Granada Theatre

The Kern County Museum has an image of the Granada Theatre in Bakersfield: http://www.kcmuseum.org/stories/storyReader$1296

@Joe Vogel: The photo you posted is, in my estimation, an early, if not original, depiction of the Granada Theater. According to an article in the Bakersfield Californian (1928 September 20, p. 11) construction of the theater had only just begun, and was to be completed by January 1, 1929. An article on January 30, 1929 states the theater was to open the following day (a Thursday), showing Bebe Daniels' film “What a Night.” While in 1928 it was planned to cost only $55,000, it turned out costing $20,000 more. The theater was owned by H.H. Brown, who, the article says, was a prominent apartment owner in this East Bakersfield neighborhood, and leased by Josephine and Paul Davini (later owners, I believe). It sat 754 people, giving it the largest seating capacity on a single floor of any theater in the city. It also featured a “crying room,” where mothers could take their babies so as not to disturb other guests, and a men’s lounge and smoking room. It was built in brick, with a stucco siding. This 1929 article provides more detail about decorations used. The architectural firm Symmes & Cullimore prepared plans for the building, which was done in a “Morisco-Spanish style.” William Eissler was the general contractor. Store display rooms were to be located on either side of the entrance. The 1928 and 1929 articles include a drawing (presumably by the architects) of the building, which looks strikingly like the “1928” photo you posted (it seems likely that the LAPL photo is dated incorrectly). A 1929 photo in a full-page ad for the opening of the theater (1929 January 30, p. 5) depicts the theater without the store window awnings and without the top sign, but otherwise very similar. I hope this helps.

January 31st, 1929 grand opening ad uploaded here.

Coincidentally the July 2015 Google street view has “R I P” on the marquee…

I was in the theatre in 2008. The owner at the time was Jim Spohn. Jim was an engineer and also restored and installed pipe organs. He had been involved with some famous names in the theatre organ world and had been involved with installing several organs in theatres that, once installed, were made unavailable by later managers. Jim said that he would never again install an organ in a theatre unless he owned it. So he bought the Granada, installed all his historic, professional projection equipment in it, stored his stock of original films. He then installed a 4-keyboard Robert Morton (that’s a brand) organ console and relays. He placed the organ blowers outside (which all experts said would not work but they did). He installed 13 ranks (sets) of Robert Morton pipes, 1 rank of Moller pipes, and 10 ranks of Wurlitzer pipes. having built rooms into the front of the theatre to contain the pipes. He then installed and wired in the Wurlitzer organ console that went with the Wurlitzer pipes and a historic Wurliter organ-roll player in the lobby. The entire organ was playable from the console in the theatre, the Wurlitzer was playable from the original console or the roll player. It was an incredible installation. He also had a small practice organ in an upstairs office over the lobby. He hosted conventions where people could come and play the organs, sleep in the theatre if they wanted and served food from the snack bar area. He had several of those that he called “Poor Man’s Conventions” in contrast to the very expensive formal organizational conventions. I was there in 2008 and played for that convention. Jim later became ill and died tragically. We have no idea what became of the organs, projectors, films and the considerable material on the history of the theatre that he had.