Fine Arts Theatre
429 S. California Avenue,
Palo Alto,
CA
94306
429 S. California Avenue,
Palo Alto,
CA
94306
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Harvey Entertainment, Renaissance Rialto, West Side Theaters Inc.
Architects: Gale Santocono
Functions: Retail
Styles: Mission Revival, Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: California Avenue Theatre, Mayfield Theatre, Cardinal Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The 500-seat California Avenue Theatre was opened on August 19, 1926 with Perlmutter & Potash in “Partners Again”. It was equipped with an American Photo-player organ. In 1936 it was taken over by Harvey Entertainment and renamed Mayfield Theatre for a small community south of Palo Alto, Mayfield, which was later annexed to Palo Alto. The Mayfield Theater was originally a simple Spanish Mission style structure, but was given a plain Moderne style façade and marquee in 1951 when it was operated by West Side Theaters Inc. chain. It suffered damage from a fire in 1951 and following renovations in spring of 1951 it was renamed Cardinal Theatre although it was still listed as the Mayfield Theatre in the 1957 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. The last chain to operate it was Renaissance Rialto as the Fine Arts Theatre.
Closed in the late-1980’s, the building is now an oriental rug gallery, though conversion back to a theatre would be relatively easy. The marquee still reads Fine Arts in neon, and the original façade still exists in part behind the 1950’s era fascia.
Contributed by
Gary Parks
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
My father who just recently passed away was the projectionest at the Fine Arts during the early eighties. Edie was the manager at the time. I have many fond memories of sitting in the booth watching my father run the projectors. I learned a lot from him about old carbon arc projectors and the change over signal in the upper right hand corner of a movie. I will always have a warm place in my heart for the Fine Arts and secretly wish the old girl will become a theater again. RIP dad and thank you for the experience at the Fine Arts.
This was the Cardinal Theater when I first went in the 1950s. I don’t remember it ever as the California. I think it changed from the Mayfield before 1953 then to the Fine Arts in the 1960s.
The Mayfield Theatre is listed at 165 Lincoln Street (the former name of California Avenue) in a 1925 directory for Palo Alto and vicinity.
The 1951 remodeling of the Mayfield Theatre was probably occasioned by a fire in 1950. This photo from the Palo Alto Historical Association depicts ruined seats piled in front of the theater, and is dated April 7, 1950.
The Stanford Daily of April 28, 1960, said that the Cardinal Theatre, after a brief closure for renovation in May, would reopen on May 18 as the Fine Arts Theatre. It would be under the same management as the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park, also an art house.
The scene in “Escape to Witch Mountain”, the kids were seen leaving the theater after watching a screening of the movie “Snow White and the 7 dwarfs”(both Disney movies).
Motion Picture Herald, Feb. 24, 1951: “The Mayfield, owned by Westside theatres, at South Palo Alto, is undergoing complete renovation and will be renamed the Cardinal.”
This opened as the California theatre on August 19th, 1926.
Renamed Mayfield on June 12th, 1936, as the Harvey Amusement Company takes it over. Ad posted.
Closed April 6th, 1950, and reopens as Cardinal on May 10th, 1951. Ad posted.
Reopens as Fine Arts on May 20th, 1960. Another ad posted.
I worked at the Fine Arts in the 80s after Renaissance Rialto took it over up until the time they closed it. Once the projection automated I ran The Fine Arts, The Guild, The Park and The Stanford all under Renaissance Rialto. Edie was the manager up until the end. Edie was tough but she and I got along well. She and I were there the day the seats were ripped out, the concession stand demolished and the screen ripped to shreds. We were told that the destruction was done to prevent anyone else opening a theater there. It was a very sad day. Several years later I visited the Persian Rug dealer. He wanted me to open the safe but I just could not remember the combination. I hope he got it open.