Princess Theatre
308 N. Main Street,
Santa Ana,
CA
92701
308 N. Main Street,
Santa Ana,
CA
92701
2 people
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The Empire theatre reopened under new management on March 5th, 1910. Ad posted.
Looks that way Joe.
I’d say that’s definitely the original Princess Theatre. The cars are all open, and most have cloth tops, so they are probably from the 1910s rather than the 1920s. By 1923, most new cars had glazed side windows like this 1923 Essex. Also, there’s no doubt the buildings across the street are the same ones in both photos.
Could this be the original Princess, on the left? I’d think that the Model Ts would be later than 1923, but it looks like a different building than the other photo. Or is that even a theater?
http://www.santaanahistory.com/bk2pics/b2/zxv.jpg
View link (same photo, different scan)
The buildings across the way look to be the same ones that are across from the West Coast in this shot, which would put it at the correct address.
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The photo linked above by ken mc dates from no earlier than 1926, the year in which the movie Oh Billy, Behave was released. As the first Princess Theatre was demolished in 1923 to make way for the New Walker Theatre, later renamed the West Coast Theatre, the photo must depict the later New Princess Theatre.
From the UC Berkeley collection:
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