McFarland Theatre
180 W. Kern Avenue,
McFarland,
CA
93250
180 W. Kern Avenue,
McFarland,
CA
93250
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Panero Theatres
Architects: Vincent G. Raney
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Nearby Theaters
I couldn’t find much on the McFarland Theatre other than seating listed at 440. It was opened on September 5, 1941 and closed in the mid-1950’s.
The building stood standing for a while after closing but boarded up. It has since been demolished and a Rite-Aid occupies the site in 2024.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
A 1944 Boxoffice item says that Frank Panero operated a theater at McFarland. Late in 1945, another item said that Panero had a new theater under construction at McFarland, to cost $70,000. An August 17, 1946, item mentioned that Panero was operating only one theater at McFarland, so the old one must have been closed.
I’ve found no mention of the opening date for the new theater, nor the name of the architect, but Panero built several new theaters in the post-war period, and so far all those I’ve found attributed to an architect (at Selma, Shafter, and Delano) were designed by Vincent G. Raney. He’s the likely architect for this house, too, but I haven’t found confirmation.
A theater called the McFarland Theatre opened on September 5, 1941 in McFarland, owned by Frank Panero, and operated by his son August Panero. The streamline moderne theater building that still stands in McFarland would be appropriate to this date:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tspauld/3492006945/
I spent summers in the early 90’s helping my dad do renovations for a photographer named Ron Rafelli who worked with Jimi Hendrix, Doors, The Rolling Stones. He used this theater as living space and studio to get out of Hollywood. The theater is now demolished and is now a Rite-Aid.