Aztec Theatre
665 5th Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92101
665 5th Avenue,
San Diego,
CA
92101
10 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox West Coast Theatres, Pussycat Theatres
Architects: Clifford A. Balch
Functions: Retail
Previous Names: California Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The California Theatre was opened on January 11, 1920 with Harry Carey in “A Fight for Love”. It preceded the New California Theatre which opened in 1927 (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). This theatre was then renamed Aztec Theatre. Both theatres were Fox houses. In the early-1970’s it was operated by Pussycat Theatres, keeping the Aztec name. It was closed in 1994.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 33 comments)
The Aztec and an adult theater next door can be seen in this 1984 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/deub3a
There is a photo of the current occupant on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/c25r3w
This view of the Aztec is from 1983:
http://tinyurl.com/cfrlzc
Nice photos, thanks.
I saw Psycho II when it was released in 1983. It was a disappointment, but what would you expect?
Here is an undated photo:
http://tinyurl.com/nu4sme
As the 1950’s-60’s arrived, The AZTEC THEATER was one of the many theaters below Broadway then, which were “open all night”, and showing “3 BIG FEATURES” with a program change twice a week. Don’t know what it looked like before then, but it was as pretty much of a DUMP in comparison with ANY of the other theatres, ANYWHERE IN TOWN. The entire floor was one big slant, stadium style, with one entrance in the center, and it was without a balcony. The only CLASSIC thing left by this time was the marquee, hardly big enough for 3 movie titles-but they managed to spell out MOST of them with a squeeze! Along with it’s next-door-neighbor the CASINO THEATER-they were two of the OLDEST theaters in San Diego, and both were ‘gutted-out’ of their original buildings in the GASLAMP re-vamping of the area, last century. The space presently serves purpose for other tourist-attracting ventures. I thought they had SAVED the CASINO’s ORIGINAL YELLOW MARQUE until I read somewhere that it’s a REPLICA!(I don’t know though—it looks like the ORIGINAL to me!) Yes, 5th AND G streets has, indeed, witnessed a few changes in the CENTURY PAST.
Currently an ice cream shop.
Opened as California theatre on January 11th. 1920. Grand opening ad posted.
Closed 1994.