Senate Theatre

The Senate Theatre appears to have opened on November 4, 1921 with Dorothy Phillips in “Once to Everywoman” supported by a Hank Mann comedy short. The Senate Theatre installed RCA Photophone sound on November 27, 1930 with Joan Crawford in “Montana Moon” to remain viable.

Original operator Mary Dabek sold the venue to Kenneth Sproull, Frank Solomon, and Charles Rogel three years after co-owner and husband Joseph Dabek’s passing in 1944. Under Solomon’s programming, the theatre switched to Spanish language programming. It launched with María Elena Marqués “Me ha Beado un Hombre” on February 28, 1947.

John R. Ball took on the venue on September 1, 1950 renaming it as the Pal Theatre and switching back to third-tier double-features opening with “Barricade” and “Golden Gloves Story”. That wasn’t the winning formula. The venue got another shot at cinematic glory as an art house, the Fine Arts Theatre, opening on January 28, 1951 with Trevor Howard in Noel Coward’s “Brief Encounter”. It appears to have ended May 29, 1951 with Katherine Hepburn in “Mary of Scotland”. That wasn’t the ticket.

The theatre returned to Spanish language films on May 2, 1952 under the name Cinema with a double feature of “Un Milagro de Amor” and “Los Panchos.” That ends on May 3, 1953 with “el Reboza de Soledad” and “Pala Lebonard”. In 1955, the building became a house of worship for the United Pentecostal Church. In 1965, Owens Demolition knocked over the building which was called the former Senate Theater building.

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