United Artists Theater
823 MacDonald Avenue,
Richmond,
CA
94801
823 MacDonald Avenue,
Richmond,
CA
94801
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Theatres (Reading, PA), T & D Jr. Enterprises
Architects: F. Frederic Amandes, Albert W. Cornelius
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: T & D Theater, Fox-California Theater
Nearby Theaters
The T & D Theater was opened August 27, 1922. It was designed by architect Albert W. Cornelius. It was remodeled in 1936 to the plans of architect F. Frederic Amandes. It was closed September 27, 1957.
Contributed by
Garrett Murphy
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
Here is a 1959 photo of MacDonald Avenue at night, with the Fox Theatre (formerly the Costa) on the left. The U.A.’s marquee would have been in the foreground on the right, but this picture was apparently taken when the theatre was being remodeled into a Woolworth store. The building is covered in scaffolding, the vertical sign is gone, and the marquee looks to have been rounded off for Woolworth’s use.
Thanks Joe.
My source for the name of the architect of the 1936 remodeling of this theater misspelled his surname. It should be F. Frederic Amandes.
Thanks again Joe.Your research is always welcomed.
The December, 1919, issue of The Architect and Engineer included a theater at Richmond for the T&D circuit among the projects slated for 1920 by the office of architect A. W. Cornelius. This house most likely opened that year. The T&D Theatre at Salinas was on the same list.
Growing up in Richmond, the UA was the only local theatre that seemed to me like a movie palace, although certainly not a grand one like found in nearby Oakland or San Francisco. It had a balcony (closed much of the time) and when CinemaScope came along the Scope films with four channel magnetic stereo sound were pretty impressive in that big auditorium. I suppose it was my favorite theatre in Richmond, not that we had much to choose from by the mid 1950’s. A nice middle aged woman behind the concession counter would save 8 x 10 stills for me and sometimes even allow me to slip in to see a free show. Fond memories of the UA!
Hi Garrett,
I am a post-production assistant on a local documentary in which THIS EXACT photo was used. The director and editor do not remember the original source of the photo, which they need for acquiring the rights, so it is my job to find out. I was wondering, do you know the source of the photo? The director believes it’s from a Richmond history book that includes a second photo of the exact same location, but in the ‘80s when the street has been through complete economic collapse. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
-Max
Max: That photo was actually uploaded by John Rice. His most recent comment at CinemaTreasures is on this page, so that’s where you’d probably be most likely to catch him (I don’t think CT sends notifications of comments made on photo pages.)
Thank you, Joe!
Opened 27 Aug 1922 and closed 27 Sep 1957.