Los Gatos Theatre
41 Santa Cruz Avenue,
Los Gatos,
CA
95030
41 Santa Cruz Avenue,
Los Gatos,
CA
95030
3 people
favorited this theater
This theater was originally opened in 1917 as the Strand Theatre. It was designed and decorated in a combination of Arts and Crafts and Beaux-Arts style. Today, only the arched windows on the second story of the facade remain from that earlier look. Prior to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and a subsequent seismic retrofit and twinning, the auditorium sidewalls still had their original moldings and cornices visible, though the proscenium had been given a Moderne reworking, flanked by Skouras-like maidens pouring urns.
With the early 1990’s strengthening and twinning of the theater, it is only these maidens which remain to bear witness to the fact that you are indeed in an historic theater—now Santa Clara County’s oldest fulltime operating movie theatre.
The facade with its neon marquee and vertical sign is still a delight, and the theater, though altered, is cozy.
Contributed by
Gary Parks
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Recent comments (view all 24 comments)
What does that have to do with this theater?
This is a 1944 photo. It looks like the earlier Strand was re-opened as the Premier after a fire in 1929, but then later became the Los Gatos listed here. The Premier was mentioned as an aka by Gary Parks on 9/21/08.
http://tinyurl.com/nb6sax
Still doesn’t answer the question.
Here is a 1935 view of the Premier:
http://tinyurl.com/kuqfa9
I don’t mind waiting.
So the Strand building, constructed in 1916, was burned in the 1929 fire but not destroyed. It was renovated and became the Premier. At some later date the name was changed from Premier to Los Gatos.
So the Strand was at the same location as this theater. If that’s the case then posting the photo makes sense. Otherwise you could have added the Strand.
That’s where the aka of Strand came from when they added the theater. Premier should also be added.
Regarding Joe Vogel’s assumption based on a 1974 comment made by William David in Box Office magazine: The Los Gatos was not twinned at that time. I attended there several times in 1989, and the auditorium was a single. The sidewalls had their original plasterwork—frames, moldings, medallions—from the Teens. There was a dropped ceiling of perforated acoustical tile, which was plainly hiding further ornament above it, as you could see some plaster pendant elements hanging down below the ceiling tile line on the sidewall pilasters. The proscenium and angled walls flanking it were of 1940s vintage, plain and streamlined, with the abovementioned maiden figures painted on them, these being the only historic interior decorative elements visible today.
The twinning was done after the Oct 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake closed the theatre for repairs and remodeling.
Here is a recent night photo.