The Park was built as an annex to 1336 Park Street and is today a restaurant. It was also the first vaudeville theater in Alameda (but was not next door to the Strand, they were actually several doors apart).
As long as they don’t plex it anymore than they already have, getting the true Alameda Theatre (and I only hesitate to say original because this is historicaly the “third” one) going again as a premier entertainment venue (movie house, performiing arts or whatever) should be the top priority.
Not sure about the theater, Robert Gippy, but Divisadero and Fillmore run several blocks parallel to each other and never connect with each other at any time along their lengths.
The Orpheum/Twelfth Street Theater was demolished about 1958 for a parking lot; as noted above, a wing of the Dellums Federal Building stands there today.
According to a memo posted on the ticket booth by the Elmwood Theater foundation and the operator, San Carlos Cinemas, flooding from a adjacent property last fall severely damagd the main auditorium’s seats, flooring and concrete base, necessating their removal and replacement. In addition, changes in the city requirements for masonry structures that necessated seismic retrofitting, coupled with delays involving insurance, permits and construction issues have resulted in a longer than expected closure for the theater. The foundation and San Carlos' projected date for reopening the Elmwood (at least as of this writing) is July 2005.
A pity no one among the civic leaders apparently considered a community theater similar to the Berkeley Community Theatre. There are certainly groups and companies who could have utilized such a venue, adjacent multiplex or no.
One thing that must be inquired—-is this supposedly the listing for the “later” World Theatre? If so, then some of the above comments actually pertain not to this theater but to the original World Theatre, listed in Cinema Treasures as the VERDI (possibly to avoid confusion with this World), and which was torn down to make way for the mixed-use office building of which this theater was/is a part, and, as noted by Tillmany in the Verdi listing, the World listed here operated for another fifteen years before itself closing. Moreover, this World was known ONLY as the World, never by any other name.
Curiously, in many old newspaper theater listings (seldom known for their exactness to begin with), the Capitol’s location was stated as “Bancroft and Seminary” (Seminary Avenue being the nearest cross street to the Capitol; Bancroft Avenue being one block parallel to Foothill here). Possibly this was because one could easily see a prominent corner of the Capitol (“The Best in Photoplay Pictures” [which, as Gary Parks pointed out, could still be seen to its final days of existence even decades after it closed]) from that intersection. The above-listed address (as stated by William) is correct, however.
I’m as downhearted about the Castro as most everyone else, but let’s not cut off our nose to spite our (or their) face(s). If someone were to move all the festivals and the former Castro programming elsewhere, the Strand would be a po-o-o-o-or substitute—-how about the New Mission, the Harding, or the former Cine Latino instead? No sense replacing an architectural diamond (which was a big part of the Castro’s appeal with many festivalgoers all these years) with a lump of coal a fraction of the diamond’s size. (Of course, that’s assuming such a thing could be carried out.)
This is terrible. Possibly the lobby/concession area’s relatively good condition may derive from its being overhauled and renovated about the early 1980’s during the heyday of the Meyer years (does he know of the UC’s current state?). Still, what a tragedy!
Though the Orinda was not physically split in the process of adding the two additional screens, it should probably be considered a “Triplex” and its seating capacity adjusted accordingly.
The Melrose was demolished long ago—-the site is now the parking lot of a ‘60-ish building that I believe was some sort of state or county service building, but which is currently an auto parts store.
Thanks to MaDD and Robert Campbell for their insights on the Fruitvale. It was definitely a favorite of mine as well, though my own memories were rather vague (blame it on being all of eleven when that fire occured); my rememberance of its details are now sharper (though I could have sworn that clock was on the right side [chuckle]).
Perhaps it’s just some peculiarity of mine, but I actually find the two balcony theaters more “classic” than the main one(!). Did the California ever have a proscenium—-or was it one of those “open-spaced” (for lack of a better term) live theatrs? Something for a real theater historian to ponder…
One thing to note when looking for the former Fairfax on BART—-it’s now pale green in color (it was pinkish-magenta when it was a theater and for quite a long time after it became a church as well).
The Park was built as an annex to 1336 Park Street and is today a restaurant. It was also the first vaudeville theater in Alameda (but was not next door to the Strand, they were actually several doors apart).
As long as they don’t plex it anymore than they already have, getting the true Alameda Theatre (and I only hesitate to say original because this is historicaly the “third” one) going again as a premier entertainment venue (movie house, performiing arts or whatever) should be the top priority.
This was demolished long ago—-a parking lot (for a restaurant) has long been there.
Not sure about the theater, Robert Gippy, but Divisadero and Fillmore run several blocks parallel to each other and never connect with each other at any time along their lengths.
The Rio opened August 12, 1943 and closed April 1, 1954.
The Strand opened April 15, 1918. Closed for a time, it reopened on August 11, 1942; it closed for good in 1948.
The Island Auto Movie opened June 29, 1950, within six weeks of the Alameda Auto Movie.
The Alameda Auto Movie Drive-In opened May 18, 1950; it closed November 6, 1968.
The Orpheum/Twelfth Street Theater was demolished about 1958 for a parking lot; as noted above, a wing of the Dellums Federal Building stands there today.
According to a memo posted on the ticket booth by the Elmwood Theater foundation and the operator, San Carlos Cinemas, flooding from a adjacent property last fall severely damagd the main auditorium’s seats, flooring and concrete base, necessating their removal and replacement. In addition, changes in the city requirements for masonry structures that necessated seismic retrofitting, coupled with delays involving insurance, permits and construction issues have resulted in a longer than expected closure for the theater. The foundation and San Carlos' projected date for reopening the Elmwood (at least as of this writing) is July 2005.
This theater’s (and building’s) style is Renaissance Revival.
A pity no one among the civic leaders apparently considered a community theater similar to the Berkeley Community Theatre. There are certainly groups and companies who could have utilized such a venue, adjacent multiplex or no.
A card and stationary store operates there today.
One thing that must be inquired—-is this supposedly the listing for the “later” World Theatre? If so, then some of the above comments actually pertain not to this theater but to the original World Theatre, listed in Cinema Treasures as the VERDI (possibly to avoid confusion with this World), and which was torn down to make way for the mixed-use office building of which this theater was/is a part, and, as noted by Tillmany in the Verdi listing, the World listed here operated for another fifteen years before itself closing. Moreover, this World was known ONLY as the World, never by any other name.
Curiously, in many old newspaper theater listings (seldom known for their exactness to begin with), the Capitol’s location was stated as “Bancroft and Seminary” (Seminary Avenue being the nearest cross street to the Capitol; Bancroft Avenue being one block parallel to Foothill here). Possibly this was because one could easily see a prominent corner of the Capitol (“The Best in Photoplay Pictures” [which, as Gary Parks pointed out, could still be seen to its final days of existence even decades after it closed]) from that intersection. The above-listed address (as stated by William) is correct, however.
Currently, the space formerly occupied by the Hub is part of a discount bookstore.
I’m as downhearted about the Castro as most everyone else, but let’s not cut off our nose to spite our (or their) face(s). If someone were to move all the festivals and the former Castro programming elsewhere, the Strand would be a po-o-o-o-or substitute—-how about the New Mission, the Harding, or the former Cine Latino instead? No sense replacing an architectural diamond (which was a big part of the Castro’s appeal with many festivalgoers all these years) with a lump of coal a fraction of the diamond’s size. (Of course, that’s assuming such a thing could be carried out.)
This is terrible. Possibly the lobby/concession area’s relatively good condition may derive from its being overhauled and renovated about the early 1980’s during the heyday of the Meyer years (does he know of the UC’s current state?). Still, what a tragedy!
Though the Orinda was not physically split in the process of adding the two additional screens, it should probably be considered a “Triplex” and its seating capacity adjusted accordingly.
The Melrose was demolished long ago—-the site is now the parking lot of a ‘60-ish building that I believe was some sort of state or county service building, but which is currently an auto parts store.
The Telenews operated as the Globe from 1954 to 1956.
Thanks to MaDD and Robert Campbell for their insights on the Fruitvale. It was definitely a favorite of mine as well, though my own memories were rather vague (blame it on being all of eleven when that fire occured); my rememberance of its details are now sharper (though I could have sworn that clock was on the right side [chuckle]).
Perhaps it’s just some peculiarity of mine, but I actually find the two balcony theaters more “classic” than the main one(!). Did the California ever have a proscenium—-or was it one of those “open-spaced” (for lack of a better term) live theatrs? Something for a real theater historian to ponder…
At least when it was the Studio 1, the Foothill seated 367 people.
One thing to note when looking for the former Fairfax on BART—-it’s now pale green in color (it was pinkish-magenta when it was a theater and for quite a long time after it became a church as well).