Ritz Theatre

423 N. E Street,
San Bernardino, CA 92401

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Pussycat Theatres, Stanley-Warner Theatres, Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.

Architects: John Paxton Perrine

Styles: Art Deco

Previous Names: Auditorium Theatre, Strand Theatre, Pussycat Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Warner Ritz San Bernardino 1933

The Auditorium Theatre was opened on May 16, 1910. Following a refresh, it reopened as the Strand Theatre on March 8, 1917. In 1930 it was remodelled in an Art Deco style, reopening on March 6, 1930 as the Ritz Theatre and operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. It was taken over by Stanley-Warner on June 19, 1963. It was showing adult films from January 1969 as the Pussycat Theatre, which closed in 1991. It has since been demolished.

Contributed by Ken McIntyre

Recent comments (view all 15 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 10, 2010 at 6:13 pm

Here is a September 1973 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/y9esnrh

MagicLantern
MagicLantern on June 19, 2010 at 2:36 am

Whatever happened to the building, there’s a cinema (chain?) at this address now.

Johnpollard
Johnpollard on October 31, 2010 at 8:02 pm

I used to go to the Bugs Bunney club at the Ritz on Satursday.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on October 31, 2010 at 9:29 pm

Great movie,Great ad,Kenmc.

chspringer
chspringer on August 8, 2011 at 3:13 pm

This would be the same block that now hold the Empire 20, which is currently closed.

duus
duus on January 26, 2014 at 9:10 pm

The exterior remodel of the facade took place in the early 1940s as was announced in December 1940 in this San Bernardino newspaper (includes a drawing of the new facade) http://cbsrdb3.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SBS19401224.1.11&srpos=2&e=———-en—20—1—txt-txIN-%22ritz+theater%22+marque——–# There was also an interior remodel to the building in 1935 which gave it a more “modernistic” lobby and auditorium. Here is a 1935 photo of the pre-remodel facade with its Vitaphone marquee http://cbsrdb3.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SBS19350104.1.23&srpos=180&e=———-en—20—161—txt-txIN-%22ritz+theater%22——–#

rivest266
rivest266 on May 25, 2015 at 5:52 pm

March 6th, 1930 grand opening ad as Ritz in photo section

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on April 11, 2021 at 6:58 am

E.H. Dowell opened here as the Auditorium Theater on May 16, 1910 with motion pictures. Dowell was also manager of the La Petite and Star theatre in the Nickelodeon, show-store era. This theatre was an advance with an orchestra and multiple projectors. Carl Ray took on the venue and it was converted after a $10,000 refresh to the Strand Theatre on March 8, 1917. It converted to sound and changed names to the Ritz theatre on March 6, 1930. It became an adult theater just after Christmas of 1968. It closed in 1991 under the operation as a Pussycat Adult Theatre and was demolished.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on May 2, 2021 at 10:47 am

Taken Over By Stanley-Warner On June 19, 1963.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on May 20, 2021 at 7:38 am

When The Theater Became The Ritz In 1930, It Became A Warner Bros Operated Theater.

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