Selma Theatre
1963 High Street,
Selma,
CA
93662
1963 High Street,
Selma,
CA
93662
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Panero Theatres, T & D Jr. Enterprises
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: T & D Selma Theatre
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The Selma Theatre was opened on July 3, 1920, presenting a boxing match. On July 2, 1921 it was taken over by T & D Junior Enterprises and the theatre contained a style 170 2-manual 5-rank Wurlitzer. (Another small theatre, the Century Theatre, contained a 2-manual 4-rank style 135 Wurlitzer that was sold and sent to the Empire Theatre in Oakley, CA. Where either of these theatres were in Selma is not obvious). On January 5, 1928 it was taken over by new operators and renamed Selma Theatre again. It was later operated by the Panero Theatres circuit and was closed in 1957.
The Selma Theatre building still stands and was converted to retail use decades ago.
A much later theatre, built in the 1940’s was known as the Park Theatre. It burned in the mid-1980s and is now a parking lot.
Contributed by
Tom DeLay
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Tom; The T & D Selma Theatre, Selma, CA was located at 1963 High Street, Selma, CA. 93662 It had a seating capacity of 613 listed in the Film Daily Yearbook; 1950 edition.
The 334 seat capacity Park Theare, Selma. CA was located at 1944 High Street, Selma, CA. 93662
Thanks Ken.
I remember the Park Theatre quite well—and when it burned 20 years ago. So this means the T & D Selma was across the street, but in the same block.
I will take a swing through Selma next week. I will be working in Hanford most of the week and shall see if the structure is still standing Selma.
I suspect the Century Theatre was fairly short lived (this theatre’s Wurlitzer organ was sent to the Empire Theatre in Oakley, CA during the silent era.)
The building that formerly housed the Selma Theatre still stands, but has been massively remodeled into retail. The actual address of 1963 High Street no longer exists. The nearest numbers are 1967 and
1961 High Street. If you look at the rear of the theatre building, the stage loading door looks to still be in-place and now is used for the stores.
The Selma Theatre launched with a boxing match on July 3, 1920. For the next year, the Selma featured motion pictures, vaudeville and some live sports. T & D Enterprises Circuit took on the Selma and relaunched it on July 2, 1921 as the T & D Theatre. It launched with D.W. Griffith’s The Love Flower and Irma Flavely at the newly installed Wurlitzer Hope Jones organ.
On January 5, 1928, new operators took on the location reverting it to its original moniker of the Selma Theatre. It converted to sound and, in 1953, to widescreen. Panero Theatre Circuit, operators of the Park, closed the Selma in 1957 refusing to pay rent as they feared that after a minor earthquake occurred earlier that year that the building was not structurally safe and would not pay rent until the building was reinforced.