This Ritz Theater, located on 4509 8th Avenue at 46th Street opened in 1927 and closed in 1960. A seating capacity of 1,037 is given in the Film Daily Yearbook 1930. As stated in the main text, it is currently a supermarket.
The Empress Theater opened pre.1914. In Film Daily Yearbooks for 1941 and 1957 it has listed seating capacities given as 600 and 596. Its current use is retail as a supermarket.
lostmemory;
That’s quite a recent photo possibly summer 2004 as there are road works going on outside the theatre (which have been been happening for quite some time).
This theatre is currently ‘nameless’. In 2000, the church who were using the building at that time removed the name ‘Million Dollar’ from the marquee over the entrance (a case of money is the root of all evil perhaps?). As can been seen in the Nov 2002 photo above, the marquee is now totally bare, apart from the ‘For Lease’ sign.
You are correct regarding street name changes in Oceanside. What is now North Coast Highway was North Hill Street back in the 1930’s and up to the 1950’s at least.
The Film Daily Yearbook 1952 lists an 640 seat Palomar Theatre, located at 314 N. Hill Street. While in Oceanside earlier this year I went looking for the Palomar, but it has been demolished.
The other building you mention being remodeled at Hill and Third Streets is the Margo Theatre (now the Sunshine Brooks Theater). So the architects can now be confirmed as Balch & Stanbery.
Thanks.
The street address of the Star Theater is 402 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA. 92054
The architects were; Balch, Bryan, Perkins and Hutchason and construction was commenced in February 1956 for the owner/operator Fred Siegel. Seating capacity was given as 986 on one level.
The Star Theater opened on 18th August 1956 with the movie “Moby Dick” starring Gregory Peck.
The theatre boasted the largest marquee in San Diego County. It is 65 feet wide and 6 feet high. Above the marquee carrying out the name theme is a field of flashing and twinkling stars; for company the stars have an electrical waterfall cascading from 48 feet in the air.
The auditorium was fitted with surround speakers built into the ceiling of the theater, for the ‘then new’ stereophonic movies.
The Star Theater remained in the hands of the Siegel family until 1980 when they sold it to an outside developer. It changed hands several times eventually operating as an ‘Adult porno’ movie theatre from 1987. From April 1989, it returned to showing regular release movies again (although the first offering was the ‘R’ Rated “Skin Deep” and “Seige of Firebase Gloria”).
The Star finally closed to movies in September 2000 when the building had been purchased by the Poinsettia Center for the Performing Arts as a performing arts center.
It is now home to the Coast Kids Theatre and the Star Theatre Company. They have installed 446 plush new seats (the current capacity), new lightboard and sound systems. The stage is 33 feet deep, by 40 feet wide.
In an article published in the Theatre Historical Society of America quarterly magaizine ‘Marquee’ Vol 18 No 3 Third Quarter 1986>>>>>>> I quote;
‘Designed by R.E. Hall of New York and C.C. Hook of Charlotte, architects and engineers, the Carolina had 900 seats in the orchestra and 550 in the balcony. The design was generally Spanish Renaissance. The first note of this Spanish design came with the box office of wrought iron (In its press releases of the day Paramount-Publix heralded the Spanish design as one of most appropriate for Southern theatres.) the fixtures throughout the auditorium were also constructed from wrought iron as well as wood and leather. Spanish (and Italian) pottery, terra cotta jars, wrought iron lantern top torches old brass and copper jugs, reproductions of old paintings, mirrors and seemingly endless drapes made all parts of Charlotte’s Carolina a feast for the eyes.
Opened on 7th March 1927, this house became the centerpiece of the North Carolina operations of the Paramount-Publix chain. It served as such until the late 1960’s. It closed in 1978.'
From
‘Chronicling the Carolinas’ Theatres by Jim Lewallen and Douglas Gomery
Additional information;
The Carolina Theatre was equipped with a Barton theatre pipe organ which was opened by Faye Wilcox. In the 1950’s the organ was played by Clarence Etters who was musical director at radio station WBT & WBT-TV. After that the organ went silent.
The Fox Uptown Theatre opened on 29th December 1925 with a first-run feature film “Graustark” starring Norma Talmadge and Eugene O'Brien. On stage was Charlie Nelson and His Playboys.
The Skandia opened on 20th September 1923. A Wurlitzer 2 Manual/7 Rank theatre organ was installed in 1926, opened by Willard Ringstrand. The organ was later moved to Stockholm Town Hall.
The Skandia was re-named Look from 1968 and had its seating capacity reduced to 687.
The Park Theatre opened in 1915.
This Ritz Theater, located on 4509 8th Avenue at 46th Street opened in 1927 and closed in 1960. A seating capacity of 1,037 is given in the Film Daily Yearbook 1930. As stated in the main text, it is currently a supermarket.
The Berkshire Theatre opened in 1926.
The Empress Theater opened pre.1914. In Film Daily Yearbooks for 1941 and 1957 it has listed seating capacities given as 600 and 596. Its current use is retail as a supermarket.
The theatre part of the Alhambra Theatre building is now in use as a Shrine Lodge. The upstairs ballroom re-opened in the summer of 2003.
Sorry, thats a typo, the seating capacity given in 1930 is for 2,603.
The location of the Loews Rio Theater on Broadway is by 160th St. In the Film Daily Yearbook, 1930 a seating capacity of 6,603 is given.
lostmemory;
That’s quite a recent photo possibly summer 2004 as there are road works going on outside the theatre (which have been been happening for quite some time).
This theatre is currently ‘nameless’. In 2000, the church who were using the building at that time removed the name ‘Million Dollar’ from the marquee over the entrance (a case of money is the root of all evil perhaps?). As can been seen in the Nov 2002 photo above, the marquee is now totally bare, apart from the ‘For Lease’ sign.
Joe:
You are correct regarding street name changes in Oceanside. What is now North Coast Highway was North Hill Street back in the 1930’s and up to the 1950’s at least.
The Film Daily Yearbook 1952 lists an 640 seat Palomar Theatre, located at 314 N. Hill Street. While in Oceanside earlier this year I went looking for the Palomar, but it has been demolished.
The other building you mention being remodeled at Hill and Third Streets is the Margo Theatre (now the Sunshine Brooks Theater). So the architects can now be confirmed as Balch & Stanbery.
Thanks.
The street address of the Star Theater is 402 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA. 92054
The architects were; Balch, Bryan, Perkins and Hutchason and construction was commenced in February 1956 for the owner/operator Fred Siegel. Seating capacity was given as 986 on one level.
The Star Theater opened on 18th August 1956 with the movie “Moby Dick” starring Gregory Peck.
The theatre boasted the largest marquee in San Diego County. It is 65 feet wide and 6 feet high. Above the marquee carrying out the name theme is a field of flashing and twinkling stars; for company the stars have an electrical waterfall cascading from 48 feet in the air.
The auditorium was fitted with surround speakers built into the ceiling of the theater, for the ‘then new’ stereophonic movies.
The Star Theater remained in the hands of the Siegel family until 1980 when they sold it to an outside developer. It changed hands several times eventually operating as an ‘Adult porno’ movie theatre from 1987. From April 1989, it returned to showing regular release movies again (although the first offering was the ‘R’ Rated “Skin Deep” and “Seige of Firebase Gloria”).
The Star finally closed to movies in September 2000 when the building had been purchased by the Poinsettia Center for the Performing Arts as a performing arts center.
It is now home to the Coast Kids Theatre and the Star Theatre Company. They have installed 446 plush new seats (the current capacity), new lightboard and sound systems. The stage is 33 feet deep, by 40 feet wide.
aproximate translation of the above:
I do not like Disney and the Teatro Orfeon because the price is too expensive for ordinary citizens.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity for the Jewel Theatre as 650.
The Tujunga Theatre was built in 1937/38, opening in 1938.
It was later also known as the Hilltop Theatre, Rainbow Theatre and finally the Canyon Theatre.
When the Cobble Hill Cinemas was known as the Lido Theater in 1941, The Film Daily Yearbook for that year gives a seating capacity of 500.
The 1930 Film Daily Yearbook lists the seating capacity of the Parkside Theater as 590.
The Film Daily Yearbooks of 1941 and 1950 list the seating capacity as 581 and 598 respectively.
The York Theatre, located in the Highland Park district opened in 1923. It became a Korean Church in about 1985.
Any further information ie, Architect, Opening date (or year) would be very much appreciated. Thanks
In an article published in the Theatre Historical Society of America quarterly magaizine ‘Marquee’ Vol 18 No 3 Third Quarter 1986>>>>>>> I quote;
‘Designed by R.E. Hall of New York and C.C. Hook of Charlotte, architects and engineers, the Carolina had 900 seats in the orchestra and 550 in the balcony. The design was generally Spanish Renaissance. The first note of this Spanish design came with the box office of wrought iron (In its press releases of the day Paramount-Publix heralded the Spanish design as one of most appropriate for Southern theatres.) the fixtures throughout the auditorium were also constructed from wrought iron as well as wood and leather. Spanish (and Italian) pottery, terra cotta jars, wrought iron lantern top torches old brass and copper jugs, reproductions of old paintings, mirrors and seemingly endless drapes made all parts of Charlotte’s Carolina a feast for the eyes.
Opened on 7th March 1927, this house became the centerpiece of the North Carolina operations of the Paramount-Publix chain. It served as such until the late 1960’s. It closed in 1978.'
From
‘Chronicling the Carolinas’ Theatres by Jim Lewallen and Douglas Gomery
Additional information;
The Carolina Theatre was equipped with a Barton theatre pipe organ which was opened by Faye Wilcox. In the 1950’s the organ was played by Clarence Etters who was musical director at radio station WBT & WBT-TV. After that the organ went silent.
The Town Theatre closed (as the Pussycat) in September 1985.
The Oriental Theatre (former Granada Theatre) closed in January 1985.
The Fox Uptown Theatre opened on 29th December 1925 with a first-run feature film “Graustark” starring Norma Talmadge and Eugene O'Brien. On stage was Charlie Nelson and His Playboys.
Sorry getting cross-eyed here staring at the screen The Finsbury Pary Astoria (Rainbow Theatre) link should be /theaters/1243/
The Skandia opened on 20th September 1923. A Wurlitzer 2 Manual/7 Rank theatre organ was installed in 1926, opened by Willard Ringstrand. The organ was later moved to Stockholm Town Hall.
The Skandia was re-named Look from 1968 and had its seating capacity reduced to 687.