Palo Theater
University Avenue,
East Palo Alto,
CA
94303
University Avenue,
East Palo Alto,
CA
94303
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Westland Theaters (California)
Architects: Alexander Aimwell Cantin, Alexander Mackenzie Cantin
Firms: Cantin and Cantin
Nearby Theaters
This theater is most elusive. It exists as a name, a seating capacity listing in the 1951 Film Daily Yearbook list of California theatres, and as a vague recollection of two longtime Palo Altans. They both recall it being on University Avenue (EAST Palo Alto is a separate city from Palo Alto, but they share the same University Avenue as their main street), in the area later known as Whiskey Gulch due to many liquor stores.
This entire district has recently been levelled for hotel and office construction, making further clues as to the Palo’s location even more scarce.
Contributed by
Gary Parks
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
This is the notice that appeared in the “Theatre Construction” section of the November 18, 1949 issue of Boxoffice: “East Palo Alto, Calif.– 1,400 seat Palo Theatre underway for Westland Theatres. Located on University Avenue and Bayshore Drive.”
The house probably opened in 1950, but not early enough for inclusion in that year’s FDY. As it was built for Harvey Rotta’s Westland Theatres chain, I think it very likely that it was designed by Cantin & Cantin, who worked for the chain regularly in the late 1940s and early 1950s.