one time it was operated by Silver Screen Amusements.
CinemaTour has three photos of the Tower Square Cinemas (the vertical sign seen in one photos just says Tower Cinema) at 50 N. Tower Square in Tulare. The photos are dated 1999. CinemaTour doesn’t give the number of screens, but Mike Rivest lists it as a triplex. I haven’t found it mentioned in Boxoffice Magazine.
A couple of web sites say that the former Tower Square Cinemas building was converted into an indoor paintball venue in 2008, but I can’t find a listing for it on the Internet. Maybe it didn’t last long.
In addition to the Tulare, State, and Tower Square, Tulare had a theater called the El Rey operating from at least 1940 into the 1950s, and a small twin (2x180 seats) opened in the Town and Country Village shopping center in 1973. I found a single reference to a Lake Theatre in Tulare in a 1944 Boxoffice item, but that might have been a misplacing of a Lake Theatre somewhere else— perhaps the one in Corcoran.
There are also a few items about theaters in Tulare that appeared in Southwest Builder & Contractor as far back as 1912, and one of these was probably the first Tulare Theatre, but I don’t know which of them it was. Other projects the magazine announced might never have been built.
Tulare now has a multiplex called the Galaxy Tulare 10, opened in 2004.
I Have fond memory’s of the Tower Square Cinemas, i was about 10 yrs old when it opened, heck i can even remember when the big clock was finished and i could hear it chime from home almost a mile away but they soon turn the VERY HUGE speakers down. I can remember very well riding my bicycle or walking with friends/family.
i loved going to the movies and if i didn’t have money i would just ride my bicycle around the Tower District, when ever i had enough money i would go eat at round table “now VIP” then head to the theater, yes i still bought the popcorn and soda LOL. just around the corner you could walk right up to the glass at B95 = KBOSS and request a song.