Elmwood Theatre
2966 College Avenue,
Berkeley,
CA
94705
2966 College Avenue,
Berkeley,
CA
94705
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 27 comments found
Apparently that vertical was removed at some point during (or at least no later than) the mid-‘60s, for there was none to be found after that.
It had, I believe, a verticle marquee saying Elmwood. I used to deliver papers in the area [berkeley Gazette] in the mid-50’s, go in for movies occasionally. Two that I recall were Diabolique and The Wages of Fear, both b&w French movies. I made a little fork thingy out of wire coat hanger that I slid under the Exit door, then twisted it and pulled the door open to sneak in free. I hope I was not the cause of the Elmwood’s demise. The place was a wonderful fixture of the Elmwood neighborhood on College Avenue.
Not sure if it did as the Strand (as the Elmwood, its name was most often seen at the top of the movie display cases), but it definitely has “Elmwood” on both sides of the marquee as of very recently!
Did this place EVER have a sign displaying its name?
Another 1986 photo of the Elmwood Theatre.
View link
Here is a November 1951 ad from the Oakland Tribune:
http://tinyurl.com/ctyade
1980 Photo
1986 Photo
1986 Photo
This is a recent close-up.
A recent night view can be seen here.
Here is a website for the Elmwood Theater. Address given on website is 2966 College Avenue.
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 912 style “B” special was installed in the Strand Theater on 9/24/1924. Status: sold.
This is another photo of the Elmwood Theater.
Here is a discussion of the renovation after the fire in 1988:
http://tinyurl.com/2d6bvl
This is a larger photo of the Elmwood Theater.
A photo of the Elmwood Theater can be seen at this website.
The Elmwood is up and running again, and its function should (obviously) be “Movies.”
Good news—-the Elmwood reopens tonight (August 24), newly remodeled and upgraded!!!
According to a memo posted on the ticket booth by the Elmwood Theater foundation and the operator, San Carlos Cinemas, flooding from a adjacent property last fall severely damagd the main auditorium’s seats, flooring and concrete base, necessating their removal and replacement. In addition, changes in the city requirements for masonry structures that necessated seismic retrofitting, coupled with delays involving insurance, permits and construction issues have resulted in a longer than expected closure for the theater. The foundation and San Carlos' projected date for reopening the Elmwood (at least as of this writing) is July 2005.
It was an art house in the mid-late 60’s. I remember seeing the French film A Man and a Woman there. It played forever. Some friends who didn’t have a car lived a block away and complained that the whole time they lived there (9 months), the Elmwood only showed that film.
The Elmwood is currently closed for remodeling.
I’ve long felt to some degree that the Elmwood’s story after its 1988 fire is analogous in certain respects to that of Oakland’s New Fruitvale (q.v.) nearly two decades earlier, particularly in that both were operated by United Artists, which essentially stalled as long as it could to avoid reopening both theaters. Fortunately, the Elmwood can boast of a much happier ending to its tale of ordeal, and in a much shorter time as well.
Interesting to see that the Strand’s original architect was A. W. Cornelius, something I did not know. His other theatres include the California in Pittsburg (closed but standing with original facade intact), T&D/Fox/UA in Richmond (demolished 1980s), and T&D/Fox California (in use sporadically for performing arts and movies, remodeled several times) in Salinas.
Architects: 1914 design by Albert W. Cornelius, moderne-ized in 1947 by Alexander Aimwell Cantin
The Elmwood was my pride and joy. I was the independent operator
who, after the fire, tri-plexed the house and equipped it with
vintage, salvaged art deco light fixtures from various older
movie houses including the Merced Theater in Merced CA.
P.S. to my earlier post: Ironically, the building that was nearly destroyed in the fire that that closed the Elmwood reopened far sooner than the theater (whose damage was less severe, though significant) did. Go figure.