Royal Theatre
738 L Street,
Sanger,
CA
93657
738 L Street,
Sanger,
CA
93657
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The Royal Theatre opened on February 9, 1940 with “The Amazing Mr. Williams” and “In Old Caliente.” Robert L Lippert of Lippert Theatres and Action Pictures Inc. took on the venue in 1943. A deal that would have demolished the theater in favor of a car lot in 1948 wasn’t consummated with the theater carrying onward for another 30 plus years. The final film appears to have been “The Wilderness Family 2” on February 3, 1980 - undoubtedly at the end of a second 20-year leasing cycle. It had a brief run as the Cine Mexican showing Spanish language films and a brief run back as the Royal Theatre hosting religious themed events. The project was then supposed to be demolished for the Mexican Plaza project which also appears to have stalled. But the venue was finally demolished.
The Royal Theatre opened on February 9, 1940 with “The Amazing Mr. Williams” and “In Old Caliente.” The final film appears to have been “The Wilderness Family 2” on February 3, 1980 - undoubtedly at the end of a second 20-year leasing cycle.
The September 1, 1939, issue of Boxoffice Magazine said that Arthur Fukuda was building a new theater at Sanger. The February 10, 1940, issue said that Fukuda was to have opened his new theater in Sanger on the 9th. The first mention I’ve found of the house actually in operation and being called the Royal was in the March 16, 1940, issue.
The Royal was one of three theaters taken over from Arthur Fukuda by Robert Lippert in April, 1942. Fukuda had closed his three houses when a dusk-to-dawn curfew had been imposed on Americans of Japanese ancestry on March 27 that year.
According to the March 18, 1949, issue of Boxoffice, Lippert had recently bought the Sanger Theatre, formerly operated by Frank Panero. Lippert continued to operate the Royal as well. The Sanger Theatre is not yet listed at Cinema Treasures.