California Theatre

sameegrl on July 26, 2008 at 9:39 pm

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.

kencmcintyre on December 11, 2008 at 6:38 pm

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.

kencmcintyre on January 18, 2010 at 10:25 pm

Here is a March 1970 ad from the Pomona Progress-Bulletin:
http://tinyurl.com/ykjqrpo

BillCounter on March 17, 2011 at 5:47 pm

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.

Gartley on April 24, 2011 at 4:26 pm

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.