Tower Theater
605 W. Broadway,
San Diego,
CA
92101
605 W. Broadway,
San Diego,
CA
92101
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Simeon Charles Lee
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: New Tower Theater
Nearby Theaters
The New Tower Theatre opened on November 1, 1941 with “Her Enlisted Man” starring Barbara Stanwyck (a re-issue of the 1935 movie “Red Salute) and Bruce Bennett in "The Phantom Submarine”. The Tower Theater was closed in 1980 and was demolished in May 1986.
Contributed by
Ken McIntyre
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
The architect was S. Charles Lee, who also did (the much more spectacular) Tower Bowl complex directly across the street.
This is a 1981 photo. I remember when “Thunderbuns” was playing at the adult theaters in Philly around that time, my frat brothers and I got a kick out of the name.
http://tinyurl.com/dmuh6p
Here is another 1980s photo:
http://tinyurl.com/nhkux2
November 1st, 1941 grand opening ad has been posted here.
If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!
Interesting that the giant ball signage spells out BOWLING in the circa 1940 photo, and TOWER in the late `40’s photo I just posted. It is identified on the right in the 1940 photo, but I believe it is on the left. Did the bowling alley convert into the Tower Theater?
The Tower theatre was located across the street from the bowling alley.
Click on the photo tab, I just uploaded a better photo of the theater
Bunch of us went in there once to see this X movie called “Angel Above Devil Below” a spoof on the exorcist, where this womans vagina gets possessed and starts yelling things. The whole audience was laughing it was great. What was strange was that during the exorcism scene (furniture flying around the room) the film jammed in the projector, we all watched the film melting away on screen. Everyone hooted and yelled, it was great fun. It was a nice theater inside, except it smelt like stale mothballs.
Anyone remember the December,1974 filming out in front of the Tower Theatre for the NBC T.V. series MOVIN'ON? The episode titled “FRAUD” can be seen on YOUTUBE……Please post any info here or at ..Thanks!