Pomona Valley Auditorium
235 W. 3rd Street,
Pomona,
CA
91766
235 W. 3rd Street,
Pomona,
CA
91766
2 people
favorited this theater
The California Theatre opened in 1923. By 1941 it was operated by Fox West Coast Theatres. By 1950 it was operated by United Artists. It later became a concert venue named Pomona Valley Auditorium. It is now a church.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 25 comments)
Does anyone have any info on the Lyric or American Theaters in Pomona? Cinema Tour has them both listed simply as closed, but no other info on them.
Oh, heck, this was the Pomona Valley Auditorium?? Been there soooo many times to see concerts…lol, didn’t know that the California Theater and the PVA were one and the same.
Pics of flyers from PVA shows:
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Here is an item in Boxoffice magazine, April 1950:
POMONA, CALIF-Bob Helm has been appointed manager of the United Artists Theater, replacing Gordon Goodloe, who was transferred to the Loew’s State Theater in Los Angeles. Mr. Goodloe served three years with Fox West Coast theaters prior to his war service. He came to Pomona after his discharge in 1946, and was the first manager of the Sunkist, later the State and finally the California Theater, which was taken over by the United Artists chain, remodeled and named the United Artists. Helm had been the manager of the Capitol Theater in Glendale until his promotion.
Here is a 1970 photo from the LAPL:
http://jpg1.lapl.org/00080/00080198.jpg
Here is a March 1970 ad from the Pomona Progress-Bulletin:
http://tinyurl.com/ykjqrpo
I think this was a church when I was out there a while ago.
Several Pomona theatres I don’t see listings for:
La Pictoria 478 W. 2nd St.
— in the 1912/13 and 1914 city directories
Lyric Theatre 366 W. 2nd St., Pomona
— in the 1912/13 through 1926 city directories
Fraternal Aid Opera House ne corner Gordon & 3rd, Pomona
— in the 1912/13 and 1914 city directories
I see Sammie Girl was asking about the Lyric in 2008.
Also in Pomona:
American Theatre — 470 W. 2nd
It’s in the 1919/20 and 1923/24 city directories. In the classified section for 1923/24 it’s listed as an Ontario address, but obviously a mistake. There’s no listing for 1926.
I began my theatre career at United Artists Pomona in 1966, where I met my wife, Sherry, who was a cashier for Mr. Walcott, the manager. Since I was hanging around the theatre so much, Mr. Walcott put me to work as the marquee boy to replace Rusty, who went to Vietnam. Mr. Walcott had a prosthetic leg and would have to carry the film upstairs one reel at a time. He was an old time performer who would entertain the staff during slow times by actually hypnotizing some of the employees. When Mr. Walcott became ill, he was replaced by Charles McCann, who managed for a few years longer. Elderly Mr. McCann would bring his equally elderly wife to work with him, and she would sew the torn masking and drapes in the building. He was dismayed that the company (UA) did not show enough appreciation for his wife’s efforts. We fondly remember some of the employees from those times — Mr. and Mrs. Deem, Carol Deem, and Linda Marshall. The projectors were carbon arc and there were a series of ancient dressing rooms under the stage which were definitely haunted. I’m 65 now and my wife and I are still, happily, in the theatre business.