Redding Theatre

1537 California Street,
Redding, CA 96001

Unfavorite 1 person favorited this theater

Additional Info

Previously operated by: T & D Jr. Enterprises

Architects: C.C. Dakin

Nearby Theaters

REDDING Theatre; Redding, California.

The Redding Theatre was opened in 1916. It was still operating in 1952 when a seating capacity of 1,002 was given. It was closed in 1957.

Contributed by Ken McIntyre

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 10, 2007 at 9:08 am

Here are some photos from the UC Davis collection:
View link
View link

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on August 10, 2007 at 6:17 pm

The Redding Theatre is mentioned several times on this page of the Cascade Theatre website. According to that page the Redding Theatre was built in 1910, and the wording gives the impression that by the 1930s it was being operated by T.&D., Jr. Enterprises. (Note that the page is not entirely reliable, though, as it names the owners of T.&D. as Turner and Duncan, not the correct Turner and Dahnken.)

There’s another photo of the Redding Theatre accessible from this page at the Redding Record-Searchlight’s website.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 17, 2011 at 4:09 pm

The current view looks nothing like the old pictures. Completely redeveloped.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 11, 2011 at 6:10 am

The claim made on the Cascade Theatre web site that the Redding Theatre was built in 1910 was wrong. This article by Renee McKean, about Redding’s Armory Hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1915, says that after the Armory Hall was destroyed, the Redding Chamber of Commerce arranged with M. Leonardini to build the Redding Theatre.

Here is an item from The Moving Picture World of July 15, 1916:

“REDDING, CAL.â€"M. Leonardini, owner of the Paragon block on California street, is having plans prepared bf C. C. Dakin, First National Bank building, Oakland, Cal., for a theatre building, costing between $20,000 and $25,000.”
Given the fact that the front of the Redding Theatre was designed in a style that was typical of the 19th century, and was out of date by the 1900s, it’s possible that Leonardini’s project was to build an auditorium behind his existing business building, the Paragon Block. It would explain why the theater’s facade was so old fashioned.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 11, 2011 at 6:26 am

Now that I know that C.C. Dakin designed this theater, I’m especially sorry I never got to see it. Here is a 1923 picture of Pul Elder’s Book Shop in San Francisco, designed by Dakin a few years after the Redding Theatre. Though his work fell into obscurity in the later 20th century, it has recently been rediscovered, and those of his buildings which have survived are much appreciated by aficionados of California architecture.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 23, 2012 at 4:02 am

The Redding Theatre was altered in early 1927. The January 7 issue of The Film Daily said that the stage was being enlarged, the scenery loft rebuilt, and the interior decoration rehabilitated.

rivest266
rivest266 on February 8, 2022 at 7:34 am

This appeared to opened on February 5th. Preopening ad as “New Theatre” posted. Redding Theatre nameRedding Theatre name 01 Feb 1917, Thu Record Searchlight (Redding, California) Newspapers.com

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.