The Madera Opera House occupied the same location at 330 E. Yosemite Avenue as far back as the late 1800’s. About 1912, Charles Leggett started showing the first movies in Madera in the Opera House.
The theater was rebuilt after it’s disastrous fire in 1940. On Friday, September 5, 1941, the headline of the Madera Tribune read, “CALIFORNIA’S FINEST THEATRE OPENS.” It was labeled “The pride of the San Joaquin,” by the theater management, and a capacity crowd of over 1300 attended the 6:15 P.M. opening.
The original Madera Theater was built sometime in the late twenties. It was completely remodeled and modernized in the late thirties. The Grand Re-opening occured February 29, 1939, only to be completely destroyed by fire November 30, 1940. It was rebuilt on the same location in 1941.
Opened in 1948 as the El Rio Drive-In.
The Madera Opera House occupied the same location at 330 E. Yosemite Avenue as far back as the late 1800’s. About 1912, Charles Leggett started showing the first movies in Madera in the Opera House.
The theater was rebuilt after it’s disastrous fire in 1940. On Friday, September 5, 1941, the headline of the Madera Tribune read, “CALIFORNIA’S FINEST THEATRE OPENS.” It was labeled “The pride of the San Joaquin,” by the theater management, and a capacity crowd of over 1300 attended the 6:15 P.M. opening.
The original Madera Theater was built sometime in the late twenties. It was completely remodeled and modernized in the late thirties. The Grand Re-opening occured February 29, 1939, only to be completely destroyed by fire November 30, 1940. It was rebuilt on the same location in 1941.